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Phillip Crisp and Eva Crisp

Mandatory risk assessments for Secondary and Primary School science experiments: Let RiskAssess help you!. Phillip Crisp and Eva Crisp. CURRENT LAW Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004.

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Phillip Crisp and Eva Crisp

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  1. Mandatory risk assessments for Secondary and Primary School science experiments:Let RiskAssess help you! Phillip Crisp and Eva Crisp

  2. CURRENT LAWOccupational Health & Safety Act 2004 Persons who control or manage matters that give rise or may give rise to risks to health or safety are responsible for eliminating or reducing those risks so far as is reasonably practicable Part 1, Section 4, Paragraph 2 Current law expires in 2017

  3. NEW VIC LAW?Work Health & Safety Act . . . a duty . . . to eliminate/minimise risks to health and safety as far as is reasonably practicable. . . . taking into account and weighing upall relevant matters including:(a) the likelihood of the hazard or the risk concerned occurring; and(b) the degree of harm that might result from the hazard or the risk. . . . Part 2, Sections 17 and 18

  4. all relevant matters includes • facilities available • behaviour of the class • students with special needs • students with allergies, etc (NOT book “risk assessment”, tick sheet, etc) likelihood degree of harm consideration requires proper risk assessment using a risk matrix e.g. Aust/ISO Standard on Risk Management

  5. Safety requirements in the Australian Curriculum for SciencePRIMARY Years 3-4Safely use appropriate materials, tools or equipment . . . (C)Discussing safety rules for equipment and procedures (E) (Students) discuss ways to safely use equipment . . (A)Years 5-6Use equipment and materials safely, identifying potential risks (C)Discussing possible hazards involved in conducting investigationsand how these risks can be reduced (E)(Students) describe potential safety risks when planning methods (A)C = Content descriptionE = ElaborationA = Achievement standard

  6. Safety requirements in the Australian Curriculum for ScienceSECONDARY Years 4-12Students to take increasingly active role in consideration of risk and safety Years 9 &10Assess risk (C). . . identify potential hazards of chemicals and biological materials . . . (E) Years 11 & 12Conducting risk assessments (I) C = Content descriptionE = ElaborationI = Inquiry skill

  7. You should: • identify • assess • control risks Before: Establish the context After: Monitor and review Always: Consult and communicate

  8. Risk identification • history of “accidents” and “near-accidents” at schoolat similar schools • brainstorming, preferably with colleagues • databases of possible risks

  9. Risk assessment To assess the severity of a risk, you need to consider: • the consequences of the event, and • the chance that it will occur (likelihood) AU ISO 31000:2009 “Risk management” HB 436:2013 “Risk management guidelines”

  10. Risk control Hierarchy of options: elimination substitution isolation engineering administration personal protective equipment

  11. Assess risks ≥Medium risk level Low risk level Add control measures DO EXPERIMENT Inherent level of risk = risk level without any control measures besides “routine procedures” Residual level of risk = risk level with control measures in place

  12. Advantages of risk assessments • reduced frequency of injuries to students to school staff • promotes a more enquiring attitude to safety • reduced costs for paperwork, litigation and payouts • compliance with the law • compliance with the Australian Curriculum

  13. Advantages of a formalised system • proper consideration of risks and control measures • standardisation • storage of records for legal purposes • useful for new/inexperienced staff • limits spur-of-the-moment experiments

  14. RiskAssess “Student RiskAssess” “Primary RiskAssess” “RiskAssess” for Students for Staff for Staff Started 2008 to meet Law (>1400 schools) Started 2013to meetAust Curriculum (>250 schools) Started 2016to meetAust Curriculum (>120 schools) Secondary schools Primary schools

  15. Logic • initial assessment of inherent riskif low, go to end of form if medium or more, record control measures(if high or extreme, third reviewer required) • cross-checking by reviewer, if needed • experiment scheduling to save time/allow review • inexpensive ($200 + GST per campus per year)

  16. Details • access from school/home • nothing to install on computer • minimal data entry • unlimited number of users • complements Safety Data Sheets • continuing input from school staff • multiple backups of data & backup server • support and advice

  17. Electronic devices all supported • computers • laptops • iPads (and other tablets) • smart phones (iPhones, Android, etc)

  18. Summary of benefits • safer classrooms • meets logical/legal requirements of curriculum • reduced costs • uses newest digital technologies • helps training of students • happy teachers!

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