The Museum works to maintain a positive health and safety culture and fulfil legal and other requirements. This requires commitment and active co-operation by staff, scientific associates and volunteers alike, supported by sufficient resources, training and guidance.
The Museum is committed to a safe and healthy working environment and achieves this by:
- Eliminating hazards and reducing risks through a robust programme of audit, inspection and risk assessment.
- Providing and maintaining materials, equipment and machinery that are safe and do not present unacceptable risks.
- Delivering information, instruction, training and supervision as necessary to ensure everybody can work safely.
- Ensuring safe working practices wherever the Museum operates, to meet the expectation of a safe and healthy working environment and the prevention of work-related injury and ill health.
- Identifying risks and opportunities to ensure continual improvement in health and safety performance.
- Providing adequate resources for the effective management of health and safety.
The Museum believes commitment to health and safety is essential in the proper execution of management responsibilities. All managers will maintain the necessary competencies and skills to effectively manage their health and safety responsibilities. Health and safety will be an integral part of planning and implementation at all levels.
The Museum recognises the importance of effective communication and consultation with staff and the importance of Trade Union-appointed staff representatives in achieving this.
The Museum will ensure the safety of visitors, partners and contractors at all sites, events and partnership collaborations.
This health and safety policy will be reviewed regularly and revised as required. It will be available to all staff, scientific associates, volunteers and students and bought to the attention of others working with or for the Museum.
Organisation
The Board of Trustees are accountable for discharging the Museum’s legal obligations with regard to health and safety. The Board of Trustees delegate day to day responsibility for health and safety matters to the Museum Director.
The Museum Director delegates responsibility to the Executive Directors for the health and safety of all those affected by the activities carried out within the boundaries of their executive authority.
Executive Directors are expected to co-operate with the Board of Trustees and the Museum Director and implement the requirements of the Museum’s health and safety management system including, but not limited to:
- Ensuring the Health and Safety Policy Statement of Intent commitments are met.
- Ensuring processes for consultation and participation of workers is effective and supporting the establishment and functioning of health and safety committees.
- Communicating the importance of effective OH&S management and ensuring that the OH&S management system achieves its intended outcomes.
- Developing, leading and promoting a culture that supports the intended outcomes of the OH&S management system and ensuring and promoting continual improvement.
- Ensuring adequate resources to maintain a safe and healthy workplace. Resources include but are not limited to training, instruction and other development to maintain competence, the provision of work equipment including personal protective equipment and processes to ensure the continued performance of work equipment through statutory inspection and testing and other required maintenance, inspection and testing.
The Chief Operating Officer has additional, specific health and safety duties:
- Act as deputy to the Museum Director in their absence.
- Convening and chairing the Museum Health and Safety Committee with the co-operation of the recognised Trade Unions.
- Ensuring the health and safety management system conforms to the requirements of ISO 45001 and reporting performance to the Executive Board and Board of Trustees.
Whilst retaining overall responsibility, Executive Directors may delegate authority to other staff for aspects of health and safety management within the boundaries of their executive authority.
All managers are expected to co-operate with the Museum and implement the requirements of the Museum’s health and safety management system including, but not limited to:
- The reporting and investigation of incidents.
- Identification of hazards and management of risks.
- Ensuring the competence of staff, scientific associates, students and volunteers.
- Ensuring adequate resources are provided to maintain a safe and healthy environment, including emergency arrangements. Resources include, but are not limited to, training, instruction and other development to maintain competence, the provision of work equipment including personal protective equipment and, processes to ensure the continued performance of work equipment through statutory inspection and testing and other required maintenance, inspection and testing.
All managers have a responsibility for the health and safety of the staff, scientific associates, volunteers and students and the activities they manage both on site and elsewhere. All managers are responsible for ensuring, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of all visitors, contractors and others who may be affected by the activities they manage both on site and elsewhere.
The Head of Health and Safety is appointed to provide advice to the Museum Director, Executive Board, managers and individuals on matters of health and safety. The Head of Health and Safety is responsible for ensuring the H&S management system conforms to the requirements of ISO 45001 and, reporting performance to the senior management team.
Additional Fire, Health and Safety Advisors will be appointed to provide general and specialist advice as part of the Museum Health and Safety Unit (HSU).
To maintain the positive health and safety culture to which the Museum aspires all staff must be competent and have the knowledge and skills to discharge their health and safety responsibilities. To this end staff are expected to acquire the information, instruction and training necessary and to maintain their competencies during their employment.
All staff are expected to:
- To take reasonable care for their health and safety and the health and safety of anyone who may be affected by their actions or non- action at work.
- To cooperate with the Museum or other site user and comply with agreed safety arrangements. To not intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare in pursuance of any of the relevant statutory provisions.
- To only use machinery, equipment, hazardous substances etc. that they have the competency to use safety and in accordance with safe systems of work.
- To report to their manager, the manager of the workspace or the HSU, any work situation representing a serious and imminent danger. To make safe such a work situation if possible.
- To report to their manager, the manager of the workspace or the HSU any shortcoming in health and safety protection arrangements.
Arrangements
The provision of first aid assistance is determined by an assessment of risk as required by the First Aid at Work Regulations. For Natural History Museum (NHM) sites the number of suitably trained first aiders is assessed by the HSU. For fieldwork, offsite working and events the assessment of first aid requirements is the responsibility of the leader or event manager.
Facilities and equipment
First aid rooms in South Kensington
- Earth Science (PA G03)
- Earth Gallery Entrance
- Schools Assembly Area (WX B10)
Dedicated first aid rooms are not available at Tring, Wandsworth or Erith.
Defibrillators in South Kensington
- Museum shop
- Red Zone Visitor Information Desk
- Darwin Centre Café
At Tring the defibrillator is in the lift lobby, first floor. At Wandsworth the defibrillator is in the Security Office.
First Aid kits
First aid kits are located throughout the Museum, in communal areas such as kitchens and stairwells. Contents adhere to British Standard BS8599-1 for a medium kit:
- 1x first aid guidance leaflet 4x medium dressings
- 3x large dressings
- 3x triangular bandages 2x conforming bandages 3x eye dressings
- 60x assorted plasters 30x sterile wipes
- 2x microporous tape 9x gloves (pair)
- 3x finger dressings 1x face shield
- 2 x foil blanket
- 2x burn dressings 1x clothing cutters
Fieldwork first aid kits should be appropriate to the activities, location and level of risk.
Additional first aid supplies are stored in grab bags to manage serious or multiple injuries. They are kept at the following locations. The contents are maintained by the Visitor Operations team.
How to contact a first aider at a Museum site
The Security team on each site has a list of all first aiders and will contact the nearest person and direct them to the incident.
The security team can be contacted by telephone on:
South Kensington ext. 6666 (020 7942 6666)
Tring ext. 7777 (020 7942 7777)
Wandsworth ext. 3333 (020 7942 3333)
At least one member of staff working at Erith will be a trained first aider.
Events are assessed individually. The requirement for first aid cover will be part of the event risk assessment and will be provided by both internal and external first aiders depending on the results of the assessment.
When working in remote locations without access to immediate emergency support at least one member of the team must have the appropriate level of first aid training and a suitable first aid kit. If the activity is medium or high risk or the location is several hours from emergency support the team should have more than one suitably trained first aider. The number of first aiders, training and contents of first aid equipment should be identified by a risk assessment.
When working at a third party’s site with access to emergency support first aid arrangements must be agreed beforehand either provided by the third party or the NHM team.
First aid training is organised by the Learning and Development Team. First aid training is provided by an appointed training company. There are several first aid courses delivered at the Museum. Any person providing first aid assistance on site, during fieldwork or otherwise working off-site must have the appropriate level of training and maintain their skills, knowledge and understanding.
Staff providing first aid at an NHM site must hold an up to date First Aid at Work certificate delivered by a trainer registered with the HSE to deliver FAW certificated training. Other qualifications, either from the UK or overseas are not recognised.
Requalification is required every three years and takes two days, classroom or classroom + e- learning.
There are several first aid courses designed to provide the required competence depending on the activity and level of risk. The appropriate training should be identified by risk assessment and discussing requirements with the Learning and Development team and First Aid training provider.
Emergency Evacuation
The fire alarm at South Kensington has two stages which means an evacuation will not automatically be triggered if the fire alarm is activated:
- If a fire alarm call point/ break glass (red box, see picture) or more than one detector is activated the fire alarm will sound and the affected zone will be evacuated.
- If one detector is activated the alarm will not sound immediately, the security team will investigate and, depending on what the security team find the alarm system will be stopped or the zone will be evacuated.
The alarm systems at Tring and Wandsworth are single stage alarms. When the alarm is triggered, the whole site goes into full alarm and everyone should evacuate
Evacuation
Front of house evacuations are managed by the Visitor Experience, retail and catering staff.
All front of house areas are checked to confirm they are empty and to identify anybody requiring assistance to evacuate. Members of the public are assisted out of the building and instructed to disperse at South Kensington. At Tring members of the public can disperse or assemble.
For back of house evacuations staff should evacuate and make their way to the designated assembly point(s). Staff are responsible for assisting their visitors during an evacuation. Staff requiring assistance to evacuate should follow their Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP). Visitors to back of house areas who require assistant to evacuate should follow evacuation plans established for them by their NHM host.
At South Kensington back of house evacuation is based on fire marshal sweeping areas and reporting into the Senior Fire Marshal the areas that are clear, this information is then conveyed to the Incident Manager. At Tring back of house evacuation is based upon the Incident Manger undertaking a roll call of staff and visitors using the signing in sheet. At Wandsworth Security undertaken roll call using the signing in sheet.
Back of House Fire Marshals South Kensington
- Trained fire marshals sweep work areas before evacuating and going to their designated assembly point.
- On arrival at the designated assembly point fire marshals report to a senior fire marshal to let them know their area is clear or if someone requires assistance or is refusing to leave.
- The senior fire marshal liaises with security staff, passing information from fire marshals on to the Incident Manager in the Control Room. The Incident Manager liaises with the emergency services and will pass any relevant information directly to them.
- Information about the situation, how long the evacuation is likely to last and when the building has been reopened is communicated from the Incident Manager to the senior fire marshal to fire marshals and then to staff.
Alarms
The fire alarm signal at South Kensington is a voice message. An alarm activation triggers two voice messages in the museum. Evacuate’ (male voice) messages will sound in the zone of the building where the alarm has activated. The message will state: ‘Attention please, attention please. This is an emergency evacuation, please leave the Museum by the nearest available exit.’ An ‘Alert’ (female voice) message will be sounded in all other areas of the building. The alert message will state: ‘Attention please, attention please. There is an emergency situation elsewhere in the Museum, please standby in your location for further instructions.’
The male and female voices are used to make the messages distinct and avoid confusion particularly in areas where it is possible to hear a different message from an adjoining area.
Visual alarms (flashing beacons) are provided in addition to the audible alarms in locations where people may be wearing hearing protection or background noise levels necessitate. The visual alarms activate when either an alert or evacuate message is transmitted in a zone. The visual alarm is the same for both the alert and evacuate messages.
Reoccupation of buildings will be managed by the Incident Manager with support from the Security team and other designated people. The Incident Manager is the only person who can authorise reoccupation after an evacuation.
Reoccupation is a managed process to ensure all necessary staff are back in position before visitors' re-enter and sufficiant staff remain outside to supervise public re-entry.
Tring
The arrangements are similar to those at South Kensington. However because the whole site evacuates simultaneously when the alarm is triggered there is no alert message, building users will only hear the Evacuate message (male voice) the message will state: ‘Attention please, attention please. This is an emergency evacuation, please leave the Museum by the nearest available exit.