Guidance on the Risk Management of Student Placements
1. Introduction
1.1
This guidance sets out the MMU framework for the sensible
management of the health, safety and welfare of students on
placement; and the risks arising from health and safety liabilities
associated with placements.
1.2
The prime purpose of any placement is to provide a learning and
development experience for the student. MMU has an Institutional
Code of Practice (ICP) for placement and work –based learning. The
ICP requires programme teams and departments have appropriate
procedures in place to provide placements of high quality that comply
with health and safety requirements. Health and safety needs to be an
integral, rather than a stand-alone part, of the whole process and
experience. This guidance should therefore be read in conjunction with
the ICP.
1.3
Following initial agreement ‘in principle’ to the placement, or in parallel
to this, the tripartite agreement should be signed by the placement
provider. The tripartite agreement is the pivotal document in the
placement process and sets out the University’s minimum
requirements with regard to the entirety of the placement. At this stage
it is important to discuss with the placement provider what the
University expects from them both in academic terms and in relation to
health and safety.
1.4
A placement is an integral part of the student’s course and MMU has
the right to refuse to approve any placement on health and safety
grounds.
2. The definition of placement for the purposes of this guidance
2.1
This guidance applies to placements that are a period of university
approved work or vocational experience undertaken by an
undergraduate or postgraduate student whilst enrolled at the
University. This could either be as part of their academic studies, or as
a period of work or vocational experience that is organised or managed
by the University. The placement may be paid or unpaid and either in
the UK or abroad. Examples of placements include industrial
placements, sandwich placements, teaching assistantships, summer
internships (e.g. organised through the Careers and Employability
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Service), internal internships (but not internships provided through the
MMU Intern Scheme for MMU graduates), and voluntary work.
2.2
This guidance only applies to MMU students.
2.3
There are a few groups for which additional legal requirements apply
and where the general approach recommended in this guidance may
not be sufficient. These are:


Placement of students under the age of 18 since they are subject to
more rigorous risk assessment under the Management of Health
and Safety at Work Regulations;
Placements to which specific contractual or legislative requirements
apply, such as the placement of nursing students or teacher
training.
In these cases you should liaise with the University Health and Safety
Manager.
2.4
Programme teams, academic departments or schools may find it
helpful to customise this general guidance to make it more applicable
to a particular course or programme. If you require assistance to do
this you should contact the Health and Safety Manager.
3. MMU risk management approach and process
3.1
The benefits of a taking a risk-based approach are that the
requirements for the lower risk placements are minimised, whilst
resources are concentrated on those placements likely to be higher
risk. The placement risk assessment and review process should start
following the ‘in principle’ approval of a placement, in line with the
University’s ICP for placement and work-based learning.
3.2
The following six health and safety factors applicable to all placements
should be considered in the MMU risk assessment and review process:
1.
Work
This relates to the activities that will be carried out by the
student during the placement, including hazards that the student
may be exposed to during the work activities. The level of
appropriate named supervision is of particular importance within
this section.
2.
Travel and transportation
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Travel can be a risk, this may not just involve travel during/or for
the placement activities but in some circumstances it may be
important to consider travel to and from the place of work.
3.
Location and/or region
Location can have a significant bearing on the level of risk,
particularly if there is unfamiliarity with the country, the culture
(specifically around disability, gender or sexual orientation) or
the language. The level of risk will be dependent on the
student’s familiarity with a foreign country and their knowledge
of the language and culture. This may be as applicable to an
overseas student being placed in a UK organisation as a UK
student being placed in an overseas organisation.
4.
General/environmental health
This section is concerned with the environmental conditions,
accommodation and food/drink. These could include extremes
of temperature, endemic illnesses for which prophylactic
treatment is required and access to drinking water. It may also
be important to consider availability of medication or specific
dietary requirements for individual students.
5.
Individual student
Each student will have different needs due to their health
(including mental health), knowledge, skills and experience. In
some cases this may require specific adjustments to ensure the
student has an equitable experience on placement to other
students.
6.
Insurance limitations
Placements at MMU
Students undertaking work experience or placements at MMU
will be covered by MMU’s Public Liability or Employers Liability
Insurance, depending on the type of placement. MMU staff
members hosting the student have a duty of care to make sure:
 The student is supervised adequately
 A risk assessment has been filled out for the
placement/work experience student’s activities.
 Induction, safety and security is managed effectively and
risk is reduced.
 If the student’s organisation requires proof of insurance
from MMU please contact the Insurance Officer on
insurance1@mmu.ac.uk
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Placements within in the UK but external to MMU
Other organisations providing placements for MMU students in
other the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
excluding the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) need to have
their own insurance cover in place as the student will be classed
as an employee during the time that he/she is on placement.
This means confirmation that the student is covered under the
placement organisations employers’ liability policy and a copy of
their insurance certificate should be requested: Employers’
liability insurance – (£5m minimum and compulsory for
companies in the UK under the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory
Insurance) Act 1969).
Placements Abroad (Outside the UK)
There are three insurance areas that need addressing before a
student goes abroad on a placement.
a) Personal Accident and Personal Possessions
b) Personal liability and personal accident and injury whilst
undertaking placement activities.
c) Placements over 365 days
The full guidance relating to these three insurance areas is set
out in Appendix 1
Students under the age of 16 on placement or completing work
experience at MMU
University staff, the student and the student’s organisation must
be aware that the insurers require the student to be constantly
supervised whilst on placement with MMU.
If a student is under 16 and has been accepted on a MMU
placement the Insurance Officer must be sent email notification
as soon as possible containing the following information:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Name of student
Dates the student will be on placement (inclusive)
Activities the student will undertaking with a risk
assessment
The name of the primary staff member(s) responsible for
supervising the student, and
confirmation from the Head of School/Dean of Faculty
they are aware and are happy for the placement to go
ahead.
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Clinical Negligence of Students within the UK
In the UK, MMU’s Public Liability insurance provides contingent
cover for the clinical negligence of students whilst working under
the guidance of a qualified professional. It does not provide
cover for the qualified professional and therefore they must
maintain their own professional indemnity cover, along with the
requisite liability covers. As a licensed professional they should
also have their own medical malpractice cover (depending on
the nature of their work).
4. Completing the risk management process
4.1
In carrying out a risk assessment consideration should be given to
each of the six factors set out in section 3 of this guide, in order to
make an informed decision whether the risks associated with the
placement are acceptable.
4.2
The risk assessment process:
Step 1– Assess the risks

A health and safety risk assessment should be carried out using
the Placement Risk Management Action Plan Guide and form
(Appendices 2 and 3). The Guide to Risk Profiling document
(Appendix 4) should be referred to in order to help identify risks
and possible actions to reduce the risk . The assessment should
consider the risks described in paragraph 3.2. Each factor
should be given a rating of high, medium or low risk.

Using the plan enables you to collate relevant information in one
key document; it also helps identify areas to consider relating to
risks associated with the placement and apply a level of risk
using the ‘Guide to Risk Profiling’ document.

The action plan form can be adapted and departments, schools
and Services can add specific local additions.

Once completed the plan is a record of the actions required and
who is going to carry them out e.g. the student, the placement
provider or the University.

Once all the actions in the action plan have been completed, the
academic tutor needs to decide if the level of risk is at an
acceptable level. If not all identified actions have been
completed, or if the academic tutor does not think that the level
of risk is acceptable, then you should discuss the placement
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with the Health and Safety manager/Advisor and Head of
Department or School. If, at this point, you deem the risks too
high then you will need to take the advice of your Dean and
decide whether to escalate a final approval decision to
Secretariat.
Step 2 - Approval and Sign-off of the Placement Risk Management
Action Plan
Once completed, the action plan should be signed off by the Head of
School or their delegated nominee. The action plan should be kept
along with the tripartite agreement and any other key information
relating to the placement (e.g. information on insurance, risk
assessments from the placement provider and information on the
activities to be undertaken). Copies of the action plan should be
retained within the School, and shared with the student and placement
provider.
Step 3 – Preparation for commencement of the placement
 Pre-placement visit


The academic tutor, having considered the level of risk
associated with the placement, should decide whether to
make a pre-placement visit or to carry out a visit during the
placement. Where possible and having considered the risk
placement providers can carry out assessments. It should be
noted that a visit could be combined with one that is carried
out as a requirement of the Institutional Code of Practice for
Placement and Work-Based Learning.
A pre-placement visit would only be necessary where the
placement offers a very high risk or where there are
significant concerns that would be easier to resolve through
a visit. A visit would look at the suitability of the placement
from the levels of supervision that are going to be available
to the student; what the student is going to be doing and the
level of control measures in place for these activities.
 Determine the process for raising concerns during the
placement

A process for students or the placement provider to be able
to raise concerns should be developed locally in conjunction
with the Health and Safety Manager; this should cover
academic concerns, minor concerns about health and safety
or other personal issues that the University maybe help to
resolve.
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
In the event that concerns cannot be resolved within the
School/Faculty or Service or in an emergency, there should
be a procedure for escalating the concern and in extreme
cases this should feed into the University’s Emergency
Management Plan.
 Student briefing
Prior to a placement commencing you should arrange for the
student to be given a full briefing which, in addition to academic
specific information should include at least:





Information specific to their placement - for example copies
of the Tripartite Agreement, any other contractual placement
paperwork and in some cases information from the
placement provider.
General health and safety issues - the complexity and level
of information will depend on the placement, where the
placement is to be held and the outcomes of the risk profiling
(which you should also include in the briefing). If you need
any assistance contact your health and safety
manager/advisor.
Cultural issues – including personal safety, equality issues
such as gender/ sexuality/disabilities and any location-based
issues which could include health and travel.
What to do in an emergency - Key contacts at both at the
placement provider and the University; and the process for
raising any concerns – usually the placement coordinator
would be the first point of contact.
Insurance – covering the key points of what may be needed.
The way in which the briefing is delivered should be appropriate to the overall
level of risk of the placement. When sending large numbers of students to one
placement provider it may be worth organising a briefing with a representative
of the placement provider, to ensure all students get the same information.

Step 4 – Visits during the placement
Visits during the placement would usually be carried out by an academic tutor
as they are likely to involve an academic assessment within them; this would
also allow the student the opportunity to raise any concerns with regard to
health and safety. A visit may also be carried out if a significant concern is
raised by the student or placement provider and this cannot be resolved
without a visit. N.B. Any visit should only occur following agreement with the
placement provider.
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Step 5 – Feedback and Review
Once the placement is over you should gain and collate feedback about both
the positive and negative aspects (particularly regarding health and safety)
from the student and placement provider which will support future placements
to the provider. You should record these with the action plan form. If you need
any assistance contact the Health and Safety Manager/advisor.
Josie Elson
Associate Director, Valuing and Engaging People
February 2013
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Chris Bolam
H&S Manager