The Health and Safety of all Smart Dental Academy Employees and Learners is of prime importance to the wellbeing of the Company.
To ensure as far as is reasonably practicable, a safe and healthy working environment, for all our employees, learners (including apprentices) and members of the public who work within or visit our premises.
Smart Dental Academy takes health and safety issues seriously and is committed to protecting the health and safety, of all those affects by academy business activities and attending academy premises. The policy is intended to help the learner achieve this by clarifying who is responsible for health and safety matters and what those responsibilities are. We aim to provide adequate resources and encourage effort and commitment from our staff and learners.
This policy may be amended at any time at the Program Director’s discretion. The academy will review this policy at regular intervals to ensure that it is achieving its aim effectively.
The academy implements, maintains and reviews appropriate safe systems of work to control and reduce, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety risks arising from all activities at the academy and take all reasonable steps and measures to minimise our activity’s impact upon the environment. The academy consults with the team on all matters affecting their health and safety. Any concerns raised will be investigated and appropriate actions taken.
Training, information, supervision, and instruction will be provided to all employees and learners for the understanding of health and safety issues and to ensure that they are competent to carry out their tasks.
The academy provides and maintains safe equipment; suitable and efficient precautions will be taken to prevent accidents and cases of work-related illness. All employees and learners will be made aware of this health and safety policy document, a copy of which is displayed prominently within the academy.
The academy will fully meet and wherever possible, exceed all relevant legal requirements and any other requirements to which we subscribe and meet our ‘duty of care’ to staff and learners, including responsibilities for Child Protection, Safeguarding and Prevent duty.
Breaches of health and safety rules may lead to action under the Academy disciplinary procedure. This Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed as a minimum, annually and in any event of a significant change of working practises.
The purpose of our health and safety policy is to: -
The role of the Chief Executive Officer and the Program Director
• To ensure that the risk management policy is implemented throughout the organisation
• To anticipate and consider emerging risks and to keep under review the assessed level of
likelihood and impact of existing key risks
• Provide regular and timely information on the status of risks and their mitigation
• To implement adequate corrective actions in responding to significant risks and to learn from
previous mistakes
The role of The Academy and its tutors
The Academy’s Program Director and tutors are responsible for managing specific operational risks and ensuring that risks are reported in a timely manner through designated lines of reporting.
In addition to this, Smart Dental Academy expects to meet the minimum standards required by legislation and best practice in operational areas covering the following:
Academy Responsibilities
Learner’s responsibilities
All employees and learners are responsible for their own health and safety and that of each other and visiting members of the public. They must:
Accident Reporting Arrangements
It is the aim of the Academy to ensure compliance with the relevant requirements of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and [England: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 2013.] [Northern Ireland: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997.]
All accidents and incidents occurring on the Academy premises are recorded using the Accident Treatment and Investigation Record. The Programme Director will carry out prompt investigation of each accident, incident and near miss, record information in the investigation and agree with the principal appropriate measures to be taken, to prevent similar occurrence from happening in the future. These are discussed at board meetings and any changes implemented within the specified period. Additional training is provided as required.
Any injuries and dangerous occurrences reportable under RIDDOR are reported to the Health and Safety Executive online within the specified time.
Accidents and Emergencies and near miss reporting
In case of emergency, help should be sought from the qualified first aiders appointed for each academy base:
Smart Dental Academy – Head Office - Manchester – Lynn O’Connell
Smart Dental Academy – L A Southworth Practice - Blackburn – Siobhan Taylor
Smart Dental Academy - The Tea Factory - Liverpool – Emily Jones
In the unlikely event of his/her absence, call emergency services by dialling 999, giving your name, location and a brief description of the problem.
All accidents and emergencies must then be reported to the Program Director.
All first aid equipment located at the academy is clearly sign posted and easily accessible.
All accidents, work-related ill health and incidents are reported immediately to the Program Director who will enter it in the accident report book and take the necessary actions. The Program Director is responsible for reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences (RIDDOR) where necessary, to the enforcing authority. Accident reports are kept in a confidential file to comply with Data Protection requirements.
The Program Director is responsible for consultation with members of staff on all health and safety related issues. It is carried out during regular team meetings when staff members will have an additional opportunity, to comment on the health and safety arrangements.
In the event of ill health of a learner, the situation would be accessed and the appropriate action taken, i.e. contacting the learner’s doctor to arrange an emergency appointment, contacting the learner’s emergency contact to collect them from college or should the situation warrant, calling 999 to report a medical emergency. All academy staff members complete the relevant emergency First Aid training, this is documented with certification.
Arrangements for staff, learners, contractors and visitors
The Program Director is responsible for monitoring the safe working practices of contractors on the premises. All contractors, staff and visitors are expected to read and follow the academy Health and Safety Policy. The staff should draw the Program Director’s attention to any breach by an external contractor, staff member or visitor. Each visitor, learner and staff member are required to sign in and out of the academy which is logged in an attendance file. This records the date, name and time each visitor entered and exited the premises. Learner attendance is monitored closely, and learners are required to sign in and out of the academy as a record of attendance and can be accounted for in the event of an emergency i.e., fire.
Display screen equipment
Users of display screen equipment are appropriately trained on the health and safety aspects of this type of work. The Program Director carries out regular assessments of all workstations and working practises. Eyesight tests are arranged if requested and any necessary corrective eyewear is provided for use with DSE.
Equipment
The Program Director and tutors are responsible for equipment. All academy equipment is maintained in good working order and repaired and serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Where required, the equipment is clearly labelled with health and safety warnings and staff are provided with adequate training. Any problems with equipment should be reported to the Program Director. Equipment is used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
Electrical safety
The Program Director and tutors perform regular visual inspections of all electrical equipment including portable appliances. Inspection and testing of portable appliances are performed every year by Finishes and Interiors Sector Ltd (FIS). Records of all inspections and testing are kept and maintained. Staff are not allowed to bring electrical appliances into work.
Fire safety
The Program Director and tutors are responsible for fire safety within their academy base and any concerns should be raised with him/her. All staff and learners take part in biannual fire drills and the records are updated accordingly and stored in fire safety file. In cases of fire staff should follow the actions described in the Fire Action Notice which is displayed in the academy. Learners must familiarise themselves with the instructions about what to do if there is a fire and co-operate in fire drills.
All tutors have received appropriate Fire Marshall Training and have certification to evidence this.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 cover emergencies.
Fire Escape details:
Emergency Evacuation procedure:
At the sound of an emergency alarm, it is the responsibility of all the occupants in the building to evacuate immediately and proceed to the set assembly point. We will make sure escape routes are well signed and kept clear at all times. Evacuation plans are tested on a regular basis and updated if necessary. All occupants including learners, staff, visitors and contractors are responsible for ensuring that they follow the evacuation procedure described. Tutors are responsible for dismissing their classes and directing the learners to the nearest exit upon hearing the alarm sound. Contract workers and visitors will be made familiar with the procedures and are expected to follow these steps when the alarm sounds.
Safeguarding
Smart Dental Academy are committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of children and adults at risk, enabling them to live safely, free from abuse and neglect. All staff complete annual Safeguarding and “Prevent” training, this is closely monitored and certified.
Safeguarding training is also provided to all learners, they are aware of the necessary steps to be taken and who to contact.
The Program Director ensures that staff are made aware of any changes to legislation.
The academy has a safeguarding policy in place, with resources and points of contact for all 3 locations (Manchester, Blackburn/Preston and Liverpool).
Safeguarding - Ofsted’s strategy for 2017 to 2022
We use the NSPCC website for further guidance
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/
Information, instruction and supervision
The Program Director is responsible for arranging information, instruction and supervision. The Health and Safety Law poster is displayed at the academy’s base. Health and safety advice is available from HSE, Supervision of young workers and trainees will be arranged/undertaken/monitored by the Program Director. All employees and learners are provided with a handbook they can refer to which details both the employers and employees’ responsibilities regarding health and safety; a copy of which is signed and dated and retained in their personnel file.
Staff Training
We will give all staff a health and safety induction and provide appropriate training.
All staff are trained and attend regular refresher training in the following areas:
The Program Director is responsible for the organisation of all in-house training, but other aspects of the tutors training are solely their responsibility in accordance with the General Dental Council standards and maintain continual professional development. Each staff member has enrolled in a continued professional development program, allowing access to over 120 training courses. Staff are required to keep a portfolio of the training sessions they have completed and records of this training, are also kept within their personnel file, in line with DPA/GDPR, for audit purposes.
Monitoring
The Program Director will check that safe working practices are being followed. She will investigate accidents, work related causes of sickness absences and is responsible for acting on investigation findings to prevent a recurrence.
We analyse potential trends to identify any issues, for example if a needle stick injury was to occur, a risk assessment would be carried out and procedures put in place to minimise the risk.
Progress reviews are carried out on a ten-weekly basis, questions are asked regarding health and safety to ensure learner understanding.
Consultation
We will consult staff routinely on health & safety matters as they arise and formally when we review health & safety.
Internet Safety
Internet safety is achieved by embedding e-safety within the Academy’s framework of effective policies and procedures for reporting concerns such as cyber bullying also helping learners to stay safe online. Staff also need to protect their own online reputation, particularly when using social networking sites. Further information is available in our staff codes of conduct, learner handbook, safeguarding and bullying and harassment policy.
The aim of this policy is to:
The academy uses a recognised internet service provider, actively monitors and filters content and manages personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act (2018)
Resources:
Reporting an e-safety incident
How to protect learners from online abuse
All learners are provided with individual usernames and passwords for their online portfolios, learners must not share their credentials with another person.
The use of mobile phones is not permitted during classroom sessions, unless this has been authorised prior to by the tutor. Consequences and the sanctions for misuse of mobile phones can be found in our Prevent Policy.
Risk Assessments
We will complete relevant risk assessments and take action.
We will review risk assessments when working habits or conditions change.
Risk assessment Statement
Risk management is essential to both good management and good governance practiced. Risk management is a core part of decision-making and is integrated within tactical and effective planning.
Risk assessments are conducted on all new activities and risks or opportunities arising will be identified, analysed and reported.
All staff are provided with adequate training on risk management and their role and responsibilities in implementing this. The academy regularly reviews and monitors the effectiveness of its risk management framework and updates it when necessary.
The risk management policy aims to:
The Program Director is responsible for risk assessment and ensuring that any actions identified are implemented. The aim is to ensure that Smart Dental Academy makes every effort to manage risk appropriately by maximising potential opportunities whilst minimising the adverse effects of risks. The assessment will be reviewed on an annual basis or whenever there is a significant change in working practices. Control measures will be monitored to assess the effectiveness. Before any learner receives a placement for their practical training, a health and safety risk assessment is carried out on the premises to ensure the learner will be situated, in a safe environment for their apprenticeship. The employer is required to sign this risk assessment as evidence and retained in the learner’s personnel record in accordance with DPA/GDPR.
The Risk Matrix shown below, has a written definition of the scores 1 to 5 to assess the likelihood of the hazard occurring.
Workplace hazards are any aspect of work that causes health and safety risks and have the potential to cause harm. Such hazards include:
Any high concern risks and those where priority action is needed, will be reported to the Program Director. Specific errors and incident reports will be required from individual staff where a reportable event has been identified. The procedures for this are set out in the Business Continuity procedures. Such incidents which are considered to pose a significant threat to the Academy, financial or otherwise, will be escalated in accordance with the crisis management plans.
Pregnant staff/learners
Upon receiving written notification of pregnancy, the Program Director or responsible person will carry out a risk assessment. Action must be taken to avoid exposure to identified risks by substitution with a safer substance and adaptations to the job, to allow the work to be conducted safely and without risk to their health. Where this is not possible, the person should be provided with suitable alternative work as required by of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The varying health effects of pregnancy are considered and plans of any action which may be needed to protect the person’s safety. The assessments are reviewed at reasonable intervals as the pregnancy progresses or if problems develop.
Employment statutory code practice
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A31992L0085 the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding (tenth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16 (1) of Directive 89/391/EEC)
Aspects of pregnancy which may affect work
The following duties may be assessed to determine the level of risk presented and identify any precautionary measures that may be required:
Disabled staff/learners – Long term health issues
A disability is a physical or mental impairment which has significant and long-term adverse effects on an employee’s ability to carry out their normal day-to-day activities. The Academy has an obligation to consider the risks posed to any disabled workers or workers with long term health issues and make reasonable adjustments.
The responsibility is shared by the worker/learner, in that all employees/learners are required to take care of their own health and safety and that of their fellow workers so employees/learners must be encouraged to inform their employers of any disabilities or health issues that might create an additional risk to themselves or their co-workers and they must co-operate with the employer in assessing that risk and making any necessary accommodations to minimise that risk.
Specific risk assessments for each disabled worker is required for it to be truly effective and when considering emergency procedures, it is important that each disabled worker has a Personal Evacuation Plan that has been discussed and agreed with them. Further details can be found in our emergency evacuation procedure.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requires “reasonable adjustments” to accommodate disabled workers.
https://www.acas.org.uk - ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) provides free and impartial information and advice to employers and employees on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law.
Workplace safety
The Program Director regularly inspects the workplace and maintains inspection records. Any health and safety risks are identified and removed or reduced as far as reasonably practicable.
The Health and Safety of all Smart Dental Academy employees and learners is of major importance to the wellbeing of the Academy. Significant and continual improvement of our safety performance will be demonstrated, through the maintenance of our benchmark standard, BSOHSAS18001 and working towards full compliance with ISO45001.
We prioritise Health and Safety and implementation of this is always included when setting our objectives and forms part of our core values. We strive to improve and assist the health of all employees through provision of wellbeing support for staff.
The Academy accepts responsibility for learners and for other persons who may be affected by our activities. The Academy is committed to ensure that learners are entitled to learning that takes place in a safe and supportive environment. We understand that safe learning and working environments are essential to maximise their experience and success.
The Academy will:
Responsibility for Health and Safety rests with everyone including our employers, sub-contractors, employees and learners.
We must all co-operate with each other to facilitate all statutory duties and ensured full compliance. The academy is strongly committed to providing employees, learners and any interested parties with systems, processes and meetings which allow open discussion, participation and communication on any health and safety matters.
Although the academy seeks to safeguard the apprentice's safety and welfare to the best of our ability, the employer must accept responsibility whilst the apprentice is in the working environment. The academy will of course support any apprentices should they raise issues/concerns relating to their health & safety and deal with this by liaising with the employers to ensure the contractual agreement is being satisfied.
As part of the apprenticeship documentation, a workplace health & Safety assessment and agreement is completed and signed by the practice. This records details of the occupational area in which the apprentice will carry out their duties.
Health & Safety Safeguarding Policies
Risk Assessment and Control
Accidents, Incidents & First aid
Supervision, Training, Information & Instruction
Personal Protective Equipment & Clothing
Fire & Emergencies
Safe & Healthy Working Environment
General Health & Safety Management
The apprentice's workplace is graded & risk category identified (high/low):
A – Acceptable
B – Accepted with action plan
C - Rejected
The employer and training provider will then sign the declaration to confirm their compliance with their responsibilities under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and subsequent regulations/legislations.
The successful implementation of our policies requires full commitment from all levels. Health and Safety is an integral part of all functions and activities. All employees and learners receive appropriate training to achieve a high level of awareness, motivation and knowledge. Employees and learners are informed of any hazards to health or safety which may be inherent in the workplace.
This Health & Safety policy statement and its successive arrangements are reviewed regularly to ensure that it reflects changing needs and circumstances and is kept up to date.
Non-Compliance with Health and Safety
The risk of falling short of these standards is mitigated as far as possible by ensuring that appropriate policies and working practices are implemented in each of these areas and that our staff are adequately experienced and trained to oversee this. External advice from recognised sources may be used to supplement internal knowledge.
Covid 19 – Mental Health Awareness
The coronavirus pandemic is placing unprecedented mental strain on people around the world. You may be caring for someone vulnerable, struggling with finances, at risk yourself, or even grieving a loved one. All our lives have been affected.
On this course, you’ll identify the factors specific to COVID-19 that impact our wellbeing and mental health – at an individual, group and societal level.
You’ll learn helpful strategies and advice on how to deal with the anxiety and uncertainty of COVID-19, cope with its challenges, and ultimately prepare for life after coronavirus.
