Where does Staff Safety begin in Educational Establishments? Is it responsible for all of our schools closing after a few snowflakes have fallen? One of my students explained today that the roads were not impassable; school was simply closed because the head teacher is afraid that there will be too many people taking legal action for slips and falls. Why do people say that students are cynical?
Whatever the case, we all know that there is a right and wrong way to do things. For example, we all know that there is a right and wrong way to load a vehicle for school trips; or in the circumstances perhaps I should say excursions.
The right way to use seatbelts in a mini bus is with the passenger seated and restrained as in diagram 1.
However, we must beware of school trips which are very popular and consequently overbooked.
The Wrong Way to load a vehicle.
Health and Safety in the Workplace is such a huge area that it is difficult to know where one should begin. I have compiled a ready reckoner guide to Staff Safety which includes the following areas:-
• Aisles in Assemblies/Lectures
• Brightness of Light Sources
• Cross infection through body fluids
• Cutting mats and the use of tools
• Disabled Access
• e-Safety
• Falling School Rolls
• Fire exits
• First Aid At Work
• Gates
• Manual Handling Regulations
• PAT Testing
• Repetitive Strain Injury
• Risk Assessments
• Safety Belts in Excursions
• Safety Goggles
• Secure Access – Card Readers
• Slipping in the snow or rain
• Trip hazards
• Uneven floors
• Wireless Networks
• Wrist Rests
• Zones
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Aisles in Assemblies/Lectures are a good idea to provide access for both staff and students to collect certificates and to assist air circulation.
Brightness of Light Sources eg. Projector lamps can cause headaches and eye damage if the lumens of the projector are too high. The lumens requirement is approximately 2000 or below, depending on the size of the classroom or hall in which it is used. (BECTA have excellent guidelines on this which can be found at www.becta.org.uk and hence avoid a searchlight being installed in the small group reading room.)
Cross infection through body fluids When dealing with blood or vomit, staff should wear protective gloves to avoid ingress via cuts or abrasions.
Cutting mats and the use of tools It is advisable to cut away from oneself when handling cutting tools. It is essential that blades are kept sharpened as this will improve the accuracy of the tool. Cutting mats are useful to prevent slippage.
Disabled Access is improving in most buildings – but beware of tripping over portable ramps!
e-Safety This area of Staff Safety is to safeguard the moral integrity of staff, rather than the physical applications usually associated with Health and Safety. It is a growing area which online reporting will accentuate, dealing with such issues as privacy and “appropriate use of equipment”. I have approached NAACE, who suggested the use of this link which has detailed guidelines to help staff.www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/UserFiles/CW/File/Advisory_Service_ICT/E-Safety/Safer PracticeWithTechnology-260509.pdf
Falling School Rolls – I had not previously considered these to be hazardous, however it largely depends on who baked them!
Fire exits These should be clearly marked, access should be unimpaired and anyone on site must know the escape routes. Instructions should be displayed in every room. During gatherings such as school plays, these must be illuminated for emergency egress. (These are also important for rapid routes to tea!)
First Aid At Work Provision must be made for a FAAW qualified member of staff to be available at all times. Thus, it is advisable to have several qualified staff at this level and many schools have more staff qualified to Authorised Person Level. If you work in a school, it is a sensible qualification to have which requires renewal every 3 years.
Gates Whilst these are not the Las Vegas of Health and Safety, they are very important. Closing them in order to prevent accidents is simple but effective. Consider the split sites where Car Parks are often separated by a simple gate and the effect of not closing that gate on other staff or pupils.
Manual Handling Regulations These are in place to prevent lifting too heavy a load in the wrong way. Key advice is to bend the knees not the back when lifting, to keep the head erect whilst carrying and to lift a sensible load. Full regulations are available at www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/INDG143.pdf and include the following chart. These regulations are important as improper manual handling accounts for 38% of all accidents in the workplace. PAT Testing All portable appliances must be tested and labelled before staff may use them. (These are anything that may be plugged in.) Often the local Network experts provide this service. RCD’s or Residual Current Devices may be present in your School or College. These are designed to prevent electric shock. There are several types and your school should check which type you need.
Repetitive Strain Injury can be prevented or alleviated by wrist rests and other specialist equipment eg. Broad-barrelled pens.
Risk Assessments These must be undertaken whenever work is undertaken. They are to identify potential risks and actions which may be taken to minimise these. If going off-site, a preliminary visit is necessary to gauge the situation.
Safety Belts in Excursions – see first item.
Safety Goggles must be worn as appropriate. E.g. Chemistry lessons – when there is a risk of flame, flare, smoke or particles.
Secure Access – Card Readers In order to prevent unauthorised access to secure areas eg a school, Card Readers can be installed. These can be very sophisticated and can include biometric information. Eg Iris Scans. They are becoming more common.
Slipping in the snow or rain – see first paragraph.
Trip hazards/Uneven floors – These include playground surfaces various, lifting floor tiles and trailing cables eg to operate a temporary whiteboard. Loose cables must be contained. Eg. using correctly marked cable ramps etc.
Wireless Networks – Considerable controversy surrounds the safety of Radio Frequency Equipment. Whilst considerable research has been done it is so far inconclusive. The prudent approach is not to site radiating devices such as network routers within 2m of personnel. BECTA provides guidelines on this, having consulted the Health Protection Agency.
For information on safety issues regarding wireless equipment, contact the Health Protection Agency: www.hpa.org.uk/radiation
Zones – these are areas to separate different activities and hence have the correct ratio of pupils: teachers within the educational establishment. This minimises the risk of moisture in areas where electricity is being used.
This article was provided by Mrs. Anne Goodsall, BH(Hons), PGCE
Anne is the Principal of The Literacy Lounge and can be found at www.literacylounge.co.uk
