Chapter I - Health and Safety

Part 3.0 Building Security and Safety

Section 3.1 Safety on School Grounds

Policy Statement:

Safety on School Grounds

The Board is committed to providing a nurturing, respectful educational and work environment, where the worth and dignity of individuals are valued and their safety and rights are protected. Behaviors or actions that compromise this commitment interfere with school operations or are otherwise contrary to the basic mission of APA, which is:

To provide an orderly, safe and nurturing learning environment wherein content-rich, efficient curriculum and research-based instructional methodologies are utilized to ensure that every student achieves academic success and develops good character based on concrete measurements.

All employees of the School share responsibility for the health, safety and general welfare of students and bear a professional responsibility to monitor school safety and respond accordingly to both observed and reported safety concerns.

It is school policy to comply with all relevant statutory and regulatory provisions and to take such additional measures as it considers necessary. To achieve this the school will, at a minimum, operate to legal requirements and established standards of good practice and will as far as is reasonably practicable.  The school will:

  1. Manage its activities in such a way as to ensure that the health, safety and welfare of all employees, students, and any other persons on its premises are not put at risk.
  2. Provide and maintain school facilities and surrounding premises that are safe and without risk to health and is adequate with regard to facilities and arrangements for the welfare at school of all students, staff and visitors.
  3. Make arrangements for ensuring safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.
  4. Provide the necessary information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure the health and safety of all employees, students and any other persons on school grounds.
  5. Maintain at all times a condition that is safe and without risk to health and provide and maintain means of safe access and egress, in accordance with applicable fire and safety codes.
  6. Promote through consultation and other means, the active involvement of all staff and students in the development, promotion, implementation and monitoring of measures provided for health, safety and welfare.
  7. Ensure that risk assessments are carried out at least monthly by staff and annually by Resource Management.
  8. Seek the advice of outside parties on health and safety matters when necessary.
  9. Investigate thoroughly all accidents and unusual occurrences affecting health and safety.
  10. Provide a set of standards and guidance to assist those responsible for the implementation of this policy.
  11. Monitor compliance with safety measures by regular inspection, monitoring and auditing.
  12. Provide adequate resources to enable the requirements of this policy to be achieved.

At School level, the responsibility for safety matters rests with the Director, CFO and Operations Manager.  This responsibility includes:

  1. Performing fire drills as required.
  2. Not permitting any work to start unless a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks involved in the work has been carried out.
  3. Maintaining awareness within the School of relevant regulations/codes of practice.
  4. Instituting suitable (annual) inspection, monitoring and reporting procedures to ensure the requirements of all applicable fire codes are being met.