Health, Safety & Welfare Statement

 (Required by section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at work Act, 2005)

 

This Health, Safety and Welfare Policy was drawn up by the Board of Management, Staff and Parents/Guardians of St James’s Primary School. 

 

The Board of Management (BOM) of St. James's Primary School acknowledges its role in protecting the safety and welfare of all people employed in and affected by the workplace. The BOM is committed to implementing, controlling and maintaining a programme that ensures, where possible, that all risks and hazards are eliminated or otherwise controlled to an acceptable level and in the process ensure the safety, health and welfare of all our pupils and of all who visit or use the school.  

 

To this end we are committed to implementing safe work systems and methods to ensure the safety, health and welfare of all and to putting in place the safety and health measures required by the 2005 Act, and any other appropriate health and safety regulations. We expect all staff at St. James's PS to co-operate with the Board in implementing this policy and to comply with all safety and health measures issued by Ms Noreen Flynn, Principal, the Board of Management, and the Department of Education and Skills. 

 

  Statement on General Policy 

 

The Board of Management, St. James's PS, accepts its responsibility under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005. 

 

This safety statement sets out the safety policy of the Board of Management and sets out the means to comply with this policy. The Board of Management's objective is to endeavour to provide a safe and healthy work environment for all our staff members and pupils and to meet our duties to members of the public with whom we come in contact. The Board of Management has appointed Pearse Murray from the Board as Safety Officer. 

 

Co-operation will be expected and forthcoming from all school staff.  The Board also aims to make St James's PS a safe place for all users of the facilities of the school. 

 

Should anyone identify a hazard he/she should bring the hazard to the attention of the Safety Representative. 

 

The Board of Management undertakes to carry out regular reviews of safety in consultation with staff, particularly the Principal and Safety Representative. Ciaran Cronin has been appointed from the staff as Safety Representative. 

 

 

Signed 

                              ______________ _____________________________ 

 

Chairperson, Board of Management. Date 

 

Roles and Responsibilities: 

The points which follow outline the School’s model for an effective health and safety work environment. It ensures mechanisms are in place for consistency, communication and responsibilities. 

 

Board of Management Obligations:

  • Ensure that there are safe means of access to the place of work 

  • Endeavour to ensure that the equipment and facility is safe, and without risk to health 

  •  Ensure that all staff members receive adequate safety training and instruction appropriate to the task performed 

  • Ensure that all staff members are aware of the actions to be taken in the case of an emergency and that properly maintained fire fighting equipment is available 

  • Ensure that good housekeeping standards are maintained and in particular that fire exit routes are kept clear 

  • Consider and support any representation about health and safety from any staff member 

  • Be fully familiar with the School’s Safety statement and ensure all staff members are informed of its contents and any subsequent revisions 

  • Demonstrate through personal behaviour, that only the highest standards of safety are acceptable 

  • Ensure that communication is maintained with other users in the building in relation to health and safety matters. 

 

The Board of Management will report to the Health and Safety Authority 9HSA0, 12 Hogan Place, Dublin 2, accidents which results in a staff member's or student's absence from work/school for more than three days, which requires treatment from a registered medical practitioner or treatment in a hospital and any accident which results in the death of a staff member or student. 

Duties of Employees: 

In order to have an effective Health and Safety policy, the co-operation of the individuals in matters relating to Safety, Health and Welfare is of paramount importance and the BOM expects every member of staff to: 

 

  • Co-operate with each other so that the school will be able to comply with any of the relevant statutory provisions 

  • Use any suitable personal protective equipment provided, in the correct way. Personal Protective Equipment includes appliances, protective clothing, conveniences, equipment or other means or things provided for securing the safety, health and welfare while at work. 

  • Report to the Safety Representative, without unreasonable delay, any defects in equipment, place of work, or system of work, which he/she considers might endanger Safety, Health and Welfare 

  • Ensure that no member of staff shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse an appliance, protective clothing, convenience, equipment or other means or thing provided for securing the Safety, Health and Welfare of persons arising out of work activities 

  • Ensure that they are aware of the identity of all persons responsible for securing the Safety, Health and Welfare of persons working on the premises. 

 

The BOM requires that members of staff clearly understand and comply with the rules and regulations pertaining to the following: 

 

  • Where a member of staff wilfully or knowingly disregards his/her duty in relation to an individual's health and safety, he/she may be subject to disciplinary action, including dismissal (See INTO Guidelines). 

  • The proper use of equipment and the adherence to housekeeping procedures in order to maintain a safe and healthy workplace 

  • Emergency evacuation procedures. Notices of the procedures are posted in each classroom. It is the responsibility of all to ensure that they are aware of these procedures, in particular, the evacuation point. 

  • The BOM will endeavour to maintain work areas and facilities, which are safe, clean and healthy. However, all staff have a duty, through proper use of work areas and facilities including toilets, kitchens, etc., to keep the workplace in a safe, clean and healthy condition for the continued benefit of themselves and their fellow staff members. 

  • Staff members must inform the Principal immediately of any injury no matter how minor. An accident report must be completed into the accident book at the front desk by the teacher in charge of the pupil at the time. Particular attention should be given to the details on the accident report. 

  • Staff members are obliged to inform the Safety Representative of any hazard or incident (whether it be a machine or dangerous behaviour on the part of an individual or individuals) which may affect their own health and safety, or that of any other person. The Safety Representative must follow up on that information with a view to preventing any similar incidents in the future. 

 

If staff members are in any doubt about actions to be taken in relation to safety, they must consult their Safety Representative immediately as failure or delay in doing so could result in injury, either to themselves or to others. 

 

Visitors: 

The following procedures must be upheld to ensure the safety of visitors to the premises. 

  • Reception must be aware of all visitors to the premises. They sign in the visitors’ book. 

  • Visitors are requested to observe the fire policy at all times and to conduct themselves in a safe manner. 

  • Responsibility for the safety of the visitor and ensuring that the visitor is aware of the school's Health & Safety policies, including their fire policy, rests with the visitor's host. 

  • Visitors should be accompanied while on the premises. While this is not always possible, staff members should follow this guideline as closely as is reasonably practicable.