RHS TRAINING SCHOOL LTD
NORTHLANDS (Triolet) AND SUNFIELD CITY SCHOOL (Beau Climat)
Private Pre primary and Primary Schools
COVID 19 SAFETY COMMITTEE POLICY
Date of committee: 5th of July 2021
Health and Safety Committee
- Mr Garish RAMOO- Principal and OHSC Officer
- Mrs Umika WOOCHIT- Principal and Director
- Mrs Soonita RAMOO- Director
- Mr Hookoomdeo RAMOO- Managing Director
- Mr Chom HEERAH- Administrative agent
- Mr Khooshiram GHUNASHAM- Maintenance agent
- Mr Sarvesh RAMAWTA- Admin worker
- Mrs Ourmeela Devi RAMOO- Marketing Manager
- Mr Ashwin Tulsee- External Maintenance Contractor
- Mrs Sharmila ISSUR – Teacher
- Mrs Lekrani CHOOOLHUN- Teacher
Introduction:
RHS TRAINING SCHOOL LTD aims to ensure the safety of the staff, learners and general schooling community by empowering staff with knowledge and skills surrounding the Corona virus/Covid 19 epidemic. RHS TRAINING SCHOOL understands and supports the challenges looming in the reopening of schools, and the school has thus made provision for the training of staff in order to constitute a Health and Safety committee so that measures can be put in place to ensure the well-being of all.
Objectives:
➢ To ensure the safe reopening of Northlands and Sunfield Schools and maintain the Health and safety of the whole schooling community.
➢ To provide the necessary equipment/information/policy to best protect staff and learners on a daily basis, in line with the Covid-19 regulations.
➢ Minimise the contact between the schooling community, service providers and members of the general public on school premises, controlling the entrance of outside members from accessing the school premises.
➢ To best identify symptomatic individuals before accessing the school, this will be achieved by screening of each individual prior to entry by the trained Health and Safety committee.
➢ Only allowing symptomatic individuals to enter the school once the 14 day quarantine period has been applied and furnish the Health and Safety officer with a negative Covid 19 test result.
➢ Ensure the academic calendar is implemented as prescribed by the Ministry of Education, in order to achieve academic excellence.
CONTENTS:
- Protection of staff and learners
- Safety of Buildings and Facilities
- Academics
- Emotional & Psychological support
- Changes to this policy.
1.1 PPE REQUIREMENTS FOR STAFF & LEARNERS:
a) Minimum of TWO cotton face masks with THREE layers that cover nose and mouth as per Covid 19 regulations.
b) Hand sanitizer – parents are encouraged to equip their children with a small carry bottle of 70% Alcohol based hand sanitiser.
c) Sanitiser has been made available throughout the school.
d) Rubber/latex surgical gloves – optional (Parents to provide their children if they feel the need)
e) Visor – optional (Clear plastic)
1.2 IDENTIFICATION:
1.2.1 IDENTIFICATION OF COVID-19 SYMPTOMS:
a) Fever above 37,4 degrees Celsius
b) Tiredness
c) Dry cough
d) Sore throat
e) Shortness of breath
f) Chest pain or pressure
g) Headache
h) Non-contact digital thermometer will be used in screening at entry points.
i) Questions will be asked to all whom enter the school premises as per Covid-19 protocol recommendations.
1.2.2 IDENTIFICATION OF ASSYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS:
a) Everyone is viewed as a potential carrier, thus measures have been put in place to minimise the threat for staff & learners.
b) All are to be truthful and swift in reporting to Mr G RAMOO / Mrs U Woochit the Principals, in the event of ANY learner or staff member that has been in contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case in the last 14 days and must subsequently self-isolate with immediate effect.
1.3 PROTOCOL:
1.3.1 STAFF ENTRY PROTOCOL:
a) Enter school through front door of the school
b) Temperature will be taken via a non-contact digital thermometer and recorded on stafflist.
i. Temperature 37,4 degrees Celsius and higher will have to be reported and your entry to the school will be prohibited.
ii. If your temperature is 37,4 degrees or higher, you will be isolated and collected from the quarantined facility at school.
c) Covid-19 Test will be required if symptoms are ongoing/worsening.
d) Hands MUST be sanitised before entering the school building.
e) Wear masks properly AT ALL TIMES.
f) Staff must report to their classes directly after entering the premises.
g) NO congregating in the classrooms/hallways is allowed.
h) NO coffee & tea will be made available in the school, staff to bring their own.
i) Secretaries offices are OUT OF BOUNDS. You may not enter the front office, maintain 1m distancing between one another.
j) DO NOT SHAKE HANDS OR MAKE ANY CONTACT WITH STAFF, LEARNERS or VISITORS.
k) Avoid touching your face. ie. Eyes, ears, nose & mouth.
l) Sneeze or cough into the crook of your elbow.
m) Any signs or symptoms of illness must be reported to Mr G RAMOO/ Mrs U WOOCHIT immediately.
1.3.3 TEACHER & LEARNER PROTOCOL IN CLASSROOMS:
a) DO NOT SHAKE HANDS OR MAKE ANY CONTACT WITH LEARNERS!
b) No lining up outside of classrooms, enter classroom directly, sanitise and take your seat.
c) All windows must be open at all times.
d) 1m distancing should be maintained at all times between learners and staff.
e) No borrowing of stationary, lunch, coldrink, etc.
f) During breaks the classrooms WILL be wiped down by the sanitising unit.
g) Maintain a calm collective approach in class.
h) Do not allow ANY compromise of the expected conduct and safety measures. (The safety of all lies in your hands, a collective effort is NOT NEGOTIABLE)
i) Eradicate any form of stigma and discrimination.
j) ANY TRANSGRESSION OF THE INSTRUCTED CONDUCT MUST BE REPORTED TO Mr G RAMOO /MRS U WOOCHIT. THIS IS VIEWED AS SERIOUS MISCONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION WILL BE TAKEN.
1.3.4 PROTOCOL FOR LEAVING SCHOOL:
- In order to avoid crowd gathering at school, please take note of the staggered departure times. This will be applicable as from Tuesday 13 July 2021.
- Grade 1 pupils will be released at 2:45pm Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Grade 2 pupils will be released at 3:00pm
- Grade 3 pupils will be released at 3:10pm
- Grade 4 pupils will be released at 2:45pm . Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
- Grade 5 pupils will be released at 3:00pm
- Grade 6 pupils will be released at 3:10pm
- Vaccinated Parents will need to report inside the school premises as per the allocated respective departure times.
- Unvaccinated parents will be required to give the names of their children to the security guard and wait at the front gate of the school.
- Unvaccinated parents will not have access inside the school premises to pick up their children.
- We make a humble request to all parents NOT to block the doorway located next to the security post as it is a main exit door.
- All parents should respect social distancing rules when entering the school premises
1.5 SANITISING:
a) Wash hands with soap and water regularly using the 20sec rule.
b) Sanitise your hands before entering any classroom.
c) Classrooms, including desks, will be wiped down using a chlorine based – Sintoc/Chemchlor solution during every break and after every school day.
d) Bathrooms will be cleaned and sanitised regularly during the course of each day and after school.
e) Ensure there is enough sanitiser each day and some in reserve.
1.6 INFORMATION FOR PARENTS:
a) Verbally screen your child daily before sending him/her to school and after every school day.
b) Report any concerns regarding potential contamination/ contact with Covid-19 cases to the school as soon as possible.
c) If your child does not feel well, displays any symptoms, please do not send him/her to school, rather isolate at home and monitor the situation. If symptoms worsen visit your Doctor as soon as possible and notify the school of the outcome, especially in the event of positive Covid-19 case.
d) Wash and dry clothes and masks after every use.
f) Ensure that your child understands the importance of adhering to the safety practice in public and at school.
g) Please equip your child with a handheld, 70% alcohol-based hand sanitiser to carry on their person throughout the day.
1.7 MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC VISITING THE SCHOOL:
a) Visiting the school is strongly discouraged, however in essential acts needing to be performed this may be permitted.
b) All visitors to enter the school via the Main entrance gate.
c) The security guard will verbally screen the visitor as per Covid-19 regulations and their temperature will be taken using a non-contact infrared digital thermometer.
d) Each visitor entering the school MUST wear the required face mask and sanitise their hands before entering the school premises.
e) The visitor will complete an entry into the log book whereby they disclose:
-
- Full name & surname
- Cellphone number
- Residential/Company address
- Reason for visit
- Time of ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE
- Recorded temperature – filled in by security guard conducting test.
f) Anyone who refuses, for whatsoever reason, to comply will be refused entrance to the school premises.
1.8 PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED IF LEARNER FALLS ILL DURING THE COURSE OF THE SCHOOL DAY:
a) Learner must be escorted to the isolation venue IMMEDIATELY.
b) Mr G RAMOO/Mrs Umika WOOCHIT must be notified immediately.
c) Staff dealing with the potential infection must ensure the necessary PPE is worn before consulting the ill learner. These PPE wear must be disposed of directly after consultation. PPE wear will be provided by the school and consists of: Face visor, N95 mask, Plastic apron & latex surgical gloves.
d) The ill learners mask will be removed and placed and secured in a plastic bag. A N95 face mask will be provided to the ill learner in place of their previous mask.
e) Parents/Guardians of the ill learner will be contacted for the collection of the ill learner at school in order for tests to be done.
f) In the event of a positive test, the school MUST be notified immediately.
g) NO ill learner, irrespective of testing positive or negative, will be permitted to return to school without a cleared medical certificate.
h) All other necessary officials as well as the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education will be notified immediately.
i) Once the ill learner has left the isolation venue, the venue must be cleaned and sanitised immediately.
j) If the infection has happened at school, the necessary investigations must take place into the possible cause or the failure of controlling the contamination must be launched.
- SAFETY OF BUILDINGS & FACILITIES:
a) The school has been deep cleaned, sanitised and wiped down prior to the arrival of staff and learners
b) Sanitiser is available throughout the school.
c) Posters have put up strategically throughout the school to create awareness about Covid19 and how to prevent contamination.
d) Teaching venues and bathrooms to be wiped down during breaks and after school.
e) NO air conditioners or fans are permitted to be in use, except for the server room, whom ONLY Mr Ghunasham and Mr Tulsee may have access to.
Actions to be taken when a learner or staff tests positive to Covid-19
- If a learner or a staff member has been tested positive, school will be closed for 2 consecutive days for sanitization and decontamination works.
- Where learners are quarantined or in treatment centers but medically stable, school will put systems in place to keep in contact with them and offer them support services
- EMOTIONAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT STRUCTURES:
a) RHS TRAINING SCHOOL LTD has recognised the need for support of staff, learners during these uncertain times, hence the school has developed a relationship with Mental Health.
b) Staff are encouraged to field questions and deal with uncertainties of learners.
c) Staff MUST eradicate any labelling and stigma development and protect the dignity of all learners at all costs.
d) The school will be open and honest regarding all cases affecting it, whilst ensuring that confidentiality is honored.
g) The school undertakes to ensure that all its staff and learners operate in a safe and clean environment.
- CHANGES TO POLICY:
a) Covid-19 pandemic is a fluid situation and can change drastically in a short period of time.
b) This policy may have new information/procedures added, updated or retracted partly or fully without prior notification.
c) New changes will be communicated to the schooling community as a matter of urgency.
Garish RAMOO
OHSC Officer.