Risky School?School Risk Assessment for You!The goal of School Risk Assessment and Management is to assist in the creating and maintaining of secure and healthy learning environments. It is important to keep the school environment safe in order to be conducive to learning. When interviewing a relative, who also happens to work for a major school district, she emphasized 3 major areas of concern when it came to school safety: earthquake preparedness, indoor air quality, and playgrounds. We translate this into: Risk Assessment and Emergency Planning. I liken a School Risk Assessment to caring for a car. Just because it looks fine on the outside and isn’t making any loud noises doesn’t mean it is safe to drive. I need to check the tires, the oil, the water levels, etc., in order to assess areas that need to be addressed. I then direct my resources into remedying problem areas. Additionally, I cannot take for granted that because other drivers use my car, they have checked the car out for safe travel. In the same manner, to secure our schools, we all need to take proactive steps in assessing potential risks and in addressing and managing those risks. We offer a Risk Assessment download that will assist you in exploring and outlining property risks on school campus. We advise gathering a team of parents, teachers, and administrators to perform the School Risk Assessment. Using your combined experiences to identify potential risks and to develop solutions will benefit the school. Begin by combing the campus as a team, from one end to the next, methodically. This may take some time, depending on the size of the campus. It may be necessary to schedule another day to sit down together and list the vulnerable areas, along with solutions, that were discovered in your risk assessment for your school. Be sure to assign a person to be in charge of seeing each area through to repair and safety. This person may also be in charge of keeping an eye on his/her particular area throughout the year. This will keep all of the team’s hard work equally distributed and maintained.
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of background checks to protect the security of our children and campuses! Here are some other School Risk Assessment areas brought to our attention by our School District Safety Specialist: Chemicals Chemicals, including air fresheners, are more of a hazard than a help when brought into the classroom. They affect the air quality of the classroom and the safety of the students. They can be a potential liability to the school, and a health risk to students. Chemicals that are approved should be kept in a locked cabinet, inaccessible to students. The School Risk Assessment Team should communicate the school policy on chemicals to teachers, as well as investigate the secured areas. Decorations and Displays Teachers and Administrators should be mindful of what flammable materials are brought into the classroom. Non-flame retardant materials should not cover more that 25% of the wall space. Nothing should hang from the ceilings. Decorations, such as Christmas trees, must be flame-retardant, and contain proof of treatment affixed to it. Decorations should not block or conceal any exits, exit lights, alarms, or fire extinguishers. Electrical Applicances Due to the potential for injury and property damage, all electrical appliances must be appropriate for the room in which they are being used. Rooms not designed for these appliances may not have appropriate ventilation or electrical wiring to accommodate the appliances. This poses additional risks that need to be careful considered. Each appliance should have appropriate UL labels attached to them. This inspection is an important part of the School Risk Assessment. Electrical Extension Cords While the use of extension cords in the classroom can be safe, fire codes and regulations must be followed. Stick to the rated capacity of the appliance, including grounded cords for grounded appliances. Maintain cords in good working condition, secured from tripping and tipping hazards, and only for temporary use. Do not use extension cords for permanent wiring. Plug only one cord directly into approved receptacles only. In other words, do not plug extension cords together to make longer cords! Outlet adapters must be grounded, have an on/off switch, and have a breaker or fuse. Indoor Air Quality Indoor air quality is a safety and good management issue. We want to invest in our students and teachers, and this is an area that needs to be addressed in the School Risk Assessment. Children are more susceptible than adults to poor air quality. It affects their health and overall well-being, which affects their feelings of security, which affects the conductivity of the learning environment. The best prevention is to not bring pollutants into the classroom. An idling bus, garbage cans, smokers, and other “smelly” substances outside the open window drift into the classroom. Set policies that do not allow these pollutants near buildings. Use exhaust fans in polluting areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, science labs, and other areas which contain contaminated air. Maintain ventilation systems and operate in the “on” position while class is in session. This allows a continuous supply of outside air to flow into and through the room, keeping potential contaminants at bay. This is an area to be addressed in your School Risk Assessment. All-in-all, good indoor air quality contributes to a favorable learning environment, which secures our future and the future of our children. Television/A-V Equipment In addition to increasing the need for security systems to guard these assets, safeguards in securing this equipment needs to be addressed. They can be potential hazards to the safety of the students and staff. They should not be mounted over or near staff or students. They should be professionally installed according to manufacturer specifications. They should be secured with straps, whether wall-mounted, in shelving units, or on carts. It is like buckling your seat belt – it will provide greater safety for all. If the TV/AV equipment is on a cart, use carts with locking wheels, and secure cart to wall when not in use. Please include these concerns in your School Risk Assessment. Playgrounds This is where injuries most often occur. When conducting your School Risk Assessment, make sure you test playground equipment for broken, loose, or missing parts. Check for debris, displaced or overly compacted material, or standing water. For greater security, construct a fence around the perimeter of the playground. Maintain supervision of playgrounds during use. Mold Mold is becoming more of an issue for schools. Moisture control is the key. Therefore, your Risk Assessment checklist should also include areas within and around the school buildings that may contribute to excess moisture. Addressing these areas effectively will improve the safety and security of your school. Fire Extinguishers Fire extinguishers require maintenance and employee training to ensure effectiveness. In your risk assessment, verify the extinguishers have been serviced annually. Make sure there is an extinguisher for every 75 feet of distance traveled, and one extinguisher for every 3000 square feet. Make sure the extinguishers are mounted to safety specifications. Contact your local Fire Marshall for assistance. Fire Sprinklers Automatic fire sprinklers are excellent in preventing and minimizing loss of persons and property in the event of a fire. They must be serviced by a licensed professional every 5 years. Verify service and keep records on file. Our goal is to provide you with high-quality information and services that will help you build a safer and more secure school environment. These guidelines offered here are not definitive, but rather descriptive. Please use them as guidelines, and if you come across an area you think is important for us to include, we welcome your suggestions. For a list of Security Consulting Costs, click
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