Whilst I do agree that the Herald Sun article is a little sensationalized, I believe it is the background to the situation that is lacking. In 2010 DEECD and WorkSafe Victoria agreed on an enforceable undertaking as alternative to prosecution for a few machine related injuries. As part of the undertaking, DEECD has committed to implement and audit a safety management system (SMS) in all schools. The agreement can found on the WorkSafe website.

Having done some work assisting a couple of schools to implement their SMS I can appreciate the concerns of the principal in the HS article. Whilst the SMS is very basic (compared to systems used by many higher risk businesses), the schools do not have the experience, expertise or resources required in the early stages to implement the system.

It would be very easy (for a person with nil or limited experience in safety management) to interpret that all whiteboard markers need to be counted in order to establish the complete chemical register. I advised the schools I’ve worked with only to estimate quantities of markers etc. So long as the item is listed on the register, the MSDS is obtained which is the important aspect.

Personally, I don’t think students should be allowed to bring their own liquid paper to school anyway. It is an unnecessary harmful substance and the schools would need obtain MSDS for each different brand used by students. Sunscreen, I would consider a personal toiletries item and should be exempt from the chemical register, like other personal items such as deodorant (I believe that aerosol deodorants are already banned at many schools).

My confidence to use the shortcuts mentioned above comes from several years experience of undertaking the tasks. I would expect that very few schools have a qualified safety practitioner available to spend several weeks to months on the initial establishment of all the required registers, risk assessments etc. Once the initial implementation is done, the burden on schools will be much, much less.

I think the original article just shows what misconceptions abound out there about not only Education but also Health and Safety and neither need to be scary or onerous. As the H&S co-ordinator at my school (a primary with over 80 staff and 700 students) and a full time teacher it is true to say that a large part of my job is to educate my colleagues about the associated risks of any situation. Once done it is a case of monitoring and reviewing in a timely fashion that is neither mind blowing or gob smacking. Like any job the fear is in the unknown and when a rigorous system is developed and introduced it just becomes business as usual.

Let’s hope the powers that be can see that and support schools in the introduction of any new systems or regimes.
Cheers
Denise O’

Authors explore Britain’s ‘cotton wool’ view of safety
http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2011/11/14/authors-explore-britains-cotton-wool-view-of-safety

,,, Is Britain wrapped in cotton wool? It’s a question posed by the authors in this book which looks at how legislation originally introduced with the laudable aim of reducing workplace deaths and injuries is seen to permeate every walk of life, including the great outdoors. …

… The book treads an uneasy path between an academic tome and a general-interest publication. It is unlikely to hit the bestsellers’ list, but is detailed and thought-provoking enough to be essential reading for many professionals in the outdoor industry, while having enough content to interest an enthusiastic outdoors participant – one of those hundreds of thousands for whom ‘risk itself is such an integral part of the activity’. ..

Cheers,

Graham

Brett, I think you are being too hard on teachers. Many of the teachers I know who undertake “high risk” classes of woodwork, metalwork and cooking, for instance, have entered teaching after many years in industry.

On the issue of public liability, you identify a motivator for safety improvements that is a major reason why safety management systems and paperwork is seen as an “arse-covering exercise”. The intersection of OHS and public liability, particularly under Australia’s new OHS legislation, is discussed in an earlier article. I believe that it is vital that companies understand the split between OHS obligations and public liability issues even though both these elements can come under risk management. Too often companies (and schools, get themselves confused.

2) The article should really have said “Parents suing the school system for a bruised knee and the overly budensome public liability insurance premiums coupled with baffling judgements in court, take the fun out of school.” Lets face it, the almighty dollar speaks. Safety has little to do with any of this, not in the way we think of it. They are worried about being sued by increasingly litigious parents and the PI insurers are also worried. So its either tighten up your PI safety and performance, or we jack the premiums up to crazy levels you can’t afford.