Education
When we think of education, we usually think of ‘schools’ – primary schools, secondary schools, 6th form colleges and universities.
However, the education sector also includes adult education facilities, apprenticeship providers, vocational qualification providers, teleconference facilities and colleges. The education sector serves people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK, including 9 million school pupils, 2.75 million university students and 875,000 adult learners.
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Common Risks Within Education
Increased risk of fire
In the event of a fire, educational institutions are at increased risk due to their complex floorplans which often span multiple buildings or sites. Primary or secondary schools, where children may require far more time to safely evacuate the school buildings, need a properly integrated early warning system to be in place.
Increasing risk of violence in the workplace
Teachers and support workers are no exception to the alarming trend towards increasing violence in public sector workplaces. HSE statistics show that teaching and education professionals experience a higher-than-average rate of violence at work. This could be violence from a student, or a parent or a colleague.
Vulnerable occupants and the duty of care
Academic institutions have a duty of care towards their students, which includes protecting them from exploitation or physical harm. This is especially true of primary and secondary schools, whose students are particularly vulnerable.
Safeguarding student’s information
All academic institutions, from universities to primary schools to vocational colleges, will keep physical copies of patients’ personal information on-site. Institutions have a responsibility under the GDPR to properly protect students’ personal information from being accessed by unauthorised persons.
How the KST Group Can Help
Access Control Systems
Access Control is a vital component in safeguarding students. It is essential that only appropriate individuals are able to access sensitive areas such as classrooms or areas where personal information is being stored. This protects students of all ages and helps institutions fulfil their duty of care.
Fire Risk Management
Comprehensive, evidence-based fire risk assessments are crucial in ensuring that public properties are compliant with fire safety legislation. Our fire risk assessments will not only identify which features of a property carry a greater fire risk, but will also advise you of measures that can be implemented to reduce or mitigate these risks.
We are also a specialist supplier of fire alarms and smoke detection systems which will act as early warning systems to ensure that evacuations are carried out as swiftly and smoothly as possible in the event of a fire.
CCTV & Monitoring
Comprehensive CCTV coverage is one of the best ways to simultaneously deter criminal and/or antisocial behaviour on-site and ensure that incidents are dealt with properly should they occur. Our specialised engineers will recommend ways in which blind-spots in coverage can be minimised.