This document provides guidance for school leaders on health and safety. It discusses establishing a health and safety committee, conducting risk assessments, and developing policies around key areas like transportation, emergencies, and field trips. School leaders are encouraged to identify one area of improvement and develop documentation outlining a plan. The document also provides questions for risk assessment of scenarios and guidelines for parents to evaluate school safety.

1. Health & Safety for School Leaders
focus on risk assessment
This presentation is freely available at:
slideshare.net/edubridge
backchannel:
https://todaysmeet.com/SAIBSA
Mick Purcell, Principal
Edubridge International School
February 1, 2014

2. Today's Learning Objectives
●
Every Principal or Coordinator will:
−
Better understand Health & Safety in Schools
Discuss good practice with other school leaders
−
Identify at least one area for improvement
−
Return to school with documentation outlining a
plan for your area of improvement
−
Leave with one or two “follow-up buddies” and a
promise to follow up in February and March
−
Return to school with documented evidence of risk
assessment
−

3. Basic Principles
●
The primary objective of a Health & Safety
Policy is to protect the health and safety of the
entire school community
−
●
Secondary benefits include financial and legal
protection, marketing benefits, etc.
Health & Safety is the responsibility of every
member of the school community

4. Questions
●
Has your school established a Health & Safety Committee?
●
Does the H&S Committee include the Principal, at least one parent, and at least one teacher?
●
Does your school have a Health & Safety Policy?
●
Does the School Health & Safety Policy include provisions for:
−
Field Trips
−
Buses & Transportation
−
Occupational Hazards
−
Emergency Preparedness
−
Health & Wellness for Students
−
Regular reviews
●
Does your school have a Workers' H&S Representative or can a worker easily report a concern?
●
Are your school's Health & Safety Committee and policies regularly updated and reviewed?
●
Are wellness, healthy lifestyles, and social and emotional health in your curriculum?
●
Is every classroom equipped with a First Aid Kit and an Evacuation Plan?
●
Does your school regularly practice fire drills and/or evacuations?
●
Are the names of your Health & Safety Committee prominently displayed?
●
Has the Principal recently walked through the school for a documented risk-assessment?
●
Do you honestly feel that your school is adequately addressing Health & Safety?

5. ACTIVITY #1: QUESTIONS
IN YOUR GROUPS OF 3 OR 4:
1. Choose one person to start the questioning.
2. The person who starts: turn to your right and ask the next
person 2 or 3 questions from the list.
3. Take notes.
4. The other person(s) is actively and respectfully listening.
5. After two minutes, the activity rotates so that the person who
was answering questions now turns to his or her right and
asks questions of that person.
6. The person who started the questioning now takes notes and
actively and respectfully listens.
7. After two more minutes, rotate again.

6. ACTIVITY #1: QUESTIONS
If you have answered YES to every
question:
CONGRATULATIONS!
Your school’s Health & Safety Policy
is well-developed.
If you have answered NO to one or
more questions:
You have identified an area of
concern, or an area for improvement.

7. SCENARIOS: Which of these concern your school's Health & Safety Committee?
1) A fire of unknown origin erupts in the student lounge?
2) An outbreak of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease temporarily shuts down the Early Years Centre?
3) A terrorist attack or political violence force an unplanned school closure?
4) A teacher suffers from cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy?
5) Several students suffer food poisoning because of spoiled food at the school cafeteria?
6) A student suffers a major leg injury in a basketball game?
7) There are mosquitoes carrying Dengue Fever on campus?
8) Several students are obese and will eventually suffer from obesity-related illness?
9) An outbreak of flu causes many students and teachers to be absent for several days?
10) A student suffers from depression and talks frequently of suicide?
11) There is a contingent of teachers who sneak outside the school gates for a cigarette?
12) Parents are concerned that alcohol and drugs are being consumed at off-campus school parties?
13) A housekeeping worker injures her back while lifting a heavy object at work?
14) Two students suffer severe injuries in a car accident during a school trip to the back country?
15) Heavy rains and flooding close the school for a day?
16) A teacher is injured on a school camping trip and requires knee surgery?
17) A construction worker falls off a school building and has a very serious head injury?
18) A tsunami devastates a family in our school community and the student needs counseling?
19) A teacher suffers repetitive stress injuries from spending too much time at his computer?
20) A teacher suffers a major injury in a motorcycle accident just outside the school gates?
21) The school is closed for 3 months because of the outbreak of a highly contagious disease?
22) A student goes into shock and requires an ambulance and immediate medical attention?

8. ACTIVITY #2A: SCENARIOS
Discuss each SCENARIO, and ask: Is this SCENARIO
something your school’s Health & Safety Policy? Then answer:
● Which scenarios are of concern to your school’s Health &
Safety Committee?
● Where does this database come from?
● How can we classify or organize these scenarios?

9. ANSWERS
●
Which scenarios are of concern to your school’s Health & Safety Committee?
ALL of them!
●
Where does this database come from?
My personal experiences after 30 years of working in schools
●
How can we classify or organize these scenarios?
By using a risk matrix.

10. ACTIVITY #2B: SCENARIOS
IN YOUR GROUPS OF 3 OR 4
Discuss the 22 scenarios, and then answer:
● Give each factor a score of 1 - 5 according to Probabilty:
1. Rare
2. Unlikely
3. Possible
4. Likely
5. Almost Certain
● Give each factor a score of 1 - 5 according to Impact:
1. Insignificant
2. Minor
3. Moderate
4. Major
5. Catastrophic
● Calculate the Risk Factor = P x I

11. SCENARIO
A fire of unknown origin erupts in the student lounge?
An outbreak of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease temporarily shuts down the Early Years Centre?
A terrorist attack or political violence force an unplanned school closure?
A teacher suffers from cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy?
Several students suffer food poisoning because of spoiled food at the school cafeteria?
A student suffers a major leg injury in a basketball game?
A teacher suffers a major injury in a motorcycle accident just outside the school gates?
There are mosquitoes carrying Dengue Fever on campus?
Several students are obese and will eventually suffer from obesity-related illnesses?
An outbreak of flu causes many students and teachers to be absent for several days?
A student suffers from depression and talks frequently of suicide?
A teacher suffers repetitive stress injuries from spending too much time at his computer?
A small group of teachers sneak outside the school gates for a cigarette?
Parents are concerned that alcohol and drugs are being consumed at off-campus school parties?
A housekeeping worker injures her back while lifting a heavy object at work?
Two students suffer severe injuries in a car accident during a school trip to the back country?
Heavy rains and flooding close the school for a day?
A teacher is injured on a school camping trip and requires knee surgery?
A construction worker falls off a school building and has a very serious head injury?
A tsunami devastates a family in our school community and the student needs counseling?
The school is closed for 3 months because of the outbreak of a highly contagious disease?
A student goes into shock and requires an ambulance and immediate medical attention?
P
I
F

12. Risk Assessment Matrix
Rare
1
Minor
2
Moderate
3
Major
4
Catastrophic
5
Possible
Likely
1
Insignificant
Unlikely
Almost Certain
5
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
5
2
4
6
8
10
3
6
9
12
15
4
8
12
16
20
5
10
15
20
25

13. RISK MATRIX INTERPRETATION
1 - 2 points
Awareness but no action required
3 - 6 points
Should be addressed, in time
7 - 11 points
Must be addressed, soon
12 - 18 points
Must be addressed immediately
19 - 25 points
DROP EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW!

14. RISK MATRIX INTERPRETATION
A risk matrix is controversial and just a starting point
Proper Risk Assessment requires more analysis:
Type of impact
(Environmental, Financial, Health, Image, etc)
Preventability and Preparedness, etc.

15. Making sense of a HUGE topic
●
Three areas for H&S concern:
−
A safe and healthy school
●
●
−
A prepared school
●
●
−
Here and now, on site: wellness
Positive, healthy school culture
Emergency and disaster preparedness
Prevention, preparedness, response, recovery
Safe school trips
●
●
Daily transportation
Field trips

16. Hangman!
The biggest threat, by far, to
the Health and Safety of
school-age children worldwide,
which causes far more deaths
than any other threat is:
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

17. Hangman!
The biggest threat, by far, to
the Health and Safety of
school-age children worldwide,
which causes far more deaths
than any other threat is:
A C __ __ D __ __ __ __
__ __ C I __ E N T S
and the sub-category is:

18. Hangman!
The biggest threat, by far, to
the Health and Safety of
school-age children worldwide,
which causes far more deaths
than any other threat is:
A C __ __ D __ __ __ __
__ __ C I __ E N T S
and the sub-category is:
Motor-Vehicle Accidents

19. Safe & Healthy School
●
Risk Assessment:
−
Students
●
●
Immediate (chemicals, electrical wires, fire safety, etc)
Long-term
−
−
−
Teachers
●
●
−
Curriculum
Student Support Services
Occupational hazards
Stress-related
Support staff
●
Occupational hazards

20. A few indicators of a safe & healthy school
− Regular risk assessment, walk-throughs
− Student and teacher support services
− Thorough social and emotional wellness program,
●
including internet safety, anti-bullying, puberty, etc.
− Teachers and students who are not stressed but balanced and caring
− A very active Health & Physical Education program
− Regular fire drills and/or evacuations
− Students and teachers are keenly aware of procedures
− Clear commitment to health & safety from Leadership team
●
including instructions to stay home when sick

21. Safe School Trips
●
Risk Assessment:
− Buses
● Local Laws
● Car Park
− Local Field Trips
● Bus Policy
● Maintenance, Drivers, Lady Attendants
● Communication
− Overnight Field Trips
● Outside Providers
● Camping, Rafting, etc.
● Transportation

22. Key Points for Field Trips
1) Children should be able to experience a wide range of activities. Health and
safety measures should help them to do this safely, not stop them.
2) It is important that children learn to understand and manage the risks that
are a normal part of life.
3) Common sense should be used in assessing and managing the risks of any
activity.
4) Health and safety procedures should always be proportionate to the risks of
an activity.
5) Staff should be given the training they need so they can keep themselves
and children safe and manage risks effectively.
UK Dept of Education:

23. Disaster & Emergency
Preparedness
●
Risk Assessment:
− Committee
● Threats
● Long-term planning
− Financial
− Legal
− Insurance
− Local Conditions
● Earthquakes, Floods, Disease, Storms, Political Violence, etc.
● Lines of Authority
− Communications
● Decision-making, school closures, etc.

24. 2 2
p r model for an Emergency
Management Plan
➔
➔
➔
➔
Prevention
◆ requires risk assessment
◆ can disasters be prevented? e.g.
● building collapse
● insect-borne diseases
Preparedness
◆ are we prepared for disasters out of our control?
● man-made: terrorism, political violence, coups or war, etc?
● natural disasters: cyclones, earthquakes, flooding, etc?
Response
◆ are we prepared to respond effectively if a disaster happens?
● do we have evacuation plans, contact with authorities, etc.
● are all lines of authority and communication established?
Recovery
◆ are we prepared to recover and continue school after disaster?
● is there psychological support and means of recovery?
● is there insurance and financial planning for recovery?

25. Hazards and risks
A hazard is anything that causes a potential threat to the health
or safety of any member of the school community. There are
thousands of hazards, but a few examples are:
− Chemicals in the Chemistry Lab
− Slippery floors
− E. Coli
− Drivers dropping students in the car park
− Mosquitoes
− A heavy object that needs to be moved from the ground
floor to the 2nd floor
− A swimming pool

26. Hazards and risks
A risk is the potential for harm caused by a hazard. Risk
assessment requires an assessment of both the probability that a
hazard causes harm and the severity of the impact that can be
caused by the hazard. Risk assessment also evaluates the
potential harm or benefit of addressing the hazard, e.g.
− A swimming pool involves risks, but the benefits are
enormous. Therefore, engineering and administrative
processes are used to minimize risk.
− There are no benefits to having rats on campus. Therefore,
elimination is the preferred solution. However, the
potential harm of rat poison must be considered.

27. 5 step risk-reduction from hazards
1) Elimination
2) Substitution
3) Engineering
4) Administrative
5) Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

29. ACTIVITY #3
IN YOUR GROUPS OF 3 OR 4
Each person
●
Identify a hazard or an area of concern at your school
●
Discuss the best way to manage the risk by using the 5-step process
●
Fill the form and take notes to bring back to your school
●
Repeat for each person in the group

30. Parents should ask:
1. Ask your child about safety in his or her school.
2. Identify comfort levels and methods for reporting safety concerns.
3. Examine access to your school.
4. Find out if your school has policies and procedures on security and emergency preparedness.
5. Determine if your school has a “living” school safety team, safety plan and ongoing process, as well as
a school crisis team and school emergency/crisis preparedness guidelines.
6. Inquire with school and public safety officials as to whether school officials use internal security
specialists and outside public safety resources to develop safety plans and crisis guidelines.
7. Ask if school emergency/crisis guidelines are tested and exercised.
8. Determine whether school employees, including support personnel, have received training on school
security and crisis preparedness issues.
9. Find out if school officials use outside resources and sources in their ongoing school safety
assessments.
10. Honestly evaluate whether you, as a parent, are doing your part in making schools safe.
Credit: Kenneth S. Trump Info: http://www.schoolsecurity.org