Health &Safety Policy

1. STATEMENT OF INTENT

Tamil School Hendon recognises the importance of providing a working environment which is safe and healthy for all employees, students, contractors and visiting members of the public and undertakes to comply with all relevant legal requirements.

 It is our policy, so far as is reasonably practicable:

 to treat health and safety as a core management function and to integrate health and safety into other management tasks;

 to provide appropriate resources;

• to attain a high standard in health and safety throughout our work;

 to ensure that legal requirements are the minimum acceptable level of performance;

 to take steps designed to progressively improve health and safety performance including the setting and measuring health and safety performance standards;

 to provide and maintain a working environment for employees and learners that is safe and without risks to health and is adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for their welfare at work;

• to provide and maintain plant and equipment and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health;

• to provide such protective equipment as is necessary for the health and safety at work of employees and learners

• to ensure the competence of employees and learners by providing information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary;

• to encourage all staff to set high standards of health and safety by personal example, in order that learners  leaving should take with them an attitude of mind which accepts good health and safety practice as normal;

• to assure any individual or group that constructive comment will be welcome on matters regarding health and safety;

• to review regularly the Tamil School Hendon Health and Safety Policy and duly to publish amendments.

2. DUTIES

The Health & Safety at Work etc: Act and Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations impose stringent obligations upon Tamil School Hendon. Within the bounds of the legislation we will:

1. Make arrangements to ensure suitable and sufficient assessment of risk to health and safety of employees and other persons affected by Tamil School Hendon, activities to identify measures necessary to comply with all statutory provisions for employees and other persons affected by Tamil School Hendon’s activities.

2. Having regard to the nature of our activities put into effect appropriate arrangements for the effective planning, organisation, monitoring and review of preventative and protective measures implemented to control risk.

3. Employ competent persons to provide health and safety assistance in order to establish and monitor the appropriate preventative measures necessary to control risk.

4. Establish and give effect to appropriate procedures to be followed in the event of serious and imminent danger arising from work activities.

Tamil School Hendon recognises that the provision of safe premises, plant and equipment, although important, must, in order to prevent accidents, be supported by safe methods of work. We encourage employees to set the highest possible standard of personal safety and to develop safe attitudes of mind to ensure that students adopt safe work methods and integrate health and safety in their daily activities.

Risk Assessment

Tamil School Hendon should make arrangements to ensure that suitable and sufficient assessments of risks to health and safety of employees, students and contractors or visitors who could be affected are undertaken and recorded.

Review and Revision

Risk assessments should be reviewed and revised on an ongoing basis to take into consideration changes in work activities and lessons learned as work progresses - it is crucial that all work assessments are monitored regularly and updated accordingly and this should form a standard part of management practice.

3. ROLE OF EMPLOYEES AND LEARNERS

All employed persons are required by Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act are to:

1. Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions;

2. Co-operate with the Tamil School Hendon and building management and others having specific safety duties, so as to ensure that Tamil School Hendon can comply with Statutory Obligations and achieve the aims and objectives of the Statement of Policy.

Learners are, by definition, not legally employed, however the Tamil School Hendon makes provision for disciplinary action against individuals who put themselves or others at risk.

In addition Section 8 of the above Act applies to both students and employees and allows the Health and Safety Executive to bring a criminal action against any person wilfully or intentionally interfering with or misusing safety equipment provided under statutory provisions.

4. ROLE OF HSE AND LEGAL ACTION

The Health and Safety legislation applicable to Tamil School Hendon is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Inspectors.

The Health and Safety Executive can take legal proceedings against all classes of employer and employees and in certain cases members of the public for breaches of Health and Safety legislation. The maximum penalty which can be imposed by Magistrates Court is £20,000. The more serious offences may be tried before a higher court, which has the power to impose unlimited fines and up to two years' imprisonment. Employees can also be dismissed or suspended for failing to carry out work safely and students may be suspended.

5. REPORTING OF ACCIDENTS

Reporting of accidents, dangerous occurrences and occupational ill health - staff, students, contractors and visitors.

All accidents, near misses, instances of occupational ill health, fires and dangerous occurrences must be reported to the Safety Adviser as soon as practicable. This requirement applies equally to staff, or students, while working on other partner locations, including fieldwork or placements. Minor incidents should be reported, using the relevant report form, available from Tamil School Hendon. Any major incident, including those where there is any doubt about the severity, should be reported immediately to the Safety Adviser by a telephone call and then backed up by the relevant form duly completed. The Safety Adviser is responsible for the reporting of the incident to the Local Enforcing Authority within the legally stipulated time-scale.

If a member of staff is absent from work, through any type of injury, for more than three days, this must be reported to the Safety Adviser.

Accident Investigations

Investigations should begin as soon as possible after the event when it is safe to do so and any injured person(s) has received the appropriate medical attention.

Responsibility for carrying out investigations rests with the following:

• reportable accidents and dangerous occurrences may be investigated by the Local Enforcing Agency;

• all major accidents and dangerous occurrences will be investigated by the Tamil School Hendon all minor accidents and incidents should be investigated by the Tamil School Hendon and the standard report form completed.

Occupational ill-health

a) All work-initiated illnesses should be reported to the Health and Safety Advisor on the standard report form.

b) Twenty-eight categories of occupational illness are reportable to the Health and Safety Executive. These include poisoning caused by exposure to toxic substances, occupational lung diseases, such as occupational asthma and fibrosis of the lungs, infectious diseases, including hepatitis and occupational cancer.

Records and Statistics

A detailed record of all accidents, dangerous incidents and occupational illnesses is maintained by Tamil School Hendon. Tamil School Hendon submits a report of incidents in its annual accident report.

6. EVACUATION PROCEDURES - BOMB WARNINGS

Tamil School Hendon will ensure we are familiar with the local procedures, when training on external sites.

If there is Bomb threat, the building will be evacuated utilising the Fire Evacuation Procedures which are posted in each area. The designated assembly point and local evacuation procedures will be followed.

No one should re-enter the building, even to collect personal belongings, until the final clearance has been given by management Security. This will be determined in consultation with the Senior Police Representative.

7. EVACUATION PROCEDURES - FIRE

Tamil School Hendon should prepare procedures for dealing with serious and imminent danger arising from work activities and establish procedures for informing persons liable to be affected to ensure that they can stop work and proceed to a place of safety.

The procedure to be adopted in the event of Fire being discovered in the building is summarised below.

1. In the event of a fire being discovered in the building, the building management switchboard should be informed.

2. On receipt of the call, the switchboard operator should alert the Fire Service immediately, barring no excuses.

3. On receiving the call the building management shall ask for the caller's name and the precise location of the fire, but failure to obtain this information should in no way prevent immediate action under 2 above.

4. An evacuated building shall only be re-occupied on the advice of the Fire Service or with the approval of a responsible person acting on the authority of the Fire Service.

5. The instructions for evacuation which are specific to each building are posted in prominent positions. These instructions include details of the relevant assembly point and in the event of the fire alarm sounding all occupants should make their way in an orderly fashion to the designated assembly point.

Fire evacuations will be arranged via the Fire Safety Assistant and the building management who will liaise with the Health, Safety & Environment Office and Consultant Fire Officer. A written record of Fire Evacuation Drills will be maintained with referral copies held in the Health, Safety & Environment Office. 

8. HEALTH AND SAFETY AUDITS AND INSPECTIONS

Tamil School Hendon Associates are required to monitor their own health and safety performance and highlight potential hazards by undertaking regular audits and inspections. The Health, Safety & Environment Office will attend these inspections when requested but will undertake independent Health, safety & Environmental audits in line with existing policies.

Policy and guidance for dealing with Alcohol and Drug related issues

1. Introduction

a) In accordance with its aims Tamil School Hendon has a duty to provide a safe and healthy working and learning environment for all its employees and students.

b) Tamil School Hendon is concerned that staff, students, contractors and visitors acknowledge the risks and dangers posed by the use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace and that they share our aim to minimise the possible risks to the health and safety of staff, students and others.

c) The effects of alcohol and drugs are well documented; their use may impair performance at work and could be a threat to safety, health and productivity. For a minority of people excessive drinking can endanger others including family, friends and colleagues. Similarly, the use of drugs can disrupt relationships.

d) Tamil School Hendon is thus committed to raising awareness of the risks and dangers of alcohol and drug abuse in this policy.

2. The Policy

a) Tamil School Hendon  recognises that some people may become dependent on alcohol and drugs.

b) Its policy is, therefore, to offer support and encouragement to anyone who needs help to overcome this dependence. This is done by recognising that alcohol and drug addiction is a medical condition and should be treated as such.

c) This policy is intended to help those with such an alcohol and drug problem to be restored to health quickly, to the benefit of themselves, their colleagues and Tamil School Hendon, and to return to an acceptable pattern of working.

d) Whilst support and encouragement to seek help is the keystone of the policy, there remains the normal disciplinary process for people found in possession of drugs of abuse at work, or whose ability to work is adversely influenced by alcohol or drugs.

3. Acceptable Behaviour

a) Tamil School Hendon expects employees to behave in a reasonable manner to ensure that their consumption does not have a detrimental effect on their work. We will seek to prevent the development of alcohol problems through staff information and training programs that will aim to ensure that everyone is aware of the possible harmful consequences of the abuse of alcohol. Tamil School Hendon will also seek to promote positive attitudes to sensible drinking by not encouraging excessive consumption of alcohol and will promote the provision of non-alcoholic refreshments in connection with its functions, facilities and business.

b) Information and training programs will stress the potentially dangerous consequences of resuming work after taking alcohol. Tamil School Hendon staff who suspect that the judgment or performance of individuals is likely to be impaired because of alcohol consumption and thus present a risk to themselves and others should prohibit any individual concerned from undertaking their duties. They may wish to consider suspension until the individual is able to return to their normal duties.

9.POLICY ON DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT

The Display Screen Equipment Regulations are aimed at the protection of employees who habitually use display screen equipment. The main requirements of the regulations are that:

1. An analysis of workstations is undertaken in order to assess the risks to health and safety.

2. That new workstations should meet minimum requirements (specified in a schedule to the regulations) immediately and that existing workstations meet these requirements before 1997.

3. That work routines are introduced to allow breaks or changes in activity that reduces long periods of intensive work.

4. Those users are provided with health and safety training in the use of the workstation.

5. Those users are provided with information on measures taking in all aspects of health and safety training relating to their workstations.

The Health, Safety & Environment Office will provide the information and training necessary for assessors and also any support that may be necessary concerning interpretation and application of the regulations.

10. HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY REVIEW

In accordance with statutory duty, Tamil School Hendon undertakes to review and revise this Health and Safety Policy, and associated organisational arrangements, as appropriate in order to keep abreast of legislative and organisational changes.

CHAIRMAN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEW AND IMPLEMENTATION