Health & Safety Policy
Title
Health and Safety Policy
Introductory Statement:
This policy was formulated by the staff of Doolin N.S. A draft policy was put on the school website. Parents input were sought. A draft policy was presented to the Board of Management and it was subsequently ratified.
Rationale
It is a legal requirement under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, for every employer, in conjunction with employees, to prepare a Health and Safety policy. It represents the Board of Management’s commitment to safety and health, and specifies the manner, the organisation and the resources necessary for maintaining and reviewing safety and health standards.
The Board of Management is required to document the school’s health and safety policy and make it available to all employees, outside services providers and Inspectors of the Health and Safety Authority. The Board of Management must also consider its ‘duty of care’ in the school and this must be an integral part of any Health and Safety policy.
Relationship to characteristic spirit of the school
The BOM seek the creation of a safe and healthy working environment for all members of the school community.
Aims
- To create a safe and healthy school environment by identifying, preventing and tackling hazards and their accompanying risks
- To ensure understanding of the school’s duty of care towards pupils
- To protect the school community from workplace accidents and ill health at work
- To outline procedures and practices in place to ensure safe systems of work
- To comply with all relevant health and safety legislation (so far as is reasonably practicable) to include the following areas
- Provision of a safe workplace for all employees – teachers, SNAs, secretary,caretaker, etc.
- To ensure competent employees, who will carry out safe work practices
- Safe access and egress routes
- Safe handling and use of hazardous substances and equipment
- Safe equipment including maintenance and use of appropriate guards
- Provision of appropriate personal protective equipment.
Responsibilities of employer – Board of Management (See Solas, December 2005)
Provide and maintain a workplace that is safe and do likewise for all machinery and equipment etc.
- Manage work activities to ensure the safety, health and welfare of employees
- Ensure that risks are assessed and hazards are eliminated or minimized as far as is reasonably practicable
- Prepare a safety statement and regularly update it, particularly when there have been significant changes or when the risk assessment is no longer valid
- Provide and maintain decent welfare facilities for employees
- Prepare and update procedures to deal with an emergency situation and communicate these procedures to employees
- Appoint a competent person to oversee the functions of the Board in relation to Health & Safety
- Provide training and information to workers in a format and language that is appropriate, including training on the commencement of employment
- Report serious accidents to the Health and Safety Authority
- Consult annually with employees and provide them with information in relation to safety, health and welfare
- Require employers from whom services are contracted to have an up to date safety statement (e.g. painters, contract cleaners, bus companies…)
Responsibilities of employees
Health and safety is everyone’s business. As a worker you have legal duties designed to protect you and those you work with (Solas, December 2005).
Responsibilities include:
- Not to be under the influence of an intoxicant to the extent that they endanger your own or other persons’ safety. To submit to tests for intoxicants as and when regulations specifying testing procedures are adopted
- To co-operate with an employer or other people to ensure that the Health and Safety law is implemented
- Not to engage in improper conduct that will endanger you or anyone else
- To attend Health and Safety training and correctly use any equipment at workTo use protective clothes and equipment provided
- To report any dangerous practices or situations that you are aware of to an appropriate person
- Not to interfere or misuse any safety equipment at your workplace
- If you are suffering from a disease or illness that adds to risks, to tell your employer.
Entitlements of safety representative (Section 25 Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act, 2005)
The safety representative has the right to:
- Represent the employees at the place of work in consultation with the employer on matters in relation to health and safety
- Inspect the place of work on a schedule agreed with the employer or immediately in the event of an accident, dangerous occurrence or imminent danger or risk to the safety, health and welfare of any person
- Receive appropriate training
- Investigate accidents and dangerous occurrences
- Investigate complaints made by employees
- Accompany an inspector carrying out an inspection at the workplace
- Make representations to the employer on matters relating to safety, health and welfare
- Make representations to and receive information from, an inspector
- Consult and liaise with other safety representatives in the same undertaking.
Carry Out a Risk Assessment
Each year, the Board of Management of Doolin N.S will carry out a risk assessment, identifying hazards, assessing the risks and specifying the actions required to eliminate or minimize them. Hazards may include physical, health, biological, chemical and human hazards.