Head teacher health & safety briefing

1. Head teacher health & safety briefing Personal Protective Equipment Moving and Handling Policy for Children & Young People with Special Needs Manual Handling Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment 9th November 2006

2. Personal Protective Equipment Safety Management Standard Ruth Pickering

3. Definition of PPE ‘All equipment (including clothing affording protection against the weather) which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work which protects them against one or more risks to their health and safety’. PPE also includes any addition or accessory designed to protect health and safety.

4. Case law CET Glass Processors Ltd • Case arises following investigation into accident involving cuts to hand from breaking glass. Injury was foreseeable and serious. • Total cost - £100k IMPAK - Rubber band manufacturing company • Prosecuted for placing its employees at risk of developing skin diseases by failing to provide them with the correct type of protective gloves while working with glue. Employee suffered eczema on his hands. HSE inspectors discovered that six employees were only wearing absorbent cotton gloves while handling toluene-based adhesives. • Total cost - £60k

5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) • Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations • CLEAPSS: • School science service: Eye and face protection – R135 • School science service: Gloves as personal protective equipment (PPE) – PS 50

6. PPE within schools Worn by both: • Employees (i.e. caretaker, lab technician, teacher, catering staff); and • Pupils (for science, DT, sport) Such as, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear

7. PPE within school

8. Our standards • You must make sure that those employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work have suitable PPE. • You must appoint a PPE assessor. • PPE is always the ‘last resort’ to protect against risks to safety and health. • PPE must: • be properly assessed before use to ensure it is suitable for the wearer, environment for use and for the job; • be maintained and stored properly; • be provided with information, instruction and training on how to use it safely; and • Be used correctly by employees.

9. Our standards (continued…) • To assess the suitability of PPE you must consider the following: • Is it appropriate for the risk(s) involved, the conditions at place of exposure, and length of time that it will be worn? • Does is adequately control the risks without increasing the overall level of risk? • Can it be adjusted to fit the wearer correctly? • The state of health of the wearers? • The needs of the job and the demand it places on the wearer? • If more than one item of PPE is being worn, are they compatible?

10. Our standards (continued…) • Employees must only wear the PPE provided for them. • Ensure that PPE is CE marked and complies with PPE Regulations. • You must review the assessment if: • a you believe that it is no longer valid; or • there has been a significant change in the circumstances to which it relates.

11. Our standards (continued…) • PPE must be maintained (including replaced or cleaned as appropriate) in good working order and in good repair. • Employees must report to their manager any loss of or obvious fault with the PPE. • If you provide PPE for pupils or visitors, you must consider their health and safety, including disinfecting the equipment before reusing it.

12. Planning & achieving this SMS Are there ways (other than PPE) in which the risk can be adequately controlled, e.g. engineering controls? If the risk assessment shows that PPE is necessary, you will need to carry out a further assessment to ensure that PPE is suitable for: • The job itself and the risks for which protection is needed • The environment – you must consider the surrounding conditions (e.g. heat, noise, working outside, and can the wearer see and hear health and safety signs and signals, etc.) • The person who is going to be wearing the PPE

13. Training • Training and information about the specific PPE in use • CIEH Risk Assessment Principles and Practice • CIEH Supervising Safely • IOSH Managing Safely

14. Moving & Handling Policy for Children & Young People with Special Needs Rob Rodgers SEN Planning & Development Manager Education Walsall

15. Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) SMS Surinder Singh

16. LOLER SMS This SMS applies to lifting equipment; Any equipment used at work for: • lifting/ lowering loads • any attachments used for: • anchoring, • fixing or supporting it, • eg. Cranes, fork-lifts, lifts (for passengers & loads), MEWP’s and vehicle platform hoists • Includes lifting accessories eg. Chains slings, eyebolts etc.

17. LOLER SMS Care First Health Care Ltd Service user died having fallen from a sling whilst being hoisted out of a bath. Breach in connection with a failure to plan the lift in a safe manner • Estimated total cost - £100K

18. LOLER SMS United Engineering Forgings Ltd • Employee received fatal injury when struck on head by broken fork arm of FLT • Breach in connection with inadequate thorough examination and inspection of equipment • Estimated total cost - £600K

19. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 • Equipment provided for use at work must be: • Suitable for intended use • Safe for use & maintenance in safe condition • Used only by people who have received information, instruction & training • Accompanied by suitable safety measures eg protective devices, markings, warnings

20. LOLER SMS • Requires that equipment is: • Strong and stable enough for particular use, marked for maximum load • Positioned and installed to minimise risks • Used safely, ie work planned, organised & performed by competent people • Subject to ongoing thorough examination by competent people

21. Mobile wheeled Hoists Standing & Raising aids Patient Slings Overhead Hoists LOLER SMS What is considered to be lifting equipment:

22. LOLER SMS Who do the regulations apply to? People with responsibility directly or indirectly for equipment and its use: • Employers of people who use lifting equipment • Employees who use lifting equipment • Self Employed who use lifting equipment • Those who hire or loan lifting equipment

23. LOLER SMS The Regulations require you to risk assess the operation • Load size, weight, environment, users competence, etc. • Risk of the load falling or striking a person or object and the consequences • Risk of the equipment failing or falling over while in use and the consequences

24. LOLER SMS Ensure that thorough examinations & inspections are carried out at appropriate intervals: • Before equipment is put into service for first time • Every six months for equipment & accessories used for lifting people • Annually for all other equipment • After the occurrence of exceptional circumstances • Or at intervals laid down in an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person • Copies of the service and examination reports must be kept.

25. Provision and use of work equipment Regulations 1998 • Requires that work equipment is: • Fit for purpose • Used only for operations for which it is suitable • Maintained in good working order and in good repair • Only used by adequately trained persons • And that written instructions for use are available to all users of equipment.

26. LOLER SMS Our Standards • Risk assessment approach to control risks • Thorough examinations and / or examination schemes by competent person from approved list • ‘Designated person’ to co-ordinate safe management of lifting operations and equipment and to carry out visual inspections / functional checks in between thorough examinations

27. LOLER SMS National standards • Equipment must be strong and stable enough for use, subjected to on-going maintenance and marked with SWL • Equipment must be used by competent people • Lifting operations must be planned • Lift owners must act promptly to remedy defects NB for brevity, not all standards are described in full

28. Training • Induction • Training/information with regard to the specific lifting operations and lifting equipment in use. To be determined by local management. • CIEH risk assessment

29. Manual Handling SMS

30. Accident Statistics

31. Accident Statistics HSE statistics 2001/02 • 1.1 million suffered work-related musculoskeletal disorders • 12.3 million working days lost • 19.4 days per person • £5.7 billion 95/96

32. Accident Statistics The overall figure of 37% means that: Four out of five people suffer with back related problems at some time – the risk is greater after the age of 30.

33. ‘Manual handling’ definition Transporting or supporting a load by hand or bodily force and includes; • lifting, • putting down, • pushing, • pulling, • carrying or moving

34. Anatomy of spine Three main functions • To protect the spinal cord • To allow movement. • To support the upper body Complex System • Spinal Cord • Nerves • Ligaments • Muscles & Tendons

35. Anatomy of spine Strong and Flexible • Gentle ‘S’ bend • Move or lift in wrong way balance can be disturbed Problems – contributory factors • Poor physical condition • Posture • Lack of exercise • Excess weight • Illness

36. Vertebrae details Spinal Cord Disc • 33 bones – the top 24 are separated by discs • Each vertebrae has 4 joints which enables movement • Vertebrae are larger towards the bottom of the spine Vertebrae

37. Disc Anatomy Nucleus Discs • Act as shock absorbers • Firmly attached to vertebrae • Poor blood supply • Annulus stretches and relaxes during movement. Annulus

38. Anatomy Discs • Repeated stresses can cause minute tears and bulging of the disk. • Presses on adjacent nerves and ligaments – pins & needles, pain, numbness • Commonly called a slipped disc

39. Muscles • Bundles of fibre which enable movement • Messages from the brain cause them to contract and relax • Connected by tendons and when muscles contract the bones are drawn closer together • Damage to muscle is called a strain

40. Mechanics • Balance point through centre of body when standing • A load held in front disturbs the balance - tension generated in the back muscles to compensate • Forms a lever effect • Average person holding a 10kg load at arms length generates a counterbalancing tension up to 10 times more – to avoid falling over • High or repetitive levels of tension in the back can cause damage (muscle strain)

41. Mechanics Centre of Gravity Centre of Gravity Lever effect is reduced if load held closer to the body

42. Ligaments & Nerves Nerves • Millions of fibres transmitting electrical impulses • Vertebrae enclose and protect • Nerves branch out from the spinal cord and pass between vertebrae • Irritated nerves can be felt right along their length – (sciatica) Ligaments • Strong fibrous tissue • Small degree of elasticity • Stooped back posture can result in permanent elongation – weakness and pain • Damaged if stretched too far and torn – (sprain)

43. Manual Handling SMS Our standards • Appoint a manual handling risk assessor • Avoid, where reasonably possible, need for MHOs at work which involve a risk of injury • Assess any MHO that cannot be avoided for risks • Take steps to reduce risk of injury to lowest level

44. Manual Handling SMS Our standards • Provide provide employees with information on: • The weight of each load; and • The heaviest side of any load where the centre of gravity is not central.

45. Manual Handling SMS Our standards • Review the assessment regularly if: • • there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid or • • there has been a significant change in the MHO it relates to

46. Manual Handling SMS Our standards • You will need to consider: • • whether the employee is physically able; • • the clothing, footwear and other personal • belongings he or she is wearing; • • his or her knowledge and training; • • the results of any relevant risk assessments; • • whether the employee is within a group of • employees identified by that assessment as • being especially at risk

47. Manual Handling SMS Our standards • Employees must fully use any measures taken to reduce risks and should follow safe systems of work provided.

48. Risk Assessment Task Individual’scapabilities Load Environment any other factors

49. The Task Strenuous pushing and pulling Unpredictable movement of load Repetitive handling Insufficient rest or recovery time Workrate imposed by the process • Holding loads away from body • Twisting • Stooping • Reaching upwards • Large vertical movements • Long travel distances

50. Individual Capability • Physical condition • Illness • Pregnancy • Requires unusual capabilities • Call for special information or training