|
 |
NSC Home Page > EUAS Contents > Supervision on site
LOGISTICS
Health and Safety
Supervision on site
Historically the formally designated quarry manager and his/her deputy had absolute authority within the area covered by the quarries legislation (somewhat analogous to the position of a captain on a ship). Although the Quarries Regulations 1999 has changed the authority from a named individual to the 'operator' - usually a company, nevertheless similar obligations and duties apply where the senior staff have full authority over a site. The company has to appoint responsible staff, properly qualified and acquainted with all aspects of the operation and its inherent safety implications and potential hazards. Quarry staff can therefore advise the group leader about their own interpretation of such hazards, although it should be noted that such knowledge is usually acquired and considered in the context of adults rather than children. The capacity of children e.g. in terms of stamina, attention spans even physical ability to climb steps, is a matter of particular consideration. It is therefore very much a matter for the group leader to liaise closely with the company staff concerned, exchange ideas on hazards and how to reduce or eliminate them in the context of the capacity of the visiting children and their educational experience. Weather (e.g. in particularly exposed areas - see elsewhere in this section) and ability to hear instructions clearly (e.g. in noisy areas of the plant), as well as the risks noted later in this section may significantly condition the planned visit.
The need for a reconnaissance visit cannot be over emphasized. Where permitted by the company, a video record may be an appropriate means of the group leader communicating information to colleagues (and possibly pupils - without undermining the 'wow' factor). It may be also necessary to reassess risk whilst the visit is taking place in the light of unexpected difficulties and to invoke the possibility of revisiting or curtailing the visit e.g. in the light of deteriorating weather (a 'Plan B' should be considered at the pre planning stage). The group leader should not rely upon the company for First Aid, but should be aware that the company are required to have well established safety/emergency procedures. Group leaders should check that these are appropriate for the age of the pupils concerned.
In a quarry/plant context, pupils should never be left on their own without adult supervision, but they should be given guidance on what to do if they become separated. HASPEV (in the context of 'remote supervision') advises that group leaders/supervisors should not rely exclusively on mobile phones - for technical safety reasons, conventional mobile phones may not be used in certain quarries (check first). Particular care should be taken in checking that all the party are present at regular intervals, and that all are aware of instructions when rearranging groups (e.g. splitting into smaller groups for specific activities); the need to subdivide into small groups is common in a quarry/plant context as some key areas e.g. control rooms, viewing stages, onsite transport, may only offer limited accommodation.
Group leaders/supervisors should be present with the group at all times; remember that although the quarry staff have jurisdiction in their own area, ultimate responsibility for the health and safety of pupils still rests with the group leader and group supervisors particularly in respect of child protection issues. Also remember that, despite the growing number of female staff in quarry companies, males are still in the majority and in some establishments, the workforce may be exclusively male. Access to male/female lavatories may reflect this situation.
In the interests of maintaining health and safety and to comply with legislation, all visitors to a quarry site are required to be accompanied at all times by personnel who have undergone approved site induction training appropriate to the task in hand. The only exceptions are those visitors (mainly contractors) who have undergone specific site induction training from the host company or have followed a recognised training course, specific to the industry and are in possession of a site "passport" (appropriate passport schemes are two day courses which include both generic and specific elements operated via the industry training body, "EPIC" currently, by the Safety Pass Alliance). Exemptions from the generic portion of the training (only) may be available for those who have undergone certain other approved types of H&S training. Where a company intends to host many visits to a particular site (e.g. on account of its high geological interest), one solution might be to submit a trustworthy volunteer (e.g. a recently retired member of company staff) for the passport training scheme to enable him/her to supervise visits whether paid or unpaid. For many legal purposes and especially "duty of care", volunteers count as 'staff'.
HASPEV gives some guidance on specific types of visit notably to coastal/water areas and farms, but not to quarries, mines or industrial plants. Some of the advice may be transferable e.g. that in respect of cliff top walking - maintaining a buffer zone between the edge and the group and pointing out that paths may slope abruptly at cliff edges.
Good practice is cited in respect of swimming, this should not be applied to water in quarries, as no swimming should take place whatsoever in operational areas. Furthermore (unless specifically adapted) almost all flooded former workings are considered highly dangerous to swimmers (even police divers in training have been known to drown in former quarry areas used for practice dives) and should never be used. The only exceptions are where specific measures have been taken e.g. at some former mineral sites restored to country parks, to enable safe, supervised swimming to take place. Particular risks include sudden, exceptionally deep water (possibly +50m in places), very cold water, and entanglement in submerged vegetation or old equipment, dislodging loose rock/gravel banks, possible unforeseen currents/turbulence, unrecognisable quicksand areas at or below water level.
In respect of farm visits, HASPEV warns against:
Riding on machines
Grain storage areas
Slurry pitsThese have direct parallels to quarries, but are usually on a far larger scale than at most farms. During visits and on open days, pupils may be allowed to see into vehicles cabs to have group photographs* in loading shovels, etc., but always when stationary and with the engine switched off. Stockpile areas may contain many hundreds of thousands of tonnes of small sized material covering very large areas (susceptible to sudden collapse and risk of burial); slurry lagoons/settling ponds/tailing lagoons may have surfaces which look firm (e.g. birds may even be standing on the surface) but below a dried out crust, may be very deep indeed and respond like a quicksand to anyone venturing in.
Note: *but see limitations on photography under 'Child protection' and 'Published references to children'
Supervision Ratios
HASPEV does not appear to advise staff supervision ratios except in respect of farming, where it repeats the Chief Medical Officer's advice.
Child under 12 months
++ 1 adult: 1 child
Children 1-2 years
1 adult: 2 children
Increasing to:
Children 5-8 years1 adult: 8 children
These are mainly in respect of concerns about infection. Clearly, in the case of quarry visits, groups under 5 years of age are most unusual and visitors under 3 years old are normally actively discouraged (with the possible exception of carefully supervised general community open days, where access is usually very limited and very heavily controlled).
The following DfES guidelines are in respect of visits to local historical sites, museums or "local walks" and in the context of quarries, should be considered an absolute minimum.
6-8 year olds (school years 1 to 3)
1 adult: 6 pupils
9-11 year olds (school years 4 to 6)
1 adult: 10-15 pupils
12 years and older (school year 7 onwards)
1 adult: 15/20 pupils
NUT advises that adults in these ratios should preferably relate to teachers and that voluntary helpers may be involved in assisting, but teachers should retain primary responsibility for supervision at all times. A minimum of two teachers should be involved with all visits at all times (to ensure emergency cover) and for mixed groups, teachers of each sex should be present. At least one member of staff should be a qualified first aider and aware of special medical needs of individuals present.
The supervisor needs to take into account the sex, age and ability of the pupils concerned (including those with any special needs) the competence and experience of the school staff involved and the funding of a reconnaissance visit(s).
Various non-school groups have set down ratios of supervision for outside activities e.g. for beavers/cubs/rainbows/brownies this is currently:
6-8 years
1 adult to 4 children
8-10 years
1 adult to 7 children