Are Finger Trap Guards Mandatory in UK Schools? What You Need to Know

06 Oct Are Finger Trap Guards Mandatory in UK Schools? What You Need to Know

With children aged between 5 and 16 spending a vast proportion of their time in school, safety remains paramount within educational environments. There are countless hazardous areas within schools and throughout the surrounding grounds, dangers which can go unnoticed by students and staff alike without the right procedures.

Doors represent one such risk, with openings in high traffic areas, doors in unsupervised storage rooms and corridors, heavy fire doors, and external exits and entrances, posing the greatest dangers. The installation of finger trap guards offers a relatively quick fix for eliminating door-related finger injuries throughout schools, but is it mandatory?

Finger guards in schools – compulsory or optional?

Shockingly, the use of finger guards within schools is not mandatory. This is despite the guidance set out below from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for nursery, infant, first, primary, middle and special schools:

“HSE inspectors investigated three of the most recent incidents and required the LEA to provide further guidance to schools on this issue and to monitor compliance.  The inspectors concluded that, as finger guarding devices are readily available and relatively inexpensive to install, it is reasonably practicable for schools to fit guarding on doors identified as high risk following a suitable risk assessment.”

Classroom doors and entrances to toilets were deemed the riskiest areas in need of finger guarding devices, with the risk of entrapment from other doors highlighted too. The guidance has also called for funding improvements to help UK schools undertake the necessary improvements outside of their budgets.

Current health and safety duties for schools

Finger trap guards may not be a requirement by law – although they certainly should be! – yet every school environment has a number of responsibilities and duties to fulfil to ensure a safe space for students and staff to thrive. Sensible health and safety management is promoted widely, with educational settings encouraged to strike the right balance between ‘doing too much’ and ‘doing too little’.

When upholding high standards of health and safety for staff and pupils, the employer, governing body, head teacher and other school leaders have their parts to play. While staff on the ground also have their responsibilities to contribute to safer, healthier school environments.

Safer UK schools – the law

Guidance aside, there are several pieces of legislation that govern the management of health and safety in UK schools.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is perhaps the most prominent, with this primary piece of legislation overseeing occupational health and safety across the entirety of Great Britain. By law, schools are workplaces. It is therefore a legal requirement to assess risk, record the results, and be proactive in minimising or eliminating the identified hazards.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 is another important piece of legislation that stipulates the duties of the ‘employer’ within the school environment, and enforces the importance of managing and assessing risk.

Finger protection for the education sector

Whether public or private, every school should have access to the trap guards that protect hands and fingers from injury. That’s why our finger protection devices are affordable and easy to install. While not mandatory, we encourage every school to take matters into their own hands and prioritise door safety with the fitting of finger trap guards.

Check out our range of door safety solutions for schools or get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements.