1. HSE Update Lisa Skinner HM Inspector of Health & Safety
Health and Safety
Executive
HSE Update
Lisa Skinner
HM Inspector of Health & Safety
Public Administration, Education and Volunteers Team

2. HSE Update Activities covered by health and safety law
Making sensible and proportionate arrangements for health and safety
Issues for academies
Case studies
CDM
Stress

3. What does health and safety legislation cover?
risks to staff, pupils and visitors created by work activities carried out by the school.
includes off-site activities such as school trips
also applies to the work of contractors in the school

4. Real health and safety risks in schools typically include:
on site transport movements
falls from height
slips and trips
stress management
work related violence
asbestos management
Legionella
construction and maintenance activities
manual handling

5. Where can I find information?

6. Making sensible and proportionate arrangements for Health and Safety
Goldilocks Principle
Not too much
Not too little
Just the right balance
So what is sensible and proportionate?

7. Sensible health and safety management
the school leadership team understand the safety policy and apply it practically to the real risks in the school
key staff have clearly established roles and responsibilities

8. Sensible Health and Safety Management
school leaders consult with staff including employee / trade union safety representatives – looking for practical solutions to health and safety issues
There are many benefits to be gained from successful health and safety management – both in the school and outside. See case studies

9. Sensible health and safety management
paperwork is kept to a minimum with the significant hazards identified, their risks adequately controlled and precautions clearly documented where needed

10. Employer
responsible for making sure that risks, particularly the risks to staff and pupils, are managed so far as is reasonably practicable.
employer’s health and safety functions are often delegated to members of staff in the school
overall legal accountability remains the responsibility of the employer.

11. Current Issues for New Academies
Competent advice
Roles and responsibilities
Existing paperwork/transfer of information
Existing buildings
New buildings
The way we've always done it
Speed of transfer

12. Case Studies Essex school fined after refurbishment disturbs asbestos
Brentwood School fined after worker fell from roof
Devon School caretaker died after falling from 'stage prop' ladder

13. How are we feeling?

14. CDM 2015 Simplified structure Client – greater responsibility
Domestic client exemption – removed
CDM co-ordinator role - removed
Principal Designer role (PD) – introduced
‘Competence’ – removed in its current form
Construction phase plan for all projects
Threshold for appointments – more than 1 contractor
Notification is a stand alone requirement – not trigger point for additional duties

15. HSE’s approach on sites
No change to HSE’s approach to inspection, investigation and enforcement
NOT FFI driven
Risk based, sensible and proportionate
Looking ‘beyond the site gate’ where failure to manage risk
Construction phase plan

16. Guidance Package ‘L’ Series guidance
6 CONIAC industry guides – endorsed by HSE
CDM 2015 HSE website
‘Have work done safely’ leaflet for small commercial clients
Template construction phase plan
Smartphone App – Construction Phase Plan for small projects

17. Is it really health and safety?
Health and safety is sometimes used as an excuse to justify not allowing some school activities to go ahead when in fact health and safety legislation does not apply.

18. Sefton Schools Stress Pilot
Purpose
To work with priority sectors to develop:
An understanding of the levels of stress in the sector/schools
Assess what actions are being taken currently and try to establish their efficiency
Increase the knowledge base as evidence about the use of the Management Standards approach
Potential outcomes
The pilot will meet the needs of the schools taking part, but:
The results will help to provide sector specific guidance;
Potentially sector specific tools or adapted versions of the MS approach will result which can be rolled out across the sectors

19. Sefton Schools Stress Pilot
HSE has spoken to Governors, Heads (Secondary and Primary) and local TU side
Propose to work with Sefton LEA and 20 schools of various types including a special school and an academy
23 schools have volunteered and we have scheduled a meeting with representatives of these to discuss methodology. This will be a workshop and will include TU side from teachers and other employers.
A short survey will be used to gather base line data from all Sefton schools
An online forum has been established and will ‘go-live’ after the workshop event