Visitors
On arrival, all visitors to a school (other than staff and students) are to report to the administration building. Schools will require visitors to 'sign in and out' of the school and issue them official visitor identification. Identification should be worn at all times. Any person on school grounds without visitor identification should be referred to administration. Other departmental workplaces will implement visitor, contractor and security protocols relevant to the site.
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Contractors
All workplaces will, at some time, engage contractors to carry out work at their sites. Contractors include people engaged to perform work who are not directly employed by the school/workplace. In many instances work processes will be carried out near classrooms, ovals or other areas occupied by students or staff while the workplace is in operation.
It is important that good lines of communication between the workplace and the contractor are established before work commences to ensure that health and safety issues associated with the work are managed, these relate to employees and students and the contractors.
All staff need to be fully informed of any special arrangements and kept informed of changes that may impact on the routine operations. Supervision of students who may be nearest to the work site is of particular importance.
Principals and managers have overall responsibility for their workplace. If principals and managers are concerned with work activities being undertaken, these should be raised immediately with the contractor. Advice can be sought from the health and safety advisor (HSA), regional facilities manager or regional health and safety consultant.
Typical issues that schools will need to discuss with contractors prior to work starting include:
- effect of work on workplace activities (e.g. use of heavy machinery on site, noise, dust)
- safety arrangements the contractor will have in place
- vehicle & equipment movement on grounds
- timing of activities (e.g. can it be done when students have left the grounds)
- areas affected (e.g. appropriate barricading of work areas, safe access around the site)
- maintenance of essential utility services (water, sewerage, electricity, telephone, etc.)
- managing excessive noise, dust or fumes
- protocols for communicating between the department and contractor (e.g. regular meetings)
- hand-over process at the completion of the work.
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