Health and Safety Policy

Health and Safety Policy

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  1. Health and Safety Statement of Intent

    Kennedy College Oxford ("KCO", "the College") will endeavour to create and develop an environment in which there is an awareness of the importance of health and safety and which encourages everyone to participate in developing and practising safe working methods and to have regard for the welfare of themselves and others.

    KCO is committed, as far as it is reasonably practicable, to establishing and implementing arrangements that will:

    • Create a positive health and safety culture which supports risk control at all levels;
    • Provide a safe and healthy working and learning environment that considers arrangements for those with special needs/medical needs;
    • Prevent accidents and work-related ill health;
    • Meet our legal responsibilities and obligations under health and safety legislation as a minimum;
    • Ensure there is adequate information, instruction, training and supervision to avoid hazards;
    • Ensure the competence of all staff, contractors and others who may be required to undertake activities at or on behalf of the College;
    • Ensure safe working methods and provide safe work equipment;
    • Provide adequate welfare and first aid arrangements and facilities across all its operations;
    • Ensure that emergency hazard and evacuation plans are in place and that risk assessments including a fire risk assessment are prepared, circulated, actioned and reviewed to meet the changing needs of existing legislation and the company's own needs;
    • Encourage full and effective two-way consultation on health and safety matters;
    • Systematically identify and control risk as an effective approach to injury, ill health and loss prevention; and
    • Ensure adequate resources are made available for the implementation and monitoring of the health and safety policy.

    The College also recognises its duty to protect the health and safety of visitors, including parents, students, tutors and other contractors and temporary workers, as well as any other members of the public who might be affected by KCO's operations.

  2. Responsibilities

    The Proprietor of KCO has ultimate responsibility for health and safety across the College’s operations and the Principal is the health and safety officer with responsibility for overseeing, implementing and monitoring health and safety procedures at KCO, and for reporting back to the Proprietor on health and safety matters.

    The Principal also conducts or arranges for the completion of at least annual review of risk assessments, inspections of the workplace, maintains safety records and investigates and reports on accidents at work.

    It is the duty of each member of staff to take reasonable care of their own and other people's health, safety and welfare and to report any situation which may pose a serious or imminent threat to the well-being of themselves or of any other person. If a member of staff is unsure how to perform a certain task or feels it would be dangerous to perform a specific job or use specific equipment, then it is the staff member’s duty to report this as soon as possible to the Principal.

    KCO will make arrangements for consulting and involving staff in health and safety related matters.

    This policy will be monitored to ensure it remains effective. It will be regularly reviewed and revised as circumstances may require and, in any event, at intervals of no more than 12 months.

  3. Assessing and Managing Risks (Risk Assessments)

    The management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations requires KCO to assess risks and put in place proportionate control measures. KCO will assess all reasonably foreseeable risks and others which are identified by specific health and safety regulations. These will recorded in the risk assessments.

  4. Training

    The provision of appropriate health and safety information, instruction and training is essential to work safely and without risks to health.

    KCO will provide staff with:

    • General health and safety training, including risk assessment, arrangements for first aid, fire and emergency evacuation as part of the induction programme
    • Relevant training/instruction when changing jobs/taking on extra responsibilities with new health and safety implications

  5. Accident/Near Miss Recording and Reporting

    KCO has a legal responsibility to ensure that all accidents at the College or during College-related activities are recorded and reported to the Principal.

    Any accident/incident leading to injury must be recorded on the Accident/Injury report form. Near misses will similarly be recorded. The form will record the investigation, findings and recommendations to avoid recurrence. Reportable events under Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) guidelines are as per HSE guidelines but would not include for example sporting injuries unless the injury arose out of or in connection with the work of the school (e.g. faulty equipment or inadequate supervision).

  6. Fire Safety

    All staff have a duty to take reasonable care for their own safety and that of other people who may be affected by their activities. This includes ensuring all potential fuel sources remain separated from sources of heat and that flammable materials are returned to suitable storage after use.

    All staff must ensure that they are familiar with the fire evacuation procedures. Where staff are responsible for students, they must ensure that students are informed of the College's fire procedures, not only when they first arrive at the school, but at regular intervals thereafter.

    In the event of an emergency, visitors to the College should be guided from the building where possible and taken to the assembly area by the staff acting as their host.

    The Principal is responsible for the maintenance and testing of fire-fighting, prevention and detection equipment. If a smoke detector sounds or a fire is discovered, it is the responsibility of any member of staff present to raise the alarm and to initiate evacuation of the building. Fire extinguishers are located throughout the College. Staff are expected to tackle a fire themselves only if it would pose no threat to their personal safety to do so.

    Fire exit doors must never be locked, propped open or blocked. All members of staff must ensure they are familiar with their evacuation route and designated assembly point in case of fire. Practice fire drills will be conducted to ensure staff familiarity with emergency evacuation procedures.

    On discovering a fire

    • Sound the alarm by activating the nearest call point;
    • Where safe to do so, telephone the Emergency Services 999;
    • Leave the building by the nearest safe exit, closing doors, windows and switching off equipment, where safe to do so;
    • Do not stop to collect personal belongings;
    • If there are people with impaired mobility or disability who are unable to use the stairs unaided, they will have received a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) to facilitate their escape which must be consulted;
    • Report to the designated assembly point;
    • DO NOT RE-ENTER BUILDINGS UNTIL INSTRUCTED THAT IT IS SAFE TO DO SO BY THE FIRE OFFICER.

  7. First aid

    KCO has appointed first aiders and first aid equipment is maintained by the Principal.

  8. Wellbeing and Managing Work-related Stress

    KCO places great importance on the wellbeing of its staff and will as far as practicable protect its staff from any health risk which may arise from work or the working environment by:

    • Establishing and maintaining appropriate standards for health and hygiene relevant to each employee.
    • Identifying possible health hazards within the working environment.
    • Providing an efficient first aid service

  9. Manual Handling

    KCO will avoid the need, so far as is reasonably practicable, for employees to undertake any manual handling operation which involves a risk of injury.

    Where a manual handling operation cannot be avoided a suitable and sufficient risk assessment will be carried out to identify the risks of injury and the steps necessary to reduce those risks so far as reasonably practicable.

  10. Slips and Trips

    Slip and trip accidents are the most common cause of injury at work. KCO will work to avoid slips, trips and falls by ensuring there are effective arrangements for cleaning and dealing with spills, repairing damaged flooring, clearing walkways of obstruction.

  11. Portable Electrical Equipment

    All portable electrical equipment, owned or used by the College is inspected and tested on an annual basis (PAT testing).

    The Principal ensures that the persons undertaking PAT work are competent for the work they will be required to carry out.

  12. General

    • All staff should be aware of, and adhere to, the College's rules and procedures on health and safety;
    • All staff must immediately report any unsafe working practices or conditions to the Principal;
    • No member of staff should undertake a job which appears to be unsafe;
    • No member of staff should undertake a job until they have received adequate safety instruction and they are authorised to carry out the task;
    • Work areas must be kept clean and tidy and any spillage must be cleaned up immediately;
    • Stairs and landings must be kept clear and free from obstructions at all times;
    • Floor areas should be kept free of obstruction and in particular cables should not be left trailing where they present a trip hazard; and
    • All accidents and/or near misses must be reported to the Principal.