Health and Safety Policy
2015-16
Health and Safety Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Health and Safety Policy 2015-16 Abbey Cambridge
and Alpha Plus Group
The ACC Senior Leadership Team are responsible for this policy:
Julian Davies, Principal
Telephone:
01223 578280
Email:
julian.davies@abbeycambridge.co.uk
Karen Lonsdale, Vice Principal (Pastoral)
Telephone:
01223 578280
Email:
karen.lonsdale@abbeycambridge.co.uk
Mike Corbett, Director of Operations
Telephone:
01223 578280
mike.corbett@abbeycambridge.co.uk
Email:
Gavin Copland, Vice Principal (Academic)
Telephone:
01223578280
Email:
gavin.copland@abbeycambridge.co.uk
Mark Lassman, Director of International Admissions
Telephone:
01223 578280
Email:
mark.lassman@abbeycambridge.co.uk
This policy is reviewed on an annual basis
Annual Policy reviewed by:
Senior Leadership Team
Annual Review date:
August 2015
Next date of Annual Review:
August 2016
Updated:
This policy has been adopted by the governors, is addressed to all members of staff and volunteers where
appropriate, is available to parents on request and is published on the school's website if appropriate.
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Aug 2015
Health and Safety Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Health & Safety at Work Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Statement of general policy
The College aims to put in place management structures and working practices that
provide proper control of the health and safety hazards and risks arising from the
College’s activities.
The College undertakes:
 Consultation with staff, students and others on matters affecting their health and safety.
 Provide and maintain safe plant and equipment.
 Ensure safe handling and use of substances.
 Provide information and guidance for staff, students, visitors, contractors and other
people.
 Ensure that staff and students are competent to perform their tasks.
 Prevent accidents and cases of ill health due to work.
 Maintain healthy and safe working conditions.
 Review and revise this policy statement at intervals of not more than 12 months.
Corporate responsibilities
Management responsibilities
Overall and final responsibility for Health & Julian Drinkall
Safety policy and practice
Chief Executive, Alpha Plus Group
Day-to-day responsibility for Health &
Julian Davies
Safety policy and practice
Principal, Abbey College Cambridge
Delegated day-to-day responsibility for
Jenny Maskell
Health & Safety policy and practice
Site Manager, Abbey College Cambridge
Abbey College Cambridge Health & Safety Committee – members
Jenny Maskell
Site Manager
Chair
Robin Tunnah
Glisson 3
Valerie Whyborn
Station Road
Patrick Williams
Regent Terrace
Jo Wexler
Glisson 5
Jade Nouri
3 Cambridge Place
Anona Cram
School Nurse
Dawn Kent/Richard Joseland/Helen
Student Accommodation
Winter/Pete Manners
Fiona McEwan Cox
Norman House
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Health and Safety Policy 2015-16
Abbey College Cambridge
Organisation
It is the duty of the Principal to establish a Health & Safety at Work Committee and to
ensure that the College’s Health & Safety at Work Officer publishes a robust Health & Safety
Policy and that the policy is carried out.
It is the duty of the Principal to establish a Fire Committee and to ensure that the College’s
Fire Officer publishes a robust Fire Plan that is practised at defined intervals.
College Fire Officer, College Health & Safety Officer and College First Aid Officer
The Site Manager is the College’s Fire Officer and Health & Safety Officer. The School Nurse
is the First Aid Officer. It is the duty of the Principal to ensure that the Site Manager and
School Nurse have received training in Fire & Security, First Aid and the general provisions
of the Health & Safety at Work legislation.
Individual responsibilities
All staff and students have a responsibility for their personal safety and the safety of others.
Staff and students undertake:
 to co-operate on all Fire, H&S and First Aid matters
 to use practices and equipment provided to safeguard their health and safety
 to take care of their own health and safety
 to report matters of concern to the College H&S Officer or the H&S Committee
 to familiarise themselves with the College’s Fire procedures
 to familiarise themselves with the H&S procedures laid down in:
 the College’s Staff Handbook
 the College’s Student Handbook
 the H&S, Fire and First Aid notices displayed throughout the College
Briefing and Instruction
It is the duty of the Principal to ensure that all new staff and new students are briefed in
detail on their responsibilities with respect to Fire, other Immediate Threats to Security, and
Health & Safety policy and practice.
It is the duty of the Principal to ensure that all staff, students, visitors and contractors are
routinely briefed on the College’s Fire Procedures, response to Immediate Threats to
Security and Health & Safety at Work policy and practice. A Health & Safety Law poster is
to be displayed on a notice board in each of the College’s teaching buildings. It is the duty
of the Site Manager to ensure that all Fire signage meets statutory requirements. A copy of
the Alpha Plus Statement on Health & Safety Policy is to be displayed on a notice board in
each of the College’s teaching buildings. A copy of the minutes of meetings of the Health &
Safety Committee is to be displayed on a notice board in each of the College’s teaching
buildings.
The College’s Fire Orders, Health & Safety and First Aid policies are to be published on the
College’s website.
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Review
The Health & Safety Committee is to meet annually to review Health & Safety risks.
Consultation with employees
Consultation with employees will take place annually as an agenda item at a general staff
meeting.
Management of Risk
The College’s Risk Register addresses areas of risk that impact on the Health & Safety of
staff, students and other persons, together with the risk reduction and mitigating measures
the College has put into effect.
General Policies
The College has instituted the following general policies:
 Indoor and outdoor areas used by, or accessible to, students are free from reasonably
avoidable safety hazards.
 Windows that present a risk of access by intruders, injury to passers-by, or of falling
from by students are fitted with restrictors.
 Windows where there is significant risk of impact are either made of safety glass (of
a type satisfying the relevant British Standard) or are otherwise suitably protected.
 There are reasonable and effective measures for the safety and security of students
using the buildings that comprise the College’s teaching buildings and halls of
residence.
 The College has a policy for controlling and supervising students’ use of and access
to high risk areas within the College’s teaching buildings and halls of residence.
These areas include laboratories, stores and plant.
 The College’s health and safety policy is available to all staff and students.
 The College has an effective system of risk assessment and risk reduction that
identifies and seeks to reduce the risk to students from inherent hazards in the
College’s buildings, activities or grounds. The list of hazards includes those that
students may access without permission (eg laboratories, roofs, stores for cleaning
materials, plant and equipment rooms, at both boarding and teaching
accommodation). It also includes the hazards that may arise from the time of day
that students are present or in transit between the teaching buildings and boarding
accommodation.
Risk Assessment
Law at Work Ltd has been contracted by the Alpha Plus Group to undertake risk assessment
of the College’s activities, buildings and equipment. Law at Work Ltd will report their
findings to the H&S Officer. The Principal will approve the action required to eliminate or
control the risks. Law at Work Ltd is responsible for ensuring that the required action to
eliminate or control the risks is put in hand.
Safe plant and equipment
The Alpha Plus Group has contracted a specialist company to identify all plant and
equipment needing maintenance and to ensure that all necessary maintenance is carried out
on schedule. PAT Testing Services Ltd has been contracted by the Alpha Plus Group to test
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Abbey College Cambridge
portable electrical equipment annually and to present their findings to the H&S Committee.
The Executive Head of Property, Alpha Plus Group Ltd, is responsible for ensuring that the
action required is implemented and for checking that all necessary maintenance is carried
out on schedule. The Principal will approve the action required to eliminate or control the
risks.
Safe handling and use of substances
Law at Work Ltd and appointed contractors are responsible for identifying all substances
needing COSHH assessment and for ensuring that the actions identified by the assessments
are carried out. Law at Work Ltd will report their findings to the H&S Officer and the H&S
Committee will consider the findings. The Principal will approve the action required to
eliminate or control the risks. Law at Work Ltd is responsible for ensuring that the required
action to eliminate or control the risks is put in hand. The risk assessments will be carried
out every term and will address all substances hazardous to health used by the College and
by the cleaners appointed by the College.
First Aid See the separate First Aid Policy
General mobilisation of safety, first aid or evacuation-assistance teams
The Building Fire Wardens and First Aid Teams are deployed in all cases of evacuation
brought about by Fire or other Immediate Threat to Security. The mobilisation of the First
Aid Teams occurs automatically, in parallel with the deployment of the Fire Teams. The
business of the First Aid Teams is routinely practised at the same time as the routinely
practised Fire Drills, irrespective of whether the required egress is the consequence of Fire or
other Immediate Threat to Security.
It is the duty of the College’s Fire Officer to ensure that the Fire Teams are properly trained.
It is the duty of the College’s Health & Safety at Work Officer and First Aid Officer to ensure
that the First Aid Teams are properly trained. The College has not established specialist
safety or evacuation-assistance teams. Such business lies solely and properly in the province
of the Fire Brigade, Paramedics and Constabulary.
Fire Safety See the separate Fire Safety Policy
Fire Safety Risk Assessment
Fire Safety 2000 Ltd has been contracted by the Alpha Plus Group to undertake Fire Safety
Risk Assessments of the College’s activities, buildings and equipment. The Executive Head
of Property, Alpha Plus Group Ltd, is responsible for ensuring that the action required is
implemented and for checking that the action taken has removed or reduced the risks. The
Principal will approve the action required to eliminate or control the risks.
Fire Alarms, Emergency Lighting & Fire Extinguishers
Regular inspection and maintenance of fire alarms, emergency lighting and extinguishers is
undertaken by Cromwell Fire Ltd and Chubb.
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