Head teacher health

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Head teacher health safety briefing

• Safety signs signals SMS
• Work at height SMS
• Pressure vessels gas cylinders SMS
• 5th October 2006

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Safety Signs and Signals

• Sue Braithwaite

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Safety Signs and Signals

• Person fell 3.5m from an access door in a roof
  void whilst maintaining a fire alarm system. No
  fencing or signs to indicate the hazard. Total
  cost 360,000.

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Standards

• Safety signs and signals shall be used where a
  low risk remains following the implementation of
  control measures.
• Outdoor signboards shall be checked every month
  for damage by impact, vandalism, extreme weather,
  contact with chemicals, and to make sure they are
  securely fastened.
• Install signboards at a suitable height and in
  peoples line of sight in well-lit, easily
  accessible and visible locations.

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Standards

• Employees must receive suitable and sufficient
  instruction and training in the meaning of signs
  they come into contact with during their work and
  the measures to be taken in connection with
  safety signs. These can be either visual or
  audible.
• Only signs conforming to the Safety Signs and
  Signals Regulations will be used when it is
  necessary to convey relevant message or
  information.
• If there is a power failure, a guaranteed power
  supply or back-up may be necessary for safety
  signs and signals that run on electricity

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Planning and achieving the SMS

• Head teachers must
• Conduct an assessment to identify location and
  type of signs or signals required.
• Erect signs as soon as possible when a need has
  been identified by the risk assessment.
• Location and condition of safety signs should be
  included in general workplace inspections.

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Training

• Employees must receive suitable and sufficient
  instruction and training in the meaning of signs
  they come into contact with during their work and
  the measures to be taken in connection with
  safety signs.

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Prohibition/Danger Sign

• Indicates
• Dangerous behaviour
• Stop
• Shut-down
• Emergency cut-out devices
• Located
• Access point to building
• Design Technology equipment

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Warning Sign

• Indicates
• Be careful
• Take precautions
• Examine carefully
• Located
• On fabric of the building eg. high voltage,
  asbestos, radiation
• Temporarily erected eg. Slippery floor sign

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Mandatory Sign

• Indicates
• Specific behaviour or action eg. Wear PPE, close
  the door
• Located
• Entry to zones where PPE is required
• In places where information is easily accessible
  to all

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Safe Condition Sign

• Indicates
• Doors
• Exits
• Escape Routes
• Facilities and equipment
• Located
• In prominent areas where they will be required
  for information

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Other locations/activities to consider

• Play Areas
• When construction activities are taking place on
  school premises
• Outdoor traffic routes eg. Speed limit sign and
  directional arrows

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Escape Route System

• Signs should be of
• Similar style
• Design
• Size
• Format

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Illumination

• Signs must be clearly visible
• May need illumination
• Indirectly
• Internally
• Photo luminescent

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Pictograms

• Do not rely on language
• No need for ability to read
• Internationally recognised
• Self-explanatory

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Work at Height

• Sue Braithwaite

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Work at height cases

• School caretaker cleaning gutters fell 2.5m
  through fragile roof light causing fractured
  vertebra.
• Total Costs 38,000
• Maintenance personnel fell 2.7m into basement
  from a hole in the floor created during school
  refurbishment.
• Total cost 152,000

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Definition

• A place is at height if a person could be
  injured falling from it, even if it is below
  ground.
• Work at height means
• Work at any place above, at or below ground level
• Obtaining access to or egress from that place

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Teachers at height

• Reaching to place pupils work on the walls in the
  classroom
• Placing or removing stationery etc stored at high
  level in store rooms
• Putting up and taking down Christmas decorations

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Maintenance staff at height

• Replacing light bulbs or mounting/adjusting stage
  lighting
• Window replacement, painting, decorating and
  cleaning or other areas of building maintenance
• Erecting and dismantling stage displays and
  backgrounds

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School examples

• Examples from HSE one months data on work at
  height in schools
• A teacher fell off a chair while putting material
  in a cupboard
• A teacher stood on a stool to close a window and
  fell
• A teacher stood on a bookcase to put up a display
  and fell

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Standards

• Avoid working at height where it is possible.
  Where it is not possible suitable and sufficient
  measures should be taken to prevent people
  falling where this could cause personal injury
• Ensure any work at height is planned,
  appropriately supervised and carried out in a
  safe manner

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Standards

•  Every employer shall ensure that work is not
  carried out at height where it is reasonably
  practicable to carry out the work safely other
  than at height.
• Where there is a risk of persons being struck by
  falling objects, the area will be clearly
  indicated and unauthorised persons kept out   

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Ladders

• Ladders should only be used as a workplace for
  light work with a low risk and for a short time
• When deciding what equipment to use, think about
  what the job includes, how long it will last and
  where it needs to be done. It is tempting to use
  a ladder, but you should always consider a
  working platform first eg. A properly erected
  mobile scaffold tower or a mobile elevated work
  platform.
• Jobs such as removing or installing guttering,
  installing replacement windows, painting or
  demolition work should usually be carried out
  from scaffolds or mobile elevated work platforms

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Ladders

• Identified by a number or other system
• Stored securely when not in use
• User log
• Visual inspection at least every 3 months and
  record made
• Safety shoes and tie off ropes
• Work material not carried up the ladder both
  hands free for climbing

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Risk Assessment for Work at height

• Assess the risks from work at height
• Evacuation or rescuing staff at height
• Environment or conditions
• Likelihood of tools, objects (or people) falling
• Task to be carried out
• Specific staff involved
• Equipment to use
• A suitable method statement from contractors

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Considerations

• All work at height is properly planned and
  organised
• All work at height takes account of weather
  conditions that could endanger health and safety
• Those involved in are trained and competent
• The place where work at height is done is safe
• Equipment for work at height is appropriately
  inspected
• The risks from fragile surfaces are properly
  controlled, and
• The risks from falling objects are properly
  controlled work at height

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Priorities and action plans

• Assess the risks to help you decide how to work
  safely
• Follow the work at height hierarchy avoid,
  prevent, mitigate and give collective measures
  priority
• Plan the work properly

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Training

• Safety induction (intranet)
• Safe use of ladders
• Equipment specific training
• Supervising health and safety (CIEH)
• Managing safely in schools (IOSH)

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Pressure Vessels and Gas Cylinders
Walsall Council SMS
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Standards

• Vessels with relevant fluids
• Steam (at any pressure)
• Gas under pressure gt0.5bar (about 7psi)
• Liquid under pressure (which becomes gaseous on
  release)
• Safe operating limits must be established
• Provide operating instructions
• Maintain records
• Scheme of examination (written by competent
  person) may be needed
• Examinations carried out as per the scheme

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Systems likely to need schemes

• Pressure cookers
• Autoclaves
• Steam boilers
• Portable steam cleaners
• Fixed LPG storage system for heating
• Compressed air receivers (if gt250 bar litres)

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First steps

• Assess your pressure vessel to see if it is
• a) Larger than 250 bar litres (the pressure times
  the volume) and using a relevant fluid or steam
  at any pressure or
• b) smaller than 250 bar litres and not containing
  steam.
• Small vessels need
• safe operating limits and to be maintained
• Large vessels ( steam containing) need
• Safe operating limits and to be maintained
• Written scheme of examination
• Examinations carried out in accord with the
  scheme
• Adequate operating instructions and records kept

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A few definitions

• Safe operating limits
• The upper limits of pressure and temperature for
  which the equipment was designed
• Competent person
• Trained and accredited to BS EN 450041995.
• You can get details of suitable organisations
  from risk and insurance team (tel 652974)
• Written scheme of examination
• What is to be examined, how and when

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Gas Cylinders - Standards

• Stored in a safe (locked) place in the open air,
  protected from external heat sources, including
  the sun.
• Clearly marked.

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Gas Cylinders First steps

• Obtain cylinders from a reputable supplier
• Store, move and use them in accordance with safe
  practice
• Adequate training for staff regarding cylinder
  safety

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Further information

• CLEAPSS
• Safety of Pressure Systems (L122)
• Safe Use of Gas Cylinders (IND(G)308)
• IOSH Managing Safely in Schools

Training
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Walsall Schools Safety Guide
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Walsall Schools Safety Guide

• Interpretation of safety management standards
• Topic based standard
• Synopsis
• Model local arrangement
• Internal guidance
• DfES guidance
• Recommended training
• What your next steps should be

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Walsall Schools Safety Guide

• Guide A
• Suggested list of risk assessments for
• Staff
• Students
• Activities
• Subjects
• premises

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Walsall Schools Safety Guide

• Model risk assessment checklists for schools
• Teacher / teaching assistant job risk assessment
• Administrator job risk assessment
• Student activities
• School premises (internal areas)
• School premises (external areas)

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Walsall Schools Safety Guide

• Guide B Working conditions for schools
• Guide C Ionising radiation HS guidance
• Guide D DT (under development)
• Guide E science (under development)
• Guide F Sport PE (under development)

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• Health safety monitoring checklist

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• Thank you for attending