RISK ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF (HEALTH AND SAFETY) RISK POLICY

The College will continue to assess all activities and establish written risk assessments for those areas which indicate the presence of risk.

Separate documents detailed in the Health and Safety Manual also have a bearing on the management of risk. Assessments will continue to be carried out using the College’s Risk Assessment procedures by those persons having control and immediate responsibility for the activity. The assessor will keep a record of the assessment and ensure that all staff and students involved are aware of the requirements of the assessment. A copy of each assessment will be kept in a central file.

Staff will be appropriately trained to manage risk and write risk assessments.

Risk assessments have been implicit under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and explicit under regulations such as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations and the Noise at Work Regulations made under this Act. The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations requires a risk assessment to be carried out by employers to assess the risk to staff, students and others who may be affected by their undertaking, and to record the significant findings of the assessment and any group of employees as being especially at risk.

Where an assessment is made under other regulations such as the COSHH Regulations this will meet the requirements of the assessment required by the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations.

BeeZee College’s risk assessment process covers both adults and children and includes:

• Checking for hazards and risks both indoors and outside and in all activities and procedures;
• Deciding which areas need attention;
• Developing an action plan which specifies the action required, the timescales for action and any funding required

Lists of health and safety issues are checked:

• Daily (basic), before the start of classes in the College;
• Termly (extensive); and
• Annually (comprehensive), when a full risk assessment is carried

A risk assessment is a careful examination of what, in an employee’s work, could cause harm to them, so that it can be weighed up whether the Principal has taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. The Principal is legally required to assess the risks in the workplace. In assessing the risks in the workplace, the Principal will require the Health and Safety Officer to:

• look for the hazards;
• decide who might be harmed and how;
• decide whether the existing precautions are adequate or whether more should be done;
• record the findings;
• review the assessment and if necessary, revise

Specialist advice will be obtained if necessary and the risk assessment will be reviewed periodically. The significant findings will be recorded and appropriate preventative and/or protective measures taken as necessary.

You can look for hazards by:

• consultation and conducting inspections of the workplace;
• analysing jobs;
• adopting a “what if” approach;
• listing all Acts and Regulations as they apply to the

Manufacturers’ instructions, accident records, ill health records, etc., can help to identify hazards.

There is no need to list individuals by name, just groups of staff conducting similar work, or why they may be affected, e.g.:

• teachers;
• classroom assistants
• office staff;
• maintenance staff;
• contractors;
• people sharing your workplace;
• cleaners;
• learners
• Parents/guardians/careers.

Pay particular attention to:

• staff with disabilities;
• learners with disabilities;
• visitors;
• inexperienced staff;
• lone

If more than five staff are employed, significant hazards and conclusions must be recorded and staff should be informed of the findings. The Principal should be able to show that:

• a proper check was made;
• you asked who might be affected;
• you dealt with all the obvious significant hazards;
• the precautions are reasonable and the remaining risk is

Keep the records for future reference: an inspector may ask for them or if you become involved in any legal action they will be required.

Risk assessments should be recorded in one or more of the following ways:

• On a College Risk Assessment
• On a specific health & safety risk assessment record form e.g. COSHH, Manual Handling, Visual Display Screen Equipment, Personal Protective Equipment.
• On an instruction or procedure
• Any other appropriate and approved

The risk assessment should be signed and dated by the person completing the form. The findings of the risk assessment should be made known to all staff and students affected by the activity assessed. A copy of all completed risk assessments should be kept within the relevant department or service area and their location made known to all staff within that area.

What more could you reasonably do to reduce these risks which you found were not adequately controlled? Giving priority to those which affect large numbers of people and / or could result in serious harm. Apply the principles below when taking further action, if possible in the following order:

• remove the risk completely;
• try a less risky option;
• prevent access to the hazard (e.g. by guarding or fencing);
• organise work to reduce exposure to the hazard;
• issue personnel protective equipment;
• provide welfare facilities (e.g. washing facilities for removal of contamination and first aid).

In order to create a safer environment at the college and also to comply with HSE regulations, we are required to carry out Risk Assessments of any activity that involves a hazard. A hazard is defined as an activity that has the potential to cause harm to either students, staff, visitors or members of the public.

SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS:

slips, trips, fall, electric shock and fire

The layout of all teaching rooms is such as to ensure ease of exit in the event of fire. Access to the exit door, including any additional fire exit doors are free of obstruction and readily accessible. All aisles between desks or other furniture is of sufficient width to allow easy passage taking account of the numbers using them. Fire exit routes are clearly marked in all corridors serving teaching rooms.

On entering teaching areas, staff will ensure that they are in a safe condition. This will involve ensuring that floors are free of obstructions and trip hazards e.g. trailing cables; electric socket outlets are free of physical damage or discoloration due to overheating and that no other hazards are present e.g. inappropriate substances left in the teaching area. Any faults for accidental damage that may give rise to significant risks will be reported and remedial action taken. Immediate action will be taken to prevent danger where there is a significant risk. All electrical equipment e.g. televisions, overhead projections etc will be correctly fused and maintained in a safe condition. All new equipment will be CE marked where appropriate. An Inspection and testing procedure is carried out by a professional body once every twelve months and documented.

Where manual handling has to be carried out e.g. moving large items of furniture or equipment, this will be done by the maintenance manager in the appropriate way. All equipment and other items stored in teaching rooms will be stored safely. Items will not be stored in situation where they may give rise to risk of manual handling injury or where they may fall and cause injury e.g. heavy items on tops of cupboards. Where access is required to shelves etc above head height, appropriate step stools or steps will be readily available and used. Items will not be stored where they may cause obstruction or be a trip hazard.

A DBS check as appropriate will be carried out in respect of all personnel whose work may bring them into unsupervised contact with children. All teaching staff will have such specialist training and knowledge as is necessary to ensure safety in respect of the activities they are supervising.

AREA/ACTIVITY COVERED:                

All building and grounds maintenance and related activities.

Significant hazards: Machinery hazards; electric shock; falls from height; slips, trips and falls.

All machinery and work equipment will be suitable for the purposes for which it is used. It will be maintained in a safe condition. It should be stored in its rightful place (and locked where necessary) and never left unattended on the college grounds or building. An inspection and testing procedure will be maintained in respect of all portable electrical appliances. This will be carried out every twelve months by a qualified professional. Records will be kept of this inspection. All electrical equipment will be correctly fused and will be maintained in a safe condition.

Suitable precautions shall be taken to reduce the risks associated with working at height.  Access equipment will be suitable for the purpose.  Ladders will be used when suitable. When they are not scaffolding will be used. This will be erected by competent persons and subject to inspection in accordance with statutory requirements. Staff will not undertake manual handling activities that present significant risk unless they have received appropriate training.

The building will be maintained in a safe condition. Where deterioration/wear and tear could give rise to significant risk to health and safety, monitoring will be carried out. Where appropriate, schemes of preventative maintenance will be put in place to further minimise risk. Staff will be encouraged to report accidental damage and other faults and remedial action will be taken before significant risks arise. The selection of contractors will be undertaken by the Principal. She will seek to ensure the selection of competent contractors, effective collaboration between the college and contractors in the performance of contracts and to monitor the health and safety performance of contractors.

A fire risk assessment will be carried out and reviewed as necessary e.g. in the event of changes to buildings. Fire arrangements will be recorded and fire evacuation procedures established and maintained in respect of potential evacuations during the day. In additional a surprise fire drill will be conducted at least once every two months.

Suitable personal protective equipment will be provided in respect of all activities where it can further reduce risk. Cleaning of the college building will be done by competent persons and all cleaning materials kept in a locked cupboard. They will only use products that have been authorised by the Principal.

All staff carry out a risk assessment of their specific rooms and surrounding areas and complete a Room Safety Audit at regular intervals.

If there is a significant change in working practices, e.g. purchase of new machinery or substances, employment of new staff, etc., this could present new hazards. It is good practice to review assessments from time to time to ensure precautions are still working effectively. All risk assessments should indicate on them the required review period that should be:

• at least annually where there is a generic risk assessment;
• on each occasion when it is an activity/site specific assessment;
• at regular intervals dependent of the level of risk of the activity;
• immediately following an accident (or a near miss) and
• when new activities are introduced

The review should be signed and dated by the person completing the form. A copy of the completed reviewed/updated risk assessment should be forwarded to the Principal.

The activities listed below have been graded on a scale (Low, Med or High) in accordance with the seriousness of the injury they could cause.

Low = No hazard

Low = Slight, could cause minor cuts or bruises

Low = Minor, could cause wound needing on site first aid treatment

Med = Moderate, could cause wound needing treatment at local surgery

Med = Minor, Could cause wound needing hospital treatment

Med = Fractures, dislocations, breakage of bones needing hospital treatment

High = Head wounds and concussion needing hospital treatment

High = Permanent maiming or disfigurement

High = Could cause permanent total disablement or death

High = Severe, Could cause multiple fatality

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This policy is in support of the Health and Safety Policy

Monitoring and Review:

This policy will be subject to continuous monitoring, refinement and audit by the Principal.