Health & Safety Audit

Salus brings fresh eyes to a school

As the ‘go-live’ date for the new health and safety legislation drew closer, Marina View’s principal Maurice Young knew the school needed to get things sorted.Through word of mouth, he’d heard that Salus was particularly user-friendly, and though the referee wasn’t from another school, their report was glowing enough for Maurice to make contact.

Fundamentally, Maurice felt he needed a fresh pair of eyes on the school’s health and safety processes and procedures, to make sure they were compliant and everything was in place. On his first visit, Sean met with Marina View staff. He gave them an overview of the new legislation, answered all their questions and then had a good look around the school.

“From that first inspection, Sean developed a Health and Safety Manual for the whole school to follow. It helped us work through all our processes, practices and procedures – and Sean was right there along with us.”

An easy flow of information

Although there were no major changes to implement, there were a number of minor adjustments that had to be managed.

Through a series of meetings, and working with the manual, Sean provided a flow of information to teachers and staff that was easy to understand. He helped put the appropriate health and safety officers in place, established regular meetings and continually gathered feedback to ensure everything was working as it should be.

“Sean has helped us take those initial steps to evolve, without any fuss or trouble. He’s a practical guy, and very thoughtful of the school’s needs.”

Not a generic plan, a proper school plan

The best aspect of the Salus programme, says Maurice, is that it’s not one-size-fits-all. It’s been specifically designed for the setting and context of their school, and that give him confidence for the future.

When it comes to a school, health and safety isn’t just about complying with the new legislation. It’s about keeping the environment safe so children, teachers and support staff can work at the vital job of education without any concerns or fears.

“Sean has been a catalyst for the enhancement of our school. We’re still setting things up, but I’m confident we’re going in the right direction.”