Health and safety in the school grounds

learning through landscapes health and saFetY in the school grounds

outlook • May 2007

groundnotes July 2010

Schoolgrounds-UK

difficult or impossible for children to assess for themselves, and that have no obvious benefits.’ While this guidance specifically refers to play provision (both outside and in schools) its principles can easily be transferred to other activities within the school grounds.

It’s important to note, too, that well-designed and challenging school grounds, graduated to cater for appropriate levels of ability, can in fact offer a safer environment than a boring, flat, unstimulating site. In a challenging environment, with opportunities to try out new activities, children will be able to test themselves, learn from their mistakes, and stretch themselves further to develop their physical and mental skills.

Who is responsible for health and safety in school grounds?Each school has a member of staff – usually the headteacher or deputy head – with responsibility for managing day-to-day health and safety. It’s very likely that the school has a health and safety policy

already. However, in most cases, the ultimate responsibility lies with the local authority, even where they have delegated some duties to the school. In addition, every local authority publishes their own health and safety policy, which schools in their area will be expected to follow. There is therefore no standard policy for health and safety for all schools in the UK, although schools as workplaces are subject to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. You can discuss your plans for physical change with your local authority health and safety advisor who will be able to offer advice on legal and local regulations and requirements.

If, during your school grounds project, you work with a landscape architect or other professional, they will assess risk during the design process – but the school should also carry out their own risk assessment of the new design, and also look again at the implications to their management practices. This is an essential stage in the development process, and need not be overwhelming. Forms to help will be available from your local authority.

Risk assessment and risk-benefit analysisSchools will be familiar with carrying out risk assessments of their schools and these principles should be applied to how the grounds are designed, how they are used and the way any changes are made. Risk assessments should assess both the hazards and risks – the potential danger and the likelihood of this happening. A risk-benefit analysis provides you with an opportunity to look at features or activities that might have a raised level of risk but

Life is full of hazards and risks and it is important that children learn what they are and how to deal with them. A hazard can be defined as a potential source of harm; a risk is the probability, likelihood or chance of an adverse outcome. So when you think about safety in your school grounds you need to combine the two – what might happen and what is the likelihood of it happening?

Why are risks and challenge important?Learning to manage risk and challenge is vital for a child’s development. A degree of risk can be very positive, and allowing children to recognise and take acceptable risks is an essential part of growing up. In Managing Risk in Play Provision; implementation guide from Play England (see ‘Further resources’) the differences between good risks and hazards is described as ‘Those that engage and challenge children, and support their growth, learning and development’ while bad risks and hazards are ‘Those that are

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health and saFetY in the school grounds

that are of benefit in some way to your pupils. It enables the provider – in this case the school – to give equal weight to their duty to protect children from serious harm and their duty to provide them with stimulating play and learningopportunities.

It is vitally important that, should an unacceptable hazard and/or risk be identified, this is managed – so that no child is exposed to unnecessary danger. However, generally speaking, school grounds are very safe environments and most hazards can be easily managed while retaining their educational and play value.

A risk-benefit analysis should be based on your school’s policies, including its play policy. Further guidance on how to carry out a risk-benefit analysis is provided in Play England’s Managing Risk in Play Provision; implementation guide – which can be downloaded free from their website (see ‘Further resources’).

Developing your grounds – site assessmentHealth and safety issues will play an important part in site surveying. During a physical improvements project, the site manager and governors will need to carry out regular health and safety assessments, and relevant problems should be plotted on the site plan. It would be useful for the school’s health and safety officer to do a ‘walkabout’ with the local authority health and safety officer in order to draw attention to problem areas or issues that could actually be dealt with by careful design of the new scheme. Pupils should also be involved in this walkabout.

Teaching and non-teaching staff should be questioned about their thoughts on the issues, and a look at the accident records may identify patterns that merit further

investigation. If this information is tabulated it will be vital for comparison when the changes have been implemented and are being evaluated.

The pupils’ point of view is essential at all stages, including on walkabouts. Children can point out hazards for themselves, and they often see issues that adults are unaware of because they don’t use the site in the same way. Observe and record how children are using the site – they will always find different ways of using things! Community safety issues, such as the area around the school entrance, may also arise during the consultation and the local authority can be involved to take action. The following checklist is a good starting point to help you assess your grounds at survey stage.

Common design issuesHere are the most common design issues.

Breaktime rules These are an essential part of well-managed school grounds. When new designs or equipment are being installed, new rules will need to be agreed.

Access to small games equipment and play props A suitable shed or cupboard should be provided within, or close to, the play area. Store equipment and materials in trolleys, bags, and baskets that are an appropriate size and weight for the age of children managing them. Pupils should be taught correct carrying and lifting techniques, and new small play equipment should be good quality to cope with regular use, and should be regularly checked and replaced.

Dens and supervision Children love hidey holes and will create them out of next to nothing. Visual permeability can be achieved by careful design and the use of scale. This will ensure the children feel ‘enclosed’ but remain visible.

Soft landscaping Take care to ensure that maintenance practices do not cause hazards, such as sharp, protruding stems at eye height. Some plants may not be suitable for use in school grounds. Be vigilant for poisonous plants. Willow tunnels and shelters are very popular, but be aware that the willow aphid can attract wasps towards the end of the summer term. A soapy spray can be used to remove the aphids, or cordon off the structure just for this short period. See also ‘Further resources’.

Management and maintenancePlan for long-term maintenance right from the start of any project. Letting this slip can lead to lack of interest, lack of respect and vandalism, with associated health and safety issues. The site manager, taking any new features into account, should draw up a regular inspection and maintenance schedule. Some play equipment may also need technical inspections at regular intervals – check with your health and safety officer. Much of the simple maintenance can be carried out by pupils; plan this into the curriculum or start a Grounds Club. Include training in using tools and equipment, recording and monitoring techniques and invite maintenance teams from your grounds contractor to talk to the group about their work.

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health and saFetY in the school grounds health and saFetY in the school grounds

Rubbish bins and compost areas Well-designed, secure bin areas will reduce the incidence of fox or pigeon problems, and well-managed compost areas will avoid rat infestation. Separating your waste into different containers will help cut contamination and allow children to safely take part in waste surveys. See also ‘Further resources’.

Surfacing Textured surfaces are a favourite feature in school grounds, often made by artists and pupils (for example, pebble mosaics, multisensory pathways). Care must be taken to avoid trip hazards by ensuring adjacent surfaces are not at different levels or angles. Think about how the surface will be used, how often and by who. Some surfaces will impede wheelchair users, others may cause bottle-necks. Textured surfacing should highlight areas of the grounds rather than be used in areas of high traffic. Day to day check for trip hazards, icy patches, broken steps, uneven paving, drain covers etc. See also ‘Further resources’.

Traffic management Cars should be parked off site wherever possible. Where it is unavoidable they should not be moved during the school day, and they should be located in a place that does not interfere with play. Deliveries should take place before or after school hours, or be arranged beforehand so that children are not using the grounds at the same time.

Pollution Check site history in case of contaminated land. For growing areas it may be necessary to skim and replace topsoil. Check also emissions from nearby traffic. Barrier planting may be needed.

Boundaries Check adjacent public footpaths for discarded needles, bottles/dog mess/litter.

school ground features New features in your school grounds will need to be risk assessed. Here are the key health and safety issues to consider. For more detailed information, see ‘Further resources’.

Play equipment and surfacing Ideally, play equipment should be shared out into more than one area to avoid creating a ‘honeypot’ effect. It may be necessary to agree a rota with the children for its use to avoid conflict and subsequent risk. While British and European standards for equipment design and the need for impact-absorbing surfaces, sometimes called ‘safety surfaces’, are not legal requirements, they are a key resource in the process of risk management. This will not eliminate accidents but will reduce the severity of head injuries. Grass can be considered a safety surface for equipment with a critical fall height under 1.5m but a risk assessment should still be carried out if it is to be used in this way. It can get muddy in winter and very hard in

summer. You can, however, reinforce grass to make it more resistant to wear.

Tanalised timber The use of tanalised (CCA treated) timbers is still widespread and standard in the industry and the EU is currently assessing the risk. Take current advice on this issue from your local authority health and safety officer who may have information about alternatives available locally.

Accessibility Accessibility for all potential users is important so a range of features to cater for all degrees of ability should be designed into any physical improvement scheme. Ensure all the grounds can be accessed by emergency vehicles.

Climbing walls Anything above 600mm – the ‘critical fall height’ – does need an impact absorbing surface. However, with climbing walls, supervision and training in basic techniques are more important and more effective than safety surfaces, which can actually encourage falling off the wall.

Loose logs and tyres When choosing tyres take care to avoid any with exposed reinforcing mesh which can cause scratches. Clean tyres thoroughly before use. Logs can be slippery when wet but, if well supervised, should not pose

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learning through landscapes

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health and saFetY in the school grounds

© This resource was originally created as part of the Schoolgrounds-UK membership scheme from the national school grounds charityLearning through Landscapes operating in Scotland as Grounds for Learning(registered charity no. in England and Wales

803270 and in Scotland SCO38890).

To find out more about membership call 01962 845811 or visit www.ltl.org.uk

Ponds Ideally ponds should be located where children are not able to reach them without supervision – fenced off or in a courtyard. If children are able to access a pond without supervision, a hinged steel mesh cover is advised. The pond should be designed to be obvious (not blending in to the surroundings). Edges should be gently sloping, and well defined, with suitable surfacing such as a deck, where pond dipping can take place. Fencing needs to be robust and secure to reduce the risk of unauthorized access and the gate must be lockable. See also ‘Further resources’.

Contract managementWhenever a contractor works on a school site there are a number of factors to take into consideration. Many will be addressed by the school’s existing health and safety policy but the following in particular should be agreed and written into the contract documentation:

• hours of work and type of tasks suitable while children are working.

• measures to secure the site during and after school hours.

• materials and equipment storage.

• longer term maintenance arrangements.

Check that your contractors have a Health and Safety Certificate and current public liability insurance. Landscape Architects should have professional indemnity cover (PII). Seating, enclosures and imaginative features are often designed in partnership with artists. The contract with the artist needs to be very clear, detailing in addition to the points above:

• health and safety arrangements during workshop sessions.

• expected outcomes (learning and products).

• evidence of how their work meets all the relevant standards that are met by similar manufacturers.

The CDM (Construction, Design and Management) regulations govern a number of important issues on construction sites. All reputable contractors will follow the CDM regulations, but they are not applicable to all situations (for example most small schemes are exempt). Ask your contractor if the regulations apply. RoSPA and www.healthandsafety.co.uk have excellent information on contractors in schools (see ‘Further resources’).

Further resources• Advice sheets Planting (including

poisonous plants), Reducing waste, Shade and shelter, Surfaces, Using tyres in your outdoors; Groundnotes Ponds (March 2008); Out and about Risky? (July 2007).

Working with volunteers and pupilsWhen volunteers and pupils are involved, health and safety should be as high a consideration as it would be with professional contractors, perhaps even more so. Generally anything you wouldn’t do at home as a DIY job should not be done at school by amateurs. If an experienced project manager is available to oversee volunteers, so much the better – even if you have to pay them for their time. Organisations like BTCV (see ‘Further resources’) can help provide people qualified to manage a volunteer workforce for larger schemes. Key points to consider include:

• taking a skills audit

• ensuring volunteers wear appropriate clothing and footwear

• providing suitable equipment and demonstrating how to use it safely. Tool safety talks are essential, and good supervision will reduce the risk of accidents

• providing refreshments and taking regular breaks

• planning a realistic timetable of tasks

• if necessary, police checking volunteers

• checking your insurance covers volunteers and work done out of school hours.

All available to members to download from our website www.ltl.org.uk.

• Managing Risk and play; implementation guide can be downloaded at www.playengland.org.uk.

• For health and safety information www.teachernet.gov.uk/manage-ment/healthandsafety.

• Standards www.bsi-global.com BS EN 1176 (on fixed play equipment and surfacing) BS EN 1177 (surfacing)

• BTCV www.btcv.org.

• Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) www.rospa.org.uk.

• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) www.hse.gov.uk.

• More than Swings and Roundabouts: planning for outdoor play by the Children’s Play Council (£16.50) and Too safe for their own good by Jennie Lindon (£12) from the National Children’s Bureau www.ncb.org.uk.

an unacceptable risk and can be seen as a learning opportunity. See also ‘Further resources’.

Climbing equipment Climbing equipment is sometimes used out of school hours, in which case it should be clearly marked with disclaimer notices. Obtain advice on the appropriate wording from your health and safety advisor, and check also that lettings agreements and insurance policies cover any out-of-school use.