Gary Derrick Health & Safety Advisor Health & Safety in Educational Establishments
Audience What Did You Do? • I broke my jaw on a remote rope swing – in woods playing alone. • I was knocked unconscious from falling from the top of a swing. • I ran away and was often hungry (not neglect). • I climbed trees, collected birds eggs, fell out of trees. • I played with fireworks, took them apart, lit and threw them. • I was scared of horses, snakes and spiders. • I fell of my bike, skateboard, roller skates. • I built bonfires. • I walked miles to get anywhere. • I cooked, iced and ate a cake and washed up in my lunch from school. • I made ice slides and slid for huge distances. • School rarely engaged me despite outstanding efforts. • I rode motorbikes and my teacher took me out on his Honda CBX 1000. • I stabbed my thumb with a Stanley Knife (full blade depth). • THESE WERE NORMAL BEHAVIOURS AT THE TIME, IN CONTEXT.
My Childhood…… • I could go anywhere and do anything legal but was terrified of bigger kids, my Dad or the Police. • Few memories of school: • Feeling cared for in Junior School. • Cotswold wildlife park. • My memories of the first day of secondary school are worse than my first day in the armed forces. • Playing bottle tops and football. • Riding pillion on Doug Jackman’s Honda CBX 1000 (cherry red 1979 model). • I liked screen printing and metalwork for some reason.
It prepared me for…… Service in HM Forces Business planned and set up a retail business Health & Safety Enforcement Teaching (First Aid, Health & Safety) Long boring lengthy policies and paperwork Life in General
Background: 1. Schools to Academies, free Schools. 2. Budgetary constraints with devolved capital (Budget for H&S given to schools). 3. Ofsted Inspection Regime. 4. Increasing number of violent incidents in primary setting. 5. Large numbers of nursery’s attached to schools taking very young children (2+). 6. Leadership overload, stress not pro-active great help and support once identified. 7. Children nationally are still dying, choking, drowning, asphyxiating (there is always a residual risk however remote). 8. A ‘cotton wool’ culture the only play experienced is supervised and at school. 9. Asbestos liability. 10. Children with medical or behavioural needs. 11. Parents litigating. 12. Teachers & Pupils with little experience of the outdoors, weather conditions cold. 13. Overly cautious internal regulation.
Risk • We want children to learn about risk but clearly not injure them. Many pupils do not experience risk outside of supervised play (even at home). ‘ A life without adventure is likely to be • So as an organisation we are actively encouraging risk taking unsatisfactory. by members of the public (pupils) in controlled conditions. A life without limits on adventure is likely to • Lots of activities give a real sense of ‘perceived risk’ that be short. ’ places the individual outside of their comfort zone. Bertrand Russell
Perceived Risk
Modern Play Equipment….. • Meets BS EN 1176 • Can be certified by ROSPA (If PTA build) • We inspect every year (but only on a traded basis)
Old – v- New
Old – v- New
Old – v – New Berlin 1990 – Still in use and constantly changing
Boring?
Skateboarding/BMX/Cycle Sport/Motocross/Rugby • All of these sports have a high degree of co-ordination and personal risk (& others similar). • Personal Skill (Judgement of Risk) = Direct Consequence • To improve you have to push yourself and practice. • If you take these sports up, you will be injured, it’s the acceptance of this and not giving up that develops resilience to set backs, failure. • Participants become resilient, socialise with others and become independent.
Risks diminishing ? • The fear of prosecution for some accidents but not fatal ones. • Violent incidents by parents towards staff. • Arson type incidents (these activities probably seem a bit lame – thank you XBOX, PS3/4!!).
Risks Increasing? • Loss of practical science (ionising radiation) – ‘I’ll show a video’ • Risk adverse children; robbing children of childhood not allowing them to make mistakes? • Answers to virtually every question available on the internet – not always correct. • Civil claims take up enormous resource & accident reporting procedures applied too rigidly. • The Ofsted regime is particularly exacting . • Safeguarding. • Fires – accidental or electrical. Our PAT testers check every year finding faulty equipment. • Teaching of advanced science new technologies IT, carbon nano- tubes, genetics, bioscience. • The creative element imaginative, music, arts, theatre, literature, poetry, film making. • A failure to react to emerging disrupting business models. • BUDGETS – Visits, Sports and Duke of Edinburgh. • The instantaneous nature of social media. • Everyone wants high standards of safety yet few want to be burdened by delivering it. • Terrorism and fear of terrorism.
RIDDOR in Schools Staff Identical Pupils Provided activities are adequately supervised with no equipment at fault, Riddor specifically exclude accidents: • In non-directed time (playtimes & lunch). • All sports & PE activities under Supervision.
Risk Assessment • Classroom • Playground – Supervision and EN 1176. • Science All CLEAPSS - Consortium of Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Equipment – Model Risk Assessments) • Art – CLEAPSS. • Design & Technology (DATA, CLEAPSS). • PE – AfPE – Association of Physical Education • DSE – In house • Behavioural – Not clearly defined • Car Park Risk Assessment • iRisk – Template prompt system. • Educational Visits – Separate LEA Guide (Voluntary for Academies) EVOLVE. • Premises Risk – Site Managers Manual
Competence • Visit Leader – Day Validation • IOSH Managing & Working Safely (4 & 1 Day) • EVC Training (visit specific role) • First Aid – Paediatric, 1 Day, 3 Day • Head teacher, Governor Training • Site specific manual handling • Caretaker Site Manager Training
Guidance In House This document attempts to indicate in the planning process where previous incidents have occurred
LA Approved Trips Overseas, Adventurous, Residential Incorporate into EVOLVE (software) as steps to approval no indication of risk, problem areas: • Risk Assessment – Planning & Dynamic • Emergency Arrangements • Complex Medical/Behavioural Needs • Supervision
Duke of Edinburgh
Any Problem?
We Don’t Always Succeed…
Questions?
Mobile Phones……
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