Health & Safety Policy for use by Euphoria Dance

1. POLICY STATEMENT

All staff and students have a right to operate in an environment where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. As a dance teacher it is my policy to maintain safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for everyone involved, and to provide such information, training and supervision as necessary for this purpose. This policy relates to my own teaching practice, and to my role as the principal of Euphoria Dance.

Where reasonably practicable, this policy will seek to provide and encourage:

• A safe place to work and safe dance environment, with safe access to and from
• Safe arrangements for the use, handling and storage of equipment
• Sufficient information, instructions, training and supervision to ensure any/all employees are well equipped to avoid hazards and contribute positively to effective Health & Safety at work

The policy will be kept up to date, particularly as I/Euphoria changes in nature and size, to ensure our responsibilities are met in relation to:

• Health & Safety at Work Act (1974)
• Management Regulations (1999)
• Other relevant current legislation

The policy will be reviewed annually.

2. AS A DANCE TEACHER AND EMPLOYER, I UNDERSTAND IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO:

• Decide what could harm staff/students and take the precautions necessary to stop it
• Plan dance sessions and complete all necessary risk assessments for the activities undertaken
• Explain how risks will be controlled and tell staff who are responsible for this (either myself or an appointed Health & Safety Officer)
• Consult and work with any staff I employ in order to protect everyone from harm in the work place/dance environment
• Provide necessary Health & Safety training for any staff employed
• Provide a first aid kit for dance sessions and maintain an accident book
• Report any major injuries to the Health & Safety Executive
• Have the appropriate insurances in place. This includes displaying insurance certificates where they can be easily read.
• Work with any other employers sharing the work place/dance environment to ensure that everyone’s health and safety is protected.

3. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL STAFF INVOLVED TO:

• Help maintain the safety and security of the participants involved and the working/dancing environment
• Be aware of the risks, knowing the appropriate action to take and identifying any potential safety issues
• Ensure reasonable care is taken during their work activities to avoid accidents or injuries to themselves, students and other people in the vicinity.
• Follow any training they have received when using equipment or materials in a dance session
• Observe all safety instructions and procedures incorporated in this document
• Cooperate with me as their employer
• Report all potential hazards affecting Health & Safety to me as their employer
• Report all accidents to me as their employer and record them in the accident book

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KEY POLICY GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTIONS

1. ACCIDENTS AND FIRST AID

• All accidents should be recorded in the accident book (available at each dance session)
• A First Aid kit will be provided for all dance sessions
• Unless there is good reason, First Aid should not be administered without a participant’s permission or, if they are under 18 years old, without the permission of their parent or accompanying adult
• If a participant needs a doctor or hospital, call the emergency services. It is nearly always best to stay with a participant and wait for the ambulance.
• You should only take the risk of taking a participant to hospital yourself if the emergency services ask you to do so because of exceptional circumstances.

2. SAFETY CHECKS
3. a) Equipment

Correct storage of equipment is vital to minimising risks. Any equipment not being used is a potential risk. Every piece of equipment that is being used must be checked at the beginning of the dance session to ensure its safety. In addition, care must be taken to:

• make sure all equipment/resources used are safely and securely stored after each session
• any damaged equipment is removed from use
• set up equipment correctly and safely
• identify when/where safety mats should be used and ensure that they are used correctly
• ensure that participants are shown how to use the equipment correctly and safely
• ensure that no student is able to access equipment without supervision

1. b) Dance Studio

Before participants enter the studio you should:

• ensure floors are clean with foreign bodies removed
• check mirrors are unbroken
• check plug sockets are safe with no wires showing
• check the curtains are in a stable condition and not falling/fallen down
• ensure doors and exits are secure and there is nothing blocking emergency exits
• identify any light fittings/light switches that are not working or loose

1. c) Participants

• Ensure all students are wearing appropriate dance wear and footwear to minimize accidents or risk.
• Safety/protection clothing must be worn when appropriate (i.e knee pads)
• FIRE SAFETY 3
• A no smoking policy is in operation at all times
• It is crucial that any dance teacher involved in activities maintains a working

knowledge of the fire procedure for the building in which they are working, including the location of fire alarms and fire exit. Make sure you familiarise yourself with a building’s fire procedure and the location of fire alarms and fire exists before your dance session starts.

• A register of students must be taken at the start of each session.
• In the event of a fire/fire alarm, all students must gather at a designated meeting place, and the dance teacher must complete a roll-call and liaise with Fire Service personnel.

4. SECURITY

• Anyone wishing to enter the dance session that is not a student of Euphoria Dance must be escorted by a member of staff
• Any unidentified person seen on the premises must be reported to the dance teacher in charge immediately

APPENDIX 1: FIRST AID AND CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE

When you are working with children and young people who are under 18 years old:

• Remember that a child/young person cannot give consent if the parent/accompanying adult is not at the premises, obtain their phone number and try and make contact
• If a child/young person is alone and seriously injured or unconscious, the situation will need to be dealt with immediately
• If at all possible, treatment should only be given by a trained First Aider
• Provided this does not in itself put the child/young person at risk, always try to administer First Aid with another adult present
• Always tell the child/young person exactly what you are doing and why

Unless it is irrelevant, ask the child/young person if they use medication (e.g. for asthma, diabetes, and epilepsy) or have any allergies. Some people have allergic reactions to stings.

• For minor injuries, you may not offer any medication, including antiseptics or pills of any kind. If you have any doubts about helping someone to use their own medication, phone National Health Service Direct on 0845 4647 or the emergency services.
• Any treatment should be as little as necessary without threatening the child/young person’s wellbeing.

APPENDIX 2: FIRE EVACTUATION GUIDELINES

If you discover a fire:

• Activate the fire alarm if there is one, supervise the safe and orderly evacuation of participants and any other people in your vicinity.
• Keep calm. Try to keep others calm.
• Without prolonging your evacuation, do a quick check of corridors, toilets etc on your way out, to check they are empty.
• In the event of hearing a fire alarm while leading a session:
• You are responsible for yourself and the participants in your session:
• Evacuate participants in your session from the building immediately using the nearest fire exit. If possible take a quick head count. Under no circumstances must you stop to collect any personal belongings or equipment.
• Assemble at the agreed fire point
• Take a register of your participants and liaise with any Fire Service personnel – any absences or concerns should be reported immediately
• Do not re-enter the building until you are informed to do so by a designated Health & Safety Officer or the Fire Service personnel