The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) must be urgently
tasked by Government with providing guidance and advice to
schools and colleges about the safety of reopening to more
pupils, the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, has
told ministers.
NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick
Roach has written to both the Education
Secretary and Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey
calling on them to exercise their powers to direct the HSE to
provide support and advice to schools and colleges.
The NASUWT believes that the publication of the SAGE
scientific advice and the guidance issued to date for schools and
colleges by the Department for Education has failed to provide
the assurances employers, teachers and parents need that schools
and colleges can be reopened safely.
Therefore, in the NASUWT’s view, there is a strong case for
guidance specifically for schools and colleges from the HSE which
offers clear guidance about managing and minimising the COVID-19
risks to pupils and staff.
Dr Roach said:
“Given the considerable uncertainty that remains about
whether schools will be in a position to reopen safely to more
children from 1 June, the NASUWT is today urging the Government
to immediately and urgently call on the Health and Safety
Executive’s expertise for assistance.
“We believe that the Health and Safety Executive has a key
role to play in meeting the Prime Minister’s commitment to ensure
that schools are “covid-secure” and “covid-compliant” for
children and for the teachers and other staff who work with
them.
“There is a strong case that urgent guidance needs to be
provided by the Health and Safety Executive in respect of the
management of COVID-19 risks in schools and other education
settings. It is surprising that this has not already
happened.
“We want to see work by the Health and Safety Executive to
assist school and college employers to be clearer about what
constitutes acceptable levels of risk in the management of
COVID-19 and how they should act to mitigate these risks.
“The involvement of the Health and Safety Executive would
also give teachers and parents reassurance and could reduce the
risk of the wider reopening of schools being interrupted
indefinitely.
“Harnessing the expertise of the Health and Safety
Executive as a regulator and enforcer of workplace health and
safety standards is now critically important as schools and
colleges prepare to ensure that they can reopen safely to more
children.”
Letters are attached