Health & Safety Written by Fiona Riley, chair of IOSH’s Education Group
Managing the transmission risk Children have been returning to school following the easing of lockdown restrictions. Fiona Riley, chair of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s Education Group, looks at how schools can manage the Covid-19-related risks they face These are unprecedented times for us all. As lockdowns are eased in many parts of the world, people are returning to work and children are returning to school. However, Covid-19 has not gone away, so we must seek to ensure the risk of transmission is managed well. In schools and other education settings, this is easier said than done. Different schools will have different numbers of children in attendance depending on a number of factors like how many parents are key workers, the levels of confidence in parents to send their children back into schools and what resources are available to minimise risk. Some schools will have remained fairly busy throughout the pandemic. In my own school and in many others, there are a large number of children whose parents work in healthcare who have continued to go to school. With this in mind, these schools had to act very quickly as the pandemic began to spread across the country and, as the lockdown began, had to put measures in place to manage the transmission risk. As all schools begin to take in higher numbers of children, a great deal of planning is required. And all of this is based around strong risk assessments. There has been a lot of focus and talk around the introduction of ‘bubbles’ and small classes within schools, and lessons to be learned from other countries’ management of the situation, so I don’t intend to address that any further here. What I do wish to do is look at other measures that can be put in place.
Starting point essential items, it’s very regulated outside So, where do you start? It is crucial that but less so inside. In some cases, it’s a bit of a schools get a clear idea of how many free-for-all despite the best efforts of the staff. children they are going to have in. I Clearly if children are excited or distracted, mentioned a lot of planning is required, there would be a strong likelihood of them but you can’t begin to do this – and risk ignoring the system. Many of these children assessments – if you don’t know how have been isolated with little contact for many children you have to cater for. a long time now and understandably the Parents need to be approached to find out opportunity to be able to interact with whether they intend to send their children other children will be of great excitement. in. Once you have details about how many However, there is not much point in having children will be in school each day, your this system in place if it isn’t going to be planning can progress from there. Many adhered to, so schools need to consider how parents will require considerable reassurance they will implement the changes and ensure that it is safe to send their children to school. the children understand the ‘new normal’. Part of this planning needs to focus on how Another way of limiting the transmission to ensure you and everyone in school adheres risk is by having children remain at their desks to the social distancing requirements. A lot of during lessons as much as possible, with the businesses have installed a one-way system odd exception such as if they require the toilet. around their buildings to restrict the amount Teachers will be able to move around of people coming into contact with the classroom, but not children. each other. Many of you reading To this will be familiar with such Cleaning ensure systems in supermarkets, but This brings me onto it is a system which can cleaning. At our way sys one also be used in schools. school, we have been are effe tems c To ensure this is able to do a deep t i v e , i mporta it is effective, it is important clean every night. n clear sig t to have to have clear signage of I accept this won’t which way people should be possible for all which w nage of ay be going and showing schools, but they should people safe social distancing. should seek to have be Further to that, you really a deep clean as often g o i n g need to marshal the system. as they can. It is equally We have seen that when visiting important to ensure that supermarkets and other shops stocking cleaners are aware of the E Issue 25.4 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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