New Era Academy  - Examinations in Speech & Drama

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY

STATEMENT

 New Era Academy is fully aware of its responsibilities under The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations (1996) and other Health and Safety legislation and documentation relevant to its operations. In order to meet these responsibilities NEA places paramount importance and priority on Health and Safety and undertakes to comply with all necessary and relevant requirements. It also strives for continuous improvement in standards of Health and Safety.

The objective of NEA’s Health and Safety Policy is to minimize risks to Health and Safety for all staff, teachers, students, candidates, organisers, parents and any users of NEA services.

NEA will use the best available knowledge, methods and resources available to achieve the required standards.

Accident prevention is essential for the smooth and efficient running of NEA’s services and requires full co-operation between all concerned thus ensuring the health, safety and welfare of all.

NEA will ensure that there is regular, effective communication to inform all staff, teachers, students, candidates, organisers, parents and any users of NEA services of health and safety matters, and effective mechanisms that allow for the reporting to the Board of Directors of any concerns relating to health, safety and welfare issues,

NEA undertakes to ensure that for all staff, teachers, students, candidates, organisers, parents and any users of NEA services are given the necessary information, training and supervision to both inform them of their duties and responsibilities and also to enable them to discharge their duties safely and without risk to health.

DOCUMENTATION

NEA Health and Safety documentation is readily available to all who need access to it:

• Copies of this Policy are available from the New Era Office.

•  A copy of this Policy will be given to all members of staff, and made available to teachers, students, candidates, organisers, parents and any users of NEA services. The Policy will be kept up to date to take account of changes in centres, schools and activities.

• In the case of individual centres, schools and other locations which may be used by NEA, it is the responsibility of those centres to provide the necessary Health and Safety procedures and documentation.

• NEA will ensure that a Risk Assessment is made by an appropriately qualified person or persons when arranging to use a new location, centre or school or the like.

• NEA will regularly review Risk Assessment in locations used to provide its services
• Local, specific, Health and Safety documentation is kept at the relevant place to which it relates
• NEA requests personnel to familiarize themselves with Health and Safety Policy and Statutory Regulations appropriate to each centre, school or location.

PRINCIPLES OF THIS POLICY

NEA will seek to provide and maintain the necessary training of all staff to ensure that they are familiar with the necessary Health and Safety requirements relevant to their work or role. NEA is not responsible for the Health and Safety training of teachers, students, candidates, parents or any users of NEA services, although it will take all reasonable precautions to make sure that their welfare is protected and maintained.

The NEA Office will maintain up to date records of all staff Health and Safety training.

The NEA Office will be responsible for organising Risk Assessment and evaluation of new facilities to be used by an appropriate person. They will also maintain ongoing records of the reviewing and inspecting of current facilities in use.

The NEA Office will liaise with the appropriate people in respect of all facilities used at Centres, Schools, Hotels, and the like on a regular basis with regard to the existing Health and Safety policies in place.

All facilities used by NEA must display clearly details of:

• First Aid Facilities and Procedures – An emergency medical kit or first aid kit must be available. In some locations a person trained in First Aid will be available on site.
• Fire and Evacuation Procedures – Clear instructions as to the action in the event of a fire will be displayed. They will include details of the fire alarm, evacuation procedure, emergency exits and assembly points. Fire extinguishers and other fire fighting equipment should be clearly marked and visible.
• Equipment – all equipment will be inspected regularly to establish that it is safe to use.
• Performing Area – safe access and egress from this area will be maintained so that it is safe and suitable for the purpose.
• Electrical Equipment –

o   Only electrical equipment that is properly installed and maintained should be used in these locations. The indication that equipment has been properly maintained is that a label is attached to each item bearing a date after which it should no longer be used. Items not bearing such a label, or where the date on the label has been passed, should be withdrawn from use and removed from the location.

o   All portable appliances should be regularly inspected and, where necessary, subject to electrical test.

o   Any item that becomes faulty should be taken out of service and discarded.

o   Equipment and furniture should be sited so as to avoid the need for leads to trail across floors.

o   Where leads trailing across floors cannot be avoided, proprietary rubber strips should be used to reduce the risk of tripping.

o   Socket adapters should not be used. Only those with their own fused plug and cable (4-way trailing sockets) are permitted.

• Smoking - NEA operates a NO SMOKING policy in its office, centres and any location being used for its services. This MUST be observed at all times.
• Health and Safety Training – Centres should ensure that all personnel are trained and instructed with the following knowledge:
  • action to be taken in the event of fire;
  • action to be taken in the event of accident;
  • their individual responsibility for following necessary procedures, including their responsibility for reporting health and safety problems; and
  • any specific responsibilities they may have in relation to health and safety.

Although NEA accept in terms of policy documentation that both Violence and Stress are increasingly acknowledged as being significant health issues, particularly in the workplace, they feel that a specific policy guideline is less relevant within the nature of their work.

However, Violence of any nature by any person either working on behalf of, or using NEA’s services, will not be tolerated on any grounds at all. Nor will violence of any nature by any other person towards a person working on behalf of, or using NEA’s services, be tolerated on any grounds at all.

Whilst most people might be expected to absorb a certain amount of pressure, it is not expected that it should rise to a level where it constitutes Stress  which is a risk to health, either by any person either working on behalf of, or using NEA’s services.

NEA advises any person either working on behalf of, or using NEA’s services, who feels under an unacceptable amount of pressure to raise the issues and concerns with the NEA Examinations Director in complete confidence, so that if possible some early appropriate action may be taken.

NEA seeks to ensure that all areas within its use are monitored regularly as fit for purpose, and meet all relevant requirements in terms of temperature, ventilation and lighting.

This Health and Safety Policy is monitored by and run on a day to day basis by the Chief Executive of NEA and the NEA Board of Directors.

Reference is made to a related policy, namely the NEA Child Protection Policy.

New Era Academy seeks to take all necessary action to ensure that its health and safety policy is effective and implemented.

This policy is reviewed regularly and updated as required. This policy review and implementation is the responsibility of the New Era Academy Board of Directors.

Reviewed 10.08

Copyright © 2009 New Era Academy

This Page Last Modified August, 2009