Health and Safety

Health and Safety Information  

The Adult Learning Service operates in line with North Northamptonshire Council’s Health and Safety  Policy which is held on the intranet or available by request from your coordinator.  

Our policies and procedures are reviewed and updated annually for dissemination throughout the  teams. It is essential that policies are adhered to and procedures followed to avoid any possible legal  action being instigated. Our policies and procedures are available in a number of places such as the  intranet, MOODLE or by contacting Business Support.  

Effective management of health and safety requires co-operation and communication at all levels of  the organisation. 

All employees are responsible for:  

Complying with the NNC’s Health and Safety Policy and agreed local health and safety  arrangements  

Taking reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others affected by their  acts or omissions  

Co-operating with their managers on health and safety matters including timely reporting of  incidents, problems, system failures or defects  

Using all work equipment and substances in accordance with the instruction and training  received  

Co-operating with training and development requirements to meet the needs of their role   Taking the initiative and raising problems and good ideas  

If teaching staff have any queries, concerns or initiatives regarding our Health and Safety Policy,  they should contact their curriculum coordinator in the first instance.  

Tutors: 

Have a responsibility to ensure that they work safely, to help them do this they are provided  with a personal Health and Safety pack. It is mandatory that tutors have this with them whenever  they are teaching. They have access to Health and Safety training relevant to their post and should  contact their curriculum coordinator to organise any additional H&S training that they feel they would  benefit from. 

Tutors are responsible for the physical health and safety of any support workers, volunteer workers  and learners in attendance of their teaching sessions. In practical subjects tutors are required to train  learners to use equipment safely and record that training has taken place on each learner’s ILP.  

Tutors are required to undertake a verbal medical check of all learners prior to the start of  exercise/therapy courses and risk assess as appropriate.  

Venues: 

Adult Learning requests a building risk assessment from every venue they use. Venue  risk assessments are available on Moodle to view and are emailed at the beginning of each  course. 

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Before each session Tutors are required to make a visual check of the venue, using the Pre-Session  Visual Check Form (provided with course pack).  

Subjects: All subjects are risk assessed. Subject risk assessments are available on Moodle to  view and are emailed at the beginning of each course.  

Tutors should add any additional risks and control measures in the box provided on the document.  

E-Learning: Tutors are responsible for the e-learning safety of their learners. Learners are directed  to our e-safety information via their course information packs and the Learner Charter  

In the event of an Emergency Evacuation  Tutors should ensure that their Learners:  

1. Vacate the room immediately, leaving the building by the NEAREST available fire exit  2. Assemble at the agreed assembly point. If a village hall or other community venue is being  used the tutor should contact the Fire Brigade at this point  

3. Carry out a roll call. All names of Learners should be on the register. The tutor is responsible  for adding the name of any teaching assistants to the register for the purpose of roll call  4. Do not re-enter the building until instructed to do so by an authorised person  

NB: Tutors must ensure that they call and mark their register at the beginning of the session, adding  any teaching assistants in attendance. The register should be taken to the assembly point to carry  out a roll call.  

Fire Evacuation Drills: By law, premises must conduct a fire evacuation practice at least once  each year. Tutors should ensure that learners know where the nearest fire exit and the assembly  point are located at the start of each course  

Access to Telephones and First Aid: Adult Learning provides Tutors with first aid kits relevant to  the risk of their course. However, they are also required to know where the nearest telephone and  first aid box are located within the venue they are teaching in. Tutors are advised not to administer  first aid procedures that they have not received training in.  

Accidents to learners, staff and visitors: In the event of an accident or incident during a session,  tutors must ensure that the accident/incident procedure is adhered to.  

Violence and Aggression: Instances of violence and aggression are not tolerated and should be  reported to line management or by using our customer feedback procedure which is open to all staff  and service users. 

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Operating Machinery and Electrical Equipment: Tutors must only operate machinery or  equipment for which they have been suitably trained. They must not allow Learners to operate  machinery or equipment without having being trained. Learners’ training must be recorded on  their ILPs.  

Northamptonshire Adult Learning undergoes annual electrical testing of all equipment. Tutors are  asked to bring in any equipment which they use for their courses to be PAT Tested. Tutors are  required to organise and pay for their own equipment tests if they do not comply with these  procedures. Tutors and learners must not use their own equipment unless it has been PAT  tested.  

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Tutors have access to PPE if this is required for their  course. This will be supplied by either the venue or by Adult Learning Business Support.  

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH): All substances must be packaged and  handled correctly. If you use any substances in your courses please email al hands@northnorthants.gov.uk with the details so that the relevant COSHH sheet, which details  handling, storage and usage, can be obtained.  

Infectious Diseases:  Each tutor will receive appropriate training and information on the risks  associated with the work activity. Each employee will also be informed of any specific requirements  for control of the risks.  

Driving for Work:  

NNC requires employees and volunteers who drive on work business to be competent, appropriately  licensed and insured. In order to comply with this, Tutors need to be aware of the type of travel they  undertake as part of their role and whether it constitutes ‘business use’ (Please see the section on  'Driving for Business on page 14 of this handbook)  

Out of Office Hours Contact Arrangements for Tutors  

There is an out of hours phone number available for tutors to call when they are teaching courses  out of office hours. There is a member of the Business Support Team with access to the adult  learning database at the end of the line to try and answer any tutor queries.  

The out of hours number is 01604 365909 and will be printed onto the tutor packs. It will be  available for tutors to call from 6pm onwards and the line will be manned until 15 minutes after the  last course has finished. 

Home Working  

Substantive staff have been working from home since March 2020. During this academic year  staff will be working part of the week from one of ALS work bases, OAS Northampton or at  Wellingborough Library as well as working from home. Sessional staff may use these bases in  consultation with their manager but in most cases will continue working from home. Kettering  Library is currently being refurbished and is out of use.