Health & Safety Information for School Governors

1. Health & Safety Information for School Governors Presented by Phil West Corporate Health and Safety Advisor RBWM

2. Health and Safety Arrangements within the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead

3. WHERE LOCAL AUTHORITY IS EMPLOYER • LEA has a duty to ensure that their school’s comply with the legal requirements • Governing Body has responsibilities • LEA through head teacher are responsible and liable

4. GOVERNING BODY IS LIABLE WHERE IT IS THE EMPLOYER • aided schools • grant-maintained schools • grant-maintained special schools • non-maintained special schools • technology colleges

5. Main Health & Safety and Other Related Legislation • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 • Occupiers Liability Act 1957 • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 • Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999

6. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 Require EVERY employer to make a ‘suitable and sufficient’ assessment of: • risks to employees whilst at work • risks to non-employees arising from or connected with the work activity

7. School Premises Regulations 1996 Relate to number of Pupils • School Facilities • Accommodation in Boarding Schools • Structural Requirements - weather protection, fire safety, acoustics, lighting heating and ventilation • Area and quality of playing fields

8. Responsibilities of Governing Body (1 of 3) • The LEA, governors, senior managers and all employees have general duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which are backed by the sanction of criminal law. Those duties are underpinned by more specific requirements set out in regulations or other legislation. • At common law, a duty of care is owed to persons who may be affected by negligent actions or omissions, which may result in awards of damages against the negligent party.

9. Responsibilities of Governing Body (2 of 3) • The responsibilities of the LEA stem from its role as employer and as the body responsible for maintaining the structure of school premises. (In the case of aided schools, the governing body is the employer.) • The responsibilities of governors and senior managers stem from their delegated management of the school, their control of school premises and their responsibility for elements of the school fabric and contents.

10. Responsibilities of Governing Body (3 of 3) • The legislation is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive. Enforcement action and prosecutions may be brought against any or all parties who have relevant responsibilities under the legislation. • Primary responsibility for health and safety in Borough and controlled schools continues to rest normally with the LEA. Governors must comply with health and safety directions issued by the LEA and with its health and safety policy. They must also adopt their own policy.

11. Duties of Employers (1) • Appoint a competent person • Prepare (and revise) a written safety policy • Identify workplace hazards and minimise risks by the process of risk assessment • Provide appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision • Set up emergency procedures • Consult with employees

12. Duties of Employers (2) • Provide a safe working environment • Provide & maintain safe plant • Provide & maintain safe systems of work • Provide & maintain safe access & egress • Ensure safety in the use, handling, storage and transportation of articles and substances • Ensure premises have adequate amenities • Keep appropriate records • Audit and review

13. Examples of Responsibilities of Head Teacher • Take day-to-day responsibility for all health and safety matters in the school and ensure policy and procedures are implemented • Liaison with Governors/LEA on All health and safety issues • Chair school health and safety group. Ensure that problems in implementing health and safety are reported to the Governors and LEA

14. Examples of Responsibilities of Departmental Head • Draw up procedures and review annually • Arrange for staff to be informed/trained • Check procedures are followed • Act on reports from teaching staff within agreed time scale and report any problems to head teacher

15. Examples of Responsibilities of Teachers • Check classroom/work area is safe • Check equipment used is safe before use • Ensure safe procedures and followed • Ensure protective equipment is used • Report defects to departmental head • Carry out special tasks (e.g. first aid, membership of health and safety group)

16. Health and Safety Auditing

17. There are two ways to monitor the system: • Re-actively • Accident investigation • Near miss investigation • Proactively • Periodic Inspections/Audits/Tours • Spot-checks • Intended to highlight why an incident happened to enable remedial measures to be implemented and learn from mistakes. • Intended to highlight problem areas before things go wrong, to allow necessary changes to be made. The information gathered from active and re-active monitoring systems must be used to: • Identify high risk or problem areas. • Prioritise any remedial measures.

18. The Aims of Health and Safety Auditing are to Establish: • Appropriate management arrangements are in place. • Adequate risk control systems exist, are implemented, and consistent with the hazard profile of RBWM. • Appropriate workplace precautions are in place. • Actions identified and assigned to individuals and monitored through to completion. • Ensures a department is meeting its own goals and targets and complying with RBWM's Health and Safety Policy and Procedures. The audit process involves: • Collecting information about the health and safety management system. • Making judgements about its adequacy and performance. • An Annual Review and Action Plan

19. HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT Policy Organisation Audit Planning and Implementation Monitoring Review Successful Health & Safety Management HS(G)65 Management Regulations - Reg 4

20. The Audit is broken down into four key areas. • DOCUMENTATION • SAFETY SYSTEMS • PREVENTION & CONTROL • INFORMATION, INSTRUCTION, TRAINING & SUPERVISION

21. Documentation • Policy • Corporate Codes of Practice • Job Descriptions • Local Safety Practices (LSP) • Permits to work • Risk Assessments • Specific Risk Assessments • Method of ensuring staff are aware of key documentation and practical application • Work equipment inspection maintenance, testing, certification • Licensing • Accident and Incident Records • Training • Documented procedures for visitors • Hazard reporting system • Planned preventative maintenance • Housekeeping and Cleaning Schedules

22. Safety Systems • Training of Managers • Safety monitoring systems e.g. accident/incident reviews, audits, safety inspections, hazard reporting systems, appraisals, 1:1s, team meetings, absence monitoring and loss through damage. • Accident/incident monitoring and Trend identification • Property damage/loss reporting system (or reactive maintenance) • Consultation with Safety Representatives • Assessment of new tasks, new ways of working or new work equipment and their impact on staff. • First Aid Provision • Workload Monitoring • Assessment of new projects or ways of working at development stage.

23. Prevention & Control • Safety inspections of first aid provision, work equipment, welfare facilities etc • Fire and Emergency Procedures and Drills and Survey • Fire risk assessments • Fire protection equipment compliance and Survey • Adverse Work Environment Activity Assessment (e.g. noise, dust, fumes or vibration). • Permit to Work • Safety Inspections of Housekeeping as a Slips and Trips monitoring system • Proactive Health Monitoring • Local Exhaust Ventilation • CoSHH Storage, Training, Use, Assessments • PPE • Workplace and Welfare

24. Information, Instruction, Training & Supervision • Level 1 – 3 Training of Staff • Safety Instructions and Documentation from Suppliers of substances and equipment. • Promotion of health and Safety e.g. team meetings, appraisals and 1:1s, promotional campaigns, specific Safety Inspections. • Safety Signage Survey • Fire instructions • Training Needs Analysis and Learning Plans complete. • Is health & safety training undertaken/reviewed: At induction, change of responsibilities, new equipment or ways of working. • Refresher Training • Specific training • Safety Monitoring - supervision to ensure compliance with safety procedures. • Number of staff in Department and Number who have completed Training. Levels 1 - 4.

25. Accident Investigation

26. Council Policy Council departments must report all accidents to both employees and members of the public, no matter how minor, to the Corporate Health and Safety Team

27. COUNCIL POLICYAccidents to pupils Accidents to pupils which are not connected to work should be recorded in the school accident book only, unless they are taken from the school to hospital .

28. Accident Reporting The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) requires the reporting of certain: • Injuries (Now 7days or longer) • Diseases • Dangerous Occurrences

29. DID YOU KNOW? • Estimated annual costs to society is between £11 - £16 billion. • 344 people fatally injured at work in one year • 45% of fatal and major injuries in the service sector are caused by slips, trips and falls

30. Costs To Your School • Employee absence on full pay • Immediate loss of productivity • Increased management overheads • Overtime/temporary cover for injured employee • Recruitment and induction of replacement staff • Costs resulting from civil or criminal action

31. Accident Triangle Major injury or injury leading to more than 3 days lost work Minor injury accidents Incidents/Near Misses without injuries 1 7 189

32. Risk Assessments

33. Risk Assessment What is a Risk Assessment In simple terms 1st Think! What can go wrong? 2nd Decide! Has enough been done to prevent it? Risk assessment is good practice and it is also a legal requirement.

34. Definitions • Hazard - Anything with the potential to cause harm • Risk - The likelihood that a hazard will actually cause harm • Control or control measure - item or action to remove a hazard or reduce a risk

35. Examples of Hazards include: • Fire • Electricity • Harmful Substances • Sharp Tools • Equipment • Working at Height • Activities/Tasks

36. 5 STEPS TO RISK ASSESSMENT 1. Identify the hazards 2. Identify who might be harmed and how 3. Evaluate the risk - • assess the current controls • decide what needs improving 4. Record your findings 5. Review the assessment

37. STEP 1 LOOK FOR THE HAZARDS Identify the hazards associated with • work activities • materials • substances • equipment • workplace layout • procedures • people

38. STEP 2 DECIDE WHO MIGHT BE HARMED • Think about the work • List the posts • List employees particularly at risk • List others at risk • Note high risk periods • Note seasonal risks

39. STEP 3 EVALUATE THE RISKS • Ensure compliance with the law • Ensure compliance with Codes of Practice • Ensure systems and procedures • Written instructions and information • Is translation required? • Provide training • Control the risks • Establish target dates

40. STEP 4 RECORD YOUR FINDINGS Employers with 5 or more employees must record the significant findings of • any hazards that pose a serious risk • existing control measures and effectiveness • population at risk including any at specific risk

41. STEP 5 - REVIEW AND REVISE • Set a date for reviewing your assessment • Do it again if the following are introduced: • New equipment • New substances • New procedures • New employees • Keep an eye out for new hazards

42. Off Site Activities • Generic activity risk assessment • Visit/site specific risk assessments • Ongoing risk assessments and reassessment • Borough Assistance from Phil Brown

43. Functions of the Health and Safety Advisor • Maintain the Corporate Code of Practice and Key Documents; • Monitor compliance; • Assist in the investigation of the causes of serious accidents; • Provide help and advice to head teachers/governors upon request.

44. Do You Have a Health & Safety Strategy? Do you: • know where you are? • know where you need to be? • know what you need to do to get there? • have a prioritised plan to do it?!

45. Procedures Should Be In Place To Establish That • Physical controls/safety devices are in place and working • Staff are carrying out their functions • Review procedures are working • Accident and near miss reports are monitored • Health & safety inspections take place

46. Procedures Should Be In Place To Establish That • Work is planned and organised safely • Teachers receive health and safety training • Specialist Design and Technology teachers receive appropriate training • Plant and equipment are regularly checked, inspected and maintained

47. Schools are not alone • Health and Safety Advisor • Corporate Training Team • HR Team • Competent Person • Other employees in similar jobs • Other schools • Directorate Children’s Services • Health and Safety Committee

48. Summary • Health, Safety and Welfare can be can be maintained by • Information, Instruction and Training • Assessment and review of hazards • Positive attitude to H&S • Good communication • Safe working practices all the times, every time! BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!! If In Doubt ASK I!!!

49. Any Questions • Thank you.