Management Information Sheet
Health and Safety Monitoring Programme
FROM:Paul Commins - Health and Safety Adviser, Children's Services
The aim of these visits is to check with the headteacher that essential elements of the health and safety management system are being implemented and to provide support, advice and guidance in making any necessary improvements.
The initial focus of this programme will be High Schools as they have the most complex health and safety risks as well as the largest numbers of staff and pupils, although a cross section of all schools will be selected for monitoring visits in the first year. It is intended that the majority of High Schools will receive a monitoring visit during the first year of the programme.
Pilot monitoring visits carried out at several High Schools earlier this year found significant variations in how effectively schools were implementing essential health and safety procedures. This confirmed the need for a rolling programme of active health and safety monitoring in addition to regular reactive monitoring in response to individual incidents or requests for advice.
It is envisaged that each monitoring visit will take about 1 � to 2 hours. It is important that the headteacher is available for this discussion to ensure that key issues are highlighted to the school's senior management.
It should be emphasised that these visits are not spot checks - a convenient date will be arranged with the school so that the headteacher and the health and safety co-ordinator are able to attend.
Following the visit, recommendations for action will be made in priority order by email to the headteacher. The monitoring visit will also be an opportunity for headteachers to raise any specific health and safety concerns face to face with the Health and Safety Adviser.
Each monitoring visit will be followed by a further visit around 6 months after the initial one - the purpose of this will be to check that actions identified as high priority at the initial monitoring visit have been carried out.
Please let me know if you have any queries or concerns regarding these arrangements.
Health and Safety Monitoring Programme
Beginning after Autumn half term, Children's Services Health and safety advisers will start a programme of health and safety monitoring visits in schools.The aim of these visits is to check with the headteacher that essential elements of the health and safety management system are being implemented and to provide support, advice and guidance in making any necessary improvements.
The initial focus of this programme will be High Schools as they have the most complex health and safety risks as well as the largest numbers of staff and pupils, although a cross section of all schools will be selected for monitoring visits in the first year. It is intended that the majority of High Schools will receive a monitoring visit during the first year of the programme.
Pilot monitoring visits carried out at several High Schools earlier this year found significant variations in how effectively schools were implementing essential health and safety procedures. This confirmed the need for a rolling programme of active health and safety monitoring in addition to regular reactive monitoring in response to individual incidents or requests for advice.
It is envisaged that each monitoring visit will take about 1 � to 2 hours. It is important that the headteacher is available for this discussion to ensure that key issues are highlighted to the school's senior management.
It should be emphasised that these visits are not spot checks - a convenient date will be arranged with the school so that the headteacher and the health and safety co-ordinator are able to attend.
Following the visit, recommendations for action will be made in priority order by email to the headteacher. The monitoring visit will also be an opportunity for headteachers to raise any specific health and safety concerns face to face with the Health and Safety Adviser.
Each monitoring visit will be followed by a further visit around 6 months after the initial one - the purpose of this will be to check that actions identified as high priority at the initial monitoring visit have been carried out.
Please let me know if you have any queries or concerns regarding these arrangements.