Having good estate management is key to ensuring the safety and security of both pupils and staff, alongside controlling access to the estate premises, as well as having staff effectively trained to assessing risk. The HSE guidance can be found here, and we’ve noted our top three tips below:

1. Identify responsibilities and roles, and ensure these are clearly defined and that the person responsible is clear on what is expected.
2. Identify H&S hazards and risks, and assess and action changes using appropriate documentation
3. Actively monitor hazards and risks, don’t check a box and forget about it!

The HSE has a wonderful portfolio of guidance relating to the Health, Safety and Wellbeing in Schools as well as detailed guidance relating to School and College Security. We’d also highly recommend our e-learning course on lockdown procedure in schools for teachers, school administrators and support staff to prepare them for lockdown events and help minimise the fear reaction. Being prepared and knowing how to handle an emergency can be invaluable as it means that proactive, positive action can be taken to protect yourself and others in your care. This course is about 70 minutes and is CPD approved.

The key theme here is that staff and employers must understand how to appropriately risk-assess situations, both by completing relevant and proportionate Risk Assessment documentation and by performing on-the-go dynamic risk assessments.

Armour can carry out bespoke training on Risk Assessment for the Education Sector, either face-to-face or via video meetings, for one individual organisation or for a group of organisations looking to expand their knowledge and upskill staff.

If looking to train a large group of staff then we’d highly suggest our highly popular Introduction to Risk Assessment e-learning course. At the end of this course, candidates will have an understanding of what a risk assessment is and how to complete one. To achieve this the course will define important terms, provide some basic background information to explain how important risk assessments are and discuss some of the legislation that applies. It will then go on to provide practical advice on how to identify hazards and analyse risk before finishing off by explaining the responsibilities of both employers and employees with regards to risk assessment.