Effective School Management

Consultation with safety representatives
A recognized trade union has a legal right to appoint one or more safety
representatives to
(1) represent the interests of employees;
(2) receive information from the employer; and
(3) carry out inspections or investigations.
Whether or not a union has exercised this right we would strongly advise any
school to ensure that one or more members of staff have specific responsibility
for co-ordinating health and safety matters and bringing issues up in
management and staff meetings. These representatives may also organize
training and the dissemination of information.
Safety responsibilities
No one person should alone be responsible for safety throughout a school
and its activities. Responsibility and accountability should be allocated among
the members of staff ensuring that everyone knows who is primarily respon-
sible for safety in respect of
(1) each part of the school premises (office, classroom, laboratory, playing
fields);
(2) each school activity (drama, school trips, parents’ evenings); and
(3) each piece of school equipment.