Why is it so Important?

All too often when auditing schools we find that they have no formal system for recording staff Health and Safety induction.

Many go through their procedures verbally but there is no written record of what was covered, no dates and no signatures to prove training took place.

The approach to health and safety staff induction training across the Education sector really does vary. It can range from giving a copy of the staff handbook to a member of staff and asking them to sign a piece of paper to say they have read it to delivering a formal induction against a checklist. In one school they introduced a meeting to review health and safety induction knowledge with a member of SLT a week after starting work at the school.

If the School does not retain a record of health and safety staff training Induction then it increases the risk of a successful claim or prosecution against the school if an accident was to occur.

Recently the Teaching Unions have published compensation data in relation to health and safety accident in Schools.

Successful claims include:

• A teacher awarded almost £250,000 after falling while using a table and chair to put up a display by her class. The teacher suffered a fracture in the fall, which also aggravated the symptoms of her foot fibromyalgia and depressive illness, according to her union – the National Union of Teachers (NUT). The injuries prevented the teacher from working and her contract was terminated.
• £85,000 for a teacher who slipped on black ice outside the classroom.
• £60,000 for a teacher who fell on spilled food and liquid as she made her way from a science lab.
• an academy employee was awarded nearly £50,000 after being assaulted by a teenage girl who had been told to stop chewing gum.
• And a trainee teacher was given a £35,000 settlement following claims she had been dismissed or discriminated against because of her pregnancy.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates was quoted: “Not only does the union continue to pursue employers who are negligent in terms of the health and welfare of members, but we are also now seeing a significant increase in the number of members with protected characteristics being subjected to discriminatory treatment.”

“The scale of discrimination and prejudice is deeply disturbing and it is likely that this is only the tip of the iceberg.”

Figures showed the NASUWT union successfully secured more than £16 million in compensation payouts for its members during the last year.

Whilst a record of Health and Safety induction may not have prevented all of the above claims as there may have been other failings in health and safety that attributed to the above incidents it forms an integral part of the schools safety management system and can assist in demonstrating compliance.

Staff health and safety induction – what should be included.

Health and safety may only be one element of the School’s induction process that may also cover HR, Finance safeguarding etc.

Be mindful of information overload for the new starter so there will be somethings that should be covered on Day 1 such as, fire evacuation procedures and accident reporting and others phased in over a week.

The induction should also include a walk round of the site.

Remember to take the time to explain things fully and support the training with the staff handbook, school’s website, intranet etc.

Organise for other people to be involved for example the site agent for the walk round etc.

Use a simple checklist to record the training covered and sign and date it and file on the employee’s personnel record.

What is covered in the Health and Safety induction really does depend on the role and some will not be applicable but for everyone the basics what should be covered:-

• Health & Safety Policy
• Responsibilities in schools
• Fire Safety and Evacuation Procedures
• Lockdown Procedures
• Accident Reporting
• Calling a first aider
• Hazard reporting
• Safe use of step stools
• Asbestos

Remember this training is for permanent staff but you still also need to consider how you provide an induction to Agency or peripatetic staff.