Responsibilities

Teachers' and their employers' responsibilities

Under the COSSH Regulations, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, and other regulations, it is employers (i.e. schools) that are responsible for making a hazard risk assessment before any procedures are undertaken or materials used or made.

Teachers are required to co-operate with their employers (schools) by complying with such risk assessments.

However, you should be aware that mistakes can be made and, in any case, different employers (schools, local authorities, governing bodies) adopt different standards.

Therefore, before carrying out any practical activity, you should always check that what they are proposing is compatible with your employer’s risk assessments and does not need modification for their particular circumstances. Any local rules issued by the employer (school or local authority) must always be followed.

However, far less is banned by employers than is commonly supposed.

Last updated: 13 March 2008