STL2C6 – Support the health and safety of children and young people

2.5) Describe the procedures in place for dealing with accidents and
emergency situations:

Fire: schools will have different procedures about fire incidents. Evacuation drills should
happen at least once a term so everybody is familiar with the procedures. It is very
important to know where the fire exit is located and how to raise the alarm if you find the
fire. At Barlby Bridge Community Primary School, once the alarm has rung, each teacher will
blow a whistle in front of their classroom, to make sure everybody in the school can hear.
Children must go inside their classrooms and sit on the floor. Once all children are in their
classrooms, each teacher will then take them outside the school building. Records about fire
drills and the servicing of fire safety equipment are kept. The attendance register must be
taken outside so all children are accounted for. Nobody can enter the school without
permission from the fire brigade. Parents should be contacted.
Security incidents: these can be bomb scares, strangers in the school and weapon incidents.
For all these cases, you have to be familiar with the policies the school has. Barlby Bridge
Community Primary school has a policy for Health and Safety, but you need permission to
have access to it. Always move children away from danger as soon as possible. All security
incidents must be reported as soon as seen. Parents must be informed. Records about what
the incident was, the date it happened, the people involved, any evidence and the actions
taken by the school should be kept. In some cases, the police will have to be contacted.
Missing children: At Barlby Bridge Community Primary school, the register is done twice a
day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon after lunch. In the morning, if a child is
absent and the parents have not contacted the school, the school will contact the parents to
ask what happened to the child. If there is a child missing after lunch, the school needs to be
checked and parents need to be contacted. In some cases, the police will be contacted too.
Procedures are:
•Notify Head teacher and School Administrator. School Administrator/Office Staff to
immediately check outside car park area.
•Ensure remaining pupils are appropriately supervised and safe.
•Carry out a rapid search of the immediate area.
•Head teacher/School Administrator will inform the police, parents and North Yorkshire
County Council.
•When appropriate complete an incident report.
Medical emergency (it requires medical treatment or emergency services): these can be
broken bones, allergic reaction, burns, and other dangerous accidents and diseases. These
emergencies need to be dealt very quickly so again it is very important you are familiarised
with the policies and procedures of the school.
In the event of a broken bone, avoid moving the child, call an ambulance and contact
parents immediately. Keep reassuring the child.
When an allergic reaction happens, a first aider must be called.
When the emergency is a burn, first make sure the child is away from what caused the burn
and start to cool down the area using lukewarm water for about 20 minutes. Do not remove
anything that is stuck to the burnt area. Cover the burn with cling film and depending on
what caused the burn, medical help will be needed.
In its Medical Policy, Barlby Bridge Community Primary School states that emergency
procedures are regularly revised at staff training. All PE teachers are first aid trained and the
ambulance phone number is easily accessible in the school office. This policy gives further
guidance to staff about administering medicine and their responsibilities in the event of
medical emergencies. It also states that all members of staff receive yearly awareness
training on conditions like asthma, allergic reactions and epilepsy. If a child or young person
needs to be taken into hospital, an ambulance will be requested and if parents cannot go, a
member of staff will go with the child and wait at the hospital until a parent or career
arrives. Staff cannot take a child into hospital using their own car unless it is an absolute
necessity. When a child has a medical condition, the school will ask for more information on
the condition and its treatment from the parents and develop an Individual Health Plan
where important details will be recorded such as administration of medicine.
All illnesses should be reported to parents. Have a record of when the child became ill, what
were the signs and symptoms, the actions taken and how the illness progressed. If a child is
suffering from an infectious disease Ofsted must be informed. In case of infectious diseases,
such as vomiting and diarrhea, the school follows the North Yorkshire guidance and parents
should wait 48 hours since the last episode before taking their children back to school.

Accidents: (bumps, scratches): report accidents in the accident book. Information recorded
are what the accident was, the people involved, what the injuries were, time and date and
what treatment was given. Parents receive a paper copy of this report. In case of a serious
accident and pupils being taken to hospital, parents must be informed immediately. In the
Early Years Foundation Stage, Ofsted must be reported within 14 days of any serious
accidents. The Local Child Protection Agency must be contacted as well.
All serious accidents and certain diseases need to be reported to the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations 2013).The designated “responsible person” of the school needs to report any
accident, illness or dangerous occurrence that resulted in the death of a pupil or the pupil
being directly taken from the scene of the accident to hospital for treatment.
All the records for any accident, illness and dangerous occurrence must be kept by the
school for at least 3 years from the date it happened.

Reference:

Barlby Bridge Community Primary School – Policies. Available at: https://barlbybridge.n-

yorks.sch.uk/policies-2/ (accessed:27/11/2019)

Health and Safety Executive – Incident reporting in schools (accidents, diseases and dangerous
occurrences) Guidance for employers. Available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/edis1.pdf
(accessed:27/11/2019)

Public Health England – Guidance on Infection Control in Schools and other Childcare setting.
Available at:https://cyps.northyorks.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Health%20of%20Children%20and
%20Young%20People/Public%20Health%20Advice%20for%20Early%20Years%20Providers%20and
%20Schools/Infection%20Control/Guidance%20on%20Infection%20Control%20in%20Schools.pdf
(Accessed:27/11/2019)