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1 Guidelines on Managing Safety, ealth and Welfare in Primary Schools
2 Guidelines on Managing Safety, ealth and Welfare in Primary Schools Part 1 Part 1
4 Foreword Foreword The publication of the Guidelines on Managing Safety, ealth and Welfare in Primary Schools is the outcome of a joint project undertaken by the ealth and Safety Authority and Kilkenny Education Centre. The Guidelines are based on Guidelines on Managing Safety and ealth in Post Primary Schools, a previous publication of the ealth and Safety Authority in collaboration with the Department of Education and Skills, the State Claims Agency and the School Development Planning Initiative. These Guidelines have been developed in response to a demand from the education sector for guidance and clarification in relation to the legal obligations and responsibilities that have been placed on schools. This demand, combined with the recognition that workplace safety, health and welfare needs to be managed and can be integrated into existing planning processes at school level, was at the core of the collaboration between the partners involved. The Guidelines are a management tool intended to offer guidance and practical advice to assist schools in planning, organising and managing a safe and healthy school environment for staff, pupils and visitors. They will also help schools to benchmark their current policies and practices against current legislative requirements. They do not place any additional responsibility on schools that does not already exist in legislation. Part 1 of the Guidelines is a step by step approach to putting in place a safety, health and welfare management system for primary schools. Part 2 contains tools and templates to support the school in putting these systems in place. Central to the toolkit is a series of risk assessment templates which will assist in carrying out the task of reducing risk in the school in a practical way. Managing safety, health and welfare effectively in schools brings with it huge benefits. When good systems are in place to prevent accidents, injury and ill-health to staff, students and visitors, the whole school becomes a better place in which to work and learn. We wish to express our gratitude to all who participated in the preparation of the Guidelines. We especially wish to thank the representatives of the education partners whose work greatly contributed to the success of the collaborative process involved in developing these Guidelines. We would also like to thank schools which helped to pilot the Guidelines and offered invaluable feedback in developing them. (Please see Acknowledgements on page 65.) Martin O alloran Chief Executive Officer ealth and Safety Authority Paul Fields Director Kilkenny Education Centre
6 Contents Introduction Who should read these Guidelines? Essential Terms Why manage safety, health and welfare? Who is responsible for safety, health and welfare in schools? Employees/staff duties while at work Managing safety, health and welfare in schools What is a safety, health and welfare management system? Step 1: Policy and commitment Step 2: Planning 2.1 Establish an effective safety, health and welfare management structure 2.2 Review existing documentation and systems Step 3: Implementation Preparing the safety statement 3.1 Safety, health and welfare policy 3.2 School profile 3.3 Resources for safety, health and welfare in the school 3.4 Roles and responsibilities for safety, health and welfare 3.5 Risk assessment 3.6 Emergency procedures, fire safety, first-aid, accidents and dangerous occurrences 3.7 Instruction, training and supervision 3.8 Communication and consultation Step 4: Measuring performance Step 5: Audit and review Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Legislation Safety, health and welfare management system Planning Roles and responsibilities Safety statement and risk assessment Accident investigation and reporting Further information and support Glossary Reference Sources and Guidance Material Acknowledgements
8 Who should read these Guidelines? Essential Terms Why manage safety, health and welfare? Who is responsible for safety, health and welfare in primary schools? Employees/staff duties while at work
9 Introduction The Guidelines on Managing Safety, ealth and Welfare in Primary Schools (the Guidelines) is both a guidance document and a toolkit to assist schools in managing safety, health and welfare. This resource is a guide to help schools plan, organise and manage a safe and healthy school environment for staff, students and visitors. All of the members of the school community have responsibilities for their own safety, health and welfare and that of others. The school is charged with informing staff, students and visitors of these responsibilities. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to involve staff and students in identifying challenges to safety, health and welfare and in devising and implementing ways of responding to those challenges. The Guidelines provide practical advice to schools on how to manage this process. Many primary schools are small units led by a teaching principal. Elaborate planning structures and processes may not be appropriate in a small school. It is up to each school to adapt the advice in these Guidelines to best suit its own circumstances. A school could use the Guidelines to review and improve its current systems and procedures rather than replacing them. These Guidelines do not place any additional responsibilities on schools that are not already in legislation or part of the school s common law duty of care. These are guidelines. The mechanisms described in them are not prescriptive, they are discretionary; they are advice to the board of management and other duty holders in a school on ways of fulfilling their legal obligation to manage safety, health and welfare. Each school must adapt the advice to best suit its own circumstances, keeping in mind the overriding principle that the employer must do what is reasonably practicable to manage safety, health and welfare in the workplace. These Guidelines should be read and used in a way that is consistent with other relevant legislation and publications from the Department of Education and Skills and other government departments and agencies, such as circulars, codes of practice and guidance documents. Planning and procedures for managing safety, health and welfare in a school must conform with current legislation and with current guidance from the Department of Education and Skills on issues such as child protection, bullying, stress, assaults and other issues related to safety, health and welfare as they arise. References and links to current relevant publications are provided throughout these Guidelines. Part 2 of the Guidelines contains risk assessment templates designed to support a school in identifying and addressing hazards. But there may be hazards in a school that are not referred to in these templates. A school is responsible for identifying and managing all hazards to safety, health and welfare in its workplace. In a pocket on the inside cover of this folder there is a DVD containing the English and Irish versions of this text. There is also a short video showing how the Guidelines might be used by a school. 6
10 Schools are familiar with the process of school self-evaluation and school development planning. These Guidelines adopt the same approach to planning through self-evaluation of current safety, health and welfare needs, leading to identification of priorities for improvement and recording of changes implemented. The current Department of Education and Skills Inspectorate document, School Self-Evaluation Guidelines for Primary Schools makes reference to planning for safety, health and welfare in a number of instances, including as follows: The Teaching and Learning Quality Framework, sub theme 2.1 Learning Environment at page 32 lists the following four criteria for self-evaluation of safety in the classroom: Classrooms are properly heated, properly ventilated, clean and well maintained Due attention is given to pupil safety during lessons Due attention is given to pupil safety in the organisation, layout and furnishing of classrooms and other learning settings Pupils are properly supervised at all times The Guidelines on Managing Safety, ealth and Welfare in Primary schools aims to assist schools in fulfilling their obligations in law and under school self-evaluation by: Providing information on a school s legal obligations regarding safety, health and welfare (Part 1, Pages and Pages 40-41) Providing a sample school Safety, ealth and Welfare Policy (Part 2, Page 9), a clear overview of what a Safety Statement should include (Part 1, Page 46) and a detailed template for devising a school Safety Statement (Part 1, Pages 22-34) Providing practical support for identifying hazards and managing risks in the form of sample Risk Assessment Templates (Part 2, Pages ) Providing checklists, audit tools, report forms and other templates to support the school in reviewing, planning and managing safety, health and welfare effectively. (Part 2) 7
11 Who should read these Guidelines? These Guidelines should be read by boards of management, principals, deputy principals, relevant post holders, teaching and non-teaching staff. Everybody in the school community should have appropriate access to the Guidelines. Essential Terms A complete glossary is included on page 55 of the Guidelines. From the outset, all members of the school community should be familiar with the following essential terms: Employees/staff: For ease of reading the term employee(s) has been replaced with the word staff in many instances. Where employee(s) is mentioned the reader can interpret this to mean staff. The definition of employee outlined in Section 2(1) of the Safety ealth and Welfare at Work Act 2005 is as follows: employee means a person who has entered into or works under (or, where the employment has ceased, entered into or worked under) a contract of employment and includes a fixed-term employee and a temporary employee and references, in relation to an employer, to an employee shall be construed as references to an employee employed by that employer. azard: A hazard is anything that has the potential to cause harm to people, property or the environment. It can be a work material, a piece of equipment or a work method or practice. Risk: Risk is the likelihood that someone will be harmed by the hazard together with the severity of harm suffered. Risk also depends on the number of people exposed to the hazard. Controls/control measures: Controls/control measures are the precautions taken to ensure that the risk is eliminated or reduced. Risk assessment: A risk assessment is concerned with identifying the hazard, then estimating the severity and likelihood of harm arising from such a hazard. The employer can then put in place control measures to minimise the risk or weigh up whether he or she has taken enough precautions to prevent harm. Safety, health and welfare policy: Every safety statement begins with a declaration, signed at senior management level on the employer s behalf. This is known as the safety, health and welfare policy. The declaration gives a commitment to ensuring that a workplace is as safe and healthy as reasonably practicable and that all statutory requirements will be complied with. This declaration should spell out the policy in relation to overall safety, health and welfare performance, provide a framework for managing safety, health and welfare and list relevant objectives. A copy of the safety, health and welfare policy can be displayed in a public area of the school where it is visible to all. 8
12 Essential Terms cont d. Safety, ealth and Welfare management system: This refers to that part of the overall management system of the school that includes the organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures and resources for developing, implementing, reviewing and maintaining the school s safety, health and welfare policy. Safety statement: A safety statement is a written programme of the school s commitment to safeguard the safety, health and welfare of staff (teaching and non-teaching) while they work and the safety and health of other people who might be affected by work activities in the school including visitors, parents/guardians and students. In essence, the safety statement details how the safety, health and welfare of staff, students, visitors and contractors are managed by the school. The safety statement must include a comprehensive risk assessment which identifies hazards in the workplace, assesses the risks presented by those hazards and details what control measures should be put in place to eliminate/reduce the risk. 9
13 Why manage safety, health and welfare? There are moral, legal and ethical reasons for managing safety, health and welfare at work. azards and risks are present in schools, just as in any other workplace. owever, schools are a unique environment as the workplace is shared with students, to whom a high duty of care is owed because of their vulnerability. Workplace accidents and incidents cause pain and suffering to the individual and his/her family. They affect people s ability to work and their enjoyment of life outside work. Many accidents and cases of occupational illhealth at work are due to a failure to manage safety, health and welfare properly. The cost of occupational accidents can be high and can result in associated costs to employers such as: sick pay, temporary replacement labour, early retirement, recruiting new labour and retraining; repair of damage to plant, equipment, materials and products; management time spent dealing with accidents; increased insurance premiums and legal costs; compensation claims. A proactive safety, health and welfare management system promotes a safer working environment and results in the avoidance of accidents and incidents. In addition to reducing costs, an effective safety, health and welfare management system ensures that: good safety, health and welfare arrangements are in place for staff, students and anyone affected by the work activities of the school; teachers and other staff are confident that well planned safety, health and welfare systems are in place when carrying out their responsibilities; resources are not wasted; financial priorities can be related to careful risk assessments; staff absences due to injuries or occupational illhealth are reduced; the number of accidents and associated costs are reduced; morale is improved in the school for students, staff and parents/guardians; the number and cost of compensation claims are reduced. 10
14 Who is responsible for safety, health and welfare in schools? In Ireland, the board of management as employer, is responsible for ensuring as far as reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of its employees and the safety, health and welfare of those who are in anyway affected by the work activities of the school. The board of management may delegate duties to employees to act on its behalf. Principals, deputy principals, teachers and others may assume general and specific roles for managing day-to-day safety, health and welfare in the school as the board of management sees fit. owever ultimate responsibility for safety, health and welfare lies with the board of management. Everybody in the school has a role to play in ensuring good safety, health and welfare within the school; this includes teachers, special needs assistants, students, visitors and contractors. Established safety, health and welfare legislation and common law duties of care set down specific requirements for employers and employees. Board of Management duties as employer under the Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work Act 2005 The Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (the 2005 Act) sets out the main provisions for securing and improving the safety, health and welfare of people at work including: the requirements for control of safety, health and welfare at work; the management, organisation and systems of work necessary to achieve those goals; the responsibilities and roles of employers, the self-employed, employees and others; the procedures needed to ensure that legislative requirements are met. 11
15 Employees/staff duties while at work Employee duties under the Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work Act 2005 In accordance with the 2005 Act all employees (including full or part-time, permanent or temporary, regardless of any employment or contractual arrangements they may have) are required to co-operate fully with the employer so that appropriate safety, health and welfare policies are established, implemented and adhered to. Employee duties while at work include: to take reasonable care to protect his or her safety, health and welfare and the safety, health and welfare of any other person who may be affected by his or her acts and omissions at work; to co-operate with his or her employer or any other person so far as is necessary to enable his or her employer or the other person to comply with the relevant statutory provisions; to attend training and take instruction on the correct use of articles or equipment; to use personal protective equipment (PPE) or clothing provided for his or her safety; to report to his or her employer as soon as practicable: - any work being carried out which might endanger him/herself or others; - any defects in the place of work, the system of work, any article or substance which might endanger him/herself or others; - any contravention of the relevant statutory provisions of which he/she is aware; not to engage in any improper conduct or dangerous behaviour. Board of Management duty of care as an employer under the law A basic common law principle has been developed by the courts over the years that all employers in the State, whether in the public or private sector, have a legal duty to provide a safe working environment for employees. The duty is to ensure in so far as is reasonably practicable the safety at work of all employees. It is not an absolute duty to prevent accidents and if it can be shown that all reasonable care has been taken, then the liability will be avoided. This is known as the employer s duty of care or employer s liability. The employer s duty of care has, usually, been broken down into four components: to ensure a reasonably safe place of work; to ensure reasonably safe plant and equipment; to ensure reasonably safe systems of work; to ensure reasonably safety - conscious (competent) staff. In addition to requiring employers to take reasonable care for employees, the courts developed a similar principle to protect persons other than employees, whether they are visiting members of the public, contractors, students or parents/guardians. This area of law is known as public liability. The employer, in fulfilling this duty of care, must have regard to Section 12 of the 2005 Act. 12
16 The tort of negligence The tort (a civil wrong) of negligence is the most common tort that impacts on a school. The general definition of negligence is that it is either an omission to do something which a reasonable person would do, or doing an act which a prudent or reasonable person would not do. Negligence consists of four elements. These are: a duty of care; the breach of this duty: where the actions/omissions fall below a certain standard of care ; damage: the person suing must have suffered actual loss or injury; causation: there must be a connection between the breach of the duty (the way the person acted) and the damage suffered by the person suing. Vicarious liability This is where the board of management is responsible for the acts or omissions of an employee (teaching or non-teaching) during the course of their employment, whether that employee is at his/her place of employment or elsewhere, for example on a school tour. If the act or omission occurred while the employee was working within the scope of his/her employment, under the control of the board of management, then the board may be vicariously liable for the harm caused by its employee. Board of Management duties under the Occupiers Liability Act 1995 The Occupiers Liability Act 1995 sets out the responsibilities of the occupier of a premises. A lot of civil litigation cases involving third-party injuries are based on this legislation. An occupier is defined as a person/body who is in control of the premises and in the case of schools, the board of management is responsible for accidents or illhealth arising from the state or condition of the school premises. The Occupiers Liability Act 1995 imposes duties on occupiers in relation to three categories of entrants: Visitors (which includes parents/guardians, students etc), Recreational Users and Trespassers. For further details see the FAQs, No.4, (Part 1, Page 41). In practical terms there is a convergence of statutory and common law. The thrust of the development is based on the philosophy that the duty of the employer is to take all reasonable care, having regard to all foreseeable risks, for the safety and well-being of employees or for other persons under their direction or control. If schools are compliant with the more easily accessible statute law (Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work Act 2005) then, in the main, they will avoid claims for compensation under common law. 13
17 Types of accidents and incidents in schools Evidence suggests that the main causes of physical harm in schools are accidents such as slips, trips and falls, manual handling and contact with equipment. While the level of reported injury is low, it is worth noting the effect of such accidents, as indicated by time absent from work, is significantly higher in the education sector than any other. (See FAQs Nos , Part 1, Page 51-53). In recent years there has been an increase in reports of psychological harm caused to staff and students as a result of bullying, stress, harassment and assault. These Guidelines contain Risk Assessment Templates covering the most common causes of psychological as well as physical injury. (Part 2, Page ) They also contain links to guidance documents from the Department of Education and Skills and from the ealth and Safety Authority on dealing with bullying and stress related illness. 14
18 Managing safety, health and welfare in schools The 5 steps of the safety, health and welfare management system Step 1: Policy and commitment Step 2: Planning Step 3: Implementation Step 4: Measuring performance Step 5: Audit and review
19 Managing safety, health and welfare in schools What is a safety, health and welfare management system? A Safety, ealth and Welfare Management System (SMS) in a school setting involves an on-going process which aims to promote continuous improvement in the way the school manages safety. It fits into the overall management of the school and includes the school structure, planning activities, practices, procedures and resources for developing, implementing, reviewing and maintaining safety, health and welfare. The SMS sets out the issues to be addressed and is a tool to develop improvement programmes and self-audits or assessments. There are five key steps to achieving a successful SMS. These Guidelines give the reader the five steps needed to implement a SMS. You can follow this guidance document step by step to implement a SMS or use it to improve the systems already in place. POLICY AND COMMITMENT AUDIT AND REVIEW PLANNING MEASURING PERFORMANCE IMPLEMENTATION Fig.1 Key elements of a safety, health and welfare management system 16
20 Step 1: Policy and commitment POLICY AND COMMITMENT AUDIT AND REVIEW PLANNING Fig.2 Step 1: Policy and commitment MEASURING PERFORMANCE IMPLEMENTATION The board of management (or a person working under its instruction) should prepare a safety, health and welfare policy as part of the preparation of the safety statement required by Section 20 of the Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work Act This policy is a written document containing a declaration of the commitment of the board of management to ensuring safety, health and welfare in the school. An effective safety, health and welfare policy sets a clear direction for the school to follow. The safety, health and welfare policy is the first section of the safety statement. It should outline a commitment on behalf of the board of management to ensure that the school is as safe and healthy as is reasonably practicable and that all relevant statutory requirements will be complied with. It should spell out the policy in relation to overall safety and health performance, provide a framework for managing safety, health and welfare, and list relevant school policies. It may include commitments from the board of management to: manage and conduct school activities so as to ensure the safety, health and welfare of staff; prevent improper conduct or behaviour likely to put staff and others safety, health and welfare at risk; provide safe means of access and egress; provide safe plant and equipment; provide safe systems of work; prevent risk to safety, health and welfare from any article or substance; provide appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision; provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing where hazards cannot be eliminated; prepare, review and revise emergency plans; designate staff for emergency duties; provide and maintain welfare facilities; appoint a competent person to advise and assist in securing the safety, health and welfare of staff. While not a legal requirement, it is good practice to display the safety, health and welfare policy prominently in the school, perhaps in a public area where it is visible to all. See Part 2, Tool 2: Sample Safety, ealth and Welfare Policy, Page 9. 17
21 Step 2: Planning PLANNING POLICY AND COMMITMENT IMPLEMENTATION Fig.3 Step 2: Planning AUDIT AND REVIEW MEASURING PERFORMANCE Planning is an important part of the school s safety, health and welfare management system. This system requires schools to act in a variety of ways in a complex and challenging environment. The actions required may: be routine and predictable, (e.g. annual risk assessments, planned walk-through inspections, training events, meetings); occur in response to particular significant events or risk assessments. Many of these can be agreed and implemented fairly quickly, (e.g. repairs to equipment, new safety regulations, a change in work practice following the outcome of an accident); be planned to be implemented over a longer period of time or in phases, and may have major resource implications (e.g. replacing sub-standard infrastructure, introducing new equipment, refurbishing key locations). The varied needs set out in the safety statement may relate to established features of the school s existing safety, health and welfare management system or they may be part of a developmental programme that may cover a significant period of time into the future. The school must plan, therefore, for short, medium and long term objectives in its efforts to maintain and improve safety, health and welfare across the whole school. It must identify how these objectives will be achieved, the resources required and what roles people will have to play. It must take account both of the physical infrastructure of the school and of how people operate and interact within it. This varied activity must be planned in a coherent way if it is to be manageable and effective. Safety, health and welfare planning is best seen as an integral part of the School Plan. It draws on many of the same resources and structures as other aspects of the school self evaluation and planning process. The safety statement should be informed by and reflect wider school planning priorities and decisions. The initial stage of the safety, health and welfare planning process can be broken into two steps: Establish an effective safety, health and welfare management structure (see 2.1) Review existing documentation and systems (see 2.2) 18
22 2.1 Establish an effective safety, health and welfare management structure A board of management may nominate a person, perhaps the school principal, deputy principal or another person to co-ordinate the planning, implementation and management of safety, health and welfare on its behalf. If the school has decided to form a safety, health and welfare committee, it could be done at this stage. If the employees have decided to select a safety representative, that person could be selected now. Fig.4 Establishing an effective safety, health and welfare management structure PLANNING ESTABLISED STRUCTURES SAFETY COMMITTEE (if established) SAFETY COMMITTEE (if established) INITIAL REVIEW GENERATE SAFETY STATEMENT Step 3: Implementation 19
23 Safety committee: The definition of a safety committee is set out in the Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (Section 26 and Schedule 4). The board of management, as employer, is required to consult its employees in order to put in place and maintain measures which enable cooperation between the employer and employees in the promotion of safety, health and welfare at the place of work and to monitor the effectiveness of those measures. A safety committee, though not a legal requirement, is a mechanism which can facilitate the consultation process by assisting in drafting and/or reviewing the safety statement, risk assessments, policies and procedures within the Safety Management System on behalf of the employer. The board of management must ratify the safety statement prior to implementation within the school. The board should also consult on other safety matters, such as the review of the accident and incident register and the programming of work within the school which impacts on safety, health and welfare. The safety committee, if appropriate in the context of the school, will help plan, monitor and evaluate safety, health and welfare throughout the year. To do this it may : agree how scheduled meetings will be convened, minuted and reported upon during the school year; outline the planning programme for the coming year. This calendar may take the form of a narrative of all planned safety and health actions for the year (including risk assessments, safety audits, planned walk-through inspections, fire drills, training etc.); prepare reports for the board of management and staff meetings, as well as other relevant meetings; ensure that current information regarding risk assessments, control measures, accident reports, audits and reviews of the SMS are evaluated and appropriate actions taken; examine whether resources are being used effectively to remedy high risks identified in the risk assessment; provide ongoing evaluation of safety, health and welfare practice in the school and the effectiveness of the procedures of the safety committee, where one has been established. Members of the safety committee may include some of the following: the employer (board of management) or the Safety representative(s) (if selected and employer s representative; appointed); Principal; staff, including teachers, special needs Deputy Principal; assistants, ancillary staff. Safety officer (if one is appointed); The school management may at their discretion also include: student representative; parent/guardian representative. 20
24 Safety representative: Section 25 of the Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work Act 2005 entitles employees to select and appoint a safety representative(s) to represent them in consultations with the employer on matters of safety, health and welfare at the place of work. A safety representative may be selected and appointed if one is not already in place. The safety representative s role is outlined in the 2005 Act. The functions include: representing employees on safety, health and welfare issues; conducting safety, health and welfare inspections (after giving reasonable notice to management); investigating accidents and dangerous occurrences (without interfering with the scene of any accident); liaising with ealth and Safety Authority inspectors; participating on the safety committee if one is established; making verbal or written representations on employees behalf. Safety officer: There is no mandatory legal requirement for a board of management to appoint a safety officer. In some schools, the principal acts as the safety officer. owever, the functions of the safety officer may be delegated to another employee. Overall responsibility for safety and health cannot be delegated and remains with the board of management. The safety officer can help to support the implementation, review and maintenance of a Safety Management System. See also The importance of appointing competent persons on page Review existing documentation and systems For the next part of the planning process it would be appropriate to review existing safety documentation and systems already in operation. This is called an initial review. An initial review of all aspects of safety, health and welfare management across the school as a whole is particularly useful as it helps to establish the school s current status. The school can determine from this review if current provisions for safety, health and welfare are compliant with legislation and best practice and can identify issues that need to be addressed. Existing information can be incorporated into the SMS thus eliminating unnecessary redrafting. The initial review thus enables the school to set development priorities in the area of safety, health and welfare. This review can be undertaken as part of an audit of the current SMS and a tool has been provided to assist with this in Part 2. See Part 2, Tool 1: Planning Documents -for other planning templates that are provided to help in the planning process throughout the year, Page 4. See Part 2, Tool 1 (B) School Safety, health and welfare Management Audit Tool Page, 5. 21
25 Step 3: Implementation IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING MEASURING PERFORMANCE Fig.5 Step 3: Implementation POLICY AND COMMITMENT AUDIT AND REVIEW For effective implementation of the SMS, the school may deploy the safety, health and welfare structures established in 2.1, the safety committee, safety representative, and safety officer, where appointed, as support mechanisms to achieve the commitments contained in its safety, health and welfare policy. Using the information resulting from the initial review of the school s current documentation and systems, the development/amendment of the safety statement can begin. Section 20 of the Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work Act 2005 states that Every employer shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, a written statement based on the identification of the hazards and the risk assessment carried out under Section 19, specifying the manner in which the safety, health and welfare at work of his or her employees shall be secured and managed. The safety statement is central to the management of safety, health and welfare in the workplace. Section 20 of the Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires that an employer produce a written safety statement to safeguard: the safety, health and welfare at work of his or her employees; the safety, health and welfare of other people who might be at the workplace, including students, visitors, contractors and members of the public. The safety statement represents a commitment to the safety, health and welfare of all people using the school. It should state how the board of management will ensure their safety, health and welfare and state the resources necessary to maintain and review safety, health and welfare compliance with standards. The safety statement should influence all work activities, including: the selection of competent people, equipment and materials; the way work is done; how goods and services are designed and provided. The safety, health and welfare statement must be made available to staff and other relevant persons, showing that hazards have been identified and the risks assessed and eliminated or controlled. 22
26 Preparing the safety statement The safety statement should include each of the following parts: 3.1 Safety, health and welfare policy (as discussed in Step 1) 3.2 School profile 3.3 Resources for safety, health and welfare in the school 3.4 Roles and responsibilities for safety, health and welfare 3.5 Risk assessment 3.6 Emergency procedures, fire safety, first-aid, accidents and dangerous occurrences 3.7 Instruction, training and supervision 3.8 Communication and consultation Fig.6 Step 3: Elements of the safety statement IMPLEMENTATION COMMUNICATION & CONSULTATION SAFETY, EALT AND WELFARE POLICY INSTRUCTION & TRAINING SAFETY, EALT AND WELFARE STATEMENT SCOOL PROFILE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES RESOURCES RISK ASSESSMENT ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES 23
27 3.1 Safety, health and welfare policy (see Step1 Policy and Commitment) 3.2 School profile The safety, health and welfare statement should present a brief overview of the significant features of the school with particular reference to safety, health and welfare and include: school size; school buildings; organisational structures /chart; planning procedures; provision for persons with special needs. 3.3 Resources for safety, health and welfare in the school This section of the safety, health and welfare statement outlines the current resources available to support safety, health and welfare in the school. Checklist: What resources are available for safety, health and welfare in the school? Are these resources addressing issues of prime concern? (breaches of statutory duties, high risk hazards, issues likely to give rise to claims etc.) Is the allocation of resources reviewed and amended as need arises? Is the use of resources consistent with the priorities of the school plan for maintaining and improving safety, health and welfare? 3.4 Roles and responsibilities for safety, health and welfare Section 20 of The Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work Act 2005, states that a safety statement should specify the names and, where applicable, the job title or position held of each person responsible for performing tasks assigned to him/her pursuant to the safety statement. Where appropriate an organisational chart may be prepared showing the safety, health and welfare management structure within the school. The chart shows the roles and responsibilities of all members of the school community in relation to safety, health and welfare. See Part 2, Tool 3: Sample Management Organisation Chart, Page 10. The safety, health and welfare roles may include the following: Board of Management: complies with its legal obligations as employer under the 2005 Act; ensures that the school has written risk assessments and an up to date safety statement; reviews the implementation of the Safety Management System and the safety statement; sets safety, health and welfare objectives; receives regular reports on safety, health and welfare matters and matters arising from same are discussed; reviews the safety, health and welfare statement at least annually and when changes that might affect workers safety, health and welfare occur; reviews the school s safety, health and welfare performance; allocates adequate resources to deal with safety, health and welfare issues; appoints competent persons as necessary, to advise and assist the board of management on safety, health and welfare at the school. 24
28 Designated person for safety, health and welfare acting on behalf of the Board, e.g. the Principal: complies with the requirements of the 2005 Act; reports to the board of management on safety, health and welfare performance; manages safety, health and welfare in the school on a day-to-day basis; communicates regularly with all members of the school community on safety health and welfare matters; ensures all accidents and incidents are investigated and all relevant statutory reports completed; organises fire drills, training, etc; carries out safety audits. Teachers (with particular functions in safety, health and welfare ) if applicable: a deputy principal, assistant principal, special duties teacher or any teacher with duties related to safety, health and welfare must fulfil the duties assigned; although ultimate responsibility for safety, health and welfare rests with the board of management, the teacher must fulfil those duties to which he/she has agreed. Teachers / Special Needs Assistants / Non-teaching staff: comply with all statutory obligations on employees as designated under the 2005 Act; co-operate with school management in the implementation of the safety statement; inform students of the safety procedures associated with individual subjects, rooms, tasks; ensure that students follow safe procedures. formally check classroom/immediate work environment to ensure it is safe and free from fault or defect; check that equipment is safe before use; ensure that risk assessments are conducted for new hazards. select and appoint a safety representative as appropriate; co-operate with the school safety committee where one is established; report accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences to relevant persons as outlined in the safety, health and welfare statement. Other School Users: Other school users such as students, parents, volunteers and visitors should comply with school regulations and instructions relating to safety, health and welfare. Contractors: Contractors must comply with statutory obligations as designated under the Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work Act 2005, the Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 and any other relevant legislation such as the Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations Schools must make available the relevant parts of the safety, health and welfare statement and safety file (where one exists) to any contractors working in the school on behalf of the school. Schools must provide to contractors the school regulations and instructions relating to safety, health and welfare. Contractors must make available relevant parts of both their safety, health and welfare statement and risk assessments in relation to work being carried out. Where schools are sharing a workplace with a contractor they must co-operate and coordinate their activities in order to prevent risks to safety, health and welfare at work. 25
29 Short duration, low risk, single contractor works involving routine maintenance, cleaning, decorating or repair: From time to time the school will call on the services of a smaller contracting company, such as a plumber, electrician or carpenter, to carry out a variety of construction tasks. Due to the hazards and risks involved in construction work there is specific legislation governing the manner in which it is carried out. There are a number of terms defined in this legislation and the duties placed on people vary depending on the scale and complexity of the job and if there are particular risks present such as working over water etc. Further detail on the legal duties is set out below as the duties are greatest for larger jobs. Where this work involves a single contractor and where there are no particular risks present and task duration will not exceed 30 working days or 500 person days, to comply with safety, health and welfare requirements and to ensure this type of work is carried out safely with minimal disruptions, the following key points should be followed: The board of management must ensure that the contractor is competent. This means that the contractor is suitably qualified and experienced and is registered. For instance, an electrician should be registered with the Register of Electrical Contractors of Ireland (RECI) or the Electrical Contractors Safety and Standards Association (ECSSA). In many cases, the school will have a list of maintenance personnel and this may only need to be reviewed if any changes occur. The contractor and the principal meet before the project commences to ensure communication links are established before work starts and throughout the contract. The contractor should advise the principal about the likely duration of the work and any possible hazards, and how these will be addressed. The contractor should also provide the principal with a copy of its safety statement including any relevant risk assessments for the project to be undertaken. Likewise the principal should advise the contractor about necessary precautions which need to be considered, particularly if work is being carried out during school time. In the above example, the principal has been identified as the point of contact for the contractor. This is because the principal is responsible for the day to day running of the school and is appropriately placed to deal with this work. owever, the school may decide to appoint a safety officer or other person and deem this person the appropriate contact for all work. It is important that proper consultation takes place and that the board of management, principal and all staff know about the work to be carried out and the impact this will have on work activities, including any necessary changes that need to be made. Substantial building works, (e.g. extension to school building): Where substantial building work lasting more than 30 days or 500 person days is being considered, the board of management take on the responsibility of client. The client must: appoint, in writing before design work starts, a Project Supervisor for the Design Process (PSDP) who has adequate training, knowledge, experience and resources; appoint, in writing before construction begins, a Project Supervisor for the Construction Stage (PSCS) who has adequate training, knowledge, experience and resources; co-operate with the project supervisors and supply any necessary information; notify the SA of the appointment of the PSDP on Approved Form AF1 Particulars to be notified by the Client to the ealth and Safety Authority before the design process begins ; retain and make available the safety file for the completed structure. The safety file contains information on the completed structure that will be required for future maintenance or renovation. 26
30 The Project Supervisor for the Construction Stage further develops the safety and health plan for the construction stage of the project. This includes coordinating appropriate safety, health and welfare arrangements on site to prevent accidents occurring, e.g. keeping vehicles and pedestrians apart. Prior to carrying out any construction work each board of management, as client must familiarise itself with its legal health and safety responsibilities, as detailed in the Safety, ealth and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations These Regulations have wide-ranging application covering large projects such as capital builds, small projects such as renovations, erecting pre-fabs and routine maintenance such as replacing light fixtures etc. The Regulations introduce such terms as client, project supervisor for the design process (PSDP), project supervisor construction stage (PSCS), safety, health and welfare plan, safety file and contractor. Details can be found in the Guidance publications from the Department of Education and Skills and the ealth and Safety Authority listed below. the_procurement,_design_and_site_management_requirements_of_the_safety_ealth_and_welfare_at_ Work_Construction_Regulations,_2006.html Practice_Guidance.html These guidance documents also define the terms mentioned above. For example a client means a person for whom a project is carried out, in the course or furtherance of a trade, business or undertaking, or who undertakes a project directly in the course or furtherance of such trade, business or undertaking. Clients are usually those with control over key aspects of a project such as who is appointed as contractor to carry out the work in question. For example, you are a client if you are a principal or board of management responsible for hiring trades people to paint a block of classrooms or to build new desks or shelving in a classroom. The importance of appointing competent persons Safety, health and welfare functions can be delegated to a senior manager such as the principal. owever, the legal responsibility for safety, health and welfare rests with the board of management. The school may wish to appoint a person, such as a safety officer, to act on its behalf but in doing so they must be satisfied that this person is competent. Competence is defined under the 2005 Act as follows: a person is deemed to be a competent person where, having regard to the task he or she is required to perform and taking account of the size or hazards (or both of them) of the undertaking or establishment in which he or she undertakes work, the person possesses sufficient training, experience and knowledge appropriate to the nature of the work to be undertaken. The school is a unique work environment but is not generally high risk. Those on the ground, carrying out the day to day work of managing and co-ordinating school activities know this environment best. The school should have access to sufficient safety, health and welfare knowledge, skills or experience to identify and manage safety, health and welfare risks effectively and to set appropriate objectives. In many schools a safety officer may not be appointed and the principal in addition to the management of the school takes responsibility for managing safety, health and welfare matters. 27