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Education: Specialist schools
These are the most common injuries and hazards for people working in specialist schools, as shown by injury claims.
Injury Hotspot skeleton diagram, text information below.
Hazards
- Hazard 1Challenging behaviour
- Room layout and design must support employee safety. For example,
- mechanical lifting aids
- location of desks
- multiple exits.
- Implement duress/assistance plans and ensure that staff know how to seek assistance.
- Risk (re)assessment of students should occur at least annually and be linked to behaviour management plans.
- Room layout and design must support employee safety. For example,
- Hazard 2Classroom and office ergonomics
- Provide appropriate workstations. This includes home offices or off-site work areas. For example:
- height-adjustable chairs
- computers with height-adjustable monitors
- adequate lighting
- desk and foot space
- mouse pad area
- docking station for laptops.
- Ensure sufficient storage and display space to support good housekeeping.
- Provide appropriate workstations. This includes home offices or off-site work areas. For example:
- Hazard 3Lifting and moving children and equipment
- Provide appropriate mechanical aids and equipment. For example:
- height-adjustable change tables
- cots with a higher working base
- height-adjustable highchairs with removable trays
- height-adjustable trolleys for shifting goods in and out of vehicles
- wheeled trolleys or frames for laundry bags.
- Ensure mechanical aids and equipment are used properly and maintained in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
- Develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures to reduce the risks of the industry and communicate them to all staff.
- Ensure employees and contractors receive a site induction and ongoing training (for example, about how to use any risk controls).
- Train employees and contractors in the selection and use of any mechanical aids and equipment and safe handling methods. For example:
- repetitive stacking work should be carried out between shoulder and mid-thigh height
- large or awkward objects should be transported on dollies.
- Store frequently used heavy objects at waist level.
- Design and position shelves for easy access.
- School camps and outdoor activities require OHS planning to minimise the risk of injury (for example, provide appropriate personal protective equipment and ensure its correct use).
- Provide appropriate mechanical aids and equipment. For example:
- Hazard 4Psychosocial
- Psychosocial hazards are factors in the design or management of work that increase the risk of psychological or physical harm. Examples include:
- work-related violence
- work-related fatigue
- workplace bullying
- work-related gendered violence including sexual harassment
- violent or traumatic events
- remote and isolated work
- high and low job demands
- low job control
- poor support.
- Ensure systems are in place to identify, assess and control risks to psychological health in consultation with employees and contractors, contractors and any HSRs. Systems should include processes for regularly reviewing and revising risk control measures to ensure effectiveness.
- Consider the design and management of work. For example:
- o Are employee and contractor tasks appropriate for skill level and experience?
- Do employees and contractors have adequate training, resources and support?
- Is workload allocated to ensure it is reasonable and appropriate to skillset?
- Do employees and contractors have clear roles and reporting lines?
- Ensure systems are in place for employees and contractors to report psychosocial hazards and risks. Employees and contractors should be confident their concerns will be addressed in a fair and timely manner.
- Provide employees and contractors with adequate support. For example, supervisory support, peer support and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).
- Psychosocial hazards are factors in the design or management of work that increase the risk of psychological or physical harm. Examples include:
- Hazard 5Working with machinery
- Ensure all machinery complies with the Australian Standard for machine guarding.
- Use lock-out/tag-out systems when cleaning or maintaining high risk equipment (for example, bench saws and drills in technology rooms).
- Ensure students are adequately supervised when working directly with or near machinery.
Information about common injuries
By highlighting the areas on the body where workers in their industry are likely to get injured, users are encouraged to click within the interactive graphic to reveal the most common causes of those injuries. Injury hotspots then list the leading hazards in each industry or occupation, along with tips to help address those hazards.
Putting injury hotspots into action
Injury hotspots is a quick and easy tool that people can use for:
- improving general safety awareness
- training and induction materials
- promoting occupational health and safety programs
- preventing injuries in the workplace.
Injury hotspots disclaimer
This information does not give rise to any liability of, or claim against, WorkSafe Victoria. It does not give rise to any right, expectation, duty or obligation that a person may not otherwise have. It does not give rise to any defence that would not otherwise be available to a person.
This information does not affect the operation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 or the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017.
Please note these injuries and hazards are based on historical claims data. There may also be new common injuries and hazards emerging at your workplace which will need to be addressed.