Under section 29(5) of the Education Act 2002, local authorities have the power to address health and safety issues related to classrooms or school activities that take place elsewhere in the following types of schools: Update to remove COVID-19 advice and updated links to the Executive Health and Safety Guidelines and UKHSA Guidelines on public health incidents. All schools should regularly monitor and review their health and safety policies to ensure they reduce risk. As part of this monitoring, schools should investigate incidents to ensure that: Risk assessments take into account the steps you must take to protect the health and safety of all: the employer or, in the case of free schools, the owner, is responsible for the health and safety of school staff and students. The day-to-day operation of the school is usually delegated to the principal and the school management team. In most cases, they are responsible for ensuring that risks are managed effectively. This includes health and safety issues. Read the HSE`s additional information on responsibility for health and safety in a school and the sources of relevant health and safety guidelines. Risk assessments identify measures to control risks during school activities. The Health and Safety Act requires the school to assess the risks and take appropriate control measures. The law also requires that the details of the risk assessments, the measures taken to reduce those risks and the expected results be recorded. Occupational health and safety, etc. The 1974 Act establishes the UK Health and Safety Act.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforces this law in collaboration with local authorities. Schools must comply with health and safety laws and take proportionate control measures. Schools should regularly review and update their risk assessments and treat them as “living documents” as the circumstances of your school and public health boards change. This includes active provisions to monitor whether controls are effective and working as intended. The factors included in risk assessments vary from school to school, although some occur in most schools. HSE provides guidance on the risk assessment process and the coronavirus: latest information and advice – HSE News. Local authorities should only use these powers if a school`s health and safety precautions are inadequate. However, as the country learns to live with COVID-19, schools must regularly review and update risk assessments – and treat them as “living documents” as the circumstances of your school and public health boards change. Schools must ensure that staff receive health and safety information and training. These include: The following list of guidelines provides additional sources of help on health and safety risks: The Association for Physical Education (AfPE) can offer insurance advice for physical education teachers. Schools must have a health and safety policy. This should be an integral part of the school`s culture, values and performance standards.
Schools must appoint a competent person to ensure that they meet their health and safety obligations. A competent person is a person with the skills, knowledge and experience to provide reasonable advice on how to deal with health and safety risks at school. As the government continues to manage the risk of serious illness due to the spread of the virus, schools should consider COVID-19 as a risk in terms of health and safety risk assessment and risk management, among others. Schools must therefore ensure that a risk assessment has been conducted to identify the measures needed to reduce the risk of public health incidents to the extent possible. General information on how to make a workplace safe can be found in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) occupational health and safety guidelines. Updated with COVID-19-specific health and safety content. Management commitment is essential for effective health and safety management. Strong leadership is also crucial. HSE provides information on the main areas of health and safety in the workplace. If a health and safety incident occurs at the school, the responsible person and other persons responsible for health and safety should assess the effectiveness of the school`s procedures and their response.
You must make the necessary changes to the policies and procedures. This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government License v3.0, unless otherwise noted. To view this license, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk. The following list provides examples of how schools could integrate their health and safety policies. This list is not exhaustive and the content of the directive is determined by the school: The emergency procedures that schools should consider include: Each health and safety policy is divided into 4 elements: This publication is www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-safety-advice-for-schools/responsibilities-and-duties-for-schools The directive must be proportionate and relevant to the school. The person in charge chosen in the school should work with the employer and its health and safety advisors to create the policy. Employees must follow the health and safety procedures put in place by their employer. A revised version of the editorial “Health and Safety: Tips for Schools” has been uploaded to this page. Links and references to legislation have been updated. In most schools, the principal is responsible for implementation. Based on a thorough risk assessment, they should update it to reduce and reflect new risks.
The risk assessment covers risks to the health and safety of workers and persons (including pupils) who are not employees of the school. Tips that help schools understand their health and safety obligations. HSE explains the elements in more detail in its occupational health and safety management guidelines. For more information on how to treat infectious diseases in schools and other childcare facilities, see Health protection in educational and childcare institutions. Some types of control are more effective in reducing the risk of infection than others. Risk mitigation measures should be prioritized as outlined below. Schools should not simply take the easiest control measure to implement. All schools should have plans in place that allow them to manage and respond to school safety incidents. DfE advises on tips to support schools in school safety procedures.
Employees whose work involves a higher risk require additional or specific training. The HSE risk management guidelines provide an overview of when employees need specific training, such as whether schools are required to capture significant evaluation results. You need to identify each group of employees that they have identified as particularly vulnerable. If managers or teachers feel the process is inappropriate, they should discuss it with their employer. These may be, for example, processes that are too bureaucratic or do not sufficiently reduce the risk. All employees can request that procedures be revised. The Occupational Health and Safety Management Regulations, 1999 support the legislation. Certain work-related injuries of an employee or child must be recorded and reported by law. Schools need to think about the risks that can arise during the school day. This may include anything related to school grounds or curriculum delivery, whether on-site or off-site.
As outlined in the guidelines, the policy should include the following: Schools should take the following steps to address their risks and, for each risk, determine if there are any actions they can take at each stage before proceeding to the next step. Teachers and other school staff have a habitual duty if they are responsible for students to take care of them, as they would as parents. Students should be safe at school and during extracurricular activities.