The end of the school year is swiftly approaching and it’s time to start making sure everything is in place for a smooth September. Whether you are a school, college or university, spend this time reviewing your health, safety and first aid provisions to ensure you have everything you need to stay compliant.
Here are our top 5 school safety and first aid items to consider:
1. Review your accident book and update your risk assessment
Risk Assessment Template
Our risk assessment range provides a Workplace Risk Assessment template, a Fire Safety Risk Assessment template and more to assist you in staying compliant with HSE guidance and the Health and Safety Regulations 1999.
Why is it important to review the accident book?
Your accident book is an excellent source of information for your risk assessment. By taking time to review your employee accident book and pupil accident book, you will improve your understanding of possible risks. You can then use this greater understanding to make additions and amendments to your risk assessment to improve risk management in your school.
What information should the accident book include?
For employees, there are five key details of accidents legally required in workplace accident reports:
- Full name, address and occupation of the injured person
- Date and time of the accident
- Location of the accident
- Cause and nature of the injury
- Name, address and occupation of the person giving the notice, if other than the injured person.
In a pupil accident book, additional information will be necessary:
- Full name, year group and class of the injured pupil
- Full name and department of person filling out the form
- Date and time of the accident
- Location of the accident
- Cause and nature of the injury
- Additional section to record informing parents or guardians
- Space for the signature of the person recording the incident
- Space for the headteacher, or responsible person, to confirm whether a report was required under RIDDOR.
Our Accident and Pupil Accident Double Reporting Station is a great addition to a school office or first aid room to keep your accident books on-hand and visible, ensuring they are completed in a timely manner.
2. Safety goggles and eye wash for science labs and DT workshops
With safety goggles being used on a daily basis, now is a good time to take stock and make sure none have been misplaced or damaged:
Having an eye wash station visible and accessible in areas of high risk to eyes could help to save someone’s vision. If you have your eye wash station already set up, make sure to take time checking the expiry dates on the eye wash and eye bandages – this can be found next to the egg-timer symbol on the product packaging.If you need to replace your eye wash, our Emergency Eye Wash Bottle contains 500ml of a Sodium Chloride 0.9% eye wash solution. To meet HSE recommendations for eye wash, four of these bottles should be stored. This means that, even if the solution is used, at least 1 litre will still be immediately available.
For extra caution, Cederroth provide a buffered eye wash solution which has a neutralising effect on splashes from alkalis and acids, making it an even more effective eye wash solution.
3. Protective gloves for site staff
There many situations for which safety gloves can provide necessary protection to staff: spills in science lessons, mess in the canteen, even broken glass. We have protective gloves catering for a range of needs.
4. Site safety signs
The summer holiday is an ideal time for many schools to give their buildings a refresh ready for the new school year. This is also a great time to update any school safety signs, making sure safety messages are clearly conveyed and first aid resources identified:
5. Check your first aid expiry dates and order your refill kits
Many people don’t realise how many first aid supplies have expiry dates: cleansing wipes can dry out; plaster can lose their adhesiveness; bandages can lose their sterility.
It is important to be aware of when supplies will expire and to replace them in time so that your first aid kit still remains compliant with HSE regulations. All items with expiry dates will have them identified on the packaging next to the egg timer symbol.
Stock up on your supplies in one go with our quick refill kits:
Make sure you understand exactly what your school needs and that you have the necessary first aid kits and equipment to provide effective first aid in your workplace.
Read our blog for more information on first aid, or contact us for further advice and information on our products.