health and safety guidelines for student placements

Health and Safety

Guidelines for

Student

Placements

Student

Toolkit

Liverpool School of Art and Design

1 Introduction

Work placements enable you to develop crucial employability skills and prepare for a flexible and varying future of work.

All undergraduate programmes at LJMU contain aspects of work-based learning (WBL) or work-related learning (WRL). However, there are health and safety aspects to every placement, students have the same health and safety responsibilities as any other employee in the workplace.

Students on work placements and work related learning projects must:

Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and of the health and safety of other people who may be affected by their acts or omissions

Also co-operate with their employer in complying with the employers legal duties.

This guidance provides you with an awareness of the health and safety aspects of placements.

2 Health and Safety Responsibilities

The Health and Safety Work Act 1974 (HAWSA) is the main piece of legislation in the UK. It places duties on employers and employees. It expects employers and employees together to produce their own solutions to health and safety matters, subject to the test of ‘reasonable practicability’.

University

Provide information to the student on general health and safety prior to the placement

Placement Provider (Employer)

Plan the health and safety training and provide a full and clear induction

Nominate a supervisor regarding health and safety

Comply with health and safety legislation

Take account of your potential inexperience for activities you’ll be expected to undertake and put into place appropriate controls.

Provide you with information, instruction, training and supervision.


Students (Employees)

Not to do anything that puts you or other people’s health and safety at risk.

Follow health and safety instructions, information and training.

Never intentionally misuse anything provided for health and safety reasons.

Bring any health and safety concerns to the attention of your placement provider and your placement tutor at the university.

Written Safety policies

Companies must prepare and revise, when necessary, a written statement of their general policy towards health and safety at work setting out:

The organization – i.e. who is responsible

The arrangement – i.e. what is to be done

Never intentionally misuse anything provided for health and safety reasons.

Bring any health and safety concerns to the attention of your placement provider and your placement tutor at the university.

3. Placement Preparation

There are many aspects to placements that you have to prepare for, health and safety included. It is important that you: -

Attend briefings prior to placements commencing as health and safety will be covered; and

Familiarize yourself with the six health and safety factors applicable to placements, which are:

Work

Travel and transportation

Location and/or region

General/environmental health

Individual student

Insurance limitations


4. General safety

The prevention of accidents in offices, studios, workshops and other places of work is a duty of every individual using or entering them. Ensuring the safety of others is as important as the avoidance of personal injury.

Everyone should make their first task to become familiar with any special instructions issued for dealing with emergencies peculiar to the place in which they are working.

You should familiarize yourself with:

The layout of the building

The location of the building

The location and operation of fire-fighting appliances

Evacuation routes and assembly points

Location of telephones and first aid facilities

Office Environment

In such an environment you are not likely to be exposed to any high risks. However, offices are far from being risk free.

Housekeeping

Keep you work are tidy and clear

Store items only in designated areas

Clean up spillages immediately

Do not leave cabinet drawers and cupboards open

Keep leads / cables away from walk ways

Display Screen Equipment

Your Work station must be set up to keep a good posture.

Take reasonable breaks away from the screen.

Don’t ignore persistent aches/pains in the eyes/neck/wrists/arms.

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Workshop/Industrial Environment

There are a number of different environments in the design sector and generally use of machinery presents a higher scale of risk, giving rise to accidents.

Hair or clothing can become tangled

Shearing can occurs between parts moving past one another

Crushing is a common occurrence

Cutting or severing can arise from sharp edges

Limbs can be drawn into moving parts of machines

Burns and scalds can occur in certain environments

To minimise such risks…

Don’t wear jewelry and/or clothing that can become entangled in machinery

Keep long hair tied back or under a cap

Don’t distract other personnel who are using machinery

Wear the appropriate PPE and clothing

In open yards, building sites, stores and warehouses be constantly alert for moving machinery such as forklift truck and hoists.


5. Emergency Information

Whilst on placement it is essential that you receive information and instruction on what action to take should an emergency situation arise? Such situations include:

Hearing the fire alarm;

Discovering a fire;

Requiring first aid assistance;

Threat to personal safety; and

Spillage of a dangerous substance.

Such information must be given at the induction stage and where a change of work location or activity occurs. If not raise this with your placement provider.

6. COSH

Using chemicals or other hazardous substances at work can put people’s health at risk, causing diseases including asthma, dermatitis or cancer.

The COSHH regulations require employers to control substances that can harm workers' health.

Printing products like inks, lacquers, adhesives, cleaning solvents and others contain ingredients that are hazardous to health. You can breathe in vapours and mists. Products can get on your skin and cause skin problems or go through your skin and cause damage elsewhere. Problems can occur if exposure to hazardous substances is not controlled.

Solvents and inks can irritate the skin leading to dermatitis.

Some products can cause skin allergies and asthma (eg UV inks, laminating adhesives).

Some solvent vapours can make you dizzy, drowsy and affect your central nervous system.

Some ingredients can cause damage to internal organs over a long period of time (eg liver and kidney damage).

Some products are corrosive and


7. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

An element of controlling risks may be the use or wearing of PPE. PPE encompasses goggles, hard hats, ear defenders, face masks, overalls, gloves, waterproof clothing etc.

If you are issued with PPE it is important you are made aware of: -

The reason it’s required;

How to ensure a proper fit so it will work effectively;

How to maintain, store, recognize defects and action to take, and obtain replacements;

If you believe an item of PPE is defective do not continue to use it and report it to your placement supervisor.

8. Reporting Incidents and Health and Safety Concerns

It is important that you report incidents – whether injury has resulted or not – that you are involved in. This will enable your placement provider to investigate the circumstances and take any necessary action. Reporting a ‘near miss’ incident could ensure that nobody is injured next time. You must be made aware of the reporting procedures at your placement/project induction.

If you do have any health and safety concerns during your placement the first action is to raise these with your placement provider i.e. injury, ill health, training or pregnancy. You should also make your placement tutor aware.

Don’t wait to the next scheduled visit or conversation.

Never undertake an activity, using equipment or go into an area unless you are competent, properly supervised and confident to do so.

9. Monitoring and Feedback

You are an essential element in the monitoring of health and safety performance of your placement provider. Ensure you discuss health and safety aspects with your placement organiser and complete any necessary paperwork that is required of you.

At the end of your placement give thoughts on how you feel the placement provider approached health and safety.


10. Assessing and Controlling Risks

Your placement provider is expected to determine the risks encountered with the activities you’ll be involved with and put into place measures to control these risks. Such measures may be no different to those already in place for any of their employees. However, because of your potential inexperience, or other factors, a higher level of measure may be required, especially in the early periods of the placement.

Measures to control risks can include: -

Providing information, instruction, training and supervision;

Having in place guarding, ventilation systems etc. to control risks at source;

Ensuring equipment used is appropriate and in safe condition; and

Providing, and ensuring the use of, personal protective equipment and clothing.

It is important that you are made aware of the risks associated with the activities you will be involved with and what is in place and required of you to control these.

11. Risk Assessment

You must complete a risk assessment prior to commencing a work placement that receives academic credit. You will not be able to pass the module if you fail to do so.

Use a Risk Assessment Form (details page 8) to record the risk assessment for your placement. Judge the risk profile for each of the six health and safety factors:

Work

Travel and transportation

Location and/or region

General/environmental health

Individual student

Insurance limitations

And identify any specific actions that may be necessary.


Work Placement Risk Assessment Form

When producing a risk assessment involve people with relevant knowledge. Use the rest of this booklet to help you complete your own placement/project risk assessment.

Health and Safety Factors Risk Category Actions necessary

By reading through the rest of this guide and answering questions on each of the six health and safety factors you will be able to assess the level of risk. This must be recorded on the Work Placement Risk Assessment Form. The guidance will also highlight further actions you may need to take if the risk is medium or high.

Further guidance is available on the LJMU Health and Safety web pages.


(Enter all that applies i.e. a,b)

1. Work factors

These relate to the actual placement provider and the work that you will be asked to do there, including the nature of the work-based hazards to which you may be exposed. Control measures may include professional knowledge and expertise.

Which of the above will your placement require?

Risk Assessment Form

If your placement involves any of the above statements these please enter a

high risk category and book an appointment with you LJMU Placement

Organiser to discuss this further - [email protected] or Tel: 0151 904 1140

If you will be working in proximity to high risk factors (but not directly with

them) please enter a medium risk category.

Actions necessary: You will need to seek confirmation from the placement

provider that you will not be expected to take part in high risk activities and you

will be supervised in any medium risk activities.

If your placement will be mainly office work or other low hazard environments

and activities please select the low risk category

Will your placement require?

Working with hazards that have potential to cause permanent injury or fatalities, including:

a) Construction site with work at height, dusts, moving machinery, electrical systems

b) Operation of machinery with mechanical hazards such as high speed rotating parts, crushing or entanglement risks

c) Laboratory work with toxic/hazardous materials

d) Community work with known high risk groups of clients or locations (e.g. drug abusers, homeless, violent patients).

e) Work with animal bedding or large or dangerous animals)

f) Activities requiring specific licences or qualifications (e.g. diving, flying aircraft)

g) Work involving significant hazards in small companies that do not have professional health and safety advice



2. Travel and transportation

Driving and travel while carrying out the business of the placement provider can be a risk. Placements do not just involve the work carried out for the placement provider. Depending on the placement’s nature and location, you may face significant health, safety and welfare issues travelling to and from accommodation.

Which of the above will your placement require?





If your placement requires night travel, long commutes or driving a vehicle

please select the medium risk category.

Actions necessary: You will need to check you travel arrangements and make

sure you have the necessary driving licences and insurances.

If your placement requires a comfortable daily commute with no significant

travel and no driving associated with placement please select the low risk

category

Will your placement require?

a) Significant travel to reach placement, prolonged or on local transport facilities known to be high risk (poor driving or vehicle safety standards)

b) Demanding travel during placement

c) Driving others in unfamiliar vehicles



3. Location and regional factors

The location of the placement can have considerable impact particularly if it is abroad in a country that you are not acquainted with, though it could also apply to international students going on placement in the UK.

Which of the above will your placement involve?





If you placement involves a higher than normal risk of civil disorder, crime or

comparable danger.

Actions necessary: You will need to seek further guidance about appropriate

behaviour and clothing.

If your placement is in the UK with no significant local risks please select the low risk category

Will your placement involve?

a) Significant risk of civil disorder, crime or similar danger (e.g. placement in war zones, countries where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against travel).

b) Unavoidable lone or remote working in proximity to significant risk (e.g. medical student elective in a refugee camp).

c) Medical and rescue services not available quickly or locally.

d) Means of communication likely to be difficult or compromised.



4. General health factors

There may be health, safety and welfare issues associated with environmental conditions in the place of work, general location, accommodation or food and drink.






If you placement involves regional/local conditions that require some

precautionary measures e.g. optional inoculations against diseases.

Actions necessary: You will need to seek professional medical advice regarding

immunisations and other preparations. A medical travel kit is also a sensible

precaution.

If your placement involves no significant environmental health risk please

select the low risk category

Will your placement involve?

a) Regional/local health risks that require mandatory and specific health protection measures e.g.

inoculations.

b) Very hot or strenuous working conditions (e.g. manual working outdoors in the sun).

c) Very cold working conditions (e.g. catering placement in a food cold storage/cook chill or freeze facility).


5. Individual student factors

Your health, knowledge, skills, experience and personality could have an impact on health and safety in particular environments.

Any students with personal factors (e.g. physical and mental health, disability, linguistic or cultural) that may require adjustments or support should have equivalent opportunities in choice of placements.


Please tell us of any personal factors which may affect the work activities on

this placement.

Actions necessary: You will need to seek professional advice to develop

reasonable adjustments. (Contact the Disability Team – Tel: 0151 904 6052 Email:

[email protected])

If you have any personal factors (e.g. health, disability, pregnancy, linguistic or

cultural) which may require specific adjustments or support during work, or in

social interactions at work.

Actions necessary: You will need to seek professional advice (Contact the

Disability Team – Tel: 0151 904 6052 Email: [email protected])

If you have no long-term medical conditions or disability likely to cause

episodes of illness or require specific support whilst on placement and the

relevant knowledge, understanding and skills for the type of work please select

the low risk category

a) Do you have personal factors (e.g. health, disability, linguistic or cultural) which may increase the risk of illness or accident during work-related activity even following adjustments?

b) Do you have personal factors (e.g. health, disability, pregnancy, linguistic or cultural) which may require specific adjustments?

c) Do you have personal factors (e.g. health, disability, pregnancy, linguistic or cultural) which may require specific adjustments or support if living away from home, or makes them susceptible to episodes of illness?

d) Do you require more knowledge, understanding, and skills for the type of work in this placement?



6. Insurance limitations

The assessment must include consideration of the extent and limitations of LJMU’s insurance arrangements and those of the placement provider, the contractual arrangements in place and legal requirements in the placement country/ countries.



If you have ticked any of these please select the high risk category and book

an appointment with your LJMU Placement Organiser to discuss this further -

[email protected] or Tel: 0151 904 1140

If your placement involves locations, activities and/or circumstances that

require prior acceptance from LJMU’s insurers before being covered.

If your placement involves locations, activities and/or circumstances that are

automatically included in LJMU’s insurance cover. UK locations (where the

placement provider must have employers’ liability insurance cover) please

select the low risk category

Will your placement involve:

a) Locations, activities and /or circumstances that are excluded from the HEI’s travel and other insurance

cover.

b) Locations where the placement provider’s insurance does not cover the student for personal or third

party liability associated with the work by the student.


Notes:

health and safety guidelines for student placements

Documents

general safety

safety training

general health

safety legislation

safety responsibilities

safety concerns

safety reasons

safety guidelines