Health and safety issues

Health and safety policy

All workplaces and activities have inherent dangers. Health and Safety legislation in Britain specifies that both the employer and the employee have responsibilities to minimise or stop these dangers – the employer to take reasonable care to protect employees and the employees to protect themselves and others. Other people who have the same legal responsibilities include suppliers and manufacturers, volunteers and the self-employed. Your Health and Safety Policy should include Risk Assessments, Fire Precautions, a First Aid strategy and a Child Protection Policy (See Child Protection). There are huge amounts of legislation that deal with Health and Safety issues covering the welfare of staff as well as the visiting public.

As an organisation that employs people and allows the public onto your premises, your legal responsibility is to make sure that the health and safety of your employees and customers is protected so far as is reasonably practicable. You also have an extra duty of care with regard to children who, in law, are not expected to be able to make reasoned decisions as capably as an adult in relation to their own safety.

Fire safety

Your site should already hold a fire certificate if it is open to the public. Your local Fire Safety Officer (contact the local fire station) should be able to give you advice about evacuation and other issues. Make sure all staff (including volunteers) have fire safety training and go through a fire drill to ensure that it will all run smoothly in the event of a real fire. They should also be shown how to use the available fire extinguishers.

Safety procedures during workshops should comprise:

Pointing out to all supervising adults of fire exits, routes and assembly points before the workshop starts.
Informing the children of the actions that they would have to take – point out the exits they should be aware of and instructions as to assembly points.
Plans and written instructions should be pasted up near the appropriate exits.
Numbers of children and accompanying adults should be entered onto a form at the start of the session and taken out with you in the event of a fire so that you can confirm that everyone has evacuated the building in the event of a fire.

www.firekills.gov.uk

www.hse.gov.uk/spd/spdfire.htm

First aid provision

It is essential that all staff working with children have some sort of basic First Aid Training. Courses are widely available for this and vary from one day to four days. St John’s Ambulance organisation put on regular courses across the country. For details of these and other courses available visit:

www.sja.org.uk

www.bbc.co.uk/health/first-aid-action/

General First Aid information is available at:

www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid

If you do a course it will need to be up-dated regularly. The teachers accompanying school groups will include at least one person with a First Aid Certificate, but there is always the possibility that they will not be present at the moment they are needed. An important point is that you must never use any medicines – not even antiseptic cream – on someone else, just in case of allergic reactions.

Make sure that there are properly stocked First Aid kits at strategic points around the building. Schools usually bring their own out with them but sometimes leave them on the coach!

Health and safety information

Your local County Council will have information and guidance on Health and Safety issues including Fire Safety Officer and Child Protection contacts. They may also be able to direct you to training courses you may be able to take advantage of. For example, you may be able to attend courses run as part of the in-service teacher training including First Aid and Child Protection. You may also have a local Museums Development Officer or a hub museum who can give support and advice.

www.cornwall.gov.uk

www.devon.gov.uk

www.somerset.gov.uk

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