Introduction

Welcome to the Health and Safety: professional preparation for your placement training module. On this page, you will be able to navigate the following content which forms the core content of the training module. There are 6 sections, as indicated below. 

• 1.1 - Health & Safety At Work - A brief introduction to the Health and Safety at Work Act, with a video introduction from SHU

• 1.2 - Risk Assessments - Taking you through the 5 steps to risk assessments, and getting one from your placement line manager

• 1.3 - Hazards in the workplace - Exploring the typical hazards you might come across in the workplace whilst on placement

• 1.4 - Your Workplace - Identifying specific requirements or further training that might apply to your work placement, including working abroad, working with young people and working with an employer you already work for.  In this section you may need to navigate to the 'Your Workplace' section of this site, and then return to complete the other sections of the H&S training

• 1.5 Roles and Responsibilities - Who is involved, and what role do they have to play in supporting you on placement? What about you?

• 1.6  Getting Your Placement Approved - The practical steps you need to take, including paperwork, to get your placement approved

Learning outcomes

By the end of this training, you will:

• understand your responsibilities around Health & Safety whilst on placement

• understand risks, hazards and how to manage these in risk assessments

• understand the steps you need to take to source and arrange your placement, including submission of relevant documentation

1.1 - Health & Safety at Work Act 1974

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA) lays down wide-ranging duties on employers, to protect all their employees, as well as others on their premises, including temporary staff, casual workers, the self-employed, clients, visitors and the general public. 

Employers duties:

“It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees”.

“It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not hereby exposed to risks to their health or safety”.

Employees also have a responsibility under the act, and as a student on a placement, short work experience or sandwich year, your duties are as follows:

Your duties:

"To take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself and of other persons"

"No person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health & safety"

The act allows the government to issue regulations and guidance for employers, which set out detailed responsibilities for your employer in every aspect of workplace health and safety, from working safely with computers, to stress and hazardous chemicals. These responsibilities are usually managed and documented formally, in a risk assessment.

1.2 - Risk Assessments

A risk assessment is a careful examination of what in the workplace could cause harm to people, environment or property. As part of your placement approval process, your placement line manager will be required to carry out a risk assessment, in partnership with you, which will need to be approved by your supporting academic. Without a risk assessment, your placement will not be approved, so it’s vital you ensure your placement line manager carries one out and that you have an opportunity to review this.

There are 5 key steps in carrying out a risk assessment, which we will take a look at in detail throughout this section:

1. Identify the hazards

2. Who may be harmed and how

3. Evaluate the risks associated with each hazard

4. Record your findings

5. Review  and act upon the findings

Make your way through the slides below to learn about the 5 key steps to carrying out risk assessments, and your role and responsibilities in assisting your placement line manager with completing one.

1.4 - Your Workplace

At this stage in planning your placement experience, you will likely have a general idea of what type of placement you are seeking, in what industry. You may even have a company or employer lined up, or even have started a conversation with them or received an offer. It is important to start to think about your work place, what it will look like, and what this means for you in terms of the practicalities of carrying out this placement. Here are a few things below that will apply to everyone, no matter how unique your placement is:

• Working hours - will you be working out of hours?

• Working location - are you based in an office, or will you be working from home?

• Travel - are you in a new place or city? How will you get to work safely?

• Working equipment - will you be using your own equipment, such as a laptop, or will this be provided?

• Working with others - what will this look like; will it be virtual, or face to face?

What about anything that's a little different?

It might be that you are doing something a little different, working abroad in a different city, working outdoors or on a site, working with specialist machinery or chemicals, or perhaps working with vulnerable people or young people in an education setting. We have some further information which is relevant to your Health & Safety training, on the 'Your Workplace' section of this site. Please click the button below to access this page. After reviewing relevant information here, you will need to return to this page, to resume and complete sections 1.5 and 1.6 below.

Your supporting academic may have further information regarding Health & Safety on placement in these specific settings and more, and you should ensure you check with them thoroughly for any requirements or additional learning materials you need to engage with prior to working in one of these specialist settings.

1.5 - Roles & Responsibilities

Students have a responsibility to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. You are supported by the institution throughout your placement experience, and the key roles and responsibilities of key individuals are outlined below:

                 a) Placement Line  Manager

The placement provider has a statutory duty of care for employees. The placement line manager is required to undertake a risk assessment and ensure that all risks identified are effectively managed. They should involve the student directly in the development of the assessment and allow the student to review and reflect on their personal circumstances in relation to the placement.

                b) Student

The student bears a responsibility and a duty of care for their own safety and the safety of others affected by their actions. The student will also be directly involved in the pre-approval stages of the placement as an active partner in ensuring the placement is approved by reaching agreement with the provider and presenting this to the designated academic and professional services team.

                c) Supporting Academic

 The academic team are responsible for ensuring that students are sufficiently and appropriately prepared for their work experience activity by providing guidance training and module content. They should check that the student is effectively prepared for their work experience and that the placement provider in discussion with the student has conducted the required risk assessment. The supporting academic will provide final authorisation that the placement can proceed on the basis that module learning outcomes have been met, the placement is suitable, the training and assessment has been completed, and that the risk assessment has been completed by the placement provider in collaboration with the student.

                d) Professional Services

 The relevant Work Experience teams have a responsibility to provide the necessary tools, process documentation and management system. They will provide a system for tracking the approval of placements along with supporting guidance materials.  The Work Experience team will be responsible for the overall facilitation of the process along with the co-design and distribution of guidance material. 

Below, are two key documents you need to read as part of this health and safety training - the student placement guidance document and policy document also linked here.

Professionalism in the workplace

Throughout the duration of your placement you are expected to act professionally at all times as a representative of Sheffield Hallam University. The placement gives you the opportunity to develop your professional practice in a real life setting. Your placement line manager is extremely interested to see how you can contribute to the development of their work. Although your placement is a learning opportunity, you are working with real world people who have a genuine, professional business need for your work. You are expected to adhere to any rules or procedures around Health and Safety that your placement line manager introduces you to.

1.6 - Getting Your Placement Approved

Before going on your year long or short placement, it must first be approved by the University's Work Experience Team. This process is relevant to any type of work experience, or short placement that is part of a module that includes a period of work experience. For more information about these if you’re not sure, take a look at the 10 things you need to know about placements or 10 things you need to know about short work experiences  to find out more.

To get your placement approved, you must Request an Experience on Handshake or let the University know at workexperience@shu.ac.uk as soon as you have secured  your placement or short work experience. Before you complete this, you will need to watch the requesting an experience video on the Assessment page of this site. 

You will need the following during the approval: 

• The correct name and email address of your module tutor or supporting academic, who will be able to review this experience 

• The correct name and email address of your work experience provider and person who will act as your line manager