Use of School Equipment and Facilities - Risk Advisory Notices
Last updated: June 6th 2023.
Health & Safety Authority – Education
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the national body in Ireland with responsibility for occupational health and safety. Its role is to secure health and safety at work. The HSA website contains excellent guidance on the management of Health and Safety in schools which can be accessed at Health and Safety Authority
Inspection and Maintenance of School Equipment
Community and Comprehensive Schools must ensure that procedures are in place to ensure that school equipment (including sports equipment) is safe and does not present a risk of personal injury to students, staff or others. Please see the risk advisory notice below for guidance on the inspection and maintenance of school equipment.
Risk Advisory Notice - Inspection and Maintenance of School Equipment
Technology Workshop Safety
In 2004, the State Claims Agency (SCA) and the Department of Education and Science (DES) conducted a joint risk review to assess occupational health and safety standards in Post-primary technology workshops. The objective of the review was to assess existing occupational health and safety standards and to publish a report and guidelines, which would outline the measures (supplementary to existing guidance), required to address any deficiencies in safety standards that may have been identified. The findings of the review are set out in the report below:
Review of Occupational Health and Safety in the Technologies in Post-primary Schools
Post-Primary Guidelines – Part C – Risk Assessment Templates also contains a series of risk assessment templates for technology workshops.
Kubota tractors and attachments
A number of Community and Comprehensive School use Kubota tractors for lawn mowing and other maintenance duties. There have been some safety issues in relation to these machines and, in particular, with the use of lawn mowing attachments. Some of the lawn mowing attachments have not been fitted with the required safety features. The absence of these features has resulted in some serious accidents where the operators have come in contact with the blades. Please refer to the risk advisory notice below for guidance on the safety considerations for Kubota tractors and attachments.
Kubota tractors & attachments risk advisory notice
Adverse weather conditions
Adverse weather conditions refer to unfavourable or potentially harmful weather conditions that present an increased risk to safety and health. Although severe winters are not the norm in Ireland, based on the two successive winters of 2009-10 and 2010-11, we need to be prepared for the possibility. Please see the risk advisory notice below for guidance on dealing with adverse weather conditions.
Risk Advisory Notice - Adverse Weather Conditions
Goal Post Safety
In 2003, the State Claims Agency (SCA) carried out an assessment of goal posts in a sample of Community & Comprehensive Schools which identified that goal posts were improperly designed, manufactured, or installed (unstable and are either unanchored or incorrectly anchored or counterbalanced). Subsequently, a committee on goalpost safety was established by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) in 2005 in a bid to prevent serious injury and death.The committee consisted of representatives from the various sporting organisations (FAI/IRFU/GAA/Cumann Camogie); SCA; Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism; Technologists; County Councils; Department of Education and Science; Irish Sports Council and Manufacturers.
The committee in conjunction with the NSAI developed the following Goalpost Standards:
I.S. 356:This standard sets out requirements for the design and construction of goal posts.Schools should ensure that all goal posts purchased are manufactured to this standard.
I.S. 357: This standard sets out a code of practice for the procurement, installation, maintenance, inspection and storage of goalposts. All schools should implement the requirements set out in this standard.
Copies of the Goal Post Safety Standards can be purchased from the NSAI.
Please see information here on Goalpost Safety in Schools
Post-Primary Guidelines – Part C – Risk Assessment Templates also contains a template for risk assessing goal posts.
Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulations
The European Communities (Sustainable Use of Pesticides) regulations came into effect in 2012. Under these Regulations, from the 26th of November 2015, only registered professional users can apply pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, seed dressings, certain rodenticides etc.) which are supplied for professional use. It is therefore important that any individual user is trained and registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Risk Advisory Notice - European Communities (Sustainable Use of Pesticides) Regulations