Health and Safety Policy for Co-op Academy Woodlands

Approved by: Adele Clark (Headteacher)

Date: October 2023

Approved by Governors: October 2023

Last review: September 2023

Next review: October 2024   

This is the Health and Safety Policy for Co-op Academy Woodlands 

Address: Foundry  Place, Gipton, Leeds, LS9 6DA

Policy Statement (of Intent)  

The Headteacher, Governors and staff at our school are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all users of the school.  

As a school, our educational priorities aim to: -  

• encourage all pupils to achieve their full academic and social potential;  
• provide pupils with the skills and experience which will ensure that the widest possible range of choices are open to them in their future lives;  
• provide a sense of community in which individuals feel safe, valued and are actively encouraged to value, respect and help others;  
• create an atmosphere and environment in which pupils enjoy and take pride in their achievements.  

Quite clearly these educational and social priorities can only be fully realised within a physical environment that is both a safe and healthy place to work.  This in turn can only be brought about by the dedicated co-operation of all within our school.  Health and safety at this school is an area where Governors, the Headteacher, staff, safety representatives and parents share common objectives.  

It is vital that we all understand each other’s duties, functions and responsibilities as well as our own because it is only by the cooperation and teamwork of everyone involved that health and safety objectives in our school can be achieved.  

Our Health & Safety Aims:  

• To ensure that the school is considered as a safe and healthy place in which to work.  
• To provide plant, equipment and systems of work that are safe and minimise the risk to health as far as reasonably practicable  
• To raise awareness among all users of the school as to their responsibility for managing the health & safety of themselves and others.  
• To provide sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision to enable all employees to avoid hazards and contribute positively to their own health and safety at work  
• To ensure the dissemination of all relevant information from relevant bodies and organisations to the correct user[s].  
• To regularly monitor and review safety procedures throughout the school.  
• To create, maintain and update a central repository of relevant health and safety information.  

This safety policy will be regularly reviewed and updated.

Key Responsibilities  

1. Overall responsibility for the management of health and safety in the school is that of the duty holder who is: Adele Clark (Headteacher))    
2. Responsibility for the day to day health & safety in the following areas is that of:

1. School site: Karen Jackson
2. Kitchen: Alicja Poroszewska
3. Lunchtime supervision: Jane Jennings and Sue Burling
4. Playtime supervision: See staff duty rota
5. Educational Visits: Adele Clark and Tom Trower
6. First Aid and Medical: Carol Gray
7. Physical Education: Rob Silvester
8. Science: Aneesa Akhtar
9. Early Years: Jenny Goodall

General Responsibilities  The Governors Will:  

• Ensure that adequate funding is provided from the school budget to enable the school to be organised and run in a safe and healthy manner.  
• Where funding for particular hazards is the responsibility of another party (e.g. the landlord), the governors, through the Head Teacher, will ensure the problem is highlighted and assess the hazard in order to render the problem area safe.  
• Deal with any health and safety problems brought to them by the Head Teacher, staff or parents, through their termly meetings or any emergency meetings, which may be called due to unforeseen circumstances.  
• Ensure that the School Health and Safety Policy is brought to the attention of all staff and is implemented in school.  
• Help prepare and implement a “site-specific” health and safety policy  
• Confirm compliance with statutory policies and procedures  •         Ensure that appropriate risk assessments have been carried out  
• Ensure that all members of staff receive appropriate training.  
• Ensure adequate consultation takes place between managers and employees to allow everyone to contribute to safe working.  This will be done in the following way:  

The Head Teacher will:  

• Ensure that health and safety is incorporated into the planning and organisation of all school functions.  
• Ensure that adequate communication takes place between managers and employees to allow everyone to contribute to safe working.  This consultation and communication will take place through:  
• Termly meetings with SPIE  
• Half termly catch up meetings with SPIE/Tyrone  
• Regular meetings with Alicja Poroszewska, kitchen risk assessments and other catering services provided  
• Health and Safety updates in Full governor board meetings  
• Update and consult staff at annually in regards to the Health and Safety Policy  
• Update staff in briefing of any current or new H&S matters  
• Open door policy for staff to consult with SLT  
• Carry out and or ensure that other appropriate staff (with delegated authority to) carry out suitable and sufficient assessments of hazards and risks within their areas of responsibility, to staff members, pupils and visitors/other users of the school.  Ensuring the findings are recorded and acted upon in order to reduce risk.  
• Attend health and safety training courses as appropriate.  
• Ensure the provision of adequate training, instruction and supervision for all members of staff.  
• Provide necessary information to staff members and their representatives on health and safety matters.  
• Ensure that staff members who are delegated to carry out particular tasks are competent and fully aware of their roles and responsibilities.  
• Investigate any accidents or near misses and bring these, along with any other health and safety problems, to the attention of the governors.  

All Staff & Authorised Volunteers will:  

• Ensure that they are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities, co-operate with the school’s policies, procedures and risk assessments and follow any information, instructions or guidance documents made available to them.  
• Ensure that safe working practices are adopted at all times and comply with the findings/other outcomes of risk assessments, whether in school, as part of extended provision and or on educational visits.    
• Attend health and safety training courses/events as appropriate.  
• Undertake suitable and sufficient risk assessments within their areas of responsibility/ for activities to be undertaken as directed by the head teacher  
• Bring to the attention of the Head Teacher any accidents, near misses, dangerous equipment, defects or situations which may occur whilst in school or on educational visits.  
• Report to the Head Teacher any problems that they feel they cannot deal with themselves.  
• Have the responsibility to do what they can to take care of themselves, their colleagues, pupils and visitors.  In particular employees should co-operate with their managers.  
• To Examine both internal and external health and safety reports and audits and discuss areas of improvement  
• Review health & safety arrangements, policy & procedure on a continuous basis implementing revisions where necessary  

• Review new legislation and or guidance and interpret its impact on our school, pupils and others visiting our

site  

• Undertake adhoc health & safety tours  
• Monitor and review accident, incident, near miss and ill health reports and statistics  
• Monitor induction procedures for new staff  

Health & Safety Governor will /Health & Safety Committee will:   

The committee must have suitable representation from staff, trade unions (where appropriate) and school management to ensure it is representative of the school, all members should actively promote a health & safety aware culture across the school. This is intended to be set up this academic year 

• Have clear terms of reference to work within (see below for example terms of reference)  
• Ensure that membership is fully representative of staff of the school and members are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities.  
• Meet at least once per term to discuss both operational and strategic health & safety issues, meetings will be minute and minutes made available to all school staff and the governing body  

The Terms of Reference for the School Health & Safety Committee  

Our school recognises the importance of consultation and cooperation with staff in the successful implementation of a fully integrated and aware health and safety ethos and culture and sets out below the terms of reference for the school health and safety committee.  

• To Examine both internal and external health and safety reports and audits and discuss areas of improvement  
• Review health & safety arrangements, policy & procedure on a continuous basis implementing revisions where necessary  
• Review new legislation and or guidance and interpret its impact on our school, pupils and others visiting our

site  

• Monitor and review health and safety training and communication  
• Undertake adhoc health & safety tours  
• Review risk assessment procedures and documentation  
• Monitor and review accident, incident, near miss and ill health reports and statistics  
• Lead on accident and incident reporting and lessons learnt as and when appropriate  

Risk Assessment  

Our school acknowledges that risk assessments are a legal requirement mainly under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, although most health and safety legislation requires a risk assessment approach.    

We will record our risk assessments, in part this will be through using curriculum lesson planning/schemes of work documentation, as well as by using generic risk assessment templates downloaded from the Health & Safety Advice

Portal, these will be adapted to our schools’ specific requirements.  In addition, we will also undertake activity, person or situation specific risk assessments and where appropriate document Safe Systems of Working (SSOW) as and when required.   We will ensure that risk assessments are easily accessible to those who require them and that risk assessments are reviewed periodically (depending on the significance of the risks involved), following an accident, on the introduction of any new process/equipment/substance or other significant change in circumstances.    

All Educational visits undertaken by our school will also be subject to a written risk assessment.  

Shown below are the name(s) of the staff assisting with the assessment process, details of when this will take place and the location of risk assessments undertaken.            

The following people assist with the risk assessment process for their individual area of work:  

It is the Head Teacher’s responsibility (as duty holder) to ensure that risk assessments are carried out. However, the Head Teacher may request the assistance of competent staff in carrying out risk assessments across various curriculum and non-curriculum areas of activity within the school.                  

KEY AREAS OF HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGEMENT  

Fire  

An outbreak of fire in a school can be extremely serious. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, there is a legal requirement for each building to have an up to date fire risk assessment.  This will identify all sources of heat with the potential to cause fire along with considerations relating to the use and storage of combustible materials.  

Adele Clark is responsible for ensuring that a suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment has been carried out, that the findings have been appropriately communicated and that any significant hazards identified have been addressed, in addition that there is a process in place for reviewing/updating this on a regular basis.    

Fire drills in our school are carried out once per term and are recorded in the School Fire Precautions Log Book.  

Adele Clark is responsible for ensuring that fire drills are carried out, and that the findings are recorded and acted upon.  

We will also record the following in our fire precautions log book; fire alarm and emergency lighting maintenance, fire extinguisher maintenance and Fire Officers visits.  

Karen Jackson is responsible for ensuring that the Fire Precautions Logbook is readily accessible and is kept up to date.  

The Fire Precautions Log Book and a copy of our Fire Risk Assessment is kept in the Main Office and additional reports are kept on the Parago management system  

In addition, we will ensure that when the school requires painting, only paints providing a flame-retardant surface will be used in high risk areas, this will include assembly halls, drama/stage areas, means of escape routes, staircases, and any other areas where there is an added fire risk.  

We will monitor on an ongoing basis our use and storage of combustible materials (liquids, solids or gases) to ensure they do not come into contact with sources of heat.  

We will ensure that internal fire doors (that are not fitted with automatic volumetric closing devices) are kept closed to stop fire spreading.  Fire doors will be regularly checked to ensure both the door and any closing devices operate correctly.  

Permission to Work (Including Hot Working)  

The school operates a Permission to Work (including Hot Working) permit process.   Intrusive Work  

Our permission to work process must be followed for any work that is intrusive to the structure of the building.                     

Adele Clark and Karen Jackson is responsible for ensuring that the process is implemented in accordance with our Premises & Facilities Manual.      

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Non-Intrusive Work  

SPIE/Tyrone is responsible for ensuring that all non-intrusive work is risk assessed and a log kept in the site workbook.    

The Non-Intrusive Workbook is located in the SPIE Office. The Workbook needs to be kept up to date and available for inspection.  

Hot Working  

Adele Clark and Karen Jackson is responsible for ensuring that the hot working process is implemented in accordance with our Premises & Facilities Manual.      

Asbestos  

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has previously been used in the construction of buildings and other products (especially before the year 2000).  It was mainly used because of its fire proofing and insulation qualities.  

We take the management of asbestos seriously in our school, we maintain an Asbestos Register on site, which is readily available to all who need to consult it and sign it.    

This is kept On Parago and a paper copy is kept in the main school office.  

The Head Teacher, as the duty holder under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, has responsibility for the management of asbestos on site, although some functions and day-to-day issues may be delegated to other competent and trained members of staff.  

SPIE, Adele Clark and Karen Jackson are responsible for ensuring that the asbestos register and the information within it is brought to the attention of anyone likely to disturb asbestos fibres in the course of daily routines or proposing to plan or carry out work.  

Asbestos survey information in the form of Asbestos Management Reports and localised survey reports are kept in the asbestos register.  Our school also operates a permission to work process for any work that is intrusive to the structure of the building.  

Where invasive building works are to be carried out on the school premises (E.g.  refurbishment, demolition, additional electrical wiring, installation of whiteboards and projectors etc) a more in depth, asbestos survey will be carried out at the planning stage and certainly before work commences.  This survey must cover the full scope of works.  

Adele Clark and Chris \Harlow is responsible for ensuring that asbestos is fully considered as part of the planning stages of any invasive works in school.      

Adele Clark is responsible for liaison with the landlord/contractors etc to ensure    

• the condition of asbestos materials is reviewed.  
• any asbestos hazard risk assessments reviewed.    
• any floor plan changes are recorded and updated.  

Our school acknowledges that as long as the asbestos is in good condition and is not disturbed or damaged there is no risk to individuals.  However, if it becomes damaged or disturbed, it can become a danger to health as asbestos fibres can become released into the atmosphere and therefore people can inhale these fibres.  

Asbestos Hazard Management  

This section deals with how specific asbestos hazard items are managed in our school.  (This may be as simple as where pupils are and aren’t allowed to congregate to more complicated arrangements where key holding may be required for restricted access).  

Adele Clark and Karen Jackson are responsible for ensuring that any asbestos hazards identified in appropriate reports that require specific management instructions are logged in this section.  Also this person is responsible for making sure this information is understood by anyone who will need to know it.  

Legionella Risk Management  

Our school acknowledges that Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia.  It is an uncommon but serious disease.  Legionnaires' disease does not spread from person to person.  The germ which causes legionnaires' disease is a bacterium called Legionella pneumophila. People catch legionnaires' disease by inhaling small droplets of water suspended in the air which contain the Legionella bacterium. However, most people who are exposed to Legionella do not become ill.  

Outbreaks occur from purpose-built water systems where temperatures are warm enough to encourage growth of the bacteria, e.g. in cooling towers, evaporative condensers and whirlpool spas (trade name Jacuzzi) and from water used for domestic purposes in buildings such as hotels and schools.  

A Legionella Survey has been carried out at our school by Response Hygiene  

The Legionella Survey Report is located site manager’s office  

A Legionella Maintenance Program to prevent the occurrence of legionella bacteria is in place in our school, the Legionella Maintenance Program is located within the Log Book which accompanies the Legionella Survey Report. Additional information on Legionella is also contained within our school property & facilities manual.  

Adele Clark and Karen Jackson is responsible for ensuring  

• that the recommendations of the report are carried out.  
• that appropriate members of staff are trained to understand the reports and carry out or arrange for work required in the maintenance program.  

SPIE, in partnership with the school, is responsible for ensuring that a competent person reviews the information in the Legionella Survey Report at least every 12 months or when changes occur to any systems affected.  

SPIE, in partnership with the school, is responsible ensuring the activities in the maintenance program are up to date and carried out on time.  

SPIE, in partnership with the school, is responsible for carrying out or arranging the maintenance program and documenting the activities in the Log Book which accompanies the Legionella Survey Report.  

Accidents    

Even in a safety conscious school, accidents may still occur.  This is how we deal with them in our school.  

All accidents to our staff or pupils will be recorded and investigated, as appropriate to find out what happened and how any similar incident can be avoided.  

Adele Clark will ensure that accidents are investigated and that major accidents, which are reportable to the Health and Safety Executive, are reported as appropriate to the HSE, your insurer and where appropriate to the Schools health & Safety Consultant, our health & safety consultant will where appropriate provide advice and or investigate significant accidents on our behalf.  

All staff have a responsibility to report and record accidents in line with our schools’ policies and procedures (which are outlined in Safety Guidance Document ACCIDENT REPORTING FORM and the Staff Handbook) Adele Clark will ensure staff are aware of the requirement and the location of accident report records.  Our accident forms are kept in the blue drawers in the general office.  

Adele Clark will review any accident reports to identify any patterns or trends.  In addition, referring relevant reports to the head teacher/other senior manager to decide if and how investigations should be undertaken in line with school policy.    

Adele Clark will carry out any accident investigations to see what lessons can be learnt and how similar incidents can be avoided.  Risk assessments will also be reviewed in light of any lessons learnt.  

Our school has adopted and follows the guidance provided in ACCIDENT REPORTING FORM with regard to accidents that occur in our school/on school trips  

First Aid  

Our school recognises that under the First Aid at Work Regulations 1981, employers have to ensure that there are adequate and appropriate equipment and facilities for providing first aid in the workplace.  This should include arrangements for first aid based on a risk assessment of the school.  

The following people hold a relevant first aid qualification. This information should be reproduced and displayed in prominent locations around school (e.g. school office, staff room, first aid room, staff handbook etc)  

Carol Gray keeps records of qualifications on site and there is a procedure in place for revalidating first aid certificates before they expire.  These records are kept in files in the main office.  

Carol Gray is responsible for ensuring that the First Aid boxes, located around the premises, are restocked.  

Our school has considered the level and type of first aid provision that is required both within school and also on offsite activities, this forms part of our first aid risk assessment.  Further guidance is provided in Safety Guidance Document SG3 and SG3A.  

(As a minimum requirement the Dept for Education guidance states there should be 1 first aider for every 100 people on site. As a minimum this will be made up of 2 four day qualified first aiders, with the remainder being 1 day trained.)  

Electricity  

Our school acknowledges that electricity has the potential to cause serious harm, or even death and is treated as a priority with regard to maintenance and repair work.  The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires that all electrical systems and appliances are periodically inspected and maintained.  Maintenance and repair of electrical equipment is the responsibility of the school.  

Fixed installations i.e. sockets, light fittings and general wiring throughout the school will be tested at least every five years by a competent electrician.  

Portable electrical equipment will be inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with current Health & Safety Executive and the Institute of Electrical Engineers Guidance, further information is available in Risk Advice Note RAN12.  

Where personal electrical equipment brought in by staff is permitted by their senior manager it will be classed as school equipment and should not be used until it has been PAT tested.  

SPIE, in partnership with school, is responsible for arranging the testing and maintenance of portable electrical appliances in school (including that brought in from home by staff)  

The test certificates and recommendation documentation are kept site manager’s office  

The fixed electrical installation testing in our school is undertaken by: Arranged by SPIE and the portable appliance testing (PAT) are undertaken by Arranged by SPIE (arranged by SPIE) all documentation to confirm these tests have been undertaken is retained.  

Gas  

Under the Gas (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994, there is a requirement for all gas appliances (central heating boilers, gas water heaters etc) to be checked, serviced and maintained by a competent (Gas Safe Register formally CORGI registered) Contractor on an annual basis.    

SPIE, in partnership with the school, is responsible for arranging the testing and maintenance the gas appliances.  

Gas servicing certificates and recommendation documentation is kept site manager’s office.  

Gas appliance inspection and testing in our school is undertaken by: NG Baileys all documentation to confirm these tests have been undertaken is retained.  

In case of heating failure or breakdown, there may be a need to bring in supplementary heating to ensure an appropriate working temperature is maintained (usually Calor gas heaters).  Appropriate risk assessments and safe operation procedures will be implemented in such instances, and further information is available in Safety Guidance Document SG 14.    

Substances  

Our school recognises that the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) requires an assessment to be made of the work processes that involve the use of substances that are hazardous to health. The COSHH regulations do not solely apply to cleaning products. Consideration will also be given to cleaning, decoration, maintenance works, janitorial supplies, science, design and technology, art and other relevant curriculum substances.  

Our school has an inventory on site of all hazardous substances  

SPIE, in partnership with the school, is responsible for ensuring that appropriate staff are informed and suitably trained regarding hazardous substances.  In addition, relevant teachers will brief pupils where appropriate.  

SPIE, in partnership with the school, responsible for keeping the inventories up to date.  

Data sheets are available on site for all hazardous substances that are being used, these are kept in locations where hazardous substances are stored.  Additionally, separate risk assessments are carried out for the work processes which involve hazardous substances.  

SPIE, in partnership with the school, are responsible for ensuring that data sheets are available to staff on site and that appropriate assessments have been carried out.  

Adele Clark is the authorised person to approve purchases of hazardous substances.  

Reference should be made to Safety Guidance Document SG15 COSHH for further guidance and advice.  

Site Safety and Security  

 Our school takes the safety and security of staff, pupils and visitors seriously.  A secure perimeter fence and suitably robust and lockable gates secures our site  

Any issues regarding damage or access to the site should be reported to Adele Clark or Karen Jackson.  

SPIE/Tyrone is responsible for ensuring that regular documented inspections of the internal and external areas of the site are carried out.  Full details of all internal and external checks undertaken on our site are detailed in our Premises & Facilities Manual.  

Our site is also protected by a monitored intruder alarm system and we have CCTV.  

All visitors to our site are receipted in a secure visitor lobby and are required to sign the visitors register and wear an identity badge whilst on site.    

Elite is responsible for the maintenance and running of the CCTV system in school.    

SPIE/Tyrone (SPIE) is responsible for the maintenance and running of the security intruder alarm system.    

**In cases of emergencies outside normal hours the following people can be contacted.  

 Safety Guidance Documents & Risk Advice Notes  

Safety Guidance Documents (SG) and Risk Advice Notes (RAN) form part of our safe operating procedures and used as appropriate to support our school in the practical day to day management of many aspects of school safety.   Copies of these documents are available to all staff and are kept  in the head’s office.    

Adele Clark is responsible for ensuring that both operational and strategic Health and Safety documentation is up to date and communicated to staff appropriately.  

Adele Clark is responsible for ensuring that all key safety procedure documents have been brought to the attention of all members of staff.  

The documents above along with other general health and safety frameworks, toolkits and checklists are available as an additional source of reference when carrying out a task (e.g. working with hazardous substances, planning an educational visit or setting up portable gas heaters in the event of a heating breakdown).  These documents are available to download from the Advice Portal and are also retained in the HT office.  

Additional Arrangements For Keeping Our School Safe  

In addition to the generic and specific departmental responsibilities outlined in this policy, specific roles and responsibilities have also been assigned to the following people with regard to key identified activities/tasks, this is part of our schools’ commitment to safety management and promoting a positive safety culture:  

 As this policy is site specific you may wish to identify specific roles and responsibilities here.