13 April 2016

Policy Review Report - Health and Safety

The New Health and Safety Act

• • On 4 April 2016 The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015  replaced the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992.

  • The Chief Executive of Worksafe noted in Keep Calm and Keep Safe (21 March 2016) that “Everyone has a role to play from a director to a worker” and that workers must be involved in health and safety matters.

  • In general, the school’s health and safety procedures were already in line with the new requirements. A small number of amendments have been made to bring procedures up to date.

  • The Health and Safety section of the school’s Operations Policy referred to the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992. This review, and the recent procedures review with staff, presume that this reference will be amended to refer to the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Section of Operations Policy Being Reviewed:

Health and Safety

Amended June 2012  Amended April 2016

Students and staff shall have a safe physical and emotional learning environment. Therefore, the principal shall not fail to:

• • Take all reasonable steps to protect students, staff and visitors to the school from unsafe or unhealthy conditions

  • Ensure there is zero tolerance to bullying

  • Ensure there are effective processes in place for dealing with bullying

  • Comply with the provisions of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992  Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

  • Provide a smoke free environment

  • Ensure a risk analysis management system (RAMS) is carried out where and when appropriate

  • Seek approval for all overnight stays/camps attesting first to their compliance with the Risk Analysis Management requirement above

  • Consult with the community every two years regarding the health programme being delivered to students

  • Provide privacy of personal documentation held at the school

  • Advise the board chair of any emergency situations as soon as possible

Section by Section Review

"...the principal shall not fail to:...

• • Take all reasonable steps to protect students, staff and visitors to the school from unsafe or unhealthy conditions"

Interpretation

• • I interpret this to mean that the board expects me to ensure all legal requirements with regard to the health and safety of students staff and visitors are complied with, and that there is a commonsense approach embraced by all staff members that ensures that students are healthy and safe.

  • Note that the health and safety of staff is also covered in the Personnel section of the Operations Policy.

Data to Verify that this Interpretation has been Fulfilled

• • There is a comprehensive Health and Safety section in the on-line staff Handbook.

  • The updated Health and Safety section was reviewed with staff in March 2016.

  • Trial Evacuations and Trial Lockdowns take place each term.

"...the principal shall not fail to:...

• • Ensure there is zero tolerance to bullying

  • Ensure there are effective processes in place for dealing with bullying

Interpretation

• • I interpret this to mean that the board expects me to ensure that bullying is not tolerated in the school, and that in the event that there is an incident of bullying the procedures are followed so that the bullying does not continue and the negative effects are minimised.

Data to Verify that this Interpretation has been Fulfilled

• • Bullying does happen, and is certainly dealt with, usually by the Principal

  • Procedures have been reviewed since the last board report.

    • From March 2014 staff have recorded behaviour incidents, including bullying, using an online Incident Report form.

    • The data from these forms is collated in the Incident Report Spreadsheet.

    • The spreadsheet is monitored by the principal.

    • Follow up and/or interventions are recorded on the spreadsheet.

    • This data will allow analysis of trends over time and assist in the review of behaviour management procedures.

    • Since the last report (December 2014) 132 incidents have been recorded, involving 61 students causing concern. This compares with 174 incidents from March to December 2014

"...the principal shall not fail to:...

• • Comply with the provisions of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992

Interpretation

• • I interpret this to mean that the board expects me to ensure that the board,  as a responsible employer, meets all of its legal requirements under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992. Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Data to Verify that this Interpretation has been Fulfilled

• • There is a comprehensive Health and Safety section in the on-line staff Handbook. It has been updated to reflect the requirements of the new act.

  • The updated Health and Safety section was reviewed with staff in March 2016.

"...the principal shall not fail to:...

• • Provide a smoke free environment"

Interpretation

• • I interpret this to mean that the board expects me to ensure that we comply with smokefree law.

  • The Smoke-free environments act 1990 requires that the "managers of school premises ... must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that

(a) no person smokes in any part of the premises (whether an internal area or an open area) at any time on any day; and

(b) a notice stating that smoking within the premises is forbidden at all times is prominently displayed at or immediately inside-

(i) every entrance to the premises; and

(ii) every outer entrance to every building or enclosed area forming part of the premises."

Data to Verify that this Interpretation has been Fulfilled

• • Smokefree notices have been checked.

"...the principal shall not fail to:...

• • Ensure a risk analysis management system (RAMS) is carried out where and when appropriate

  • Seek approval for all overnight stays/camps attesting first to their compliance with the Risk Analysis Management requirement above

Interpretation

• • I interpret this to mean that that I ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to ensure that staff and students are safe when they go on school trips.

Data to Verify that this Interpretation has been Fulfilled

• • The Education Outside the Classroom section of the on-line Staff Handbook outlines process that staff follow whenever they take students away from the school environment.

  • There have been twelve day trips and three overnight or more trips since the last board report (December 2014).

  • There have been no incidents of concern.

"...the principal shall not fail to:...

• • Consult with the community every two years regarding the health programme being delivered to students

Data to Verify that this Interpretation has been Fulfilled

• • We have been in the habit of doing this annually. However this was not completed as planned at the end of 2015.

  • Consultation will take place in Term 4 2016.

"...the principal shall not fail to:...

• • Provide privacy of personal documentation held at school

Data to Verify that this requirement has been Fulfilled

• • As the designated Privacy Officer I ensure that the school complies with the principles of the Privacy Act.

  • No privacy issues or enquiries have arisen since the last report (December 2014).

"...the principal shall not fail to:...

• • Advise the board chair of any emergency situations as soon as possible

Data to Verify that this requirement has been Fulfilled

• • There have been no emergency situations since the last report (December 2014).

Recommendations

• 1. That the Board Operations Policy is amended by replacing the words “Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992” with ”Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.”

  2. That the board notes that, as “officers”, board members have a duty to be aware of Health and Safety issues at the school and to ensure that the school meets the requirements of the act.