The NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union is seeking immediate and robust
action from the Government to ensure that all school and college
employers carry out fresh risk assessments in light of the
increased Covid-19 threat level across the country.
As new national restrictions come into force, the NASUWT is also
calling on employers to publish their risk assessments and to
explain to parents and to employees the additional safety
measures they are putting into place to prevent the spread of the
virus within schools and colleges.
The NASUWT is also concerned that some employers are becoming
complacent in their approach to ensuring staff safety and are
refusing to consult with the workforce or trade unions.
The Union has also committed to taking appropriate action where
employers fail to meet their legal obligations for the health and
safety of staff.
In the latest survey of NASUWT members, in which 7,440 responded,
just one-third of teachers (34%) believe the control measures in
their school are adequate, compared to 46% who said they were
not.
In addition, the NASUWT submitted Freedom of Information requests
to employers on whether they had updated their risk assessments
and carried out equality impact assessments. Only a minority of
employers had confirmed that they had done so.
More than one in three teachers (36%) reported that their schools
had not updated or reviewed their covid-19 risk assessments since
the start of the autumn term. In addition, 38% of teachers said
that they had not been consulted on any revisions to their
employer’s risk assessments.
More than two thirds (68%) said they did not know if their school
plans to update its risk assessment and nearly a third (29%) said
their school does plan to update it.
More than a quarter of teachers (27%) said appropriate measures
had not been put in place in their schools to ensure adequate
ventilation in classrooms.
NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said:
“In light of the widespread evidence of increased Covid-19
transmission levels in schools and colleges, employers have a
duty to review and update regularly their Covid-19 risk
assessments and control measures.
“Despite the latest Government guidance which makes clear that
employers should now take steps to maximise control measures in
place, the Government now needs to confirm how it will ensure
that employers take all the steps necessary to limit the spread
of Covid-19.
“The Government must take tough action against those school and
college employers that breach health and safety requirements or
guidelines.
“The publication of new advice by the Government will not be
enough to prevent the continued spread of the virus in primary,
secondary and special schools or in colleges.
“Fewer than one in five education settings have been contacted as
part of the Health and Safety Executive’s spot checks and only
200 schools have been visited by the HSE since the start of
September. This is simply not good enough.
“More needs to be done to secure public confidence and to provide
reassurance to teachers and other staff who are working hard to
support children’s learning and wellbeing during the pandemic.
"Employers cannot continue to keep schools and colleges open on
the basis of outdated risk assessments that were produced when
Covid-19 transmission levels were significantly lower.”
