Health and Safety
All tutors delivering lessons, have an obligation to ensure the risks and hazards to staff and students are reduced to a minimum.
Group sizes
Class sizes within the Technology Triumphs will generally be 5 to a group. However to ensure safety, they will not exceed 10.
A teacher can make the decision at any time to cease practical lessons either temporarily or permanently with a group, after consultation with the managing director, if the risk of harm to staff or students is a concern.
Whilst parents are allowed to stay during the sessions, any siblings remain the responsibility of the parent. If the numbers in the room start to become excessive, the tutor has the right to request that arrangements are made for the siblings in order to reduce the numbers in the room.
Hazards
Anyone identifying a potential hazard within the Technology Triumphs workshop has the responsibility of reporting it to the Managing Director in the first instance as well as taking action to reduce or eliminate the risk immediately. If machinery or tools are considered faulty, they are to be removed from use until repairs can take place. This also needs to be highlighted to the Managing Director, and other tutoring staff who may later go on to use the faulty equipment otherwise.
CLEAPSS
CLEAPSS guidance should be referred to and followed when using any equipment or hazardous substances within the workshop
Behaviour
Where the behaviour of a student is considered a potential health and safety risk, steps need to be taken by the tutor immediately in order to minimise the risk. Where possible, and if the behaviour is deemed dangerous, the parent of the student needs to be contacted for collection and removed from the environment immediately. If this is not possible, the practical lesson will need to be halted until he/she can be removed. Where an individual student’s behaviour is persistently unsafe, the tutor should discuss with the managing director, strategies for dealing. If necessary, the tutor and managing director can make the decision to disallow a students or group of students from participating in practical elements of technology, where this is a real threat and/or risk to students or staff.
Expectations in the Workshop
Due to the potential risks and hazards in the workshop, health and safety needs to be a priority. In order to improve the culture and attitude towards Design and Technology lessons, it is vital that the following standards and expectations are set out by each Technology teacher, every lesson.
Prior to a lesson
Dependent on the age of the group to be taught – the tutor needs to assess the work space to ensure that there an no tools or equipment accessible that could be harmful (especially where KS1 and 2 sessions are running)
In preparing for a practical task – the tutor needs to clearly explain and demonstrate the safe use of tools and equipment – ensuring that all students have a sound understanding before they attempt the task.
During a practical lesson
Students must have adequate space to work – the tutor must monitor throughout the lesson to ensure that students are working with adequate space.
Health and Safety
Any student deemed to be posing a risk to themselves or others during a practical lesson intentionally must be removed in order to eliminate that risk. Depending on the nature of the concern, practical tasks may need to cease completely until a conversation has occurred between tutor and parent.
A tutor can cancel a practical lesson at any point if they feel that the environment is too dangerous and that there is a significant risk to the children or themselves.
If after discussion with the parents, no solution can be found in order to improve the issue around health and safety – the tutor has the right to remove the child from the tuition group in order that practical working can continue for the rest of the tuition group in a safe manner.
After a practical lesson
Cleaning Down
Students should be encouraged to assist with cleaning down after a session in order to help maintain the workshop.
Tutors should allow time at the end of the lesson to ensure that all tools, equipment and materials are returned to where they were taken from at the start of the lesson.
It is the tutor’s responsibility to count in and then lock away tools.
Students can also be encouraged to sweep up the floors and clear workbenches of dust, making the class suitable for the next group.
Work should be named and placed in the tray or box provided in order to maintain good order.
