Hesa6024 Health And Safety: Children Assessment Answers

Using a school’s health and safety policy / procedure, respond in detailed answers and how health and safety is monitored in the school.

2:

1. Explain how health and safety risk assessments are monitored and reviewed / In the context of your school & teaching environment.

2. Undertake a health and safety risk assessment in own work setting or service illustrating how its implementation will reduce risk. Show with your Placement Diary.

3:

1. Explain why it is important to take a balanced approach to risk management.

2. Explain the dilemma between the rights & choices of children and young people and health and safety requirements: reading closely from your prescribed text please also explain in detail what you will do to support learners to assess their own danger & take risks within the teaching and education setting.

3. Give examples from own practise of supporting children and young people and health and safety requirements.

4:

Understand appropriate responses to accidents, incidents emergencies and illness in work settings and off site visits.

1. Explain the policies and procedures of the (school) setting or service in response to accidents, incidents, emergencies and illness.

2. Identify the correct procedures for recording and reporting accidents, incidents, injuries, signs of illness and other emergencies. Examples can be accessed in school.

Using a school’s health and safety policy / procedure, respond to 1.2 / 1.3 / 1.4 in detailed answers below-also how health and safety is monitored in the school. In your first two answer paragraphs respond to Criteria 1, in three and four, please respond to Criteria 2 and in your last two paragraphs please respond to Criteria 3.

Ensure to reference everything against your School Health and Safety Policy & Sources

Plans to establish, monitor and review safety and health standards should be integrated into any health and safety procedure. The school health and safety management procedure include the establishment of policy, organisation, planning, and implementation, monitoring, and review (ROSPA, 2012). Health and safety checks are regularly conducted, children are supervised throughout the day, there is a routine inspection of security systems and children are only allowed to go home with their parents or authorised caregivers.  

Other ways of monitoring and maintaining safety are storing food safely, cleaning the environment, following the established procedures and ensuring there is adequate safety equipment. People in the workplace are informed of risks and hazards through hazard signs on equipment and training. They are encouraged to work safely by being provided with procedures of handling each activity.

The source of the guidance for instituting a healthy and safe environment is the law. All schools should have a copy of the legislation and guidance documents on establishing healthy and safe services and environment. The primary legislation is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This act outlines the mandate of the employers and basis of any prosecution. The HSE policy statement is another source (Gov.uk, 2014). This source encourages schools to focus on the removal of wasteful bureaucracy.

Another source is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). Under RIDDOR, an employer should report any accident or deaths that occur in their workplace or during an expedition. The Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 2004 require schools to acquire a license for their events. The Education Act 2002 requires schools to adhere to policies from local authorities (Gov.uk, 2014). Other sources are Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999, Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 and Young Person’s Safety Act 1995 (ROSPA, 2012).

The procedures and policies are executed by placing the right equipment in the right location and training personnel. The safety equipment including the first aid kits and fire extinguishers are often inspected to ensure they are functioning properly. First aid training is conducted after every six months. Also, fire drills are conducted after every three months. Whenever an accident occurs, an accident report is compiled and reported to the pertinent authorities.  

The staff has been trained how to use the carbon dioxide fire extinguishers, and there is an evacuating procedure that should be followed in case of fire. During off-site activities, we always carry a first aid kit, and the ratio of the children to adults is always 1:6. These procedures and guidelines are reviewed and updated often.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA). (2012). Managing Safety in Schools & Colleges. [Online] Available at: https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advice-services/school-college-safety/managing-safety-schools-colleges.pdf [Accessed 22 July 2017].

2:

1.

In my school, the monitoring process entails checking whether enough reporting is being carried out. The training progress is examined bi-monthly. Regular appraisal and audits of risk controls and tools are conducted. Additionally, new procedures are introduced based on changes in legislation. This procedure is informed by the fact that “nothing stays the same forever” (Hse.gov.uk, 2017). The review process involves evaluating the school’s healthy as well as safety performance. It involves an examination of health and safety procedures and determining whether the outlined procedures are being adhered to.

2.  Risk assessment

Implementation of this risk assessment will reduce risks by creating a healthy and safe learning environment for the learners. Specifically, it will prevent the risk of electrical shocks, and injuries from unfit furniture.

Please also state clearly below if this process of checks and reviews are clearly seen in your school Health and Safety Policy-Procedures-have this document, information available.

Yes, my school has this process checks and reviews.

3:

1.

Managing risks in a school environment is an intricate task. Thus, risk management should focus on establishing controls that minimise the risk of accidents to an acceptable level. A balanced approach is crucial because the exposure to certain kinds of risks might be beneficial. The children require a safe but challenging learning environment. Some risks show the children that the world can be an intolerable place. Children also get a chance to learn how to make decisions and judgments when faced with risks in real life.

2.

There is always a challenge in establishing a balance between the need for safety and the need for the children to explore risks. In most instances, children have the spirit for adventure. This aspect causes children to explore various risks.

I would support learners to explore their own danger and risk in several ways. The primary method will be student engagement (ROSPA, 2012).  I will get the learners to conduct their risk assessment for activities that they are engaged in. Additionally, I will encourage them to prepare for and attend science fairs and other external activities. The other method will be allowing them to take risks in the presence of a qualified first aider.

3.

The first incidence was during an external expedition where the students had visited a government laboratory to explore the equipment that is used in blood testing. After entering the room, some learners started running around the laboratory touching different equipment with bare hands. I called the learners and taught them safety procedures in a laboratory. I told them not to run when in the laboratory or touch equipment with bare hands. Another example was during an on-site learning where I taught the learners how to use a pair of scissor safely.

4:

1.

The initial action should be asking for help. The help might be in the form of an ambulance or a qualified first aider. In the case of fire, the response should be an evacuation and assemble at the fire assembly point. There should be support and reassurance for the other children. The children should know that they will be safe regardless of the incident. The final step should be recording and reporting the incident.

2.

The supervisor who was with the learners when the accident occurred should notify the office staff or administrator immediately. The learner's parent or guardian should be notified about the incident immediately. Then the supervisor should fill a form explaining how the accident occurred. The supervisor should be as accurate as possible. At times confidentiality might be required when reporting an emergency. The supervisor may also be required to offer a verbal report.

Bibliography

Gov.uk. (2014). Health and safety advice on legal duties and powers. [Online] Available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335111 /DfE_Health_and_Safety_Advice_06_02_14.pdf [Accessed 22 July 2017].

Hse.gov.uk. (2017). Step 5: Review your risk assessment and update if necessary. [Online] Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/violence/toolkit/riskdetail5.htm [Accessed 22 July 2017].

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA). (2012). Managing Safety in Schools & Colleges. [Online] Available at: https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advice-services/school-college-safety/managing-safety-schools-colleges.pdf [Accessed 22 July 2017].

Supporting children and young people’s health and safety. (2017)..