As part of the Council’s policy review programme, the Health and Safety Service has published updated policies on the Health and Safety Internet site. The following policies were reviewed: Working Alone Safely (supporting Guidance available) Radon (supporting Guidance available) Hand Arm Vibration…

Our education providers recognise that they have a responsibility to ensure that pupils with medical conditions are supported, can continue to enjoy learning, develop friendships and play. Through working in collaboration with parents they can ensure that, as much as…

Somerset Council school’s Minibus Guidance has been updated. Eligibility to Drive a Minibus explains that following EU Directives, the County rules on the driving of school minibuses states that all drivers of minibuses, with post 1997 driving licences, should hold…

We have reviewed Somerset Council school’s Swimming Guidance and the two appendices for pool owners (Swimming Normal Operating Procedures and Swimming Emergency Action Plan) have also been updated.  When your NOP and EAP are due for review, please use the…

What a great way to remember Health and Safety tasks – Water Wednesdays and Fire Fridays!  St John’s Infant school in Glastonbury has this simple mantra and it really helps the team with their tasks and compliance. Midweek on a…

Somerset Council is required by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to develop plans to manage business continuity in the event of a range of disruptions to services. By extension, Local Authority schools have the same obligation. No-notice disruptions are, by…

When the Health & Safety Service conduct live training sessions, they are recorded and made into YouTubes which can then be accessed by school staff at a time convenient for them. Recent training sessions: External Visit Administrator (EVA) training recording…

This article explains the importance of contacting our Asbestos team (Somerset Scientific Services) and following their advice if you discover exposed Asbestos in your school. What happened? At one of Somerset’s Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) settings, a student back heeled…

Frequently asked questions about cooking and selling food at events Q: We are organising a cake sale, and a parent is making the cakes, they will be labelled as homemade, with a list of allergens and ingredients and there is…

A Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) is an organised and methodical look at your premises, the activities carried out there and the likelihood that a fire could start and cause harm to those in and around the premises.​The aims of the…

Is your Legionella Risk Assessment (LRA) in date? In the most recent Legionella Guidance we have amended the frequency of these assessments. Under Core Offer, the facilitation of statutory servicing and compliance checks to plant and equipment now includes Legionella…

Common questions that are asked by External Visit Co-ordinators (EVC’s): Q: Do I need risk assessments from a provider? A: Providers from an Outdoor Education perspective are businesses that provide adventurous activities. Some of the common providers you will be…

The No Falls Foundation is the first and only UK-based charity devoted exclusively to the work at height sector. The Foundation is dedicated to preventing falls from height and helping people affected by the life-changing consequences of a fall. Every…

Portable appliance testing (PAT) is the examination of electrical appliances and equipment to ensure they are safe to use. There are many myths about PAT but you can use these frequently asked questions to find the key facts about the…

A Safe System of Work (SSW) or Safe Working Procedure (SWP) as they are termed in EEC, puts in place control measures arising from a risk assessment, in order to eliminate identified hazards (where possible) and complete the task with…

As part of the Council’s policy review programme, the Health and Safety Service has published updated policies on the Health and Safety Internet site. The following policies were reviewed: HS05 Food Safety Policy (Supporting Guidance available) HS19 Legionella Policy (Supporting…

It is the responsibility of the school to ensure trees are managed in an appropriate manner regardless of how many trees there are on the property. A thorough tree risk assessment-based survey should be carried out at regular intervals. There…

As a result of feedback from schools, over the Easter holidays our Civica support team have made changes to the Inspections associated with fire drills. Fire drills will now be asked for termly which means you will need to enact…

Inspections, Questionnaires (Annual Returns) and Fire Risk Assessment Actions Premises Managers for maintained schools are using Civica to manage their building’s compliance and this involves completing the following tasks: Updating Inspections Examples of inspections include termly fire drills, intruder alarm…

This article explains the importance of contacting our Asbestos team (Somerset Scientific Services) and following their advice if you need to arrange the removal of Asbestos from your school. Prior to the appointment of the contractor, the council Asbestos Team…