See Labour Act, Chapter 28.01 and NSSA (Accident Prevention) (Workers Compensation Scheme) Notice No. 68 of 1990

This policy sets out work health and safety requirements and the School’s commitment to the health and safety of everyone in its workplace.

1. Objectives - Policy statement

1.1

Lusitânia Primary School believes that the provision of a safe working and learning environment for everyone at its workplace is an integral and essential part of its responsibilities as a provider of private education. The Lusitânia Primary School is committed to:

1.1.1

Providing everyone in its workplace with a safe and healthy working and learning environment

1.1.2

Promoting dignity and respect in all workplaces and taking action to prevent and respond to bullying in its workplaces

1.1.3

Adopting a preventative and strategic approach to health and safety and using measurable objectives and targets to monitor performance

1.1.4

Supporting and promoting health and wellbeing

1.1.5

Providing return to work programs to facilitate safe and durable return to work for employees, where possible, for both work related and non-work related health conditions

1.1.6

Meaningful consultation with employees, their representatives and others on work health and safety (WHS) issues

1.1.7

Providing appropriate information, training and instruction to facilitate safe and productive work and learning environments

1.1.8

Providing an effective and accessible safety management system for all employees and others to guide safe working and learning in all workplaces

1.1.9

The reporting of incidents in accordance with statutory and regulatory obligations and internal policy requirements so that action can be taken to manage the incident, prevent further incidents, and provide support where required

2. Audience and applicability

2.1

All Lusitânia Primary School employees and others undertaking work (for example contractors or volunteers), and students and visitors while in the school premises or participating in authorised school activities.

3. Context

3.1

Through the provision of procedures, guidelines and other resources the School is able to provide a safe workplace for employees and others undertaking work, students and visitors.

3.2

Everyone in the School’s workplace has a responsibility for health and safety. While the school has the primary duty of care, all employees have responsibilities while undertaking their duties to follow reasonable instructions and lawful directions in accordance with the school’s policy and procedures. All instructions and directions should be carried out so far as they are reasonably able; this will assist in preventing harm to themselves and others.

3.3

This policy is consistent with, and should be read in conjunction with, all departmental policies and procedures related to work health and safety.

4. Responsibilities and delegations

4.1

The Head and the Administration Manager of the school will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of employees, others undertaking work and others in departmental workplaces, by ensuring that appropriate systems are in place, responsibilities appropriately defined and managers and supervisors receive the training and resources they need to carry out their WHS responsibilities

4.2 The Head, the Administration Manager and Department Heads are to take action to ensure:

4.2.1

This policy is implemented in their area of control

4.2.2

Safe systems of work and WHS procedures and guidelines are implemented locally, risks are managed so far as is reasonably practicable and that they strive for continuous safety improvement

4.2.3

Employees and others undertaking work are supervised and receive the instruction, information and training necessary to safely perform their duties

4.2.4

Meaningful consultation takes place with employees, their representatives and others on work health and safety (WHS) issues

4.2.5

Workplace incidents are reported and investigated to ascertain the circumstances leading up to the incident, and appropriate action is taken to prevent further incidents from occurring

4.2.6

Effective emergency response plans and procedures are in place which include the provision of first aid and actions to support the resumption of normal operations

4.2.7

Audit and other compliance requirements are complied with and appropriate document management processes are in each workplace and

4.2.8

Employees with injury or illness are managed in accordance with the School Return to Work Program and other relevant guidelines.

Where workplace managers are unable to ensure any of these provisions they should escalate them for appropriate action and support.

4.3 Employees and others undertaking work are to:

4.3.1

Take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and those under their supervision, and take reasonable care that their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of others

4.3.2

Comply with any reasonable instruction or lawful direction as far as they are reasonably able, including wearing personal protective equipment supplied by the employer as required

4.3.3

Cooperate in following the school’s health and safety guidelines and procedures

4.3.4

Report incidents and hazards, and participate in training and consultation with the support of the school and

4.3.5

Meet their obligations under the return to work program and other guidelines to support their return to the workplace following injury or illness.

4.4

All students and visitors, while visiting or conducting business on the school’s premises or participating in authorised school’s activities are to:

4.4.1

Take reasonable care of their own health and safety, and that their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of others

4.4.2

Report health and safety issues and participate in consultation in work health and safety matters affecting them and

4.4.3

Follow local procedures in relation to work health and safety.

Accident Report Forms (Appendix 1 & 2) are to be completed in the event of accident or injury to staff, pupils or parents while on the school grounds or on school business.

5. Monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements

5.1

The Head/Administration Manager is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of this policy, and for reviewing this policy as required.

6. WORK ACCIDENT/INCIDENT REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION

6.1 DEFINITIONS

Incident: A situation with the potential to cause serious harm to a person. Generally, the outcome results in first aid treatment.

Accident: A situation that results in medical attention (treatment beyond first aid) and/or lost time (missed work).

Supervisor: A supervisor may be The Headmaster, Deputy Head, Bursar, department head, Administration Manager or any other staff person who is in charge of one or more employees.

6.2 RESPONSIBILITIES

Employee: Immediately report all work-related incidents and accidents to your supervisor and participate in the investigation process, as needed.

Supervisor: Report incidents and accidents immediately to the Head/Administration Manager. In the event of lost time the employee’s immediate supervisor shall initiate an Accident Investigation Report within 24 hours of the accident. If the immediate supervisor is absent, another supervisor may provide assistance. It is incumbent upon the employee’s immediate supervisor to ensure that the corrective measures are completed, documented, and communicated to all affected employees, and incorporated into the appropriate policy, procedure, or safety program in order to prevent future occurrences.

NSSA ACCIDENT PREVENTION AND WORKERS COMPENSATION SCHEME (SI 68/1990) FORM WCIF 14 “EMPLOYER’S REPORT OF AN ACCIDENT TO A WORKER CLAIM FORM” MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED TO NSSA.

6.3 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS

An accident investigation systematically identifies event details and causal factors to determine corrective measures. Beyond the primary purpose, the information obtained through the investigation should be used to update and revise the investigator’s inventory of hazards, and/or the relevant safety program(s) for hazard
prevention and control. For example, a Job Hazard Analysis may be generated or revised and employees (re) trained to the extent that it fully reflects the recommendations made in the investigation report. Further, implications from the root cause(s) of the accident should be analysed for their potential impact on other operations and procedures.

6.4 ACCIDENT / INCIDENT CAUSAL FACTORS

There are two major components that contribute to the cause of an accident / incident; surface cause and the root cause.

The surface cause is the condition or act that directly caused the incident. An example of a surface cause is a small spill of oil on the floor that someone slipped on.

The root cause is the system failure that allowed the surface cause to occur. For example, a root cause may be a lack of preventive maintenance that resulted in the fork truck leaking oil on the floor. A thorough investigation will reveal the root cause of the incident. Corrective measures that address the root cause have the greatest potential to prevent accident / incident recurrence.

6.5 BASIC STEPS FOR CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION

• Secure the scene. This is the beginning of your analysis. Your primary goal is to secure the scene as soon as possible in order to prevent further injuries, ensure the well-being of the affected employee, and to protect any critical physical clues from being spoiled.
• Collect the facts. Focus on finding the facts about the event. Remember to gather valid information without drawing conclusions or assigning blame. Document your observations. Take photos and check video surveillance if available. Interview employees and witnesses. Review relevant records, such as maintenance, training, policies, procedures, etc.
• Develop the sequence of events. Review and accurately arrange the gathered information to determine the order of events. Constructing an accurate timeline may be critical to an effective analysis. Document what happened before, during and after the event. Arrange this information to accurately determine the order of events.

• Determine potential causal factors. Every accident / incident is caused by a set of contributing factors. These factors represent the surface or root causes that led to the event. The goal is to identify these by analysing how or why each consecutive event happened.
• Recommend or implement corrective measures. Your recommendations should be relevant and concise.
• Identify, either independently or as part of a collaborative effort, and describe:

§ The recommended corrective measure(s),

§ Who will be responsible for implementation, and

§ The anticipated completion date

Follow up to ensure that:

§ The corrective measures are implemented within the appropriate time frame, and Incorporated into the appropriate policy, procedure, or safety program in    order to prevent future occurrences.

• Communicate the outcomes of the investigation.
• Train your employees on what changes will be / have been implemented.
• Share your experience with peers so they, too, may enjoy a safer and more productive work environment.

Harare, 12^th November 2016

______________________________      ______________________________

Eurico Marques                                                           Dan Kalan

     Chairman of the Board of Governors                                           Headmaster

APPENDIX 1

Accident/Incident Investigation Report