S7. Health & Safety

The Governors recognise that they have a responsibility to ensure that all reasonable precautions are taken to provide and maintain working conditions, which are safe, healthy and comply with statutory requirements and codes of practice. This policy applies to staff and pupils both on the school premises and in out of school care (on trips, visits or fixtures and in after school clubs or Holiday club).

The School will, so far as is reasonably practicable, pay particular attention to:

  1. The provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are safe and healthy.
  1. Arrangements for ensuring safety and absence of risk to health, in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.
  1. The provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure the health and safety at work of employees, students and others.
  1. The control of the place of work maintaining it in a safe condition.
  1. The provision of a safe means of access to and egress from the place of work.
  1. The maintenance of a working and learning environment that is safe, without risk to health andprovides adequate facilities and arrangements for welfare at work.

Responsibilities

Executive

The Board of Governors is responsible for safety in the School and will monitor the safety policy at least once a year.A nominated governor will be responsible for monitoring health and safety. The Board will be appraised of health and safety matters by the governor responsible to ensure that sufficient resources are available to provide any health and safety equipment, clothing, information and training for employees and students in order (as far as is reasonably practicable) to achieve and maintain a high standard of safety proficiency.

Safety Officer

The Safety Officer for the School isthe Bursar,whose responsibilities cover the maintenance of safety records, investigation of accidents and keeping a watching brief on changing legislation, and reports directly to the Headmaster. The Bursar, as Safety Officer, will carry out full investigation of accidents with a view to the prevention of future occurrences. The Medical Carer is responsible for providing accident statistics.

The Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring the school’s obligations in respect of assessment, control and monitoring of hazardous substances are met.

The identity of all relevant responsible people within the School and the roles they have in ensuring that this Health & Safety Policy is implemented is set out in the policy document.

Departmental Manager

Departmental Heads have the responsibility to provide leadership and to promote responsible attitudes towards health and safety. Each Head will:

  1. Keep up to date with health and safety matters applicable to the operations of the School.
  1. Investigate all accidents with the assistance of the Safety Officer, with a view to prevention.
  1. Ensure good housekeeping standards are applied.
  1. Review periodically all new and existing equipment with reference to mechanical and operational safety, in particular, the location of all equipment bearing in mind all health and safety factors.
  1. Carry out regular safety checks and audits within their department.

The Director of Standards and Development (teaching staff) and the Bursar (all other staff) will:

  1. Make sure that each new employee is given induction training, including the precautions procedures appropriate to their specific jobs. All new members of staff must familiarise themselves with the location of First Aid boxes, Fire Exits and Fire Fighting Equipment.
  1. Ensure all employees are aware of the Health and Safety Policy

Class and Subject Teachers

All Class and Subject teachers have the responsibility to provide leadership and to promote responsible leadership attitudes towards health and safety. All Class and Subject teachers must ensure that all tasks carried out in their sections are performed with the utmost regard for the health and safety of all those involved. Accidents must be reported immediately to the Safety Officer and all Class and Subject teachers are expected to take responsibility for ensuring that this is done correctly, accurately and promptly.

Particular regard will be paid to:

  1. Equipment and methods of working to ensure they are safe and do not endanger health.
  1. Provide safe arrangements for the handling, storage and movement of materials, equipment and substances.
  1. Supplying sufficient information, instructions, training and supervision to enable employees to avoid hazards and contribute positively to their own health and safety at work.
  1. Inspecting equipment such as lighting, passageways, fire alarms, fire escapes, fire extinguishers, first aid facilities and work practices on a regular basis to ensure their efficiency and maintenance.

Employees

All employees have a responsibility to do everything they can to prevent injury to themselves, their fellow employees and others affected by their actions or omissions at work. They are expected to follow School procedures in particular, to report any incidents, which have or may have led to injury or damage to their Manager/Supervisor, or the relevant Safety Officer for their department.Any employee who is faced with a conflict between the demands of safety and his/her job should raise the matter immediately with their Manager/Supervisor.

Organisation

The overall and final responsibility of meeting requirements of Health and Safety in the school is that of the Governing Body of the School. The under mentioned persons are ultimately responsible and accountable to the Governing Body for Health and Safety within their nominated areas and will assume overall responsibility for the effective organisation of Health and Safety management:

  1. Mr. David Craggs – Headmaster
  2. Mr Timothy Payne – Bursar
  3. Mrs. Clare Margetts – Director of Studies
  4. Mr Alexander Bertwistle – Head of Senior School
  5. Mrs Shirley Gurteen – Director of Standards and Development
  6. Miss. Fiona McPherson – Head of Junior & Kindergarten School
  7. Mr. Gerry Catlin – Grounds Keeper
  8. Mrs. Julia Gunnill – Head of Physical Education
  9. Mrs Jackie Smith – Catering Manager
  10. Mr Andy Lavery - CCF Colour Seargeant
  11. Mrs Claire Williams – Head of Science
  12. Mrs. Andrea Renshaw – Head of DT
  13. Mr Mark Weller – Fleet Manager
  14. Mr Ray Jelfs – Trips & Visits Coordinator
  15. Mr Mark Tassel – Head of Maintenance
  16. Mrs Christie Godding – Medical Carer
  17. Mr Paul Tassel – Network Manager

Whenever an employee, supervisor or manager notices a Health and Safety hazard or a potential, which is outside the scope of their rectification, the appropriate person named above is to be informed.

Arrangements

  1. Prevention of Excessive Workload Procedures

The school recognizes that excessive work-load and the inability to have a break from work or duties on a normal rest day is potentially unsafe. Staff who are overly tired may be prone to mistakes and this may lead to unsafe practices.

1.1 Weekend Working

There may be occasions when it is necessary for school staff to work on days they would usually have as rest days such as at weekends. Examples would include: PE staff supervising sports matches, CCF staff supervising CCF camps, activities or attending courses, Staff assisting with open-days, fayres or other “community/social events”.

If staff work on one day of their weekend then this is permissible within EU working time regulations. However, staff may sometimes be obliged to work both days on a weekend. This would mean the potential of them working a total of 12 days before being able to have a rest day during the following weekend. European working time directives require staff to have a weekly uninterrupted rest period of 24 hours every seven days. This means that if staff are likely to work on a Saturday and also a Sunday during a weekend they must be allocated a rest-day during the week prior to that weekend. Staff should not work in excess of seven days without a rest day.

Example 1: A CCF officer is due to attend an army training course one Saturday & Sunday. The officer normally works Monday-Friday as a teacher. If he/she taught Monday – Friday then spent Saturday & Sunday on CCF training followed by another Monday-Friday at school they would work 12 days without a rest. In this case the officer should be allocated a rest day prior to the weekend training.

1.2 Extended Day

Staff working in excess of six hours in a day are entitled by law to a 20 minute rest break. In reality school staff are allowed a total of 60 minutes of break during the school day.

On a typical day staff are expected to work a maximum of nine hours per day (depending on their contract or the equivalent) There may be occasions when it is necessary for school staff to remain at school past their normal duty hours to attend events. Examples would include: parents evenings, plays, concerts etc.

Working time regulations stipulate that staff must have a daily rest period of 11 hour in every 24 hour period. Eleven hours must elapse between the end of their duty on one day and before the start time of their next duty the following day. The maximum number of days that staff should work in excess of ten hours in any one week should be two.

Example 2: Teaching staff attend a parents evening which finishes at 2100hrs. This means they may be back at work at 0800 hrs. having had 11 hours rest. If they attend events that finish later that 2100 then they should adjust their start time at work the following day accordingly.

1.3 Driving School Transport

Staff who are required to drive school transport should adhere to EU regulations as they apply and these are explained in more detail in the school’s transport policy. The maximum working day while driving is 13 hours with a maximum of ten of those hours behind-the-wheel. Staff who are required to drive pupils in school transport late in an evening may need to have their normal school start time changed accordingly to ensure that they are not tired while driving.

Example3: A teacher plans to take a group of students to see a play at a theatre which finishes at 2130 then to drive the children back to school in a minibus expecting to arrive back at school at 2230hrs. If the teacher started work at school at 0800 as normal then he/she would exceed the 13 hour/day and potentially be driving pupils having been at work for 14 ½ hours. Arrangements would need to be made for that teacher to commence work after 9.30am to restrict their working day to 13 hours. Having finished work at 2230hrs the teacher should not then return to work until 11 hours have passed and thus not be back at school until 0930 the next day.

1.4 Supervision

All staff are responsible for Health & Safety and managing the time they spend at work is a part of this. Staff should ensure that they take adequate rest breaks. School management are responsible for monitoring the time spent at work by staff especially those whose role requires evening or weekend work. If necessary work duties should be re-organized or other staff utilized to ensure staff have adequate rest periods and rest days.

This section - Approved July 2014Review date July 15DGC

  1. Accidents

All accidents, irrespective of their seriousness must be reported to the employee’s immediate Manager. An accident is any incident that has or may have led to injury or damage to people, equipment or property.

The Medical Adviser is responsible for accident reporting and the Bursar is responsible for carrying out accident investigation and where appropriate, implementing remedial action to avoid a recurrence.

The Accident Record book islocated at: the School Reception Office. The book is specifically used to record all injuries to all members of staff, pupils or visitors, regardless of how serious or minor they appear to be. Accurate recording of the injury suffered is essential and is in the interest of the School, for both pupil and the employee.

2.1 Reporting Accidents

The following procedures should be adhered to in order to ensure the accident/incident is being dealt with accordingly:

  1. In the event of an accident causing injury you must ensure that the injured person is being cared for, then immediately send for a Head of Department/First Aider. Do not move the injured person.
  1. Report the full details to your Head of Department/Supervisor who will record the incident in the accident book. The records will be regularly inspected by the Safety Officer. The accident will be reported to the inspecting authority as and when necessary and as detailed under the RIDDOR Regulations.
  1. Accidents that must be reported to the HSE include:
  1. Fatal injuries
  2. Specified (non-fatal) injuries e.g. fracture of bones
  3. Dangerous occurrences e.g. collapse of lifting equipment or structure
  4. Accidents causing more than seven consecutive days incapacity for work.
  5. Certain work related diseases.
  6. Certain matters dealing with the safe supply of gas.
  1. Forms for Incident Reporting are used to report injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) copies of which are to be found online at
  1. Fatalities and Specified Reportable Injuries must be reported as soon as practical to the HSE via their Incident Call Centre on 0845 300 9923 and then followed up with a form sent via their on line reporting system within 10 days. All other notifiable incidents must be reported on line within 10 days, with the exception of incapacity from work for seven days, in which case the report should be made on line within 15 days.
  1. Any “near miss” incident which occurs should also be reported to your immediate Head of Department who will be responsible for making a report to The Bursar Safety Officer. All accidents will be investigated by the Head of Department and the Safety Officer. A report will be made to The Bursar who will ensure that necessary action is taken to prevent recurrence.
  1. First Aid

Medical Treatment and First Aid Policy (S9) is shown in the staff handbook. A full list of qualified First Aiders can be found on the staff notice board; beside each first aid the list has details of location and telephone extension where the First Aiders can be located.

During the induction programme staff will be shown the following:

  1. The location of the nearest First Aid box to their work area.
  2. Names of First Aiders and Appointed Persons together with information on how to contact them are given on the notice boards.
  3. First Aiders and Appointed Persons will receive initial training followed by three yearly refresher courses.

First Aid Boxes that are the responsibility of the Medical Carer but should be routinely checked by the respective departmental head. The First Aid Boxes that are situated around the school site for emergency use are to be checked, stocked and maintained by the Medical Carer.

  1. Fire Precautions

The school has implemented the following precautions in accordance with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which came into force in late 2006. Detailed school Fire Procedures (A6) are shown in the staff handbook.

4.1 Evacuation Procedures

In the event of emergency evacuation of the premises for whatever reason all employees should cease work immediately and leave the building by the nearest available exit. They should assemble at their nominated assembly point, and not return to work until advised by the Headmaster/Senior Manager.

4.2 Visitors

In the event of fire the employee is responsible for the evacuation of their visitor(s) from the premises.

4.3 Fire Warden

The Fire Warden is Mr Mark Tassell his deputy is Mr Gerry Catlin

4.4 Fire Prevention/Precautions

The following points are to be considered in order to reduce the risk of fires:

  1. Waste to be regularly disposed of
  2. Electrical machines to be switched off when not is use
  3. Storage and use of flammable liquids to be closely supervised
  4. Gas appliances to be regularly checked for effective operation
  5. Fire doors to be kept closed
  6. Staff to be familiar with fire instructions
  7. Escape routes to be clearly indicated and kept clear
  8. Evacuation arrangements for visitors and disabled personnel
  9. Fire extinguishers – staff aware of usage

4.5 Procedures in the Event of Fire

Procedures in the event of a fire are detailed in writing and clearly displayed on each floor on which employees are required to work. Plans indicating Fire Exits, Fire Fighting Equipment, Fire Call Points and Fire Sensors are shown at Appendix 2 to this policy.

4.6 Fire Exits and Escape Routes

  1. All designated fire exits and escape routes are distinctively and conspicuously marked by a notice printed in letters of adequate size.
  2. Where alternative escape routes exist, the alternatives are clearly marked by the signs.
  1. Exit and escape route signs are particularly important to people who are new to the School and are, therefore, completely unfamiliar with the layout of the premises.
  2. These exits will be kept well lit and completely clear of all obstructions at all times with a clear view of the signs. On no account should an area either side of a fire exit or at any point along an escape route be used for the storage of any item, regardless of convenience or duration, even temporarily.
  3. In particular, fire doors must never be propped open.
  4. While anyone is within the premises, it is of the utmost importance that all doors through which they have to pass to vacate the premises should not be locked or fastened that they can be immediately and easily opened from the inside.

4.7 Fire Fighting Equipment