Daniel Houston: Health & Safety Advisor

1. Health & Safety Awareness Training for School Governors • The governing body have a key part to play in tackling risk aversion, helping to provide a wider sense of perspective and helping the school to get the balance right on managing risk. HSE • Daniel Houston: Health & Safety Advisor

2. Objectives & Governor Role • Understand the key health & safety requirements that schools should be complying with and how you as a Governor have a pivotal role to play. • The main role of the School Governors is to have a strategic overview of how a school is managed, this includes the monitoring and effectiveness of health & safety issues alongside curriculum issues both of which should form part of the everyday management processes

3. Some relevant Legislation • Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 • Management of Health & Safety at Work Regs 1999 • The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regs1992 • Fire Reform Order 2005 • Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regs 2005 • Control of Asbestos Regs 2012 • Control of Legionella ACOP L8 • Work at Height Regulations 2005 • Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences (RIDDOR) Regs 2013 • Construction & Design Management Regs 2015(CDM)

4. Health & Safety in Schools • Policy / Procedures • Risk Assessment • Fire • Control of Legionella • Management of Asbestos • Construction Design Management (CDM) • Inspections / Audit • Training

5. Health & safety Health and safety in a school is about taking a sensible and proportionate approach to ensure that the premises provide a healthy and safe place for all who use them, including the school workforce, visitors and pupils. “Health & safety is common sense, but sense isn’t always common”

6. Workplace Injury 2017/18 • 144 workers killed at work • 555,000 non fatal injuries • 71,062 injuries reported under RIDDOR • 3.9 million working days lost to workplace injuries • £5.2 billion costs

7. Workplace illness 2017/18 • 1.4 million workers suffering from a work related illness • 469,000 workers suffering work related musculoskeletal disorders • 595,000 workers suffering from work related stress, depression or anxiety • 22 million working days lost • £9.7 billion costs

8. Health & safety policy Policies are clear, simple statements of how your organisation intends to conduct its services, actions or business. They provide a set of guiding principles to help with decision making. Your policy doesn’t need to be long or complicated – a couple of sentences may be all you need for each policy area

9. Health & safety policy The starting point for effective health and safety management is a clear policy setting out the objectives of the school or college and identifying, areas for improvement. • What should the aims of the policy be? • What should the policy consist of? • Which issues should we consider when writing the policy? • Who is going to do what? • How will you communicate the policy to everyone? • How will the policy and arrangements be monitored and reviewed? • How are you going to involve children?

10. Other policies • Fire Safety Policy • Manual Handling Policy • Medical & First Aid Policy • New & Expectant Mothers at work Policy • Working at Height Policy • Stress & Wellbeing Policy • Risk Assessment Policy • Off Site Trips Policy

11. Who is accountable for health & safety within a school? The legal responsibility and thus accountability for health and safety lies with the employer. While this seems straightforward, who the employer is depends on the type of school. There are also differences across England, Scotland and Wales.

12. England and Wales

13. Competence Competence is the ability for every director, manager and worker to recognise the risks in operational activities and then apply the right measures to control and manage those risks.’ Competence in Health and safety should be seen as an important component of workplace activities, not an add-on or afterthought. The essence of competence is relevance to the workplace. What matters is that there is a proper focus on both the risks that occur most often and those with serious consequences.

14. Competent Person What are you doing? • Health and safety responsibilities of Head Teachers, Site Managers, Business Managers etc……. • How are they made aware of them? • What training have they been given to fulfil roles and responsibilities? • How are they held accountable? • Do they recognise continuing development needs, eg in annual appraisals?

15. Fire safety • Fire Safety Regulatory Reform order 2005 • Fire risk assessment • Information / Fire Log Book • Prevention / precautions • Detection • Procedures / training • Maintenance • Consultation • Communication

16. Control of Legionella The control of Legionella Bacteria in water systems – (ACOP L8) requires a risk assessment to be carried out by a competent person (SMS) and ongoing control measures (IWS) • Annual system condition inspection (Reports) • Flushing of little used outlets (weekly) • Monthly temperature monitoring • Quarterly cleaning & descaling of shower heads • Annual cleaning of thermostatic mixing valves (TMV’s)

17. Control of Legionella • Number of reported cases during October 2017: 77 / 15 travel abroad • Number of reported cases since 1st January 2017: 599 / 186 travel abroad • Number of cases reported in the South East: 44

18. Duty to manage Asbestos • The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 require duty holders to manage the risks from Asbestos: • Determine the location of Asbestos Containing Materials(ACM’s) • Keep and maintain up to date records / location, condition, removal, and maintenance. • Assess and monitor the condition • Inform anyone who is likely to disturb asbestos about the location and condition • Review the site asbestos management plan and make changes if circumstance have changed • Ensure certificates are obtained if asbestos is removed from site under licence.

19. Duty to Manage Asbestos An Essex school has been fined after poorly-planned and managed refurbishment and maintenance activities exposed school staff and others to asbestos. The Boswells School, Chelmsford, decided to convert an old boiler room at the school into a cleaning store. During the course of this work, asbestos residue on the walls was disturbed and caretakers swept contaminated debris from floors. Their exposure to risk only came to light after a later asbestos survey was completed in the area.  The trust was fined £26,000 and ordered to pay costs of £20,000.

20. Management of Contractors A contractor is anyone you get in to work for you who is not an employee. Using contractors – for maintenance, repairs, installation, construction, demolition and many other jobs – may be routine in your school. But many accidents involve contractors working on site. CDM Regulations 2015 Contract Cleaners Asbestos Regs

21. Risk Assessment • Identify the hazards • Risk/ Likelihood • Severity • Current controls in place • Additional controls required • Consult • Communicate

22. Possible hazards • Slips, trips and falls / all areas • Movement of vehicles on school grounds • Falls from height • Verbal or physical violence and aggression • Manual handling • Lone working • Stress • Work station / DSE • Electrical equipment and services • Legionella • Asbestos • Fire

23. Specialist areas • Drama • Sports / facilities • Laboratories • Art / Design • Technology • IT • Offsite trips • Stress & Wellbeing

24. Training Appropriate Health & Safety training should be given where identified as necessary. This can be formal subject training and also training in local systems and procedures. Areas where training may be required: • Health & Safety induction • Health & Safety level 1-3 • Manual Handling • Fire procedures • Use of Machinery • Educational Visits Coordinator • Radiation Protection Supervisor (CLEAPSS) • Working at Height • Pool Plant Operators (Swimming pools)

25. Monitoring performance Monitoring performance is an essential part of effective health & safety management. It involves checking that arrangements and systems are working as they should: • Physical controls are in place and working • Staff are doing what they are supposed to do • Review procedures are working • Health & Safety committee • Meeting agenda item at all levels • Governor responsible for Health & Safety • Health & Safety Inspections & Audit

26. Business continuity & Emergency planning • Rainbow plan • Lockdown • Special evacuation • Place of safety • Buddy Schools • What to do if ???????