Sunday - January 03, 2010

SCHOOL DAZE, SCHOOL DAZE, GOOD OLDE FASHIONED SCHOOL DAYS GONE FOREVER.

But all is not lost.  Just ask elf ‘n’ safety.

I wanna write hundreds of words on this but I can’t think of one outside of ... HUH? Gee, in our day 100 yrs ago a sand box was fun. Now it could be a danger. And sadly, it really could be considering the times and the kind of ppl roaming about who shouldn’t be. Jeesh.

Health and safety rules to guard pupils against dangers of singing and spicy food
Schools are being warned to follow new health and safety rules designed to protect pupils from musical instruments, singing with a dry mouth, spicy food, a helicopter landing in the playing field and other bizarre hazards.

By Julie Henry, Education Correspondent

The guidelines produced by councils highlight a whole range of unlikely threats to be guarded against.
Headteachers are told to carry out “risk assessments” for scenarios ranging from a pupil injuring himself with a musical instrument, to a helicopter landing on school grounds.

Policies are having to be drawn up to meet health and safety diktats which are unnecessary, state the obvious or relate to incidents that are never likely to happen, according to headteachers.

One council has produced more than 70 risk assessment forms for schools, one of which focuses on “voice care” for teachers. It lists “hazards” including “throat clearing, failing to lubricate the mouth, singing in too high or too deep a tone, using a forced whisper or talking too quickly”.
It even advises against “hot spicy foods, very hot drinks and breathing continually through the mouth”, which it says can “have an adverse effect on the voice”.

Another authority has a 35-page health and safety code for primary schools which points out that hemlock and deadly nightshade plants should not be grown by children.
Headteachers said last night that the health and safety culture had gone too far.

“Schools used to feel under pressure to have a policy for everything that moves, now they have to have a policy for everything that might move and even for things which don’t,” said Mick Brookes, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers. “This guidance is produced by local authorities in the guise of being helpful but it is all about the transfer of responsibility.
“Schools do have to keep sites safe but this deluge of paperwork goes beyond that. It’s just too much information. These things need to be nailed down to sensible risk assessments. Time shouldn’t be wasted producing a policy on everything.”

Local authorities say the risk assessment guidance is sent to schools to in a bid to keep staff and pupils safe, as well as to protect officials from being sued if accidents occur.

FOR MORE ON THIS SUBJECT CLICK HERE

Posted by peiper     on 01/03/2010 at 01:05 PM   
Filed Under: • Education • Judges-Courts-Lawyers • UK •  
• Comments (5) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

DISCLAIMER

THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE HOSTS OF THIS SITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS.

Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

1. Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
2. Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
3. Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
4. Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere

It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

THE INFORMATION AND OTHER CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS WEBSITE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE AMERICAN COURTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPLICABLE IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THEN THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS FROM THAT COUNTRY AND ANY PERSONS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO SUCH LAWS SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO USE OUR SERVICES UNLESS THEY CAN SATISFY US THAT SUCH USE WOULD BE LAWFUL.

Copyright © 2004-2015 Domain Owner