Effective Work Health and Safety (WHS) in schools: Ensuring safety and compliance

Discover key strategies for WHS in schools, including support services, risk assessments, and compliance tips to ensure a safe learning environment.

Why WHS in schools is critical

Effective management of WHS in schools is essential to prevent incidents and ensure compliance with legislation. Educational institutions, operate within a complex environment that often presents a variety of challenges, such as difficult student behaviours, the management of hazardous chemicals, and common workplace incidents. Data from the NSW Department of Education revealed that a total of 6,060 incidents were reported during the 2023 school year, occurring either on school premises or while providing educational services to students. The initial response to these issues, as well as their ongoing management, diverts time and resources from educators, hindering their ability to fulfil their primary responsibilities.

Educational institutions, as workplaces, are required to comply with relevant Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation and are subject to oversight by regulatory authorities. They are not exempt from investigation or prosecution. In July 2023, when a private college in South Australia was fined $700,000, later reduced to $420,000, following a tragic incident where one student drowned and several others were seriously injured during a school excursion. The investigation by SafeWork SA revealed that the supervising teachers lacked adequate work health and safety training for the activities involved, there was an inadequate hazard identification and risk assessment process specific to the excursion, and there was a failure to implement measures to eliminate or minimise the identified risks.

Although students are not classified as workers, this case underscores the critical importance of comprehensive risk management. Educational institutions must ensure thorough hazard assessments and prioritise detailed planning, proper training, and effective risk mitigation to safeguard the wellbeing of all participants and maintain a safe learning environment both inside and outside the classroom.

Key strategies for managing WHS in schools

Working with educational institutions we have identified 3 key measures which if implemented, can provide immediate relief to educators and assist removing the burden of managing complex WHS issues.

1. First line support services for WHS in schools

A WHS support and advisory service for education employees available Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.00pm. This service responds to telephone and email requests from education workplaces and educators for WHS related information and assistance, which may include at a minimum:

Resolving WHS issues including managing hazards and risks.
Advice in addressing WHS Management System (WHSMS), intranet and Safety Management System enquiries.
Support and advice in the management of Regulatory / legal notices and programs
Support and advice in developing content for and issuing WHS safety bulletin alerts

2. On the ground WHS support for educational institutions

In partnership with internal stakeholders, provide tailored WHS advice and support with a goal to enhance health, safety, and wellbeing capabilities, empowering principals, and managers to systematically identify, manage, and mitigate WHS risks. Key components of our support should include:

Conducting comprehensive risk assessments to identify potential hazards within the workplace.
Facilitating incident reviews for any incidents that occur, analysing the circumstances and outcomes to identify root causes.
Addressing regulatory notices ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and implementing necessary corrective actions to enhance workplace safety.
Providing ad-hoc coaching and mentoring to staff and management, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to foster a culture of safety and wellbeing within their teams.
Completing Ergonomic Assessments to evaluate workstations and practices, ensuring that they are designed to promote employee comfort and reduce the risk of injury.

3. Audit & Compliance preparation for WHS in schools

Support educational institutions to review the implementation of and the requirements of their specific WHSMS, including as part of preparation for any WHS audits and to implement corrective actions identified by external WHS auditors.

This may include working with internal stakeholders to support the tailoring of WHS Management System documentation ahead of the audit, and may include the provision of post audit support to schools, to address any deficiencies or corrective actions identified during WHS audits to ensure compliance with WHSMS requirements.

Conclusion

Prioritising WHS in schools not only safeguards students and staff but also ensures legal compliance and operational efficiency. Contact our support team today to learn how we can help your institution implement effective safety measures.

Page Compliance ID

This publication is not intended to be taken as advice regarding any individual situation and should not be relied upon as such. The information contained herein is based on sources we believe reliable, but we make no representation or warranty as to its accuracy. Marsh shall have no obligation to update this publication and shall have no liability to you or any other party arising out of this publication or any matter contained herein. Any statements concerning actuarial, tax, accounting, or legal matters are based solely on our experience as insurance brokers and risk consultants and are not to be relied upon as actuarial, accounting, tax, or legal advice, for which you should consult your own professional advisors. Any modelling, analytics, or projections are subject to inherent uncertainty, and any analysis could be materially affected if any underlying assumptions, conditions, information, or factors are inaccurate or incomplete or should change.