Health and safety staff handbook 2023-24

This is Co-op Academy Beckfield’s health and safety staff handbook for 2023-24. It is an expectation of all staff that the detail in this handbook is followed consistently as it supports other key policies.

Policy details

Date created - 03/09/2020

Date reviewed - 22/08/2022; 10/01/2024

Next review date - 10/01/2025

Contents

Policy details        2

Introduction         4

General Housekeeping        4

Working at Heights        4

Storage on Shelves         7

Manual Handling         7

Bodily Fluids         9

COSHH         11

First Aid        11

Accidents        12

Administration of Medicines        12

Dietary Requirements & Medical Needs        13

Lone Working         14

Display Screen Equipment        14

Work Equipment        15

Fire Safety        15

Risk Assessments        16

Emergency Plan        16

Attendance Registers        17

Asbestos        17

Use of Personal Car to Transport Children        18

Site Security        18

Movement around school        19

Use of Walkie Talkies                                                                                                                       19

Food Hygiene        19

Off-Site Visits        20

Smoking        20

New/Expectant Mothers        20

Occupational Stress        21

Violence at Work        21

Training        21

Monitoring        22

Introduction

This booklet has been produced for staff about health & safety procedures in place in school. Please read the booklet and if you have any queries speak to either the Head of Academy, the School Business Manager or the Site Manager.

This booklet will be issued at the start of each academic year and staff will be asked to sign to confirm they have read, understood and pledged to adhere to the contents of this booklet. If any changes are made to the booklet, staff will be issued with a revised version.

Health & safety at Beckfield is everyone’s responsibility – if you see something that may compromise the health & safety of either staff, children or visitors, please ensure that you address it and/or bring it to someone’s attention.

General Housekeeping

Within a busy school environment it is important to ensure that school is kept tidy to ensure the health and safety of people is not compromised.

Some examples of untidiness that can cause a health & safety concern would be:

• Coats and shoes on the floor in the cloakroom – this could block a fire exit and/or cause people to trip on their exit
• Overstocked cupboards – this could cause a fire hazard as there may be many flammable materials in a small space
• General untidiness in classrooms, offices or corridors could be a trip hazard
• Litter - if you see any litter, please pick it up
• Boxes blocking fire exits/fire escape routes - If there are boxes stored on corridors or blocking fire exits, please ensure you tell the Site Manager
• Leaving out of date food in the fridge and not disposing of it

It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure we have a tidy school. Staff are responsible for ensuring their normal place of work is kept tidy as well as ensuring communal areas of school are kept tidy (ie the hall, the staff room, corridors)

It is essential that your classrooms are tidy at the end of the day to ensure that cleaners can access the rooms to clean them. It is particularly important that cleaners are able to begin cleaning at the end of the school day without having to tidy first.

Working at Heights

Safe Working Procedures

When you take your feet off the ground regardless of height you are deemed to be ‘working at height’. You are only able to work from height if you have had specific training. If you require any assistance please speak to the Site Manager. If you think that your job requires you to work from height on a regular basis, please speak to the Business Manager who can arrange for some training for you through The National College.

Please only use the correct equipment, eg a kick stool to work from height. Ensure you do a visual check of the equipment before using it and that another colleague is with you in case of an accident.

Working on ladders

Ladders should be in good condition and examined before use for defects. Please contact the Site Manager if you need to access a place that will require a ladder. The Site Manager is the only person in school trained to work on a ladder.

They should be secured so they cannot slip, usually by tying them at the top.

The ladder should be angled to minimise the risk of slipping outwards and as a rule of thumb needs to be ‘one out for every four up’.

Do not overreach: if you are working from a ladder, make sure it is long enough and positioned to reach the work safely.

Do not climb or work off a ladder unless you can hold onto it.

If ladders are to be used, make sure;

• the work only requires one hand to be used;
• the work can be reached without stretching;
• the ladder can be fixed to prevent slipping;
• and a good handhold is available.

For safe use the ladder needs to be strong enough for the job and in good condition:

check the stiles are not damaged, buckled or warped, no rungs are cracked or missing and any safety feet are not missing; do not use makeshift or home-made ladders or carry out makeshift repairs to a damaged ladder; do not use painted ladders, as the paint may hide faults; and ladders made for DIY use may not be strong enough for site work and are best avoided.

Do not attempt to repair a damaged ladder. If in doubt do not use it. You must report it to the Site Manager or the School Business Manager.

Step Ladders

Step-ladders provide a free-standing means of access, but they require careful use. They are not designed for any degree of side loading and are relatively easily overturned. Unless you have been on specific ladder training you must not use any of the ladders in school.

Roof Work

Working on a roof can be dangerous. Falls account for more deaths and serious injuries in construction than anything else. Nearly half of them are from or through roofs and frequently involve fragile materials. Any fall from a roof inevitably involves at least serious injury. The risks are substantial however long or short the work. Many people have been killed who only meant to be on the roof for a few minutes ‘to have a quick look’.

Falls occur:

• from the edges of roofs;
• through gaps or holes in roofs; and
• through fragile roof materials and roof lights.

Do not in any circumstance throw materials from the roof to the ground as you are in danger of injuring a person below.

A risk assessment should be carried out for roof work. Simple jobs may not require a great deal. More complex ones need to be assessed in much more depth. But all roof work is dangerous and it is essential that the risks are identified before the work starts and that the necessary equipment, appropriate precautions and systems of work are provided and implemented. Any person working on the roof must have a Permit to Work. These are issued by the School Business Manager.

Getting on and off the roof is a major risk. A secure means of entry and exit is essential. A properly secured ladder is the minimum requirement.

Wherever anyone could fall more than 2m, the first line of defence is to provide adequate edge protection. It needs to meet minimum legal standards of, or be equivalent to:

• a main guard rail at least 910 mm above the edge;
• a toe board at least 150 mm high; and
• an intermediate guard rail or other barrier so that there is no gap more than 470 mm

Do not work on roofs in icy, rainy or windy conditions. Anyone carrying a roof sheet can easily be blown off the roof if they are caught by a gust of wind.

Avoid excessive exposure to sunlight by wearing appropriate clothing and using sun creams. Too much exposure to sunlight can cause skin cancer.

If you are in doubt about any task that you have to complete at heights contact the School Business Manager.

At no point must anyone in the building use chairs or desks to work at heights.

Storage on shelves

When storing items on shelves in school, staff must ensure that heavy items are stored on low level shelves. In addition high level shelves must only be used when absolutely necessary and then only to store light items.

This advice is to prevent overreaching by staff which could cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) as well as ensuring that heavy items are not at risk of falling onto someone from a height.

Staff are advised to use their common sense when accessing items from a high shelf – if you are unable to reach or carry an item please ask for help.

Manual Handling

Incorrect manual handling is one of the most common causes of injury at work. It causes work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) which account for over a third of all workplace injuries.

Where possible;

• Avoid the need for hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable;
• Assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling that can’t be avoided; and
• Reduce the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Employees must;

• follow systems of work in place for their safety;
• use equipment provided for their safety properly;
• cooperate with their employer on health and safety matters;
• inform their employer if they identify hazardous handling activities;
• take care to make sure their activities do not put others at risk.

Ask yourself:

• Does a large workpiece really need to be moved, or can the activity be done safely where the item already is?
• Can I make use of manual aids around school?

Good Lifting Technique

If it is impossible to avoid or reduce the risk from manual handling the following lifting techniques should be used;

1. Think before lifting/handling. Plan the lift. Can handling aids be used? Where is the load going to be placed? Will help be needed with the load? Remove obstructions such as discarded wrapping materials. For a long lift, consider resting the load midway on a table or bench to change grip.

2. Adopt a stable position. The feet should be apart with one leg slightly forward to maintain balance (alongside the load, if it is on the ground). The worker should be prepared to move their feet during the lift to maintain their stability. Avoid tight clothing or unsuitable footwear, which may make this difficult.

3. Get a good hold. Where possible, the load should be hugged as close as possible to the body. This may be better than gripping it tightly with hands only.

4. Start in a good posture. At the start of the lift, slight bending of the back, hips and knees is preferable to fully flexing the back (stooping) or fully flexing the hips and knees (squatting).

5. Don’t flex the back any further while lifting. This can happen if the legs begin to straighten before starting to raise the load.

6. Keep the load close to the waist. Keep the load close to the body for as long as possible while lifting. Keep the heaviest side of the load next to the body. If a close approach to the load is not possible, try to slide it towards the body before attempting to lift it.

7. Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways, especially while the back is bent. Shoulders should be kept level and facing in the same direction as the hips. Turning by moving the feet is better than twisting and lifting at the same time.

8. Keep your head up when handling. Look ahead, not down at the load, once it has been held securely.

9. Move smoothly. The load should not be jerked or snatched as this can make it harder to keep control and can increase the risk of injury.

10. Don’t lift or handle more than can be easily managed. There is a difference between what people can lift and what they can safely lift. If in doubt, seek advice or get help.

11. Put down, then adjust. If precise positioning of the load is necessary, put it down first, then slide it into the desired position.

Good handling technique for pushing and pulling

Here are some practical points to remember when loads are pushed or pulled.

1. Handling devices. Aids such as barrows and trolleys should have handle heights that are between the shoulder and waist. Devices should be well maintained with wheels that run smoothly. The law requires that equipment is maintained. When you buy new trolleys etc, make sure they are good quality with large diameter wheels made of suitable material and with castors, bearings etc which will last with minimum maintenance. Consulting your employees and safety representatives will help, as they know what works and what doesn’t.

2. Force. As a rough guide the amount of force that needs to be applied to move a load over a flat, level surface using a well-maintained handling aid is at least 2% of the load weight. For example, if the load weight is 400 kg, then the force needed to move the load is 8 kg. The force needed will be larger, perhaps a lot larger, if conditions are not perfect (e.g. wheels not in the right position or a device that is poorly maintained). The operator should try to push rather than pull when moving a load, provided they can see over it and control steering and stopping.

3. Slopes. Employees should get help from another worker whenever necessary, if they have to negotiate a slope or ramp, as pushing and pulling forces can be very high. For example, if a load of 400 kg is moved up a slope of 1 in 12 (about 5°), the required force is over 30 kg even in ideal conditions – good wheels and a smooth slope. This is above the guideline weight for men and well above the guideline weight for women.

4. Uneven surfaces. Moving an object over soft or uneven surfaces requires higher forces. On an uneven surface, the force needed to start the load moving could increase to 10% of the load weight, although this might be offset to some extent by using larger wheels. Soft ground may be even worse.

5. Stance and pace. To make it easier to push or pull, employees should keep their feet well away from the load and go no faster than walking speed. This will stop them becoming too tired too quickly.

If you are in any doubt about manual handling please contact the Site Manager.

This relates only to manual handling of objects, not people.

Bodily fluids

Definition of bodily fluids - blood, faeces, urine, nasal and eye discharges, saliva and vomit

Responsible adult to take charge of the situation immediately. E.g deals with the ill child and keeps other children away.

Site Manager to clear up the body fluids if available. If the Site Manager is not available a responsible adult must be aware of and carry out the following procedures.

• Put on disposable gloves and an apron and take care not to get any fluids in eyes, nose, mouth or any open sores.
• Collect the body spills equipment, from the hygiene room, which consists of:
• Disposable non-latex gloves
• Designated bucket/scraper and Emergency Spillage Compound
• Plastic bags, nappy sacks, bin liners
• Disinfectants/antiseptic spray/Milton (all to be kept out of reach of children)
• Clean and disinfect all surfaces on which body fluids have been spilt.  
• For blood or blood-stained body fluids spilt on non-porous, non-metal hard surfaces i.e. table tops, walls, plastic equipment – wipe up the spillage with kitchen roll and disinfect with undiluted Milton and allow to dry.
• For body spills on porous surfaces ie. floor, wooden equipment – use antibacterial disinfectant.
• For small amounts of non-blood stained fluids, cover with Emergency Spillage Compound, scoop up and use an antibacterial spray on porous surfaces.
• For larger amounts of body fluid spillages on porous surfaces, cover with Emergency Spillage Compound, scoop up and make up a solution of antibacterial disinfectant in the designated yellow bucket (ie. one capful to one litre of water) Clean and disinfect using yellow clothes. Please dispose of the cloth after use.
• Contaminated rugs should be disposed of if heavily contaminated ie. with vomit or blood from a nosebleed, by double bagging with bin bags and placing them in an outside dustbin.
• Dispose of any soiled/used cloths or sponges, soiled items and gloves by double bagging and placing them in an outside dustbin.
• Contaminated clothing and soft toys should be washed at no less than 60 degrees or discarded.
• Disinfect changing mat/potty seat with antibacterial spray after each use. Disinfect toilet seats with antibacterial spray, using toilet paper and flush paper away.
• If injury is caused by scissors, these should be disposed of in a sharps container.
• Dispose of used water directly into the outside drain.  Do not mix Milton and other products. Clean and dry all equipment before storing.   Wear Marigold gloves for very large spillages and dispose of afterwards.
• Wash hands thoroughly after dealing with any bodily fluid incident
• Take further advice from the GP if particular infection risk exists.

If you have to deal with any bodily fluids, it is important that you use the correct PPE and dispose of it safely after use. This will be provided by the school.

There is no longer any requirement to wear PPE in the respect of the risk from Covid-19, however it is important that everybody follows the guidance above, which will provide adequate protection from the spillage of bodily fluids.

COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)

This relates to any substances in school that could cause a potential hazard to health. For example, bleach, cleaning chemicals or some science chemicals. This also applies to more common cleaning products such as anti-bacterial spray, air fresheners or polish sprays.

Any substances such as the above that are kept in school are placed on the COSHH register and a risk assessment is carried out. Additionally, data sheets are kept with the COSHH register to inform users what additional precautions they must take before using the product (e.g. face mask, use rubber gloves). The data sheets will also give guidance on where to store these products safely.

As we are in a school precautions must be taken to keep children away from these substances. As such it is important to not leave cleaning products out. If you do need to use them, please ensure they are returned to the Site Manager’s cleaning cupboard as soon as you have finished with them.  All cleaning products must be kept in the Site Manager's locked cleaning cupboard. This is located in the KS2 corridor outside Year 6 and next to the library. This door must be kept locked at all times. A key can be obtained from the Site Manager, the Business Manager and the Cleaners.

Before using any of the cleaning products, you must ensure that you have read the data sheet and risk assessment for advice. These are kept here and there is also a printed file kept in the main office and the Site Manager's cleaning cupboard.

First Aid

Most support staff in school are trained in Emergency First Aid. They will be able to administer basic initial first aid to children and staff when necessary. Anita Durn (Administrator) keeps a list of all trained staff and when their qualification is due for renewal. Staff will be advised when they need renewal training. There is also a list of first aid trained staff in the staff room.

All classrooms have a first aid box and a sick bucket. It must be stored in a cupboard with a first aid sign indicating where it is. These signs will be supplied.

A first aid kit will usually include the following items: A typical first aid kit in our school will usually include a leaflet with general first aid advice, regular and large bandages, eye pad bandages, triangular bandages, adhesive tape, safety pins, disposable gloves, antiseptic wipes, plasters of assorted sizes, scissors and additionally, cold compresses are kept in the fridge in the staffroom.

The only time a child should be sent to the school office for first aid purposes is:

• If the child needs to go home
• If there is a serious incident (another child would alert the main office)
• If there are too many children who require first aid at the same time in class
• If the child requires pre-agreed medication

All other first aid situations must be dealt with in classrooms or if at lunchtime, by the lunchtime assistant who is responsible for administering first aid that day.

Children must be accompanied by staff to the office when attending for first aid purposes. They must not be left unsupervised and staff can only leave the child when a first aider has taken on the care of the child.

The stock of classroom first aid boxes is the responsibility of the teaching assistant. If you require any replenishments of first aid items in your classroom please complete an internal order form and pass to the Headteacher for authorisation. The Lead First Aider (Anita Durn) will do termly checks of First Aid boxes around school.

The First Aid policy is available here.

Accidents

Any accident or injury which occurs in school must be recorded. The “bump note” books are kept in the main school office. If the accident is of a more serious nature, there is a specific Incident Report form to complete, also kept in the main school office and in the staff room. When completing the record of the accident or injury staff must detail the location of the incident and whether it was an accident or if it was done intentionally. Additionally details of the injury sustained must be recorded. Staff must use their common sense and judgement on whether the injury needs to be recorded. If you are unsure, please speak to your line manager.

Parents must be notified on the same day if their child has sustained an injury. Parents should be given a copy of the accident book slip and a discussion with parents may be required to explain the nature of the injury. For any children who have sustained an injury to the head, parents will be called on the day.

Staff with First Aid training should administer initial first aid treatment. If the injury requires further medical treatment, please speak to Anita Durn for advice.

If a serious incident or accident has occurred the SLT will advise staff if an Incident Report  form needs to be completed. Any near misses need to be reported to the School Business Manager so that action may be taken to prevent an accident occurring. SLT will decide on any further measures that are needed as a result of the incident occurring.

Administration of Medicines

Administration of medicines is covered by the policy Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions. Various forms you may require associated with supporting pupils with medical conditions can be found here.

If a child is required to take medicine during the school day it will be administered providing a form has been completed by the parent or carer. These forms are available from the main office or on the school website.

The parent/carer needs to complete a medicines form and hand it in to the office with the medication. The medication will be stored securely and records will be kept in the school office when medication is given to a child. Under no circumstances must children carry medication with them. The only staff member in school who can administer medication is Anita Durn. If there is an occasion when both staff members are unavailable, please speak to the Business Manager or a member of SLT.

If children require medication during class time, either Anita Durn will come to class to collect the child.

If staff need to take medication whilst at school they must make their line manager aware in case any adverse effects are encountered. All medication must be stored securely in a locked cupboard (for example a locker or the school safe) and your line manager must be aware where this medication is stored.

Dietary Requirements and Medical Needs

Staff will be provided with an up to date list of the dietary requirements and medical conditions of children in their class. Staff will be informed if any changes arise.

Additionally, there is a list of children with medical conditions in a folder in the staff room. There is also a folder in the staff room with the details of any risk assessments which have been completed or any medical care plans in place.

It is the responsibility of the class teacher and support staff to make themselves aware of any of these special needs.

If staff have particular dietary requirements and/or medical needs they will need to make a member of the SLT aware. This information will be stored in personnel files.

As always, confidentiality should be maintained with regards to the content of sensitive data.

Lone Working

Most staff will not be affected by lone working as hours fall between 8.00am and 4.00pm when pupils and staff are in the building. Lone working will apply mostly between 6.00am and 8.00am and 4.00pm and 6.00pm when most staff are not in the building. The Site Manager or a Cleaner may be in the building during these times.

If you are in the building between 6.00am and 8.00am and/or 4.00pm and 6.00pm the following care and attention should be taken.

• Ensure fob accessed doors are closed to engage the locking mechanism;
• Where possible work in a central part of the building;
• Ensure the Site Manager or another member of staff is aware you are in the building;
• Where possible work with a colleague and leave with a colleague;
• Should you work late, ensure the Site Manager walks you to your vehicle.

Holiday working

For staff who work in the holidays;

• Try to plan days in work alongside other members of staff;
• Ensure the Site Manager is on site when you enter and let him know you are in the building;
• Ensure fob controlled doors are closed;
• Leave at a reasonable time, preferably when it is still light outside;
• Be aware of your surroundings and be vigilant of people entering the grounds.
• If you are in school alone, you must make sure that you make another member of staff aware when you arrive and when you leave. See procedures here.

If at any time you feel uncomfortable or unsafe in the building contact the Site Manager and if necessary leave with him.

Home visits

For staff who carry out home visits as part of their work, they must ensure that they have informed Anita Durn and/or a member of SLT that they are leaving the building and where they are going to. An estimated time of return must be given.

They must also ensure that they carry their work mobile phone and that it is charged and switched on so that they can be contacted and/or can contact either school or emergency services for help.

If the member of staff does not return at the estimated time, then a call will be made to them on their work phone and personal phone, where necessary, to establish their safety.

Where there is concern for safety, a second member of staff must accompany on the home visit.

Display Screen Equipment (DSE)

Some workers may experience fatigue, eye strain, upper limb problems and backache from overuse or improper use of DSE. These problems can also be experienced from poorly designed workstations or work environments. The causes may not always be obvious and can be due to a combination of factors.

If you are a high user of DSE you will be given a DSE Self-Assessment questionnaire to identify if any issues are arising as a result of using DSE.

Following the questionnaire, recommendations will be made for any changes to your workstation or equipment. This will be done in conjunction with a discussion with the School Business Manager.

Work Equipment

Staff will use various types of work equipment in school but the main ones will be electrical (i.e. laptop, laminator, printer, smartboard). Please ensure you are familiar with how to use the equipment and if you are unsure please ask for help.

It is the responsibility of all staff to conduct a visual check of any equipment you may use before each use. This will enable staff to identify any broken wires, overheating or any other defects to the equipment. Please make the School Business Manager or Site Manager are aware of any defects you may spot. This will help to reduce any potential risks associated with using defective equipment.

Please ensure electrical equipment is switched off and unplugged at the end of the day before you go home. Especially items such as chargers, fairy lights and laminators as these are a high risk for fire.

Similarly, if staff spot any defects on any equipment in school they should remove it from use if possible and notify the School Business Manager or Site Manager. This could apply to (but is not restricted to) PE equipment, furniture, the climbing frame, fencing and parts of the building.

Fire Safety

In the event of a fire in school, the fire alarm will sound. This is a continuous high pitched alarm. All staff and children must leave the building immediately without stopping to collect belongings.

There is a copy of the Fire Safety Management Plan in the Staff Handbook. Please ensure you familiarise yourself with this. There are also evacuation routes in every room in school - these indicate a primary and a secondary evacuation route. Please ensure that you familiarise yourselves with any rooms you use.

Fire drills will take place at random times on a termly basis. Emergency evacuation or invacuation drills will take place on a termly basis. Feedback will be provided to staff and children and if any amendments to the procedures need to be changed these will be discussed and alternative arrangements may be made. Staff will be informed immediately if there are any changes to the procedures.

The laminated fire register needs to be completed every morning and afternoon and must not be removed from the classroom. If the fire alarm sounds the register must be taken by the Teacher to the assembly point so a roll call can take place to account for each child.

As mentioned previously, it is important to keep fire evacuation routes clear and tidy and ensure that no fire exits are blocked.

Risk Assessments

Risk assessments will be conducted on an annual basis for all areas in school. Although the School Business Manager will produce the risk assessments, staff must contribute to these as they are the people using the rooms on a daily basis and will be able to identify what risks may be present. The School Business Manager or Site Manager will ask staff to contribute to the risk assessments. Risk assessments will be kept or displayed in each area along with risk controls. These risk controls should be used to reduce the risks.

Risk assessments may need to be carried out for various activities that occur in school. For example, using toasters at breakfast club, using the climbing frame and PE. Staff will be made aware of these risk assessments as they are completed and you will need to familiarise yourself with the risk controls in place to reduce risks.

Risk assessments will be reviewed either annually, when an incident occurs or when there is a change to the layout of a room or a procedure. You will be advised if the risk assessment needs reviewing. If you spot any further risks once the risk assessment is in place, please speak to the School Business Manager.

Staff may need to carry out additional risk assessments for specific activities in school (e.g. science experiments, DT activities, use of PE equipment, educational visits). If you are unsure whether you need one, please speak to a member of SLT.

All risk assessments for school are stored here.

Emergency Plan

There is an Emergency Plan in place which will be used in response to an emergency or disruptive incident in school. Staff need to make themselves familiar with the content of the plan. You will be asked to sign to state you have had sight of the Emergency Plan.

The plan details the procedures to take should an emergency occur. Examples of an emergency would be:

• Evacuation of the building
• Taking shelter elsewhere
• Lockdown of the school
• Bomb threat

A crisis bag is kept in the main school office which will contain the plan and a range of equipment to be used in the event of an emergency. Please ensure you notify the School Business Manager of any changes of contact details and/or next of kin.

Attendance Registers

Taking a register of which children are present in school is a legal requirement and must be done at the start of the morning and afternoon sessions. We use SIMS in the classroom and all teachers have been given a username and password for SIMS. All children must have a mark or a code entered against their name for each session. Please ensure you save the register when it is completed.

In addition, teachers are required to complete the laminated fire register which is in each classroom. This should be kept in your classroom as it is to be taken with you in the event of an evacuation from the school.

If SIMS is not working, staff need to complete the laminated fire register and send a separate list of children who are not in school to the main office.  

Please ensure your morning registers are completed by 9.15am as those responsible for attendance will start to check them at this time in order to investigate any children not accounted for and will begin calling parents if children have an N. Registers will close at 9am and any children arriving after that time must be given a late mark.

Teachers need to enter either a \ or / or an N for each child.

Asbestos

Asbestos was extensively used as a building material in the UK from the 1950s through to the mid-1980s. It was used for a variety of purposes, typically fireproofing and insulation. Any building built before 2000 can contain asbestos.

Our school building is a CLASP System building and has structural columns fire proofed with asbestos containing materials (ACMs) across the school. There are also other areas in school which have ACMs.

An annual Asbestos Management Report is completed once a year and a copy is held in the School Business Manager’s office. A refurbishment survey will be undertaken for any work that is required around school to identify if there is asbestos present and whether any removal or encapsulation work needs to be done.

Staff are not permitted to undertake any work in school that may disturb asbestos; if any asbestos is disturbed in school it would be likely that a full evacuation would need to take place. This includes moving ceiling tiles and placing nails, screws, tacks or drawing pins into walls. It is important that staff report damage to the walls, floors or ceilings in order to effectively manage the asbestos. This applies to the whole school site. If staff are unsure about anything they should speak to the School Business Manager or the Site Manager.

Use of Personal Car to Transport Children

Staff are only able to transport children in their own personal car if they hold the correct insurance. This is normally insurance classed as Business Use although staff should check with their insurer that they are covered to transport children from school whilst at work. Staff are required to complete form E4 and a risk assessment which are both available from the Evolve website. The E4 form is also available here. You will need to complete this form and pass to the Business Manager if you think you will need to use your own car for transporting children.

Site Security

School uses the Inventry secure entry system for security purposes. Staff members are required to wear an ID badge at all times whilst on the school premises which will show their photograph, name and position in school.

Any visitors to school are required to sign in using the Inventry system and they will be allocated with a visitor’s badge. If there are people around school who you don’t recognise or who don’t have a visitor badge displayed, staff must question them as to who they are and why they aren’t wearing a visitor’s badge.

Once the school day has started all external doors must remain locked around school and be locked after pupils have left the school for break. Any staff member who passes an open door must close and lock it and report it to the Site Manager and/or the Business Manager.

Doors with fob access should be closed when leaving the room unattended – there is often sensitive information or large amounts of cash in these rooms.  Some rooms in school will have restricted access in order to protect access to sensitive data.

All members of staff in school are responsible for site security and if there are issues which may compromise the security of the building you must bring it to the attention of a member of the SLT.

Movement Around School

Staff should walk around school and not run; this not only promotes a safer environment but also models to children how to move around school.

Hot drinks that are being consumed outside of the staff room must be in a cup with a lid.  Hot drinks must not be carried around school without a lid.

If staff need to move large items around school or put up a display in a corridor, this should be done either before or after school to ensure there are no accidents. Common sense and judgement should be used to determine how to work in the safest way.

Use of Walkie-Talkies

Each classroom has a walkie talkie. These need to be charged and switched on for the duration of the school day.

When using the walkie talkies, please ensure you do not share any confidential or personal information as the channels are open to other users in the area. If you do require assistance, simply state “SLT required in Year 4” for example. Please ensure you keep communications to a minimum.

Other staff in school who will have access to switched on walkie talkies are the SLT office, the School Business Manager, the Admin staff, the Site Manager and the DSLs. You will be able to call on any of these people for assistance if required.

Food Hygiene

Staff who regularly make and/or prepare food for children in school will need to undertake the Food Hygiene and Safety course which is available on The National College. This will need to be done by breakfast club and after school club staff. The course takes approximately 90 minutes and certificates will need to be sent to the School Business Manager to keep as a record of the training.

If you think you may need this training, please search for this on The National College to undertake the training.

Off-Site Visits

When taking pupils off the school premises, we will ensure that:

• All information is added onto the Evolve system
• Risk assessments will be completed where off-site visits and activities require them
• All off-site visits are appropriately staffed
• Staff will take a mobile phone, a portable first aid kit, information about the specific medical needs of pupils along with the parents’ contact details
• There will always be at least one first aider on school trips and visits and there will always be at least one first aider with a current paediatric first aid certificate as required by the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Smoking

Smoking or vaping is not permitted anywhere on the school site including the external areas. If staff wish to smoke, they must ensure they are not within the school grounds and must ensure that they are not visible to any pupils, parents or visitors. Cigarette ends must be disposed of in a bin and extinguished fully to avoid any fire.

New / Expectant Mothers

Risk assessments will be carried out whenever any employee or pupil notifies the school that they are pregnant.

Appropriate measures will be put in place to control risks identified. Some specific risks are summarised below:

• Chickenpox can affect the pregnancy if a woman has not already had the infection. Expectant mothers should report exposure to antenatal carer and GP at any stage of exposure. Shingles is caused by the same virus as chickenpox, so anyone who has not had chickenpox is potentially vulnerable to the infection if they have close contact with a case of shingles.
• If a pregnant woman comes into contact with measles or German measles (rubella), she should inform her antenatal carer and GP immediately to ensure investigation can be done.
• Slapped cheek disease (parvovirus B19) can occasionally affect an unborn child. If exposed early in pregnancy (before 20 weeks), the pregnant woman should inform her antenatal care and GP as this must be investigated promptly.

Occupational stress

Co-op Academy Beckfield is committed to promoting a healthy and supportive working environment. We recognise that workplace stress is a health and safety issue and acknowledge the importance of identifying and reducing workplace stressors.

Systems are in place within the school for responding to individual concerns and monitoring staff workloads. In the first instance, you should speak with your line manager or a member of the SLT. The Co-operative Academies Trust has a Stress at Work policy (see here) and there are many resources to help with stress and wellbeing on the Colleague Portal.

Within the appendices and annexes in the Stress at Work Policy, there are questionnaires which you can complete to assess your stress levels as well as advice on managing stress and information about who to contact for support.

Violence at work

We believe that staff should not be in any danger at work, and will not tolerate violent or threatening behaviour towards our staff. If you feel you are at risk of this happening, please speak with a member of the SLT.

All staff will report any incidents of aggression or violence (or near misses) directed to themselves to their line manager/headteacher immediately. This applies to violence from pupils, visitors or other staff.

Training

Our staff are provided with health and safety training as part of their induction process. Staff are also provided with specific health and safety training which is relevant to their role.

Staff who work in high risk environments, such as in science labs or with woodwork equipment, or work with pupils with special educational needs (SEN), are given additional health and safety training where necessary. If you feel you require some additional training in order to carry out your role safely, please speak to a member of the SLT.

Monitoring

This document will be reviewed by SLT each academic year. If there are any incidents within the year, sections may be changed within the year to reflect any changes to procedures. If you would like to comment on any part of this document, please let the School Business Manager know.