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round diamond school health safety policy

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health and safety policy round diamond school part 1 statement of intent the governing body of round diamond school will strive to achieve the highest standards of health safety and welfare consistent with their responsibilities under the health and safety at work etc act 1974 and other statutory and common law duties this statement sets out how these duties will be conducted and includes a description of the establishment s organisation and its arrangements for dealing with different areas of risk details of how these areas of risk will be addressed are given in the arrangements section this policy will be brought to the attention of and/or issued to all members of staff a reference copy is kept in the school office and on the e-learning platform this policy statement and the accompanying organisation and arrangements will be reviewed on an annual basis this policy statement supplements · · hcc s general statement of health and safety at work policy csf health and safety policy organisation and arrangements statement the above statements and other h&s policies and guidance may be downloaded by staff from the education health and safety manual cathryn henry chair of governors [date zoe phillips headteacher [date part 2 organisation as the employer hcc has overall responsibility for health and safety in community and voluntary controlled schools.

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at school level duties and responsibilities have been assigned to staff and governors as laid out below responsibilities of the governing body the governing body are responsible for health and safety matters at a local level and are responsible for · · · · · ensuring adherence to the local authority health and safety policy procedures and standards formulating a health and safety statement detailing the responsibilities for ensuring health and safety within the establishment reviewing the establishments health and safety policy annually and implementing new arrangements where necessary monitoring reviewing and evaluating the school s health and safety performance providing appropriate resources within the establishment s budget to meet statutory requirements and the local authority health and safety policy procedures and standards receiving from the headteacher or other nominated member of staff reports on health and safety matters and reporting to csf or other body as necessary any hazards which the establishment is unable to rectify from its own budget seeking specialist advice on health and safety which the establishment may not feel competent to deal with promoting a positive h&s culture and high standards of health and safety within the establishment via the nomination of a named health and safety governor emma simkin ensuring that when awarding contracts health and safety is included in specifications contract conditions taking account of hcc policy and procedures · · · ·

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responsibilities of the headteacher overall responsibility for the day to day management of health and safety in accordance with the la s health and safety policy and procedures rests with the headteacher as manager of the establishment and of all the activities carried on within it the head will advise governors of the areas of health and safety concern which may need to be addressed by the allocation of funds the headteacher has responsibility for · · co-operating with the la and governing body to enable health and safety policy and procedures to be implemented and complied with ensuring effective health and safety management arrangements are in place for carrying out regular inspections and risk assessments implementing actions and submitting inspection reports to the governing body and la where necessary communicating the policy and other appropriate health and safety information to all relevant people including contractors carrying out health and safety investigations ensuring all staff are competent to carry out their roles and are provided with adequate information instruction and training ensuring consultation arrangements are in place for staff and their trade union representatives where appointed and recognising the right of trade unions in the workplace to require a health and safety committee to be set up reporting to hcc any hazards which cannot be rectified within the establishment s budget ensuring that the premises plant and equipment are maintained in a serviceable condition monitoring purchasing and contracting procedures to ensure compliance with hcc policy · · · · · · · the headteacher may choose to delegate certain tasks to other members of staff it is clearly understood by everyone concerned that the delegation of certain duties will not relieve the headteacher from the overall day to day responsibilities for health and safety within the establishment minor revisions march 2011

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the task of overseeing health and safety on the site has been delegated by the head to the business manager responsibilities of other teaching staff non-teaching staff holding posts of special responsibility · all staff apply the school s health and safety policy to their own area of work and be directly responsible to the headteacher for the application of the health and safety procedures and arrangements teachers · ensure regular health and safety risk assessments are undertaken for the activities for which they are responsible and that control measures are implemented business manager · maintain or have access to an up to date library of relevant published health and safety guidance from sources including cleapss afpe etc and ensure that all subordinate staff are aware of and make use of such guidance ensure that appropriate safe working procedures are brought to the attention of all staff under their control resolve health and safety problems members of staff refer to them and inform the head any problems to which they cannot achieve a satisfactory solution within the resources available to them · · · · carry out regular inspections of their areas of responsibility to ensure that equipment furniture and activities are safe and record these inspections where required ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the provision of sufficient information instruction training and supervision to enable other employees and pupils to avoid hazards and contribute positively to their own health and safety ensure that all accidents including near misses occurring within their department are promptly reported and investigated using the appropriate forms etc arrange for the repair replacement or removal of any item of furniture or equipment which has been identified as unsafe · · · responsibilities of employees under the health and safety at work act etc 1974 all employees have general health and safety responsibilities staff must be aware that they are obliged to minor revisions march 2011

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take care of their own health and safety whilst at work along with that of others who may be affected by their actions all employees have responsibility to · · · · · · · · · take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others in undertaking their work comply with the school s health and safety policy and procedures at all times report all accidents and incidents in line with the reporting procedure co-operate with school management on all matters relating to health and safety not to intentionally interfere with or misuse any equipment or fittings provided in the interests of health safety and welfare report all defects in condition of premises or equipment and any health and safety concerns immediately to their line manager report immediately to their line manager any shortcomings in the arrangements for health and safety ensure that they only use equipment or machinery that they are competent have been trained to use make use of all necessary control measures and personal protective equipment provided for safety or health reasons part 3 arrangements detailed information on hcc expectations is given in the education health and safety manual the following list of arrangements covers the key elements of a health and safety policy also refer to the county and education health and safety manuals which cover many other risk areas codes of practice and guidance notes appendix 1 appendix 2 appendix 3 appendix 4 appendix 5 appendix 6 appendix 7 appendix 8 appendix 9 appendix 10 appendix 11 risk assessments offsite visits health and safety monitoring and inspections fire evacuation and other emergency arrangements fire prevention testing of equipment first aid medication accident reporting procedures health and safety information and training lone working flammable and hazardous substances minor revisions march 2011

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appendix 12 appendix 13 appendix 14 appendix 15 appendix 16 appendix 17 appendix 18 appendix 19 appendix 20 appendix 21 appendix 22 appendix 23 appendix 24 appendix 25 appendix 26 appendix 27 appendix 28 appendix 29 appendix 30 appendix 31 appendix 32 appendix 33 appendix 34 appendix 35 appendix 36 premises work equipment moving and handling contractors work at height display screen equipment vehicles lettings stress and wellbeing legionella and water cctv child protection and safeguarding drugs education hygiene and infection control mobile computing and wireless network security severe weather smoking sun protection swimming violence wetting soiling and nappies handling and keeping animals in school communicable diseases dog fouling food hygiene and allergies minor revisions march 2011

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appendix 1 risk assessments general risk assessments the school risk assessments for all activities teaching and non teaching premises and one off activities will be co-ordinated by the business manager following guidance contained in the education health and safety manual and are approved by the headteacher these risk assessments are available for all staff to view and are held centrally in the school office and on the e-learning platform risk assessments will be reviewed on an annual basis or when the work activity changes whichever is the soonest staff are made aware of any changes to risk assessments relating to their work individual risk assessments specific risk assessments relating to individuals e.g staff member or young person/pupil are held on that person s file and will be undertaken by the business manager class teacher as appropriate it is the responsibility of staff to inform their line manager of any medical condition including pregnancy which may impact upon their work such risk assessments will be reviewed on a regular basis curriculum activities risk assessments for curriculum activities will be carried out by subject leader using the relevant codes of practice and model risk assessments developed by national bodies whenever a new course is adopted or developed all activities are checked against the model risk assessments and significant findings incorporated into schemes of work and or lesson plans all la schools have a subscription to cleapss and in science and dt their publications1 can be used as sources of model risk assessment in addition the following publications are used as sources of model risk assessments be safe health and safety in primary science and technology 3rd edition ase 2001 national society for education in art design nsead http www.nsead.org/hsg/index.aspx 1 cleapss science and d&t publications cd rom or via www.cleapss.org.uk minor revisions march 2011

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safe practice in physical education and school sport association of pe `afpe http www.afpe.org.uk round diamond school health safety risk assessment policy it is not only a legal requirement but also round diamond school s firm belief that risks to health and safety should be controlled wherever possible through risk assessments these are therefore conducted in this school on a regular basis and cover all identified risks to our pupils our staff our buildings our grounds in our daily routines and at all school events conduct of risk assessments assessments are conducted by the headteacher premises manager senior managers or other competent persons assessment will not be delegated to staff who are uncomfortable about carrying out the task or who do not have the influence to ensure that their recommendations are implemented nature of risk assessments assessments identify significant risks such as defects and deficiencies and prescribe remedial action i.e risk control measures thorough risk assessment involves identifying the risk rating the severity of the risk and identifying actions to either remove the risk or implement control measures to minimise the risk each assessment is written up on a standard pro forma for the convenience of all concerned frequency of risk assessments and reviews assessments are normally annual but more frequent checks may be required in some risk areas annual reviews are carried out on a rolling basis as follows autumn term inside the school building spring term outside the school building summer term off-site some risk areas take longer to review than others and the inside assessments being the most numerous will sometimes continue into the spring term however it makes good sense to leave the outside and off-site parts of the survey until the better weather reporting procedures/communication for newly-identified hazards all staff are aware of the need to report major new hazards as soon as they are identified all staff and any other relevant persons are notified immediately any major new hazard is reported via either staff meeting notice board or in writing minor revisions march 2011

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appendix 2 offsite visits all offsite visits will be planned following guidance contained in the hertfordshire county council children schools and families offsite visits manual the la s offsite visits advisor must be notified of all level 3 trips which include self-led adventurous activities fieldwork trips to open or wild country and all trips overseas this may be done via the use of evolve the online notification and approvals system or using the la ov forms which can be downloaded from our intranet the member of staff planning the trip will submit all relevant paperwork and risk assessments relating to the trip to the school s head or deputy head who will check the documentation and planning of the trip and if acceptable approve the visit round diamond school health safety educational visits policy round diamond school places high value on the place and purpose of educational visits it recognises the considerable contribution that such visits can bring to the children in terms of their social and personal development and their confidence in managing the safety and well being of themselves and others outside the confines of the school additionally it is recognised that educational visits including field study visits offer significant opportunities to build upon and enrich work undertaken within the curriculum the safety of pupils and staff is always the overriding priority of any policy relating to educational visits the organisation of an educational visit is crucial to its success with rigorous organisation and control a visit should provide a rich learning experience for the pupils responsibilities head teacher the headteacher will endeavour to ensure that · a suitable group leader has been appointed for each visit · all necessary actions have been completed before the visit begins · the risk assessment is complete and that it is safe to make the visit · the group leader has experience in supervising and controlling the age groups going on the visit and will organise the group effectively · the group leader has relevant skills qualifications and experience if acting as an instructor and knows the location of the activity · all supervisors on the visit are appropriate people to supervise children and have appropriate clearance minor revisions march 2011

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· · · · · · · · parents have signed consent forms arrangements have been made for all the medical needs and special educational needs of all the children the mode of travel is appropriate travel times out and back are known there is adequate and relevant insurance cover they have the address and phone number of the visit s venue and have a contact name they have the names of all the adults and pupils in the travelling group and the contact details of parents he/she ultimately approves every visit before it takes place evc the headteacher will appoint an educational visits co-ordinator evc who will take a central role in the careful management and approval of educational visits the evc will advise the headteacher and the group leader on the risk assessment and approval procedures of the visit however it is the overall responsibility of the headteacher to ensure that all necessary actions have been completed prior to the commencement of the visit all visits must in the first instance be approved by the evc but ultimately must be approved by the headteacher the evc should · update and communicate the schools policy on educational visits · review the educational visits policy on an annual basis · provide advice and support for all staff planning organising visits · ensure that all risk assessments and necessary paperwork/actions are completed · provide necessary training to staff in the planning educational visits · oversee the risk assessment stage of all visits prior to headteacher s approval group leader one teacher the group leader is responsible overall for the supervision and conduct of the visit and should have been appointed by the head teacher the group leader should · be able to control and lead pupils of the relevant age range · be suitably qualified if instructing an activity and be conversant in the good practice for that activity if not · undertake and complete the planning and preparation of the visit including the briefing of group members parents and pupils · undertake and complete a comprehensive risk assessment · have regard to the health and safety of the group at all times · know all the pupils proposed for the visit to assess their suitability · ensure that pupils understand their responsibilities see responsibilities of pupils below other teachers and adults involved in a visit teachers on school-led visits act as employees of the la they will therefore be acting in the course of their normal employment during their normal hours they will be acting under an agreement with their head teacher and governors if some of their time on the visit falls outside normal hours teacher and other adults on the visit must · do their best to ensure the health and safety of everyone in the group minor revisions march 2011

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· · · care for each individual pupil as any reasonable parent would follow the instructions of the leader and help with control and discipline non-teachers should generally not have sole charge of pupils except where risks to health and safety are minimal consider stopping the visit or the activity if they think the risk to the health or safety of the pupils in their charge is unacceptable pupils the group leader should make it clear to pupils that they must · not take unnecessary risks · follow the instructions of the leader and other adults · dress and behave sensibly and responsibly · look out for anything that might hurt or threaten anyone in the group and tell the group leader about it · should not undertake any task that they fear or that they think will be dangerous any pupils whose behaviour may be considered to be a danger to themselves or to the group may be stopped from going on the visit the curricular aims of the visit for these pupils should be fulfilled in other ways careful consideration will be given to the disability discrimination act and the equal opportunities policy parents the group leader should ensure that parents are given information about the purpose and details of the visit and are invited to any briefing sessions for residential/overseas visits the group leader should also tell parents how they can help prepare their child for the visit by for example reinforcing the visit s code of conduct parents must · provide the group leader with emergency contact numbers · sign the consent form · give the group leader relevant information about their child s health which might be relevant to the visit planning off-site visits planning whether the visit is to a local park museum swimming pool or includes a residential stay it is essential that careful planning takes place this involves considering the dangers and difficulties risks which may arise and making plans to avoid them the headteacher has overall responsibility for planning all educational visits in practice the detailed planning is delegated to the organiser of the visit the group leader or the evc but the headteacher must be satisfied that the person planning the visit is qualified to do so and has the necessary experience the organiser group leader must agree all plans with the headteacher and evc a risk assessment should always be carried out before setting off on a visit the risk assessment should include the following considerations · what are the risks · who is affected by them · what safety measures need to be in place to reduce risks to an acceptable level minor revisions march 2011

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risk assessment the group leader and other supervisors should continually reassess the risks throughout the visit and take appropriate action if pupils are in danger the group leader should take the following factors into consideration when assessing the risks · the type of activity and the level at which it is being undertaken · the location · the competence experience and qualifications of supervisory staff · the group members age competence fitness and temperament · pupils with special educational or medical needs · the quality and suitability of available equipment · seasonal conditions weather and timing exploratory visit wherever possible the group leader should undertake an exploratory visit to · ensure that the venue is suitable to meet the aims and objectives of the school visit · assess potential areas and levels of risk · ensure that the venue can cater for the needs of the staff and pupils in the group · ensure that the group leader is familiar with the area before taking a party of young people if it is not feasible to carry out an exploratory visit a minimum measure should be to contact the venue seeking assurances about the venue s appropriateness for the visiting group in addition it may be worth seeking views from other schools who have recently visited the venue in some cases such as when taking walking parties to remote areas it may be appropriate to obtain local information from the tourist boards first aid first aid provision should be considered when assessing the risks of the visit for adventurous activities visits which involve overnight stays or visits abroad it is sensible to have at least one trained first-aider in the group the group leader should have a working knowledge of first aid and all adults in the group should know how to contact emergency services the minimum first-aid provision is · a suitably stocked first-aid box · a person appointed to be in charge of first-aid arrangements first-aid should be available and accessible at all times if a first-aider is attending to one member of the group there should be adequate first-aid cover for the other pupils the head teacher should take this into account when assessing what level of first-aid facilities will be needed the contents of a first-aid kit will depend on what activities are planned supervision it is important to have a sufficient ratio of adult supervisors to pupils for any off-site visit the factors to take into consideration include · sex age and ability of group · special needs pupils · nature of activities minor revisions march 2011

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· · · · experience of adults in off site supervision duration and nature of the journey type of any accommodation competence of staff both general and on specific activities on level 2 3 visits the school will follow the guidelines of 1 qualified teacher to every 20 pupils plus other adults as necessary there should always be enough supervisors to cope effectively with an emergency when visits are to remote areas or involved hazardous activities the risks may be greater and supervision levels should be set accordingly county guidance should be used as a minimum the headteacher has ultimate responsibility for approving the adult/pupil ratios preparing pupils providing information and guidance to pupils is an important part of preparing for a school visit pupils should have a clear understanding about what is expected of them and what the visit will entail pupils must understand what standard of behaviour is expected of them and why rules must be followed the lack of control and discipline can be a major contributory factor when accidents occur pupils should also be told about any potential dangers and how they should act to ensure their own and other s safety pupils should be involved in planning implementing and evaluating their own curricular work and have opportunities to take different roles within an activity this could include considering any health and safety issues participation pupils should be assessed to ensure that they are capable of undertaking the proposed activities during the visit they should not be coerced into activities they fear pupils whose behaviour is such that the group leader is concerned for their or others safety should be withdrawn from the activity on residential visits the group leader should consider whether such pupils will return home early minor revisions march 2011

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information to pupils it is for the group leader to decide how to provide information but they should be satisfied that the pupils understand key safety information pupils should understand · the aims and objectives of the visit activity · background information about the place to be visited · how to avoid specific dangers and why they should follow rules · why safety precautions are in place · why special safety precautions are in place for anyone with disabilities · what standard of behaviour is expected from pupils · who is responsible for the group · what to do if approached by a stranger · what to do if separated from the group · emergency procedures · rendezvous procedures transport and pupils pupils using transport on a visit should be made aware of basic safety rules whilst using transport insurance herts county council arranges insurance for all off site activities and visits a copy of this is available upon request pupils with special educational and medical needs pupils with special educational or medical needs should not be excluded from educational visits every effort should be made to accommodate them whilst maintaining the safety of everyone on the visit special attention should be given to appropriate supervision ratios and additional safety measures may need to be addressed at the planning stage communicating with parents guardians parents need to be aware that the teachers on the visit will be acting in their place ­ `in loco parentis ­ and will be exercising the same care that a prudent parent would the following information on matters that might affect pupils health and safety is useful to parents and will in included in letter to parents guardians prior to a visit · dates of the visit · costs involved · times of departure and return · modes of travel · details of accommodation names of leader or other staff and of other accompanying adults · visit s objectives · details of the activities planned and of how the assessed risks will be managed · clothing and equipment to be taken · money to be taken · the information to be given by parents and what they will be asked to consent to parental consent round diamond school will seek consent for all level 1 2 3 educational visits upon joining the school all parents are requested to sign a short visits consent form consenting to all short visits to the local area eg walk to the local shops local park visit sports festival this consent will last until the pupil leaves round diamond if parents minor revisions march 2011

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