School Playgrounds UK - Health and Safety

All SchoolPlaygroundDesigners.co.uk products comply with the British and European Standards EN1176 for Playground Equipment and EN1177 for Impact Absorbing Playground Surfacing. As one of the longest established Childrens Play Area Design and Childrens Adventure Playground Construction Companies in the UK, SchoolPlaygroundDesigners.co.uk are justly proud of their unblemished reputation for their high level of Safety Measures they incorporate into every Childrens Play and Activity Project.

Their Schools Playgrounds Highly Qualified Professional Construction Team have many years experience in all aspects of School Play Area Construction, for Infants Activity Areas, Junior School Playgrounds and Senior Schools Exercise Areas, Adventure Courses and Adventure Trails.

Over the years, they have managed to eliminate virtually all possible hazardous areas and all conceivable danger zones in all their School Play Structures and School Adventure Equipment. However, despite all their Safety Precautions, they continue to produce the most Imaginative, Magical and Exciting School Playgrounds, School Adventure Trails and School Activity Areas for which they are famous throughout the UK.

Staff Health and Safety Policy

Health and Safety Training and Procedures during Construction Projects

SchoolPlaygroundDesigners.co.uk comply with all recommendations under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. We do our up most to ensure the Health, Safety and Welfare of both employees and any other person who may be come into contact with our sites.

Provisions for Health and Safety include

• Ensuring all plant and equipment is properly maintained and does not pose a hazard to health
• Ensuring procedures are followed for the safe handling, transport and storage of all materials
• Ensuring that all staff are properly instructed, trained and when necessary supervised in Health and Safety procedures
• Ensuring the places of work do not pose health and safety risk to employees
• Ensuring that exits and entrances to work pose no risk to the health and safety
• Ensuring that the welfare of staff in the work place
• Ensuring that LGV HGV and fork lift drivers operate under required legislation

The director and management ofSchoolPlaygroundDesigners.co.ukare responsible for Health & Safety but need active cooperation from their staff to make these policies work. Employees have a duty to follow health and safety policy at all times and need to ensure that everything is done to prevent injury to themselves and others.

Awareness training for medical health construction problems

All staff receive awareness training as regards the early signs of exposure to hazardous materials and equipment required to carry out construction tasks.
Medical Awareness training includes

• The use of materials hazardous to health - COSHH - Asthma and Occupational Dermatitis
• The effects of exposure to R42 products, Bitumen,Petrol, Diesel, Cement, Petrol, Thinners, Paints and Tack Sprays
• Hearing Loss due to exposure to constant exposure to noise levels above 85 dBA
• Hand Arm Whole Body Vibration Syndrome caused by hand held vibrating tools such jack hammers and grinders etc.

Staff Training

SchoolPlaygroundDesigners.co.ukensures that adequate training is in place for all staff in order to comply with Environmental and Health & Safety legislation. From time to time, new operating procedures are introduced and ensure that schoolplaygrounddesigners.co.uk staff receive the appropriate training.
Dependant on their role within the business staff are required to have the following skills, training or qualifications

• CSCS CARDS CPCS CARDS
• NPORS - DUMPER AND ROLLER TRAINING PROCEDURES
• SITE MANAGERS SITE SAFETY TRAINING SCHEME ( SMSTS)
• NVQ LEVEL 2 or 3 IN CONSTRUCTION
• NVQ LEVEL 4 or in 5 OHSP ( OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICE)
• CPCS – 360 AND 180 TRACK AND JCB TRAINING
• RISK ASSESSMENT
• FIRST AID TRAINING
• ABRASIVE WHEEL
• HAND ARM VIBRATION
• MANUAL HANDLING PRODURES
• COSHH
• CONSTRUCTION SITE SAFETY AWARNESS
• CHERRY PICKER SAFETY PROCEDURES

All staff undergo a yearly appraisal in order to identify further training needs and to ensure that their day to day work practices are not causing Health & Safety risks to themselves and others.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY

INTRODUCTION

Schoolplaygrounddesigners.co.uk is committed to a comprehensive policy of equal opportunities in employment in which individuals are selected and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities without regard to race, religion or belief, colour, sex, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation and are given equal opportunities within the company. The aim of this policy is to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on grounds not relevant to good employment practice.

POLICY STATEMENT

The policy and practice of the company require that all employees are afforded equal opportunities within employment and that entry into employment with the company and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit and the application of criteria which are related to the duties of each particular position. In all cases,ability to perform the job will be the primary consideration.

All employees have a duty to co-operate with this policy to ensure equal opportunities and to prevent discrimination. Employees must not harass or intimidate other employees on the grounds of race, religion or belief, colour, sex, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation and must not victimise or retaliate against employees who make such allegations. Disciplinary action will be taken against any employee who breaches this policy and serious breaches will be treated as gross misconduct.

The company welcomes diversity amongst its employees and seeks to ensure that all candidates for employment are treated fairly, and that selection is based solely on the individual's abilities and qualifications. The recruitment process must result in the selection of the most suitable person for the job having regard to experience and qualifications where necessary. As an employer committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, the company will adhere to the following procedure for recruiting and selecting individuals for all positions:

SELECTION CRITERIA

The selection process will be carried out consistently for all jobs at all levels. Selection criteria for all positions will be clearly defined and reflected in the further particulars sent to applicants which will also include details of the company's commitment to equality of opportunity. Job qualifications or requirements which would have the effect of inhibiting applications from members of particular groups, such as those of one sex, persons of a particular religion, marital status or sexual orientation, persons of a particular racial group, persons within a certain age bracket or those with a disability, will not be demanded or imposed except where they are justifiable in terms of the job to be done.

ADVERTISING

Job advertisements will be widely publicised so as to encourage applications from all suitably qualified and experienced people. In order to attract applications from all sections of the community, the company will endeavour to ensure that advertisements are not restricted to areas or publications which would exclude or disproportionately reduce applications from a particular gender, religion, age group or racial group and should avoid prescribing requirements as to marital status or age. All job advertisements placed on behalf of the company will state the company's commitment to equality of opportunity.

SELECTION METHODS

The selection process will be carried out consistently for all jobs at all levels. All those handling applications and conducting interviews must be aware of the principles of the Sex Discrimination Act, the Race Relations Act, the Disability Discrimination Act, the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations, the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations, the Equality Act and other relevant legislation. The selection of new employees will be based on job requirements and the individual's suitability and ability to do the job and information sought from candidates will relate only to the qualifications for or requirements of the job.

INTERVIEWS

The staff responsible for shortlisting, interviewing and making or recommending an appointment will be clearly informed of the selection criteria and the need for consistency. Wherever possible, at least two people will interview applicants and all questions will relate to the selection criteria. No questions will be based on age, assumptions about roles in the home and the family or the assumed suitability of different ethnic groups for the post in question. Where it is necessary to assess whether personal circumstances will affect the performance of the job (for example, if the job involves irregular hours or extensive travel) this will be discussed objectively and will be asked equally of all candidates. In the case of disabled applicants who identify themselves at the application stage, appropriate interview arrangements (such as accessible interview rooms or the assistance of a sign interpreter) should be offered to enable candidates to compete on an equal basis.

TRAINING

To help meet the objectives of this policy the company will provide training that:

• increases awareness of the prevalence of and harmfulness of discrimination and prejudice on thegrounds of race, religion or belief, colour, sex, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation,and the needs and abilities of people with disabilities or other disadvantages;
• examines the nature of discrimination, both direct and indirect, and the ways in which it can occur and can be prevented;
• assists managers and employees to behave in ways that are non-discriminatory; and explains the operation of and access to grievance and disciplinary procedures.
  

PROMOTION

When considering candidates for promotion general ability will be the main requirement and no employee will be discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or belief, colour, sex, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

All allegations of discrimination on the grounds of race, religion or belief, colour, sex, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation will be dealt with seriously and confidentially.

RECORD KEEPING

Details of candidates and of selection decisions (including the rationale for selection or rejection) will be kept for at least six months after an appointment has been made in case they are required as evidence by an employment tribunal or for other proceedings. The company will keep records of the sex, ethnic group, age and any disability of its employees and of all candidates and of those shortlisted and appointed. Records may be used to determine whether members of one sex or persons of a certain racial group, religion or age bracket or those with a disability do not apply for employment or apply in smaller numbers than might be expected or are shortlisted or appointed in a lower proportion than their application rate or are concentrated in certain jobs. The company will investigate the practicalities of monitoring progression within employment, including access to training and development, promotion and grading.

REVIEW OF RECRUITMENT PRACTICE

Recruitment procedures and practices will be kept under review so as to ensure that this policy is being adhered to and to ensure that they do not include requirements or conditions which constitute, or may lead to, unlawful discrimination.