Health and safety in schools

[Ellis]

One way to get the management's attention is to mention the 2003 licencing act. While it has not significantly changed the requirement for a school to be licenced for regulated entertainment (and they are likely to need to be!), the news about the confusion surrounding its introduction will make it more credible especially considering the penalties - "imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding £20,000 or both"

 

If the lighting is as you describe it, they cannot have a licence! When applying, they will have to have the electrics (amongst other things) certified. A specilaist sorting out your lights will have a duty to mention the state of the tallescope, etc if they see it!

[greateastern]

Just passed my concerns onto someone at school who is going to mention it to the fire and health and safety officer. I have some measure of peace of mind from that and I'm getting my own hard hat in addition ot my steelies for les mis rigging. If they don't do anything about it then I know I brought it up and the day I leave I'll give the Council a ring.

 

Thanks for your help

 

Andy

[Silver_Rayne]

good thread. Having only recently taken over a school benue I see much of the same thins have been going on in the past. It scared the crisps oiut of me at fist and I had to slam down and say no-one touch nothin untill I have cleaned the place up a bit first. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. there were saff bars lashed to the fly gantry with lamps on hemps fixed to bars with screws.

Still we are getting ontop of it now. Am trying to get the management to give me my own HS budget.

Any other school techs get thier own budget?

[djw1981]

and the day I leave I'll give the Council a ring.

 

And until then???????

[Silver_Rayne]

untill then do only the bare minimum. Stick to ALL the rules and then remind them of the problems when nothing gets done.

[Beanzy]

[flack helmet on]

why don't some of you pro guys offer to go to a couple of schools and look over what they do.. in an un-offical capacity don't want you getting sued!

 

rgds

chris

 

Don't we have a flack-helmet icon? ::D

 

It's an easy one to ask this, but there has o be a chain of responsibility and ensuring the competence of those carrying ot the work is the responsibility of the person in charge.

 

Surely if schools are going to teach something, or offer it as part of the educational development of those they are responsible for, then they can only do so if the thing is properly funded. There's no reason for professionals to become amateurs just so an institution can do things on the cheap.

[greateastern]

We did les mis with no injuries from height just a few sore hands and very nearly bruised or broken toes from scenery movements. That said I had to keep looking over the shoulder of the teacher who was rigging lights. In the end a few pupils and a couple of teachers came up with a story to get him to go home before we went up the tallie again and attatched all the missing safety chains and positioned wires so that they weren't so close to the are of the lantern with the bulb so that they would melt. Ah the joys :D Still I've said that was my last work up there now and I mean it.

 

Andy

[ic0308]

I'm 17 and in the final year of my A levels. my current school is very hot on H&S and as we had a new drama studio finished this year where I have already had one exam in they looked for a loop hole and found one. I could and some of the other technicians that were in sixth form only could take part in a ladder course which is normally for caretakers and said it was for out course we needed to go on it. I passed with flying colours and the same day was up a ladder legally at this school. I believe this was about £800 for 10 people but lasts for your lifetime. This was undertaken by students and teachers so even in two years there will be people who can go up the ladder except the caretakers who are always busy.