Health and Safety Issues
People with disabilities are sometimes perceived by others as health and safety risks – this is not necessarily the case. On occasion the environment creates a safety risk for everyone. Tutors have a responsibility to make sure all contact with all students is conducted in a generally safe environment which is conducive to learning.
People with disabilities know their own limitations and will almost inevitably say if something seems dangerous to them, for example, carrying out a science experiment requiring good manual dexterity may be difficult and could be dangerous for someone with severe arthritis; however, people have different experiences of a condition and every case should be judged on an individual basis before deciding on an appropriate adjustment to practice, if feasible. In the above example, a reasonable adjustment might be someone else could conduct the physical activities under the guidance of the student.
Risk Assessment
What is a risk assessment?
A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what could harm people and how likely this is to happen, so that teachers and trainers can weigh up whether or not the steps they have taken are sufficient to comply with health and safety law, and safe practice.
The definitions of hazard and risk adopted by the Health and Safety Executive (UK) are helpful in understanding what is involved:
- Hazard means anything that has the potential to cause harm (e.g. chemicals, electricity, working from ladders etc);
- Risk is the likelihood, great or small, that someone will be harmed by the hazard.
Risk Assessment and Disability
By working together, teachers, trainers and disabled students can get to grips with health and safety in relation to a particular course. The process therefore works best when the teacher or trainer involves the disabled student and thinks about their individual circumstances.
Teachers and Trainers should:
- make sure they manage risks for everyone;
- take account of disability, avoiding assumptions;
- involve disabled students in doing risk assessments and making ‘reasonable adjustments’;
- consult others with appropriate expertise where necessary;
- review the situation if necessary, working with the disabled student and/or their representative.
Risk assessments can be carried out in the following steps:
Ensure that risk assessments are completed in collaboration with the student and that all information is treated as confidential and stored in line with your organisation’s policy on Data Protection.
Click here to download a copy of the ETTAD Risk Assessment Form
1. Identify Potential Hazards to the Student – List the significant hazards that you are about to assess. Only undertake risk assessment of hazards which could cause serious harm to a person or affect several persons, e.g. working on certain types of machinery, with hot liquids etc.
2. Detail how the student might be harmed whilst undertaking this activity.
3. Risk Control: What action has been taken to control the risk? The emphasis is on control and reduction of risk, not the complete removal of the risk e.g. using a chain saw for a tree surgery course. The main hazard is through the cutting action of the saw, the risk is serious harm to the arm or hand. Normally, the risk control methods are the use of appropriate guards and safety devices, restriction on usage to competent or trained staff and isolation systems to prevent unauthorised use.
Case Study:
A student with epilepsy uncontrolled by medication applied for a course in tree surgery. Following a detailed discussion with the student about the frequency and nature of their seizures as well as possible triggers, it was decided not to admit the student to the course. The possibility (risk) of the disabled person causing harm to themselves and/or others through an accident with the saw (hazard) was substantial, and no controls could be applied that would guarantee the removal of the risk.
4. Level of Risk
|
Very unlikely to occur (No known history of harm) |
Unlikely to occur (Unlikely sequence of events to cause harm) |
Possible may occur (Foreseeable but in unusual circumstances) |
Likely to occur (Foreseeable under normal circumstances- has occurred before) |
Very likely to occur (Harm known to occur from previous events) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Negligible impact (No visible injury or harm) |
LOW |
LOW |
LOW |
LOW |
LOW |
|
Slight impact (minor injury – no long term harm) |
LOW |
LOW |
LOW |
MEDIUM |
MEDIUM |
|
Moderate impact (Injury causing time off study) |
LOW |
LOW |
MEDIUM |
HIGH |
HIGH |
|
Severe impact (Lost time - accident with major injury) |
LOW |
MEDIUM |
HIGH |
HIGH |
HIGH |
|
Very severe impact (Long term disability or death) |
LOW |
MEDIUM |
HIGH |
HIGH |
HIGH |
5. If you are still not satisfied with the present risk control methods, refer the matter to a supervisor or other appropriately qualified member of staff.
| Level of Risk | Proposed Action |
|---|---|
| LOW | There is minimal risk to the student or others. They can proceed to take part in the course, though some minor adjustment to practice may be required. |
| MEDIUM | There is moderate risk to the student or others. Discuss what reasonable adjustment to practice could be put in place to reduce the risk. |
| HIGH |
There is high risk to the student or others. They should not proceed with the course in question. The teacher or trainer should advise the applicant about looking for alternative courses. |
Click here if you would like to download a full copy of Understanding Disability - a Good Practice Guide
Return to Understanding Disability - a Good Practice Guide menu
