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Health and Safety Updates

Regulations in relation to Health and Safety at work are modified like all regulations in an attempt to improve the overall quality of Health and Safety provision at work. Keeping up with those that specifically apply to schools can be difficult. This page aims to do that on your behalf. Select from the alphabet: for example M for Manual Handling

A B  C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z    

 

A

Incident-reporting in schools (accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences) - revised [PDF File 34kb]

Proposals for revised Asbestos Regulations and an Approved Code of Practice

Asbestos - updated information for schools

Accident reporting

 

B

What measures are there to protect children from back injury sustained through carrying heavy school bags?

There is no specific health and safety legislation limiting the weight that children in school can carry.

Section 3 of the Health and safety at Work etc. Act 1974 imposes some duties on employers and the self-employed towards persons other than their employees such as school children. These are amplified by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 which require an assessment of the risks arising from work activities which affect the health and safety of those not in their employment. Although Section 3 may apply, other non-HSE legislation concerning the welfare of school children takes precedence. This is an area for Department for Education and Skills pupil health and safety team to deal with, info@dfes.gsi.gov.uk.

 

Where does health and safety fit with devolved budgets in schools and what is the LEA role?

LA education funding schemes set out conditions with which governing bodies must comply in managing the expenditure of the funds delegated to them. LAs have been advised to include provisions designed to ensure that they have sufficient power to ensure that the work necessary for compliance with health and safety legislation is carried out. The schemes should require governing bodies to:

  • Supply all financial and other information to enable the LA to be sure that the school is managing its budget satisfactorily;

  • Have due regard to the LAs responsibilities for health and safety.

The schemes should also include a provision to enable LAs to charge schools for:

  • Expenditure by the LA in carrying out health and safety work for which the authority is liable where funds have been delegated to the governing body for such work, but the governing body has failed to carry out the required work;

  • Costs of necessary health and safety training for staff employed by the LA, where funding for training has been delegated but the necessary training has not been carried out.

LAs can also retain money for strategic management of health and safety. This includes funding required for setting policies and standards, providing competence at a strategic level, carrying out active and reactive monitoring, and giving advice to schools. This is authorised by the Financing of Maintained Schools Regulations schedule 1 in England and schedule 2 in Wales.

The role of the LA is set out in paras 18-21 in SIM 7/2001/36 on Fair Funding.

What is HSE's involvement in incidents occurring on school buses?

HSE should only be involved in investigating a road traffic incident where police demonstrate that serious management failures have been a significant contributory factor.

It is a matter for the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), who award the licences for bus routes, to comment on whether bus companies are operating a safe system of work, as it is here that the knowledge and expertise on matters relating to passenger transport rest.

Booster Seats

C

 

Monitoring strategies for toxic substances - HSG173 [PDF 240kb]

D

 

E

Expectant mothers

F

Farm Safety:    http://www.hse.gov.uk/campaigns/farmsafe/index.htm

Storing and selling fireworks safely: advice for anyone selling fireworks

 
K
Richard Norman, managing director of In depth Hygiene Services, looks at some key issues to consider when carrying out fire risk assessments of school and college buildings with catering facilities.
 
All employers are required to carry out regular fire risk assessments under Health and Safety at Work Regulations, and this statutory obligation applies to schools and colleges just as much as any other workplace.
 
The “employer” may vary depending on the type of school, and may be the Local Education Authority, governing body or who-ever is deemed to be in control of the premises.
 
The legislation requires all employers to assess the risks of fire and demonstrate that steps have been taken to minimise these risks. Places of work with more than five staff must keep a written record of the results of the assessment.
Like most health and safety legislation in the UK, the regulations impose a general duty of care rather than prescriptive rules specifying exactly what has to be done to ensure compliance with the law.
 
The individual or corporate body responsible for the premises is required to ensure the potential risk of fire and its likely consequences are properly assessed, and take appropriate measures to reduce or eliminate such risks.  There is enough guidance available for most educational establishments to enable them to carry out their own fire risk assessments in order to comply with the law.
Whilst most fire risk assessments usually include the obvious fire hazards and safety equipment such as fire doors, escape stairways and extinguishers, other hazards specific to catering facilities must not be forgotten.
 
“Fire Safety: An employer’s guide”, official guidance published in 1999 on procedures for producing risk assessments, contains the specific reminder that fire hazards can be reduced by keeping ducts and flues clean.
 
These would include the grease extract ventilation system that draws hot, grease-laden air from kitchen canopies and cooker hoods to an external vent. Unless removed regularly, grease deposits build up inside the ductwork and can be easily ignited by even a small flash fire on a cooker hob, fryer or grill. 
 
Fire Authorities increasingly see these systems, which often run through the building hidden behind ceilings and encased in risers, as a major fire risk if they are not inspected and cleaned on a regular basis. A failure to have the grease extract system thoroughly and regularly cleaned by a professional contractor may also invalidate the building’s fire insurance.     
 
New fire legislation proposed for later this year will pull together more than 100 existing separate laws into a single coherent set of regulations which will place even greater responsibility on employers to carry out their own fire risk assessments. Rather than inspecting premises and fire safety equipment before issuing fire certificates, Fire Authorities will check that proper risk assessments have been carried out.
 
Employers who cannot demonstrate they have taken steps to assess and minimise risks can be ordered to do so, and a failure to comply with such an order would be a criminal offence.
 
While carrying out fire risk assessments of most areas of a school building is usually straightforward, a full inspection of a grease extract system can be a complex task and is best entrusted to a specialist contractor.  For a free survey of a kitchen grease extract ventilation system call Indepth Hygiene Services on 020 8661 7888.
 
More information
“Fire Safety: An employer’s guide” (ISBN 0113412290), Stationery Office Books,
Tel: 0870 600 5522.
 
“Five steps to risk assessment, INDG163REV1” (ISBN 0717615650),
HSE Books, tel 01787 881165.
 
Home Office website summarising employers’ responsibility for fire safety
http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/fire/contents.htm
 
 
“Fire Risk Assessment – Catering Extract Ventilation” (ISBN 0860225887), ABI and BSRIA, BSRIA Bookshop, tel 01344 465529 or go to http://www.bsria.co.uk/content/press-download/view.asp?id=88

 
Notes to Editors
Indepth Hygiene Services is a leading provider of deep cleaning services for kitchens and extract ventilation systems, employing a fully trained workforce to thoroughly clean areas kitchen staff and non-specialist contractors cannot reach.
 
The company’s cleaning specifications are based on government-approved specifications and accepted industry standards and it is retained by central and local government, NHS Trust hospitals and leading catering companies as an essential part of their “due diligence” and “duty of care” food hygiene and health & safety programmes.
 
Indepth Hygiene Services is on the Constructionline register of contractors approved for the provision of deep cleaning services for catering equipment, ventilation ductwork and water treatment services. It is a member of BSRIA, the Fire Protection Association and the Heating & Ventilating Contractors Association.
 
For more information please contact:
 
Richard Norman                                Indepth Hygiene Services Ltd www.indepthhygiene.co.uk
                                         Westmead House
                                                            123 Westmead Road
                                                            SUTTON, Surrey SM1 4JH
                                                            Tel: 020 8661 7888     Fax: 020 8661 7506
                                                            Email: indepthhygiene@btconnect.com
                                                            
 
Issued by:                                           Fisher Marketing Limited
Media Point, 54 Banstead Road,
CARSHALTON, Surrey SM5 3NW
Tel: 020 8643 0240     Fax: 020 8770 9511

Email: fmpr@fishermarketing.co.uk

 

L

Local Authorities and HSE Working Together - Building on best practice

Using Ladders Safely

Three Points of Contact for ladders

A toolbox talk on leaning ladder and stepladder safety

Top tips for ladder and stepladder safety

Moving and handling in special needs

M

Manual Handling

Metal working fluids

Mini Bus Safety New code of Practice 2008

Working safely with metalworking fluids

N

indg362 - Noise at work - Guidance for employers on the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 [PDF 327kb]

indg 363 - Protect your hearing or lose it! [PDF 36kb]

Noise at work regulations

Noise at work information leaflet.

P

PGL Code of Practice

R

Incident-reporting in schools (accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences) - revised [PDF File 34kb]

Rabbits - Wild Rabbits as potential carriers of E. coli

What guidance is there on the inclusion of risk management in educational learning?

The start of the September 2000 academic year saw risk concepts and health and safety included in the National Curriculum for England in the subject areas of: science; design and technology; art and design; information communication technology; and physical education.

HSE's has its own website that provides guidance and support materials for teachers and lecturers to meet their need for material to help them plan lessons and lectures.

 

Risk Management

S

 

What are the different types of school and who is the employer in each of these?

Under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 there are three categories of school:

  • Community

  • Foundation

  • Voluntary

For community schools, community special schools, voluntary controlled schools, maintained nursery schools and pupil referral units, the LA is the employer.

For foundation schools, foundation special schools and voluntary aided schools the employer is the Governing Body.

For independent schools, the employer is either the governing body or the proprietor.

For further information see DfES guidance 'Health and Safety: Responsibilities and Powers' at and SIM 7/2001/36 on Fair Funding.

What is the role for safety representatives in education?

Research has demonstrated that safety representatives make a vital contribution towards achieving safer and healthier workplaces - those workplaces with trade union safety representatives and joint health and safety committees have significantly better accident records, with over 50% fewer injuries than those workplaces with no such consultation arrangements. There is no reason why similar improvements could not accrue in the education sector, if positive steps are taken to consult with and increase the involvement of safety representatives.

The The Safety Representatives Charter seeks to promote the benefits and emphasise the importance of consulting with and involving safety representatives, in order to ensure that they can make a contribution towards effective health and safety management in education establishments. Employers in the education sector will benefit from following the valuable guidance on good practice that the Charter represents.

By signing up to the Charter, education employers and employees will be demonstrating that they recognise the contribution that partnerships can make towards improving health and safety standards at work.

 

Slips and trips in the kitchen

Slips and trips newsletter

Using Steps and Ladders

Stairway Falls

Swimming pool safety

T

Transport guidance for schools in  Scotland

Transport guidance in the workplace.

Transporting children 1

Transporting children 2

YOUR GUIDE TO THE NEW LAW ON KIDS IN CARS

NEW car seat laws aimed at dramatically cutting the number of children killed or injured in cars are coming into force.

From Today, all children under the age of 12 must use some form of child seat or cushion rather than just an adult seat belt - unless they are taller than 135cm (4ft 5in).

The Government says the move could save up to 2,000 children from death and serious injury in crashes every year.

 Here's our guide to the new rules:

Q Which children are affected?

 A All children under the age of 12, unless they are taller 135cm (4ft 5in), MUST use a child seat appropriate to their weight. Most children reach 135cm around the age of nine but the Department for Transport recommends children use booster seats or booster cushions until they are 150cm (4ft 11in) tall.

 Q Which seat does my child need?

 A Weigh them and use the following guide: Up to 13kg (2st 1lb) - rear-facing baby seat' 9kg to 18kg (1st 6lb to 2st 12lb) - forward-facing child seat' 15kg to 25kg (2st 5lb to 3st 13lb) - booster seat with a back' 22kg (3st 6lb) or over - booster cushion.

Q Are there any other changes to the laws for carrying children in cars?

A It becomes illegal to use a rear-facing baby seat in a front seat protected by an airbag.

 Q Are there exceptions to the laws?

A Yes. A child aged three to 12 years may travel in the back of a car with just an adult seat belt during short journeys of "unexpected necessity". But they must not travel in the front without an appropriate seat under any circumstances.

 Q Who will be held responsible for violations by passengers?

 A The driver.

Q What are the penalties?

 A Police can impose a £30 fixed penalty, however, the maximum fine is £500 if the matter goes to court.

Q Will there be a big clampdown?

 A Ministers expect police to use common sense and advise parents at first rather than dishing out fines.

 Q Why are the laws changing?

 A The Government says 75 per cent of children are wearing adult seat belts before they are tall enough to do so safely i.e. the belt could hurt their neck or their internal organs if the car stops suddenly.

 Q Are the laws the same in all European countries?

 A No. In the majority of countries children are not allowed to travel in the front until they are at least aged 10, even with an appropriate seat.

 

Temperatures

Tower Scaffolding

V

Volunteer Drivers Handbook

How should schools be managing vehicle movements including immediately outside the schools?

Schools need to assess the risk from vehicle movements on their premises and manage those risks in line with current workplace transport guidance e.g. segregation, marking and lighting.

Schools should consider in their risk assessment vehicle movements occurring immediately outside the school premises which may be associated with school activities, such as staff arriving and leaving work, school buses delivering pupils, delivery vehicles.

Further information on managing risks from workplace transport can be obtained from HSE Workplace transport website.

 

What is the LEA involvement with VA schools?

In VA schools the governing body is the employer and so is responsible for health and safety. There is no legal requirement for VA schools to adopt the LAs policies and procedures. Some LAs may make their services and recommendations available to VA schools for which they make a charge.

What is the LEA involvement with VC schools?

The employer in VC schools is the LA. Responsibility cannot be devolved. The LA must provide oversight and monitoring.

 

W

Woodworking Machinery: The potential conflict between Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98) and BS 4163

Schools and colleges with woodworking machines will need to comply with the requirements of PUWER 98. They will be able to do this either by installing new machinery which meets the braking requirements of PUWER 98, or by upgrading their machinery so that braking requirements are met. Risk assessments of the classroom will also be required, and if that risk assessment indicates that a wall mounted emergency stop is necessary due to the special circumstances within the classroom environment, then the school/college will need to satisfy themselves that the emergency stop allows compliance with PUWER. The Risk Assessment will also need to adequately address the risk of kick-back and classroom management.

In reaching this conclusion HSE is satisfied that the technology is available which allows compliance with PUWER whilst allowing a wall mounted emergency stop to be fitted.

Working at Height Regulations

Working at Heights Regulations update

Working at height guidance for schools

Workplace health and safety: Glazing    (additional information on glazing film)

Practical guidance for schools and educational establishments on working at height

 

Healthy workplace, healthy workforce, better business delivery Improving service delivery in universities and colleges through better occupational health

 
 
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