Health and Safety

All staff share a special duty of care towards the students in the public education system to provide a secure and supportive environment that meets their health and safety needs.

A number of Directorates, Regions and third party providers deliver training programs in the areas and health and safety. The following information clarifies requirements and provisions as they relate to health and safety issues.

• Emergency Care
• Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation
• Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation Examiner Training
• First Aid
• The Administration of Prescribed Medication and Asthma Treatments
• Health Care Procedures
• Occupational Health and Safety Committee Training
• Chemical Safety in Schools

Emergency Care training is a whole of school responsibility.

The Excursions Policy states:'Principals are to ensure that any excursion involving swimming or water activities and any excursion involving overnight stays, includes a member of staff who possesses current accreditation in cardio pulmonary resuscitation and emergency care. All other excursions must be accompanied by a member of staff who has undertaken emergency care training and whose qualifications are current.'

The two hour school-based Emergency Care training program assists staff to recognise, treat and manage common medical conditions and emergency situations. This program is for delivery by a health care professional or Workcover accredited First Aid or Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) examiner at the school site.

The Emergency Care course is accredited for three years. Costs associated with the delivery of Emergency Care are met from school funds.

CPR training is a whole of school responsibility.

The Excursions Policy states: 'Principals are to ensure that any excursion involving swimming or water activities and any excursion involving overnight stays, includes a member of staff who possesses current accreditation in cardio pulmonary resuscitation and emergency care.'

The current minimum accreditation for CPR training is completion of a CPR component of a resuscitation course conducted by a WorkCover accredited provider.

Training can be accessed in one of two ways:

• The school based Resuscitation Teaching Kit is a four hour training program developed for the Department in 1994 by the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia (RLSSA). This program includes instruction, practice and assessment. A school based two hour program was also developed for teachers seeking re-accreditation OR
• another WorkCover Accredited CPR training course.

A two hour training program resulting in a CPR Examiner's qualification has been developed for the Department by the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia (RLSSA).

Teachers with a current CPR certificate can also become examiners through successfully training a group of participants to gain their CPR certificates. An accredited CPR examiner who has supervised the training program and the assessment of participants, may recommend that an examiner's certificate is granted under these circumstances.  The applicant must then complete a RLSSA examiner workbook.

Accreditation remains current for teachers with a current CPR certificate. A new examiner's certificate is issued each October on payment of $16.50. Cost are met from school funds.

First Aid Training is a whole of school responsibility.

All schools have a member of staff trained in first aid to the standard of a Senior First Aid Certificate through an accredited provider.

School administrative and support staff volunteering to undertake this responsibility receive an allowance as per the Crown Employees (School Administrative and Support Staff) Award.

Initial training involves successful completion of a two day program. A list of approved accredited trainers can be obtained from WorkCover.

Participants who successfully complete the training are accredited for three years.  Reaccreditation involves successful completion of a one-day program.

If the child needs immediate attention, it should be given straight away by whoever is available.  Common sense should prevail.  If a person with greater first aid knowledge or experience is nearby, that person should be summoned.  The health and safety of the child must be the prime motivator at all times.

Where schools from non-metropolitan areas cannot readily access training through the accredited providers, Regions will coordinate programs for those participants requiring initial and reaccredidation training. 

School administrative and support staff should undertake training within normal working hours between 7.30am and 6.00pm as per agreements contained within the Crown Employee (School Administrative and Support Staff) Award. Costs are met from school funds.

The policy Student Health in NSW Schools: A Summary and Consolidation of Policy requires schools to ensure appropriate arrangements and procedures are set in place for both the administration of medication and for the supervision of students who self administer their medication. 

School administrative and support staff volunteering to undertake this responsibility receive an allowance as per the Crown Employees (School Administrative and Support Staff) Award.

An accredited self-paced training program, Administration of Prescribed Medications and Asthma Treatments is available in each school.

Participants who successfully complete the training are accredited for five years. Costs are to be met from school funds.

Asthma Contacts:
St John Ambulance (NSW)
6 Hunt Street
Surry Hills  2010
Telephone: (02) 9212 1088
Facsimile: (02) 9281 6923

Education Officer, Asthma Foundation of NSW
Level 7, 35 Chandos Street
St Leonards 2065
Telephone: (02) 9906 3233 Toll Free 1800 645 130
Facsimile: (02) 9906 4493

The Joint Statement on Role Boundaries in the Provision of Support at School for Students Requiring Health Care Procedures (2005) has been distributed to each school.

Health care procedures training supports Teachers' Aides (Special) to acquire the skills and knowledge to undertake duties involving specific procedures including infection control, tube feeding and catheter care.

Teachers' Aides (Special) volunteering to undertake these responsibilities receive an allowance.

Training includes a practicum component and is delivered by a Nurse Educator.

Participants who successfully complete the training program are accredited for two years.  Reaccreditation training must be undertaken every two years.

Schools are responsible for meeting the relief costs for Teachers' Aides (Special) attending Health Care Procedures training. All other costs of training are met by state office.

Contact:
For further information about the policy, or to register your interest in training, contact your Regional Disability Program Coordinator.

OHS Committee Training is a whole of school responsibility.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 requires organisations to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and persons entering the workplace.

The Department of Education and Training accepts its responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of its employees and is committed to developing and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment.

The OHS Act requires the employer to consult  with employees. The mechanism can include OHS Representatives and or Committees, or other agreed arrangements. Whatever the arrangements are, they must be documented in a "Consultative Statement". The Act requires all OHS Representatives and Committee members to attend the four day WorkCover accredited training as soon as practicable after being elected or appointed as a committee member. Membership of a committee is for two years.

Training for school staff in the WorkCover OHS Consultation Training Course is coordinated by regional OHS Liaison Managers. This course must be delivered by WorkCover accredited trainers. Costs associated with the delivery of workplace committee training are shared by State Office, Regional office and schools.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 and the OHS Regulation 2001 were introduced by the NSW Government to improve health and safety in the workplace.  Legislation was already in place to cover the storage of dangerous chemicals (Dangerous Goods Act 1975 and Dangerous Goods (General) Regulation 1999) Dangerous goods must be stored in accordance with the NSW Dangerous Goods (General) Regulation.

The safe use of chemicals in schools is a broad-based occupational health and safety issue, affecting many sites and involving a variety of school-based personnel. 

To assist schools in identifying, assessing and controlling risks, guidelines have been developed.

A training manual has been designed in consultation with WorkCover to ensure compliance with the Hazardous Substances Legislation 1996.  It is to be used in conjunction with Chemical Safety in Schools (volumes 1 and 2) documentation.   

The training manual may be used to:

• complement sessions 5 and 6 of the OHS Consultation Training Course
• complement the Occupation Health, Safety and Injury Management package 
• serve as a stand alone program 
• complement training for specific groups, e.g. school administrative officers working in the science area.

A training manual has been designed in consultation with WorkCover to ensure compliance with the Hazardous Substances Legislation 1996.  It is to be used in conjunction with Chemical Safety in Schools documentation and also online at  https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/assetmanagement/chemicals/