CHASE SURVEY OF VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION IN SCHOOLS – DID YOUR SCHOOL TAKE PART ?

During November 2006, as a result of BANUT's urging, Birmingham Local Authority (LA) identified funding to re-run the 2002 ‘Chase survey' on violence and aggression in the education sector.

In December 2006 we were told that Chase had contacted all schools in Birmingham and conducted the survey. All the teaching and support staff unions have given this survey their full backing but BANUT officers have been extremely concerned to hear how few of our members were even aware that it had taken place. Due to the short notice given to us we were unable to circulate the information to reps and in many schools and centres headteachers did not publicise it either. The publicity and awareness raising exercise promised by Chase seems to have had little impact, and subsequently whilst the data provided is of thee highest quality, the most disturbing information that this survey seems likely to provide is confirmation of the widespread underreporting that we and the LA are already aware of.

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS ?

The most practical way that we can salvage something from this situation is to start to report each and every incident of a violent or threatening nature that targets us as education employees; be it verbal or physical, a threat or malicious damage to personal property and to encourage all colleagues to do the same.

BANUT will be calling for the LA to step up their efforts to ensure that all education staff, especially headteachers, are made aware of:-

•  the importance of monitoring and reporting violence, threats, aggression and malicious damage,

•  the requirement for managers to investigate all incidents, and to take action using the risk assessment process and discipline policy at the school

•  the support of all union members and LA safety officers in these actions.

Most importantly, by following LA Education Safety guidelines, heads and governing bodies will be discharging their duties under Health and Safety legislation; failure to do so is, of course, a serious offence.

As a NUT Health and Safety Rep you have the right to see assault forms, to investigate incidents, to examine risk assessments, and evaluate the action taken to prevent recurrence using the facilities time that you are entitled to. This kind of scrutiny is as important as the more usual premises inspections that you will be undertaking.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT MUST STOP

In the past year we have become aware that there has been increasing incidence of sexual assaults and intimidation by innuendo, gesture, “sexist remarks” or inappropriate touching by male pupils usually targeting young female staff.

Any incident that is of a sexual nature must be reported for what it is. BANUT expect school management to take such incidents very seriously and would want to know if this is not the case.

We are raising the specific issue of sexual harassment with the LA and will urge them to step up monitoring and give clear and unambiguous advice to schools.

VIOLENCE AND HARRASSMENT MUST BE REPORTED

In some schools it appears that the management make the decision as to whether to report assaults to the LA or not. This is not best practice. If you or other staff have been assaulted and would like to report it by filling in an assault form yourself, contact me and I can supply a form (or you can download one yourself from the BGfL) and I can send it to the LA safety officers with a covering letter. It is not absolutely necessary for the forms to be countersigned by the Headteacher and if you feel that your school does not take all the necessary steps following assaults this is the action that you should take.

All reports are treated confidentially and may be used to call for an investigation into school safety policies and practice.

CLEAR GUIDANCE

After every incident there should always be an appropriate level of disciplinary action taken against the assailant, if nothing else to signal to the wider school community the seriousness with which your school treats the offence. In addition every incident should be investigated, risk assessments amended as necessary and the victim or their representative should be informed of the outcome.

If you are not happy with the way your school handles these issues, contact the BANUT office.

If you would like further copies of my last newsletter devoted entirely to this subject, including copies of the LA assaults report form, or if you have any queries please contact me or leave a message on 0121 442 2031or by email on banut@btclick .com

EUROPEAN HEALTH AND SAFETY WEEK 2006

-HEALTH & SAFETY CHECKLIST FOR NQTs

-GUIDANCE FOR MANAGING PUPILS' WORK EXPERIENCE

The theme for this year's European Health and Safety week is ‘Young People at Work' and the theme will be continued throughout the year. To mark the event the NUT has produced two documents which are attached to this newsletter.

First is a health and safety checklist for NQTs. Although it is equally useful for other young teachers.

Click link for details: checklist

The second offers basic advice on the safe management by schools of pupils' work experience.

Click link for details: work experience

ASTHMA CHARTER 

Every year in the UK up to 3,000 people develop occupational asthma as a result of exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace. In addition to this, around forty per cent of employees who already suffer from asthma find that their condition is aggravated by the job they do.

In teaching the hazards are perhaps most often associated with prolonged exposure to wood dust whilst working in CDT departments; but I have come across a case of a colleague who suffered an allergic reaction to residues from cleaning materials. As a result of her ill-health the COSHH assessment was revised and the use of the substance was discontinued.

The asthma charity and campaign group Asthma UK has devised an Asthma at Work Charter , with the aim of reducing the impact of asthma caused or made worse by work.

The Charter, developed with employers, unions and the HSE, sets out recommendations and instructions on

•  what to do if someone is having an asthma attack;

•  information on what can trigger asthma;

•  symptoms of asthma; and

•  how to make the workplace an ‘asthma-friendly' area.

NUT guidance on asthma in schools is available at www.teachers.org.uk . This document contains useful advice on securing uninterrupted education in schools for children suffering from asthma, written in consultation with Asthma U.K.

More information can be found on Asthma UK 's website at www.asthma.org.uk .

NUT HEALTH AND SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES' TRAINING COURSE

The next training course for school safety representatives will take place at the NUT's national training centre, Stoke Rochford Hall, near Grantham, from 19 th to 23rd March 2007 . I would encourage all NUT safety representatives who have not already done so to attend. Details and application forms are available from the NUT Membership and Communications Department on (020) 7380 4781/4837, or apply online at: www.teachers.org.uk or email enquiries to training@nut.org.uk .

HEALTH AND SAFETY ‘MYTHS'

Reps will be familiar with what would appear to be a limitless supply of press articles blaming the banning of apparently innocent activities on bogus health and safety grounds. Examples of just a few of such newspaper headlines have included those about the banning of games of conkers in the playground, children touching snow, floral displays such as hanging baskets and the use of firemen's poles.

Whilst such stories will tend to raise a wry smile, a recent TUC report warns that the ‘brand' of health and safety risks becoming diminished each time such an article is printed. The report, Health and Safety Myths - The Truth Behind the Headlines , makes the point that as a result of such media coverage, “people see ‘health and safety' as stupid rules and barriers, rather than as a framework for protecting the most vulnerable in society”.

Elsewhere, the report states that “In some cases regulations have been wrongly interpreted, in other examples employers have used health and safety as an excuse for not doing something which they did not want to do anyway, or as an excuse for saving money”.

The report, which can be viewed at www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-12556-f0.cfm , also points out that Britain has become a far better place as a result of health and safety regulation, citing the fact that since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the number of deaths caused by work has fallen by 75 per cent.

IT'S TOO HOT

Last year's summer temperatures reached new and unacceptable highs in classrooms, ICT suites and offices in schools throughout Birmingham . BANUT received a number of appeals for help from teachers and managers in these circumstances. The situation seems likely to get worse in successive years due to the damage done to theEarth's climate by human activity. We have raised the matter with the LA Safety Committee and will be demanding from them guidelines for schools about the dangers of teaching in hot rooms and more contentiously a maximum temperature limit.

At present LA advice to schools is not to install air conditioning units as these are costly and unsustainable, but to improve ventilation and cooling through passive measures such as reflective film on windows, outdoor shading of windows, and extraction of hot air through ‘passive stacks', and windows that can actually open. Safety Officers will visit and advise on the various solutions.

All these measures would be supported by BANUT where they are effective as a long term solution . In the short term, rooms where temperatures are regularly excessively hot should be taken out of service as teaching areas.

In the medium term, following consultation and agreement with staff, the teaching day could be varied, as it is in parts of mainland Europe to avoid the hottest part of the day, and dress or uniform codes could be relaxed.

Teachers are empowered by the Health and Safety at Work Act '74 to remove themselves and children in their care from conditions that are unsafe or unhealthy,(Section 7a “to take reasonable care of themselves and of other people who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work”). Also the 1989 Children Act requires teachers to do “all that is reasonable in the circumstances to safeguard or promote the welfare of children”.

All advice on this issue is of course bedeviled by the lack of a definitive maximum temperature for workspaces.

Following the sweltering summer temperatures of 2003, the TUC called for the legal protection of a maximum workplace temperature. Currently, cattle and pigs cannot be transported in temperatures of more than 30 degrees celcius.

Teachers and the young people in their charge should enjoy, at least, the same protection as cattle! Too much heat can cause fatigue, extra strain on the heart and lungs, dizziness and fainting, or heat cramps due to loss of water and salt. Hot, dry air can increase the risk of eye and throat infections, and breathing problems such as asthma and rhinitis. The TUC wants a maximum working temperature of 30 degrees celcius, or 27 degrees celcius for those doing strenuous work (teaching for example!).

The World Health Organisation recommend 24 degrees C as a maximum for comfortable working and anything above 26 degrees as definitely unnacceptable.

At Easter this year NUT Conference looks set to debate the issue and call for a maximum temperature of 27 degrees C beyond which teachers would be supported and encouraged by the union to withdraw from any classroom or internal teaching space. In addition, the motion, if considered, will call for an amendment to building regulations for schools and for the government to produce guidance on effective ventilation and temperature control.

More information can be found at the Union 's website www.teachers.org.uk or call the BANUT office.