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NATIONAL GRIDEnvironment Education Centre Penwortham
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Health and Safety
The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire,
Manchester and North Merseyside aims to take all reasonable steps to ensure
the health, safety and welfare of children and other vulnerable people
attending its activities and events. It has adopted set procedures for the
appointment of staff and volunteers who work closely with young people and
established guidelines for them to follow when organising activities,
wherever they are held.
Please click on the links below to read the relevant information or
alternatively scroll down the page to read all information on health and
safety.
The Risk Management: Working with Children Policy
Things to Bring to the Centre
Emergencies
Personnel
Managing specific risks
Ratios
Behaviour
Pond Dipping
The Risk Management: Working with Children Policy
Teachers are advised to refer to our full, comprehensive policy (‘Risk Management: Working with Children’) which is available at the Environment Education Centre, before bringing a group of children on a visit.
The policy is implemented through:
· Striving to maintain a safe environment for activities
· Running supervised and well organised activities
· Carrying out accident and emergency procedures
· Helping to keep children safe from abuse
· Ensuring childrens’ safety on outings and at events
· Observing competent management procedure
Many of our environmental activities take place outdoors. Please make sure the children in your group are appropriately dressed. Always bring waterproofs just in case. Rain creates mud and therefore slippery paths, so ensure the group wear sensible shoes or boots. In warmer weather, ensure the children wear sun hats and drink lots of water.
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We take a first aid kit whenever we are working away the building. We ask you to bring a first aid kit too.
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We have detailed Emergency Procedures Management Policy which you are welcome to read during your pre visit.
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When we leave the building we take a two way radio or mobile phone. We ask you to do regular head counts against your list of children.
All staff and volunteers who work with children are screened and interviewed to ensure their aptitude and qualifications.
Staff who work regularly with children are subject to Enhanced Disclosure CRB checks. They have first aid training and training in outdoor visits safety management.
In-loco-parentis responsibility is jointly held between our education staff and visiting teachers. All our activities, sites and staff are covered by regular up-dated Risk Assessments. Those which apply to your visit will be sent to you in advance, but please feel free to conduct your own if you own if you wish, during your pre-visit (see LEA guidelines for schools). If at any time we feel that the health and safety of the children is being put at any risk for any reason, we reserve the right to alter or alter or cancel one or more activities.
We follow LEA guidelines based on nationally established best practice. For most activities, a ratio of 1 adult to 6 children is recommended for infants and 1:10 for juniors. However, we ask you to bring enough helpers to provide one adult for every six children. This enables us to maintain the correct amount of adults with the group in case of emergency.
Our workshop programmes are very active and at times involve children in lots of movement and noise. It is very rare to encounter a child who does not wish to take part fully in our activities. If however, a child is disruptive, we reserve the right to exclude them from one or more activities, and ask you to support in this.
We will give an appropriate safety talk before activities such as pond dipping or games which involve running. This will include guidance as to not eating or drinking anything they find outdoors, and washing their hands after touching pond water or soil.
We ask that you supervise children at lunchtime in the outdoor playarea.
Eating and drinking is not allowed during programme activities
Smoking is not allowed in buildings.
Pond dipping is our most popular and most enjoyable activity. It is however also our most potentially hazardous activity and deserves its own list of do’s and don'ts.
DO
Always have a ratio of 1:6
Listen carefully to the safety talk before dipping.
Kneel down when pond dipping to keep your balance.
Watch out who is behind you when using the net.
Treat freshwater minibeasts with care and respect.
Wash your hands afterwards
Bring a change of clothes and a couple of towels just in case.
Cover cuts or grazes with a waterproof plaster.
DON’T
Don’t get water in cuts and
grazes.
Don’t run or stand near the
edge.
Don’t put your fingers in your mouth, nose or
eyes
Don’t pick animals up with your fingers.
Weil’s disease (Leptospirosis) is a potential concern when working with pond, river or canal water.