Subject and Aspects > Health and Safety > Health and Safety Training
HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING AND COMPETENCY
Competent persons
Health and safety legislation requires head teachers and other managers to identify a member or members of staff to assist them in the management of health and safety. Such staff named as "Health and Safety Competent Persons" will require training unless they already have sufficient knowledge, experience and awareness of health and safety issues.
Naming a member of staff as a "Competent Person" does not mean that they have extra legal responsibility other than those assigned to their particular job. The legal responsibility remains with the "employer" either the LA or the Governing Body (for VA and Foundation schools). The role of a "Competent Person" is to provide assistance, advice and practical help including help with monitoring.
In Primary schools very often the Head teacher will be the named "competent person", in high schools this may be a business manager or bursar or other senior teacher.
The Council and ChYPS provides a variety of health and safety training and whilst some of the courses are school specific or entirely generic they could be tailored (in consultation with the provider) to meet the specific needs of the service area.
Contact: Lynne Clark, Asset Management Officer, tel 01484 416743
E mail: lynne.clark@kirklees.gov.uk
Children & Young People Service Courses
ChYPS courses are accessible via Inset Online
a) Essential Health & Safety for Headteachers & Managers
A one day briefing/training course for Headteachers and other Managers in the Children & Young People Service to bring them up to date with what they should do to manage health and safety effectively. The course focuses on legal requirements, policy, responsibilities, risk assessments, record keeping, emergencies, help and advice, and further training for staff.
b) Managing Safely in Schools accredited by IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health) (IOSH)
This course provides more in depth health and safety training for Schools and others with Health and Safety roles in particular. The course's target audience includes head teachers, bursars, deputies, "competent persons", heads of department and others with health and safety roles. This course will also be of benefit to governors with health and safety responsibilities.
c) School Premises - Essential Health and Safety
This course has been designed for people with strategic managerial responsibilities for school premises, i.e. headteachers, senior managers, bursars, premises managers etc to ensure that they are aware of the systems and procedures which must be in place to comply with current Health and Safety legislation.
The course will provide all those with premises management responsibilities in schools with the core knowledge and skills to successfully carry out their roles and those managed by them including caretakers.
This course will help attendees to be aware of the premises-related risks and be able to implement procedures and systems to manage them effectively; Specific subject areas covered include: Asbestos, Working at height, Control of contractors, Legionella, Fire, Slips, trips and falls, Security, High risk curricular activities in Science, D & T and PE, Caretaking duties
d) Health and safety for School Governors
This is a 2 hour course for governors, in particular those with lead health and safety roles. This course provides a brief overview of health and safety law, roles and responsibilities of those in school, management systems and risk assessment.
e) Other Courses
From time to time other health and safety courses will be available and these will be publicised separately.
Kirklees Short Courses - Corporate
There are a number of KMC Corporate health and safety short courses available to all employees of the council. Subjects include, Fire Safety, First Aid and Risk Assessment. Please see link below:
http://www.kirklees-ednet.org.uk/training/kmcshortcourse/categorylist.asp?CourseTypeID=4
This power point presentation is from the "Head teachers induction course" which is run once a year for head teachers & newly appointed head teachers. It provides a brief overview of the role and responsibility of head teachers for health and safety along with contact details for health and safety advice and guidance.
There are other health and safety courses available via the CPD brochure (INSET on line) both for heads and "competent persons" see http://www.kirklees-ednet.org.uk/training/index.htm. These essential courses are provided to assist head teachers in meeting their legal responsibilities for managing health and safety at school level. It is strongly recommended that schools access this important training to help ensure they are meeting their statutory duties.
