Management Information Sheet

We recently observed several High School open evenings and found significant differences in how effectively these events were managed. Management varied from efficient to somewhat disorganised. This MI sheet highlights particular factors schools should consider when planning and organising open days so that they run successfully and safely.

Access and egress

Are stairwells, corridors and emergency escape routes clear of combustible materials and obstructions, e.g. additional chairs, tables, display boards etc?

You should also consider whether the external areas of site are well enough lit for evening events, including the car park.

Adequate staff numbers and supervision

Will staff and stewards be available to direct and guide visitors who will be unfamiliar with the building layout and local safety procedures? Mature and responsible pupils who know the layout well can act in this capacity. Remember with lots of cars coming onto site you may need to supervise and control parking as well.

Will staff be available to supervise demonstrations or to manage general movements of visitors in and out of rooms and spaces, e.g. science labs, D&T workshops, art rooms or ICT areas?

CLEAPSS supplementary risk assessments for any special experiments must be followed and allowance made for the fact that staff will have less control over the environment and audience, as would be the case in the classroom. If experiments are timetabled and advertised the environment can then be better controlled, e.g. for the screaming jelly baby, the van der Graaf generator, alkali metals in water and other RSC experiments/demonstrations.

Room capacities

Are normal room capacities known and will arrangements be in place to ensure that capacities are not exceeded, e.g. through supervision and stewarding?

If there is likely to be bunching of groups or 'pressure points' in certain areas, staff and stewards should split groups into more manageable sizes.

Restricted areas

Are hazardous or restricted areas and equipment clearly marked and secured and access to them controlled/prevented?

Responding to unplanned events

Consider what could go wrong during the event and have in place appropriate measures to deal with incidents quickly. It is good practice to have a named person to be the open day organiser to ensure effective health and safety arrangements are in place.

Emergency procedures

Are staff and stewards familiar with emergency evacuation procedures of the building that they are assigned to?

Decide whether activities should be restricted to easily accessible areas or if more needs to be done to ensure disabled visitors can be assisted out of the building in an emergency. Refer to General Emergency Evacuation Plan guidance on Schools' PeopleNet.

Will sufficient staff be on hand to assist in clearing the building and directing people to the assembly points if the fire alarm sounds?

First aid

First aiders must be sufficient to cover the additional numbers present in the workplace and any additional risks.

Check that designated people are available who know where the first aid box(es) are kept, can deal with basic first aid issues and can contact the emergency services if needed.