Cypw

MU 2.4 Task1
Policy Statement
The health, safety and welfare of children, staff and visitors to Thornhill Lower School are a priority of the Governing Body of the School. The Governing Body recognises its responsibility to maintain high standards of health and safety and will take all reasonable steps to fulfil this responsibility. The Governing Body will pay particular attention to meeting the requirements of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and all the relevant statutory requirements.
In order to achieve these objectives the Governing Body will: * Determine the management arrangements for implementing the policy * Set out the arrangements for ensuring policy requirements are achieved; and * Review the policy on a regular basis and make revisions as appropriate
Management Arrangements
Governing Body
The Governing Body is responsible for drawing up the Health and Safety Policy, ensuring the appropriate management procedures and systems of work are developed, agreed, implemented and reviewed to ensure the effectiveness of this policy.
The Head teacher
The Head teacher is responsible for the day to day implementation of the policy, for ensuring that staff is aware of their responsibilities and for bringing issues to the attention of the Governing Body.
The School’s Arrangements Accidents and dangerous occurrences
Ensuring adequate assessment of significant risks, which may form hazards in educational activities, is made and appropriate measures are in place to ensure safe practice; Making arrangements to deal with premises management issues, e.g. Repair and maintenance of buildings, control of contractors and implementation of emergency procedures. Ensuring that accidents and hazards are recorded, reported as appropriate to the LEA and the Health and Safety Executive and that appropriate remedial action is taken. Maintenance of the Accident Books held by the School Secretary in the office (major) and in the medical room (minor).
All accidents and dangerous occurrences will be investigated and the Head teacher is responsible for ensuring any necessary remedial action is implemented.
Fire Safety
All staff will receive training in fire safety arrangements at the start of the academic year or when they commence employment. Emergency exit routes will be clearly marked and kept free from obstruction, emergency exit doors must be kept unlocked while the school is occupied. Fire alarm checks will take place once a month by Mrs Harris. These are manual alarms and are located at the front and rear entrances, the Master alarm also has a Fire alarm facility and this is also tested at the same time. Fire extinguishers are inspected once a year by Kent Fire Prevention Officers and the school is advised of additional safety measures which need to be addressed. Escape routes are checked once a month and any defaults recorded and rectified. All main classrooms, office, kitchen, staffroom and hall have Fire Evacuation procedures displayed. Full emergency evacuation of the school will be carried out twice a term, once notified and one with no prior warning. Times taken should be within two minutes.
Fire Procedures
In the event of a fire staff must… 1. Operate the nearest fire alarm to signal the evacuation of the building. 2. Lead children quietly and in an orderly manner to their assembly point in front of the Air Raid Shelter. 3. The Head teacher or Secretary will bring all registers to the assembly point to enable a count of pupils to take place. 4. Follow the fire route exit guides displayed in all classrooms, administration and activity rooms in use. 5. Know that fire extinguishers are located in classrooms, staffroom and kitchen.
A regular check is made by the Head of fire evacuation procedures and that escape routes are clearly visible in all areas of the school.
Hazards
The 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act states ….”It shall be the duty of every employee while at work: 1. to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of any other person who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work, and 2. or under any of the relevant statutory provision, to co-operate with him/her so far as it is necessary to enable that duty to be performed or complied with”
The Act also states:
“No person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare in pursuance of any of the relevant statutory provisions.”
Therefore all employees are expected …. 1. To know the safety arrangements relevant to their area of the school and ensure they are adhered to. 2. To carry out safety checks of the activities for which they are responsible and advise the Head teacher of any areas of concern requiring action. This should be recorded in writing in the School Premises File. 3. Wherever possible staff will remove hazards as soon as practicable. The Head teacher is responsible for ensuring that remedial action is taken in respect of hazards which are notified. 4. To observe good standards of dress appropriate to safety and/ or hygiene. 5. To observe good standards of tidiness and cleanliness in their work areas. 6. To know and be able to apply the fire procedures. 7. To know and be able to apply initial first aid. 8. To use, not neglect or refuse to use things provided for their safety and of others. 9. To co-operate in the promoting of safety arrangements of the school. 10. To co-operate with the school safety representative, the enforcement officer of the Health and Safety Executive or the Public Health Authority.
First Aid
First aid facilities are located outside the school office on a high shelf along with the accident book. Additional medical boxes are located in the staff room and two of these are taken out for swimming lessons in the summer months. In the event of an emergency Head first aider is responsible for ensuring facilities are maintained. There should be no delay in contacting the emergency services if they are required. A responsible adult will be designated to accompany any children who require treatment off-site. Parents or next emergency contact person will be contacted.
All staff have the opportunity to attend first aid training as available.
Substances

All substances used in school, e.g. cleaning materials, chemicals etc. must be approved by the Head teacher. All such materials must be kept in their original containers together with appropriate safety instructions. No other materials may be brought on to school premises without authority from the Head teacher. All dangerous substances and chemicals must be kept locked away in a safe place which is inaccessible to pupils and visitors.
Electrical Safety
All electrical equipment and appliances over a year old are electronically tested annually. Every item is labelled and dated and items failing the test are repaired or disposed of. Children should not bring in electrical items from home. Any faults or defects in electrical equipment should be reported and recorded in the repairs book. Staff must ensure that there are no trailing wires in classrooms or in activity areas. Infectious Disease
The Head teacher shall take appropriate action, regarding any instances of infectious disease which require special precautions.
A Risk Assessment is a systematic method of looking at work activities, considering what could go wrong, and deciding on suitable control measures to prevent loss, damage or injury in the workplace. The Assessment should include the controls required to eliminate, reduce or minimize the risks. It is managed by taking out regular checks and keeping it up to date with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.

Risk assessments
Risk assessment is a process used to identify and evaluate risks and their potential effect. It is careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. The HSE sets out the principles of sensible risk management.
In our school we have many risk assessments for different things:
To help the teacher’s

Assessment tests tell the teacher about the ability of each student so the teacher can teach more effectively, so the teacher knows where each student is academically.

For a school trip

To ensure that the person leading the trip has thought about the possible risks that the children will face and has taken steps to minimise those risks wherever possible. Children taken on field trips face just about the same dangers as going to school, the supermarket, a movie or riding in the car. There will always be risks. With proper supervision the risks are minimal at best. We give proper supervision by having the right ratios of adults to children depending on their age groups.

In case of a Fire
Ensuring all children no the fire bell procedure. We do this by having practices and letting them be aware of what will happen (leave everything, line up , leave in a quite sensible line, go to the fire point and stay in line where a register will be done)