Schools /Education:

Charterhouse School

No one would question the merit of health and safety principles. But at a school there is no line management to adopt them, as would exist in a business. And when academic excellence is paramount, the acceptance of another culture in a school is not easy.

But this is precisely what Charterhouse School has achieved with In House in its adoption of Health & Safety.

In House's link with the school was by referral from another school client in 1993, when a food hygiene support service was introduced at Charterhouse.

In 1997, following a school-wide audit by In House, a plan was developed with the Charterhouse Bursary for implementation of Health & Safety documentation and practices. Initially, this covered just the Support Services department, but has been extended throughout the school.

"Charterhouse has an extraordinary range of extra-curricular activities in addition to its general curriculum," said Dianne Shun Wah of In House, who serves as a management adviser on the school's health & Safety Management Committee, "so it was essential to adopt a 'whole-school' approach to the management of H & S".

The mechanism for putting this in place was chosen carefully.

"There were existing group structures in place at the school to administer its various activities", said Dianne, "so we took these groups on board and applied Health & Safety to them."

"This has been a key element in the day-to-day acceptance of H & S, particularly by the teaching staff, who would have found it difficult to 'buy in' to a whole new organisational structure".

At the centre of the management structure is the Charterhouse H & S Management Committee, which is chaired by one of the school Governors.

Committee members are drawn from each of the six groups representing the school's activities: Support Services, Academic, Sports Centre, Houses, Matrons, Hazardous Activities.

Matters arising include progress reports on H & S action in each group, reports from pupils and staff concerning risks, investigation of any accidents and major incidents, and anything affecting health, safety and welfare, including training.

"Over the last five years there has been a major transformation in the perception and management of Health & Safety at Charterhouse", said Dianne.