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- Inset Day 15th December 2023
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Health and Safety Policy
It is our policy to carry out our activities in such a way as to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of our employees and all persons likely to be affected by our activities including the general public where appropriate. We will co-operate and co-ordinate with partnerships, contractors, sub-contractors, employers, Hampshire County Council departments and the occupiers and owners of premises and land where we are commissioned to work in order to pursue our Health and Safety Policy aims.
Our aims are to:
Our health and safety management system has been developed to ensure that the above commitments can be met. All staff and governors will be instrumental in its implementation.
Organisation
Employer Responsibility
The overall responsibility for health and safety at South Wonston Primary School is held by Hampshire County Council who will:
Responsible Manager
The responsible manager for the premises is the Headteacher who will act to:
All Staff (including volunteers)
All staff have a statutory obligation to co-operate with the requirements of this policy and to take care of their own health and safety and that of others affected by their activities by:
Site Manager
The Site Manager is responsible for undertaking a wide range of typical health and safety related duties on behalf of, and under the direction of the responsible manager. They are to work within the parameters of any provided training and in accordance with risk assessments and the on-site safe working practices. They are to work within their level of competence and seek appropriate guidance and direction from the headteacher and/or the Children’s Services Health & Safety Team as required.
On-Site Health & Safety Co-ordinator/Officer
The on-site health & safety officer/co-ordinator to the school/premises will manage, advise and co-ordinate local safety matters on behalf of, and under the direction of the responsible manager. They are to work within their level of competence and seek appropriate guidance and direction from the headteacher and/or the Children’s Services Health & Safety Team as required.
All Teachers & Supervisors
The responsibility of applying local safety procedures on a day-to-day basis rests with the teachers and supervisors. Where any new process or operation is introduced in the area of their responsibility, they are to liaise appropriately so that the associated risks are assessed and any precautions deemed necessary are implemented. They are to ensure that all new members of staff under their control are instructed in their own individual responsibilities with regards to health and safety, and they will appropriately monitor those new staff. They are to make periodic inspections of their areas of responsibility, taking prompt remedial action where necessary to control risk.
Fire Safety Co-ordinator
The Site Manager is the fire safety co-ordinator who is the competent person for fire safety on the premises and acts on behalf of the Headteacher. They should attend the fire safety co-ordinator training course (IOSH fire risk assessment principles and practices) and refresh this training every three years. The fire safety co-ordinator is responsible for the local management and completion of day-to-day fire safety related duties and upkeep of the fire safety manual.
The fire safety co-ordinator is to work within their level of competence and seek appropriate guidance and direction from the headteacher and/or the Children’s Services Health & Safety Team and the Property Services Fire Team as required.
Health & Safety Representative
The premises health and safety representative (whether a member of staff who is union appointed, or non-union and locally nominated) will represent the staff with regard to their health and safety at work. They are expected to promote a positive safety culture throughout the premises and carry out the health and safety duties appropriate to their role in accordance with current guidance and legislative requirements.
Legionella Competent Person
The Site Manager is the nominated competent person for Legionella on the premises and acts on behalf of the headteacher to provide the necessary competence to enable Legionella to be managed safely. They will annually complete the Legionella e-learning course and all training records are to be retained.
The Legionella competent person will ensure that all periodic and exceptional recording, flushing, cleaning and general Legionella management tasks are correctly completed and recorded in accordance with departmental and corporate requirements. They will work within their level of competence and seek appropriate guidance and direction from the headteacher and/or Property Services as required.
Asbestos Nominated Responsible Person
The Site Manager is the nominated responsible person for asbestos on the premises and acts on behalf of the headteacher to provide the necessary competence to enable asbestos to be managed safely in accordance with the Corporate Procedure.
The asbestos competent person will ensure that all staff have a reasonable awareness of asbestos management and dangers. They will ensure that the appropriate staff are competent in the use of the asbestos register and that asbestos is managed in accordance with departmental and corporate requirements. They will advise the headteacher of any condition or situation relating to asbestos which may affect the safety of any premises users. They will work within their level of competence and seek appropriate guidance and direction from the headteacher and/or the Children’s Services Health & Safety Team as required.
Accident Investigator
The on-site trained accident investigator is the Headteacher who will lead on all accident investigations in accordance with departmental and corporate procedures.
Arrangements
The following arrangements for health and safety have been developed in accordance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. These arrangements set out all the health and safety provisions for South Wonston Primary School and are to be used alongside other current school/premises procedures & policies.
In carrying out their normal functions, it is the duty of all managers and staff to act and do everything possible to prevent injury and ill-health to others. This will be achieved in so far as is reasonably practicable, by the implementation of these arrangements and procedures.
Accident/Incident Reporting & Investigation
The on-site management, reporting and investigation of accidents, incidents and near misses is carried out in accordance with the corporate procedure requirements.
Any accident, incident or injury involving staff, visitors, contractors, and the more serious accidents/incidents to children are to be reported and recorded on the HCC
Accident/incident reporting system (on line or via the paper version via the School Office). If the paper version is used then it will need to be added on to the on line system as soon as practical).
A copy of the completed form is then automatically sent to Children’s Services Health & Safety Team the person reporting the incident and the manager will receive a request to carry out an investigation via a link to record this on. The purpose and intended outcome of the investigation is to identify the immediate and underlying causes of the accident so as to be able to implement appropriate measures to prevent reoccurrence.
Minor accidents to pupils are to be recorded in the Medical Incident Book located in the
Medical Room or the Lunchtime Minor injuries book kept in the Medical Room or the Lunchtime Minor Injuries book kept in the Lunchtime boxes that are taken to the playground each lunchtime.
The more serious accidents that are notifiable to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) will be reported by the Children’s Services Health & Safety Team. An F2508 will then be completed and sent to the HSE. A copy of this form will be emailed to the school.
The headteacher will ensure that the governing body/senior management is appropriately informed of all incidents of a serious nature. All accident/incident reports will be monitored by the Safeguarding Governor for trend analysis in order that repetitive causal factors may be identified to prevent reoccurrences.
Premises hirers and community/extended service/third party users must report all incidents related to unsafe premises or equipment to the school/premises staff, who will appropriately report and investigate each incident. Incidents related to the user’s own organised activities are to be reported by them in line with their own reporting procedures.
Asbestos Management
Asbestos management on site is controlled by the Nominated Responsible Person. The asbestos register as issued by the Asbestos Team is located at the School Office and is to be shown to all contractors who may need to carry out work on site. Contractors must sign the register as evidence of sighting prior to being permitted to commence any work on site.
The Responsible Manager and the Nominated Responsible Person must complete the asbestos checklist relevant to their role (one for each role) when they are appointed. Copies of these must be retained with the asbestos register.
They will also complete the Asbestos e-learning on an annual basis. The nominated person will additionally attend the Hampshire Scientific Services half day attendance course as a one off. As will any other school staff that are likely to carry out any invasive works.
Any changes to the premises’ structure that may affect the asbestos register information will be notified to the Asbestos Team in order that the asbestos register may be updated accordingly.
Under no circumstances must contractors or staff drill or affix anything to walls that may disturb materials without first checking the register and/or obtaining approval from the nominated responsible person.
Any damage to any structure that possibly contains asbestos, which is known or identified during inspection, should be immediately reported to the headteacher and/or the asbestos nominated responsible person who will immediately act to cordon off the affected area and contact the Asbestos Team for guidance. Any contractor suspected to be carrying out any unauthorised work on the fabric of the building should be immediately stopped from working and immediately reported to the headteacher and/or asbestos competent person.
Community Users/Lettings/Extended Services
The Headteacher will ensure that:
Contractors on Site
It is recommended HCC minor works framework is always to be used for contractual work on the premises. Where the minor works frame work is not used appropriate safe selection of contractor’s procedures are to be used to ascertain competence prior to engaging their services. The schools management surveyor should be contacted for further guidance.
All contractors must report to the School Office where they will be asked to sign the visitors book and asbestos register. All contractors must be issued with the local written contractor induction brief that includes all relevant details of fire safety procedures & local safety arrangements.
Host staff are responsible for monitoring work areas and providing appropriate supervision, moreso where the contractor’s work may directly affect staff and pupils on the premises.
Curriculum Activities
All safety management and risk assessments for curriculum based activities will be carried out under the control of the relevant Heads of Department and subject teachers using the appropriate codes of practice and safe working procedural guidance for Design & Technology, Science, Music, Physical Education & Sport, Art, Swimming and Drama as issued by CLEAPSS, HIAS and Hampshire County Council. Heads of Department and the appropriate subject teachers will be responsible for local risk management and ensuring that maintenance of equipment and premises in their areas of the curriculum are managed safely following the appropriate guidance.
Display Screen Equipment
All users must complete the display screen equipment e-learning course every year without exception. All users must carry out periodic workstation assessments using the Corporate Workstation Assessment Form. Workstation assessments will be actioned as necessary by line managers and routinely reviewed at intervals not exceeding three years.
Electrical Equipment
The Headteacher will ensure that:
Any defective or suspected defective equipment, systems of work, fittings etc must be reported to the Site Manager and attended to as soon as possible.
Emergency Procedures
General emergency evacuation for non-fire related emergencies is to be carried out in accordance with the school/premises emergency evacuation plan. This plan will be in place as well as the fire evacuation plan.
All staff will receive a brief and/or a copy of the emergency evacuation plan at induction, and they will be periodically provided with updated information as the emergency evacuation plan is routinely reviewed and amendments are introduced.
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans are to be completed, provided and reviewed for any vulnerable persons to be able to ensure safe, assisted evacuation in the event of an emergency incident.
Fire Safety
Arrangements regarding fire safety are set out in the Fire Safety Manual. The fire safety coordinator is the competent person for fire safety on the premises and is the immediate point of contact for all fire safety related enquiries on site.
The Headteacher will ensure through the fire safety co-ordinator that:
First Aid
Arrangements regarding first aid provision are set out in the First Aid Policy. The names and locations of the first aid trained staff on site are listed in the first aid policy and also clearly signposted around the school/premises.
A needs assessment of the first aid requirements is completed annually, this details the number of first aid staff required.
First aid is never to be administered by anyone except first aid trained staff with in-date training certification, operating within the parameters of their training.
General Equipment
All general equipment requiring statutory inspection and/or testing on site (eg. boilers, hoists, lifting equipment, local exhaust ventilation, PE equipment, climbing apparatus) will be inspected by appropriate competent contractors as provided by the term contractor under Property Services arrangements, or as locally arranged.
Equipment is not to be used if found to be defective in any way. Defective equipment is to be reported and immediately taken out of use until repairs can be carried out.
Glazing
Glass and glazing on site have been surveyed by Property Services and risk assessed by the school to ensure that there is suitable safety glass in the area which the glazing is located, this includes taking into account the activities undertaken and types of children at the school. The survey and assessment are kept electronically in the staffshare drive on the school network and is reviewed and updated when there are changes to the premises.
Good Housekeeping
Tidiness, cleanliness and efficiency are essential factors in the promotion of good health and safety. The following conditions are always to be adhered to:
Hazardous Substances
Hazardous substances, materials, chemicals and cleaning liquids are not permitted to be used or brought into use on site unless material safety data sheets have been obtained and a documented COSHH assessment has been undertaken by the trained COSHH assessor, and the product has been approved for safe use on site by the headteacher. The premises COSHH assessor acting on behalf of the Headteacher is the Site Manager.
When using a harmful substance, whether it is a material, cleaning fluid or chemical substance, staff must ensure that adequate precautions are taken to prevent ill-health in accordance with the COSHH assessment completed for that hazardous substance. Staff must never attempt to use a harmful substance unless adequately trained to do so, and then only when using the safe working practices and protective equipment identified in the COSHH assessment.
All hazardous substances are to be stored in the secure and signed storage when not in use which is in the Cleaners Cupboard for these premises. This is to remain locked at all times.
Inspections and Monitoring
Daily monitoring of the premises, through working routines and staff awareness, is expected to identify general safety concerns and issues which should be immediately recorded in the premises defect book and reported to the Site Manager.
Routine documented inspections of the premises will be carried out monthly in accordance with the premises inspection schedule. Inspection findings are to be recorded on the locally adapted CSAF-005/CSAF-010(A/B/C) Premises Safety Inspection Checklist.
Defects identified during these routine documented inspections are to be immediately reported to the Headteacher and recorded in the defect book. Any identified high level risks or safety management concerns are to be actioned by alerting the Schools Admin Officer and/or the Headteacher.
It is the schools responsibility that the termly H&S web monitoring form is completed by…. The Schools Admin Officer and Site Manager. This monitoring form will focus on different areas each term and is an integral part of the School and CSHST monitoring programmes.
Kitchens
The main kitchen area is only to be used by authorised staff in accordance with the identified safe working procedures. Authority and procedures for local management of the main kitchen is HC3S. Any persons not normally authorised but wishing to enter the kitchen area must gain approval prior to entry and must strictly adhere to the kitchen safe working practices.
Legionella Management
Legionella management on site is controlled by the Legionella competent person who will manage and undertake all procedures regarding Legionella in accordance with Hampshire County Council corporate procedure. Records of all related training will be retained for auditing purposes.
Lone Working
Lone working increases the risks to the individual and as such needs to be kept to a minimum (both in terms of the frequency of lone working and the time spent undertaking the activity). To further reduce the risks lone workers should not undertake hazardous tasks whilst working alone, e.g.: · Working at Height
When lone working is undertaken it must only take place:
Moving and Handling
All staff must complete the moving and handling e-learning course every year without exception. Staff are not permitted to regularly handle or move unreasonably heavy or awkward items, equipment or children unless they have attended specific moving and handling training and/or have been provided with mechanical aids in order to work safely.
Any significant moving and handling tasks are to be specifically risk assessed in order that training requirements and mechanical aids can be accurately determined to ensure that the task is carried out safely. The caretaker/site manager is expected to undertake regular physical work which would typically include significant moving and handling, so therefore they must attend a formal moving and handling course specific to the work requirements.
Off-site Activities
Arrangements regarding off-site activities are managed in accordance with the Outdoor Education Service’s procedures and guidance (EVOLVE).
Provision of Information
The Headteacher will ensure that information systems are established so that staff are periodically provided with information regarding safety arrangements on the premises. These systems are through staff meetings, minutes of meetings and email distribution, signature based receipt of information.
Local health and safety advice is available from the Site Manager and the Children’s Services Health & Safety Team can provide both general and specialist advice.
The Health and Safety Law poster is displayed on the Health & Safety Noticeboard in the Staffroom Photocopier area.
Risk Assessment
General risk assessment management will be co-ordinated by the Admin Officer/Site Manager in accordance with guidance contained in the Children’s Services Risk Assessment Guidance Document.
Risk assessments must be undertaken for all areas where a significant risk is identified or a possibility of such risk exists.
The trained risk assessor on site who is the Site Manager will oversee the correct completion of risk assessments as appropriate. Risk assessments will be carried out by those staff with the appropriate knowledge and understanding in each area of work.
All risk assessments and associated control measures are to be approved and signed by the headteacher or their delegated member of staff prior to implementation.
Completed risk assessments are listed in the assessment register and will be reviewed periodically in accordance with each risk assessment’s review date as listed for review in the premises bring-up diary system.
Smoking
For the purposes of this policy smoking includes e-cigarettes/vaporizers.
Smoking is not permitted on the premises.
Stress & Wellbeing
South Wonston Primary School is committed to promoting high levels of health and wellbeing and recognises the importance of identifying & reducing workplace stressors.
Stress management through risk assessment and appropriate consultation with staff will be periodically reviewed and acted upon in accordance with the Health & Safety Executive’s Stress Management Standards - staff questionnaire.
Traffic Management
Arrangements regarding on-site traffic safety are based on the findings from the traffic on site checklist and are set out in the Traffic Management Plan.
These measures have then been shared with staff and the relevant provisions communicated to parents/visitors.
Training
Health and safety induction training will be provided and recorded for all new staff/volunteers in accordance with the New Staff Induction Checklist.
The headteacher is responsible for ensuring that all staff/volunteers are provided with adequate information, instruction and training regarding their safety at work. A training needs analysis will be carried out from which a comprehensive health and safety training plan will be developed and maintained to ensure health and safety training is effectively managed for all staff who require it.
All staff will be provided with the following as a minimum training provision:
Training records are held by vy the Admin Officer who is responsible for co-ordinating all health and safety training requirements, maintaining the health and safety training plan, and managing the planning of refresher training for all staff.
Violent Incidents
Violent, aggressive, threatening or intimidating behaviour towards staff, whether verbal, written, electronic or physical, will not be tolerated at South Wonston Primary School.
Staff should be categorised using the Corporate Control Menu and control measures documented on the Violence & Aggression Risk Assessment. This will be shared with relevant staff and reviewed on a regular basis.
Child on child violent incidents will be reported to the Headteacher.
Staff must report all such violent and aggressive incidents to ensure that there is an awareness of potential issues and/or injuries, and so as to enable incidents to be appropriately investigated so that reasonable actions may be taken to support those involved and reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.
Violent incident reporting is completely confidential. Intentional violent and aggressive incidents towards members of staff are to be reported using the on-line incident reporting system. Incidents will be reported as close to the incident date as possible and not in batches.
Visitors
All visitors must initially report to the main reception where they will be provided with the key health, safety and fire safety information to enable them to act appropriately and safely in the event of an incident.
Visitors to the premises will be provided with a visitors badge, asked to sign the visitor book and given a copy of the Safety Leaflet to read.
Vulnerable Persons
Where there are vulnerable persons (young, pregnant, those with a disability, those with temporary or permanent medical conditions etc) working or visiting the premises, a risk assessment will be completed and appropriate procedures implemented to ensure their health, safety and welfare whilst on site.
Work at Height
Work at height is always to be undertaken in accordance with the Corporate Procedure on Work at Height. And the CSHST guidance. At South Wonston Primary School general work at height will be undertaken in accordance with the on-site generic risk assessment for work at height which identifies general requirements and safe working practices. Specific or higher risk tasks will be carried out in accordance with a specific risk assessment for that task.
The competent person for work at height on the premises who has attended the Caretaker Support Service Ladder & Stepladder Safety half-day course is Site Manager and they are authorised to:
The competent person for work at height and all other staff are not permitted to use any other access equipment for work at height without specific training. This includes the use of scaffolding, mobile towers and mobile elevated work platforms.
Children’s Services staff will not be permitted to work on roofs, unless they have suitable edge protection and safe access arrangements.
Work at height on the premises is only permitted to take place under the following conditions:
APPENDICES