Health and Safety

HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT (1974)

EMPLOYERS POLICY STATEMENT

Purpose: The Learning Station aim is to protect, respond and report to any concerns whilst on the premises of The Learning Station or its associated premises for anyone receiving training or services provided directly from The Learning Station or our staff.

Scope: This policy applies to children, young people, and adult’s including apprentices in our care and is reviewed annually

Our aims for Health and Safety are to:-

Provide a safe and healthy environment for students, teaching and non teaching staff and all other people who come onto the premises of our Centre.

Ensure that all staff/learners and all other people of the Centre understand their own responsibilities in maintaining a healthy and safe environment.

Principles

It is our duty and intention to ensure that The Learning Station is provided in a healthy and safe place, so far as is reasonably practical. We set out below the organisations and arrangement for carrying out our statutory duties regarding the health and safety of our employees and learners.

The establishment of a health and safe environment is an essential requirement for the work of the Centre. It is also a statutory requirement. It depends upon sound management, vigilant supervision and the co-operation of all personnel (Learners and staff).

The Health and Safety of our Employees and Students is paramount. Health & Safety is a shared responsibility of students and tutors. It is the Centre’s Policy, so far as is reasonably practicable:

To provide and maintain plant and equipment and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health;
To make arrangements for ensuring safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.
To provide such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure the health and safety at work of employees and students and visitors.
To maintain any place of work under the Centre’s control in a condition that is safe and without risks to health and to provide and maintain means of access to and egress from it that are safe and without such risks.
To provide and maintain a working environment for employees and students that is safe and without risks to health and is adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for their welfare at work.
To provide such protective equipment as is necessary for the health and safety at work of employees and students.
To encourage staff to set high standards of health and safety by personal example, in order that students leaving the Centre should take with them an attitude of mind which accepts good health and safety practice as normal.
To monitor the effectiveness of health and safety provisions within the Centre, if any.
To keep the Centre’s Health and Safety Policy under regular review and to duly publish any amendments.

This policy statement covers the following legislations:

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995

Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

Procedures

For ensuring involvement of all members of the Centre we have:

Regular meetings of representatives of teaching and non-teaching staff

to review health and safety issues.

For providing learners with opportunities to discuss health and safety issues

we have:

Feedback and comment forms and Health and Safety integrated within curriculum training and reviews

For accident prevention, reporting and investigation we have:-

Risk assessments formulated and regularly reviewed.
Vigilance by all staff and learners to recognise potential causes of accidents and to take action to prevent these where possible.

Promptness in reporting potential hazards to the Centre Manager and immediate response to such reports.

Reporting all accidents to the Centre and a note made in the school accident book.
Prompt investigation of all accidents by the Centre manager in order to establish cause and adopt corrective measures.

For First Aid provision we have:

Recognised First Aiders in Centre
Provision of fully stocked first aid boxes around the Centre.
Summoning of an ambulance where necessary by any responsible adult and arrange for someone to meet and guide the ambulance. If the Centre is unable to contact emergency person of learner a member of staff will accompany them to hospital.

A list of first aiders is kept in the Centre office, along with their training dates.

Fire

All fire exits must be kept clear. Employees and learners must take care that their actions will not result in a fire hazard occurring. If you notice anything that may constitute a fire hazard you should inform your supervisor/tutor immediately.

All employees/learners must co-operate with their supervisors/tutors if there is a fire drill or evacuation of the building or site, due to fire.

Fire extinguishers must not be tampered with.

For fire precautions we have:

A set of regulations for emergency evacuations.
Regular checks of equipment, procedures and exits by the Site Manager

and equipment monitored yearly.

All fire exits clearly signed.

For electric safety we have:-

Careful sitting of equipment to avoid trailing leads.
Annual PAT testing electrical contractors on all portable electrical equipment.

Management Structure for Health and Safety

Responsibilities & Policy Making

The senior management team have ultimate responsibility for Health and Safety at The Learning Station.

The Managing Director has the responsibility for organising the Health and Safety policy arrangements.

Implementing Policy

The Managing Director and Centre Manager have overall responsibility for the overall implementation of the policy and procedures and the day to day running.

Delivery Staff are responsible for their own safety and that of their colleagues and must adhere to the procedures and directive issued. A wider description of responsibilities is given in the following paragraphs:

The senior management team will maintain and support the policy by actively promoting and gaining commitment to a positive Health and Safety culture throughout the company and ensure that all procedures and directives for Health and Safety are implemented, maintained, reviewed and improved wherever possible across the company.

To ensure the objectives of the policy are met and standards continually improved where necessary, this policy is reviewed annually

The Managing Director supported by the SMT will:

Ensure that The Learning Station policy and procedures continue to meet the requirements of current Health and Safety legislation.
Update or produce new procedures as necessary.
Review the policy and procedures regularly or if conditions change.
Audit all aspects of the implementation of the policy and procedures throughout the company to ensure continued compliance with legislation.
Design and implement the management system for Health and Safety throughout the company and maintain its effective operation.
Record all information relating to accidents, incidents, near misses, staff training, evacuation drills and other safety inspections or records necessary to comply with company policy, procedures, and the law.
Act on behalf of The Learning Station with external organisations e.g. The Health and Safety Executive, the Local Authority, and associated stakeholders.
Prepare an annual report on Health and Safety.
Liaise with, instruct, and generally advise staff, learners and apprentices on matters of Health and Safety.
Investigate all reportable accidents, to identify the causation factors and review and revise procedures to reduce the risk of a recurrence. Compile and file all reports for such accidents with the appropriate authority (RIDDOR 2013) and any stakeholders who may require the same. Ensuring that effective local arrangements are in place for implementation of Health and Safety policies, procedures and codes of practice.
Promoting a positive Health and Safety culture by, for example, ensuring effective communication of Health and Safety information and including safety as an agenda item at all management meetings.
Training staff to comply with the Health and Safety Policy and procedures and assist in the effective management of Health and Safety and in particular to undertake risk assessments.
Reviewing and updating risk assessments and submitting them to relevant staff for approval.
Inspecting the areas to ensure that equipment, storage of combustible materials, and the condition of the workplace and traffic routes is maintained safely.
Ensuring that where necessary and when identified to reduce risk that personal protective equipment is available, sufficient, and suitably supplied and maintained to those who might need it.

Ensuring that appropriate induction training is provided for all staff, apprentices, learners, employers, visitors and contractors.
Ensuring that all accidents and incidents are recorded and examined and that all reasonable steps are taken where possible to prevent a similar occurrence.
Ensuring that materials, consumables, and equipment purchased for use at The Learning Station are recorded, evaluated, and assessed to reduce any risk from hazards they may present.
Ensuring that there is proper coordination, cooperation, and communication with other users of shared and/or adjacent space.
Suspending activities where Health and Safety is being, or is likely to be, compromised or the environment damaged.
Taking appropriate disciplinary action where staff, apprentices or learners have breached the Learning Station’s Health and Safety Policies and Procedures.
Ensuring that arrangements are in place for the regular monitoring, auditing and review of Health and Safety performance.
Being available to any member of staff, Trade Union Safety Representative, apprentice, learner or employer to discuss or resolve Health and Safety matters.
Ensuring that adequate resources are allocated to mitigate Health and Safety risks
Maintain a register of trained First Aiders and Fire Marshalls to ensure areas are sufficiently covered in the event of any incident or emergency.
Organise and implement Evacuation Drills at a frequency as set out in relevant procedures and test fire alarms and maintain the fire-log record.
Take action to minimise any risk from deficiencies, faults or breakages of equipment, fixtures or fittings.

Delivery Staff

Delivery staff have a duty to take reasonable care of their own Health and Safety and that of all other staff, apprentices, learners, apprentice employers and visitors that may be affected by their teaching and other work-related activities, they must ensure that:

Safe systems of work are taught to apprentices and learners.
Sufficient information, instruction and training is given to all apprentices, learners, and employers to enable them to work safely and provide a safe and suitable working environment for apprentices.
Equipment and substances are used in a manner which will not adversely affect their Health and Safety and that of apprentices, learners, or other staff.
They understand all company procedures that govern Health and Safety of their area of delivery, particularly relating to emergency evacuation and accident procedure.
Sufficient information, instruction, induction and training for apprentices, learners, and employers to enable them to work safely, particularly during work, training, and demonstrations.
Instructions on the use of equipment and substances in a manner which will not adversely affect their Health and Safety and that of apprentices, learners, or other staff, when required for course work, research and consultancy undertaken by The Learning Station.

ARRANGEMENTS

The purpose of this section is to identify and outline what practical arrangements are in place for ensuring safe working practices that allow the aims of the general policy statement to be realised.

Accidents, Incidents, Ill Health and Injury Reporting

A procedure is in place for the recording and reporting of accidents which also describes the arrangements in respect of the reporting of diseases and dangerous occurrences (RIDDOR) which may occur at The Learning Station. Other reporting is undertaken, when requested, to stakeholders associated with The Learning Station.

First Aid

Each delivery staff member has a first aid box and is a trained First Aider, this is to ensure Health and Safety is maintained when offsite in training environments or in the apprentice or learners’ places of work. There is also a first aid box at head office and an appointed person/first aider. Consequently, they will provide first aid to any person injured at work. In the event they are not available to do so or in the event of an accident, injury or illness that requires medical attention the emergency services must be called and when it is safe and practical to do so contact a senior manager who can also assist with contacting the emergency services.

In the event of an accident away from the office a mobile phone should be used to call the emergency services and notification to the office of the accident as soon as it is practical to do so.

First aid equipment

First Aid equipment and supplies must be stored safely in the training space.
Names of holders of first aid certificates are displayed at head office and in the training space.
Injuries to anyone in the workplace must only be treated by someone holding a current First Aid certificate.
All injuries must be recorded following Dealing with Adult Accidents Procedure.
Injuries to staff must be recorded by someone other than the member of staff who is injured.
Equipment for dealing with cleaning up vomit or other body fluid is provided.

Procedures to be followed if an accident or Sudden Illness occurs (i.e apprentice)

Employees need to:

Take any action required to deal with the immediate risk.
Contact the emergency services if necessary.
Contact a senior manager and make them aware of the situation.
Ensure the incident is properly recorded in accident book.

Reporting an accident in the workplace or Training Environment

The Learning Station requires staff, apprentices, learners, and employers to report accidents so that we can thoroughly investigate the matter and take steps to prevent them from recurring in the future. There are various types of workplace accidents that must be reported, and these include deaths, major injuries, injuries that require an employee, apprentice or learner to miss work for more than a seven-day period, work-related diseases, dangerous occurrences, and incidents where a member of the public is taken directly to hospital for treatment.

If an Accident or Incident Occurs at head office or on a training site, the Managing Director will need to:

Assess the kind of investigation needed.
Report the incident as required to the enforcing authorities.
Investigate (what happened and why?)
Take action to stop something similar happening again.

A manager will complete the Accident/Incident Report Form and ask you for details pertaining to the accident. An entry should be made in the accident book as soon as possible after the accident/incident but in an event no later than the end of the day.

The accident book is kept in the main office and in the centres, and is analysed regularly to identify any patterns, so that appropriate action can be taken to make the situation safe again.

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (updated in 2013) RIDDOR

These regulations place responsibility on employers to report accidents at work (dangerous occurrences) and diseases to the Health and Safety Executive including those which may be infectious or contagious and those which may develop because of work (industrial/occupational diseases). Employers can be fined if they fail to report them.

If someone is off work or not able to do their usual work tasks (whether an employee or self-employed) for over seven consecutive days after an injury, then it must be reported within 15 days of the accident taking place.
Accidents must be recorded, but do not need to be reported where a worker is unable to work for three or fewer consecutive days.
Accidents which do not result in death must be reported if they result in an injury and the person is immediately taken to hospital.
All deaths in workplace must be reported.

All accidents, dangerous occurrences, and hazardous conditions must be brought to the attention of a senior manager.

The Managing Director will ensure that all accidents and dangerous occurrences are recorded in the company accident book and are appropriately investigated with the aim of preventing re-occurrence. They are also responsible for reporting any qualifying accidents, diseases, and dangerous occurrence to the enforcing body

Training for Staff, Apprentices, Learners and Workplace Employers

All staff, apprentices, learners, and employers are given Health and Safety induction training. Existing staff are also subject to refreshers on modules identified as relevant to their roles annually. During this training and inductions for all, the Health and Safety Policy and Procedures of The Learning Station are explained and reviewed, including:

Roles and responsibilities
Reporting Health and Safety risk, issues, or concerns, including those in the apprentice or learner’s place of work.
First Aid and accident procedures and reporting
Reporting broken or faulty equipment
Maintaining and ensuring Health and Safety in the workplace

All staff, apprentices, learners, and employers are given access to the Health and Safety policy and procedures. All training is recorded either in the induction record or on individual CPD records. If specialist training is required or requested by individual staff members, apprentices, learners, or employers these will be assessed by the Managing Director or Centre Manager and appropriate training will be sourced.

All our meetings will include Health and Safety as a part of the agenda to reinforce the policy and procedure and ensure that any emerging risks are identified and controlled or removed.

During apprentice and learner progress reviews, the welfare and health and safety of the apprentice and learner will be discussed, and advice and guidance may be given to support knowledge and understanding, and issues must be reported to the employer and the Managing Director at The Learning Station. This is to ensure that any Health and Safety issues can be investigated and rectified to ensure continued commitment to safeguarding apprentices, learners, staff and stakeholders.

Apprentice and Learner Places of Employment

All apprentice or learner workplaces will be subject to a Health and Safety risk assessment conducted by trained delivery staff, which will be conducted prior to commencement of the course or apprenticeship. The risk assessment may identify actions that the employer must take to ensure the safety of the apprentice or learner. These will be risk rated and a timely date set to ensure that the action has been completed. This will be reviewed and reassessed by a delivery staff member to ensure compliance. Red risk ratings will result in a delay in the apprenticeship or learner start date and will need to be remedied before commencement of the apprenticeship or programme.

If the place of employment is still deemed unsafe by the review date, then the apprentice or learner will be advised of the risks to their safety and informed that they cannot commence their training at this place of work. IAG will be provided to support an apprentice or learner to find an alternative safe place of work to commence training, however, wherever possible, we will support the employer to remedy any risks to Health and Safety to ensure the place of work is safe to commence training.

The risk assessment will be formally reviewed every 6 months, however, when delivery staff visit the place of work, they must pay due care to Health and Safety requirements and report any concerns to the employer at the workplace and the Managing Director at Tungsten. If the visiting delivery staff have immediate concerns, they must notify the workplace manager, ensure that safety of the apprentice or learner and leave the premises. This includes informing the apprentice or learner to also leave the premises if it is unsafe to remain. In this instance, the Managing Director must be contacted immediately and may be required to pass on Health and Safety concerns to the relevant inspectorate for The Learning Station and the workplace.

During apprentice and learner progress reviews, the welfare and health and safety of the apprentice and learner will be discussed, and issues must be reported to the employer and the Managing Director at The Learning Station to ensure that any issues can be investigated and rectified to ensure continued commitment to safeguard apprentices, learners, staff, and stakeholders.

Inspections and Audits

The Health and Safety Officer must carry out inspections and audits of the areas under their control to confirm that actions and procedures for Health and Safety are maintained. The purpose of these audits and inspections is to monitor the effectiveness of the management systems and to identify any shortfalls so that procedures can be revised, and continuing improvements can be made.

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