What Risks are Present in Schools and Colleges?
Schools and colleges undertake a large number of activities in order to deliver the curriculum to their students. As well as the activities directly related to teaching/lecturering there are also a lot of support functions taking place. Generally, as the age of the students increases the level of health and safety risk associated with the activities also increases; so primary schools are usually, higher risk than nursery schools; secondaries higher risk than primaries etc. The lists below provide examples of the types of hazards (Hazard - something with the potential to cause harm. Harm being any kind of loss, for example injury, damage to plant or equipment etc.) which are encountered in each sector, those common to all sectors and those related to support activities.
Support Activity Hazards
- Fire Safety (including arson);
- Access and Egress - blocked routes, damaged floor coverings; contamination (e.g. spilt liquids/rain etc.), stairs, lifts;
- Electrical Safety - Fixed wiring & portable appliances;
- Water Hygiene;
- Asbestos;
- Hazardous substances - chemicals & biological (including first aid);
- Work at height - kick stools, ladders, scaffolds, stages, inspection pits.
- Manual Handling - objects and people;
- Lone working - opening & closing the building; home visits, attending meetings off-site, weekend/holiday working;
- Violence and aggression;
- Gas Safety;
- Catering - food hygiene, allergy management, cuts, burns, scolds, fire;
- Building work;
- Maintenance and Repair;
- Traffic Management - deliveries, start and end of school day;
- Weather - including Temperature.
Common Activity Hazards
- Water safety - swimming, ponds;
- Educational visits - including adventurous, residential, overseas, sports fixtures;
- General classroom teaching -use of tools/scissors, tripping over student possessions/furniture;
- Occupational stress;
- Break time - inadequate supervision (staff can't see whole of area used by students/inadequate staff numbers), poor layout of playground.
Primary Sector Hazards
- Physical Education - physical injuries from participation in sport, exposure to heat/cold; equipment failure, inadequate planning & control of multiple activities taking place at same time;
- Science - contact with/injestion of hazardous substance or plant, allergies from animals, fire/burns, cuts from using tools;
- Technology - contact with hazardous substances (e.g. glues, paints etc.), injuries from using tools, electric shock, fire;
- School Plays - fire (auditorium capacity and evacuation), slips & trips in low light levels;
- Play Equipment - failure of equipment, inadequate supervision, unauthorised use (e.g. younger siblings at collection time), inappropriate location (wrong surface/too close to other objects).
Secondary & College Sector Hazards
- Design and Technology - wood, metal, heat processes, control systems/electronics, food technology & textiles;
- Science - chemistry, biology, physics (including radiation), prep-rooms;
- Physical Education - gymnastics, contact sports, trampolining, field events;
- Drama - including productions, set design, lighting etc.;
- Trade skills - building, plumbing & decorating;
- Engineering - including motor engineering;
- Hair and Beauty - exposure to hazardous substances;
- Photography - exposure to hazardous substances;
- Catering (teaching of) - cuts, burns, scolds, fire, allergies.
The above lists are not exhaustive and do not identify the many hazards that may relate to the activity (e.g. D&T Wood would include the machinery specific hazards [cuts, abrasions, in-running nips, drawing-in, entanglement, puncture wounds & noise] and the respiratory & skin hazards associated with machining wood). Schools and colleges need to systematically identify the hazards within their operations, so that the risks can be assessed and suitable control measures introduced. The most effective way to do this is to initially undertake a risk profiling exercise to gain an accurate picture of all of the activities which are being undertaken and the actual working methods being used by staff and students. This information can then be used to identify which activities need formal risk assessments because they pose a significant risk. Not undertaking a risk/hazard profiling exercise could easily result in activities with significant risks not being risk assessed and suitable control measures implemented.