A Snapshot of Client Queries
We’ve picked a few of the most interesting questions we’ve dealt with since our last issue, which may be useful if you ever find yourself in a similar situation at your school.
QUESTION: “What H&S statement do we need to display on the notice board? Are there templates for reporting accidents and incidents?”
On the HSE website on the Health and Safety Law poster page, they state:
The Health and Safety Executive has produced a range of health and safety law products. Employers are required, by law, to either display the HSE-approved law poster or to provide each of their workers with the equivalent leaflet (available as a free download).
If you choose to purchase the Health and Safety Law poster it must be displayed on all business premises. There are various versions of the poster so that you can select the most appropriate for your business, depending on where in the UK your business is based.
The Health and safety law poster products tell workers what they and their employers need to do in simple terms. Other products for employees, including leaflets and pocket cards, are also available. These provide employees with an essential version of the health and safety law poster that they can carry with them around the workplace.
The HSE also provides guidance on reporting accidents, including some useful templates. They are available to download HERE.
There is also HSE guidance available specifically for schools, including an accident book and a downloadable PDF containing information on how and when to report an accident to RIDDOR.
QUESTION: “We are trying to establish what course of action should be taken if the fire alarm sounds during an intruder alert; the risk is that the intruder activates the fire alarm to get people to come out of hiding.”
Currently, there seems to be no DfE/GOV guidance on what type of alarm takes precedence over another.
After a comprehensive search, the most useful guidance comes from Blazequel. In their guidance, they state:
How to react to a simultaneous alarm activation:
This is a complex issue, which can largely depend upon your facility layout, the systems/procedures you are using for your lockdown and the fire alarm system itself. It may be possible to;
- Totally isolate the fire alarm sounders during a lockdown, but have a manual fire watch in place
- Isolate the manual call points during a lockdown, to reduce the chances of a malicious evacuation.
- Have a ‘stay put’ strategy during a lockdown, regardless of fire alarm activations. This would require a very well-considered safety plan, liaison with the fire service, and absolute confidence in the passive fire protection of your facility.
- Have a policy to delay evacuation for 60 seconds in the event of a fire alarm activation while lockdown is in action. This would allow time for an announcement over the tannoy to alert everyone whether they should evacuate or not
Whatever procedure is in place, every responsible person must be aware and trained in what to do, otherwise, the resulting confusion could cause a potentially harmful and dangerous situation to occur.
Handsam would recommend that (using the guidance above to inform your decision) that you consider enhancing your fire and lockdown provision to account for this eventuality in the unlikely event of it occurring.
QUESTION: “I need to arrange First Aid at work training, do you have any recommendations of courses or how many staff we should have trained.”
Handsam would suggest that the school formally produces a first aid needs assessment to clarify how many of each and who/where they are in the school. Please find attached ICE04 Risk Assessment for First Aid which you should find useful. The HSE guidelines on the number of first aiders in a facility can be found in Appendix 3 of First aid at work which is also attached.
In the DfE guidance First aid in schools, early years and further education , they state:
It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that their first aid staff have received the appropriate first aid training delivered by a competent first aid training provider.
Where first aid provision is intended to cover non-employees, which we strongly recommend, first aiders may need additional training above the minimum requirement, for example additional training in paediatric first aid (standard first aid at work training courses do not include resuscitation procedures for children). The school or college should discuss any specific needs with the training provider in advance as they will often tailor courses specifically to the needs of the school or college.
First aid certificates are usually valid for 3 years. Employers should arrange retraining before certificates expire. Once a certificate expires, the individual would have to undertake another full course to be reinstated as a first aider. It is strongly recommended that first aiders undertake annual refresher training to maintain their basic skills and keep up to date with any changes in procedures.
HSE provides guidance for employers to assist in the selection of a competent first aid training provider, including information on first aid course content. HSE does not recommend training providers. Selection of a provider is the responsibility of the school, college or employer.