Computer Laboratory

Policy on the Presence of Children on University Premises

The University's policy on the presence of children on University premises balances the requirements of health and safety regulations and the legitimate need, in certain circumstances, for children to be admitted to University premises.

This will ensure that where children are on University premises their safety is assured, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Children under the age of 16 may be admitted to University premises, other than areas open to the public, only with the permission of the Head of the Department or Institution or of an authorised deputy, except where special arrangements have been made to accommodate them (e.g. the University Nursery, as subjects of study, departmental open days etc.)

Children may not be admitted to laboratories, animal accommodation, kitchens or other hazardous areas.

Heads of Departments, in giving permission for children to be admitted to their departments, should ensure that the appropriate risk assessments have been carried out, and suitable and sufficient control measures are in place and operational.

Notes of Guidance to assist Heads of Departments.

  1. Background
    1. The Health and Safety at Work Act imposes responsibilities on employers (and persons concerned with premises) to those who are not their employees to ensure that, as far as is reasonably practicable their premises are safe and without risk to health. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require employers to assess the risks to workers and any others who may be affected by their undertaking and for safety management systems to be in place.
    2. The University Insurers, Sun Alliance have expressed an opinion about the presence of children (Appendix 1).
    3. Children may be on University premises for a number of reasons. The following are examples:
      1. `Public' areas: Museums, Galleries, Botanic Gardens, University Centre, Sports Ground etc.
      2. Client, patient (or child of client or patient)
      3. Subject of study e.g. Psychology
      4. University Nursery
      5. Children of University Officers or Assistants who are required to occupy an official residence.
      6. "Open days" and similar events
      7. Work experience
      8. Social occasions in University Departments/grounds e.g. Christmas parties,leaving parties etc.
      9. Brought into Department/Office etc., by working or student parent(s), or guardian by choice, or due to emergency situation.
      10. Waiting, for example, after school for parent, guardian or other person.
      11. Trespassers
    4. Categories (a) - (g) are on the premises legitimately.
    5. Trespassers (k), should not be on the premises but the University still owes them a duty of care. (See Sun Alliance letter-Appendix I)
    6. Instances illustrated by (h), (i) and (j) are generally uncontrolled or unplanned and seem to present the most difficulties to the University.
  2. Guidance

    Notes

    • The term "children/child" to apply to persons between birth and 16 years. (Individuals of 16 and 17 years are young persons, and anyone over 18, adult).
    • It does not include children in utero or people intending pregnancy. (There are specific regulations and HSE guidance on pregnant women and nursing mothers Appendix 3).
    • "University premises" to include all buildings, grounds, roadways, vehicles and other means of transport.
    1. The Head of Department is responsible for what happens in his/her department and when drawing up departmental safety policies and procedures all members of the department should take the possible presence of children into account just as they would any other person or visitor.

      Particular attention should be paid to:

      1. Social events in Department; requirement for containment, and supervision by a responsible adult at all times. Restriction of access to stairs, lifts, laboratories, kitchens, workshops, animal accommodation or any other hazardous areas.
      2. Open Days
      3. Work Experience: placements are co-ordinated by the Assistant Staff Office. No arrangements for work experience must be made without the agreement of the Assistant Staff Office.
      4. Construction/building work.
      5. "Emergency situations" see additional guidance note at end.
    2. Departments must monitor and enforce their written policy regarding children just as they must all other health and safety policies.
    3. Parents have a responsibility and indeed a legal duty under paragraph 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act, to ensure that their children are not put to risk or endanger others by their actions.
    4. In all cases where children might be present on University premises, a risk assessment should be carried out and arrangements must be made for their safe containment and supervision.
    5. The vast majority of University premises have not been, and are not, designed with the needs of children in mind. In general the University does not have the facilities to contain children safely outside the University Nursery or where specific formal arrangements have been put in place, such as:
      1. Client, patient (or child of client or patient)
      2. Subject of study e.g. Psychology
      3. Open days
      4. Work experience (see Appendix 2)
    6. Consequently the University does not encourage the presence of children on the majority of University premises, but there are exceptions such as:
      1. The Museums and Galleries
      2. The Botanic Gardens
      where classes and activities may be specifically targeted at children.
    7. There are other areas such as the University Centre and University Sports and Social Club which are not designed with children in mind but where people expect to be able to take their children, moreover it is available to the "public" for private functions etc. All such areas, and where children are admitted as `the public' should take the particulal needs of children into account e.g. spacing between stair rails and other structural design features
    8. Children are not allowed in laboratories, workshops. animal accommodation or kitchens. A notice to this effect should be posted on the doors of such areas and everyone informed.

      There may be exceptions in cases of work experience trainees, who are considered employees (see Appendix 2), open days, and where children are the subject of study.

    9. Children should not normally be allowed to walk through Departments alone. They should be collected from some suitable predetermined point e.g. foyer, reception at a predetermined time.
    10. It should not be forgotten that this policy and guidance applies equally to the children of University Officers or Assistants who are required to occupy an official residence as a condition of their employment.
    11. Trespassers
      In Sun Alliance's opinion the University has duty of care. Hence, where it is impossible to prevent access, all reasonable care must be taken to ensure that the trespasser is not put at risk.
  3. "Emergency Situations" Additional Guidance Note for where child care problems are encountered by parents or guardians. These occasions should be rare and exceptional. Should such a situation arise:
    • It is the clear responsibility of the responsible adult to make the Head of Department aware of the child's presence, whenever possible before the event, and to discuss the safety aspects with him/her at that time.
    • At which time the Head of Department may need to consult with the Departmental Safety Officer, Biological Safety, Officer, Radiation Protection Supervisor or The University Safety Adviser's Office, and others.
    • If the Head of Department is unavailable then his `her authorised deputy must be consulted and agreement obtained.
    • Such matters as supervision and containment of the child,and what to do if an emergency such as a fire arises etc. should be discussed.
    • There have been a number of occasions when students staff have thought that bringing their children, young babies in particular, into work was their only option, but on exploration of the situation it is very often found that this is not the case and other more satisfactory arrangements can be made e.g. working from home.

      Heads of Department and others, if necessary, can contact the following from whom further advice and information may be obtained:

      Mrs J. Woodhouse (Assistant Staff Office - Tel No: 32344)
      Dr. M. F. Hunt (Old Schools, Tel No: 32268)

Sun Alliance International

Dear Sirs

CHILDREN ON UNIVERSITY PREMISES

Further to your letter dated 25 July 1994 and the accompanying enclosures.

Having considered the contents therein we would make the following observations:

In respect of the "Take our Daughters to Work Days" we would confirm that this is acceptable to ourselves as long as the Daughters accompanying their Mothers are fully supervised.

In respect of the children on premises we agree fully with the opinion that bringing any children on to the premises should be very strongly discouraged and feel that this stance should be maintained.

Finally, on the matter of dangers to children who trespass on University sites, we feel that the University owe a duty of care to any visitor or trespasser on their premises.

Unless there is a procedure in place to specifically deny access to the premises the University must accept the duty of care imposed and we would confirm that the policy would extend to include such a circumstance.

We trust the above comments will prove useful, however, should you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact the writer.

Yours faithfully

A. Dwelley

For Sun Alliance International

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY WORK EXPERIENCE and INSURANCE Requirements

  1. The Government wants all school and further education college students to have experience of the world of work before they leave school or college. The University has an impressive record of co-operation with the local community and provides many work experience placements each year.
  2. Work Experience - is still governed by the Education (Work Experience) Act 1993. It involves pupils in performing live tasks in the workplace; typically pupils may spend 1-3 weeks with the employer. Only those in the last 12 months of compulsory schooling or older, may engage in it. The school or college should have arrangements for the checking and monitoring of placements.
  3. Insurance Arrangements - Pupils on work experience schemes are treated as employees for the purpose of personal injury insurance (ie the pupils are covered against accident or injury caused to the pupil by the negligence of the employer or another employee). The Public Liability Policy also provides cover for the employer against liability for loss or damage or injury caused by the pupil while he/she is acting as a servant of the employer, to other employees or to a third party.
  4. Cambridge Area Work Experience (AWE) System - The Local Education Authority (LEA) has, for a number of years provided an additional Personal Accident insurance to cover the student against injury to herself/himself caused by accident during the course of her/his work with the employer. The administration of work experience placements is co- ordinated by Cambridgeshire Careers Guidance Ltd (formerly known as Cambridgeshire Careers Service), who liaise between schools and employers. The Cambridge AWE system works well; it is recognised that the employer has a duty of care~, but also that the school or further education college has a similar duty and adequate personal accident insurance is secured by the school/college for each student during the placement.
  5. Work experience requests from sources outwith the support of the Careers Service system often demonstrate an ignorance of arrangements for checking and monitoring placements or insurance requirements; indeed many such pupils are now left to seek out their own placements via family and other contacts. It is not unusual for private' arrangements to be made directly between students and University staff; when this happens the role and responsibility of the school or college is unclear. This places the University, as the formal employer, in a difficult and potentially dangerous legal position. These situations are awkward and time-consuming to unravel without rancour! Please follow the guidance given in 6(b) and 6(c) in these cases.
  6. Work Experience within Cambridge University - The Committee for Training has decided that the University, as the formal employer, will require school or college supervision and personal accident provision similar to that provided by the LEA scheme which has been co-ordinated by the Careers Service for the past few years. The LEA scheme is described within a Letter of Understanding' which is updated from time to time and is available from the Assistant Staff Office (Training).

    In effect, this means:

    1. Work Experience placements made via Cambridge Careers Guidance Ltd or Cambridge Regional College which are subject to the school/college monitoring and insurance arrangements may continue to be accepted. Guidance on any aspect of work experience in these cases should be sought from the Assistant Staff Office.

      However, any department which is planning to take a work Experience student for the first time should advise the Assistant Staff Office (Training) of the student's name, school or college, and dates of the planned work experience in advance of the placement.

      In the case of a request for a placement for a student with special needs e.g. a disabled student, the Assistant Staff Office should also be advised prior to the start of the placement of the student's name, school/college, and dates of the planned work experience.

    2. Work Experience requests from any other source (e.g. a college not named above) may not be accepted without prior reference to the Assistant Staff Office (Training). This will enable scrutiny of the arrangements for the monitoring of the placement and the provision of Personal Accident Insurance for the student.
    3. Any direct enquiries from students for work experience placements should be treated as a sounding prior to the formal involvement of their school/college. Any developments should then be followed up as in 6(b) above.

Please contact Sue Pandey (Ext.32343) or Norman Cracknell (Ext.32345) at the Training Section, Assistant Staff Office, for further information or clarification on any of the above.

November 1996