12 years ago I left my local secondary school with no idea about what i wanted to do. No way near the level of exam results i should have received and to be honest a terrible reputation as a bit of a trouble maker and time waster.
Yesterday I was awarded the contract to construct the 100 year celebratory show garden within the school grounds. to be unveiled to the public on the day of there 100 year anniversary - July 8th.
A lot has changed in 12 years.. They are celebrating the 100 year anniversary with a party/open day inviting past students, teachers, local celebrities, friends and families of the school and local business's.
And the fact that the garden is to be constructed by a past student, especially one that had no direction when he left has boosted the whole story behind the celebration quite dramatically.
This is also by far the biggest and most open garden i have ever constructed.. Does anyone have any advice regarding working within school grounds etc.. health and safety, codes of conduct etc or is it pretty much the same as every day H+S.
Alongside all of the celebrations there is going to be a lot of media coverage including local television i am told. Is there anything i can do other than the obvious to utilise all of this coverage and really boost the profile of my company?
Any advice would be greatly received.
Thank you all
Views: 83
Replies
Matt, well done and a great opportunity.
You'll likely need a CRB (or whatever the new name is) check for school side work (at least we do).
H&S will be key, exclusion zone/fences and I suspect you'll need to submit a project plan and possibly limit certain activities (such as noise) to certain time slots.
Deliveries can be a pain into school properties..
My comments relate to two private schools we maintain. Is it a LA run school or one of the new types who have much control of the "workings" ?
Great news, well done - hope you will post some pics.
Most schools will insist on £10m public liability ins.
I love working at schools and have done many such projects(finished one last week in fact). As Gary says, fence yourselves in and make sure your site is secure AT ALL TIMES.
Avoid driving in/out or deliveries just before school and just after - just too many bodies about!
Kids are naturally inquisitive, so at playtime you will have company - if we can, we have our breaks to coincide.
It can be a hassle, but well worth it and I reckon you will have to accept that you may only work at say 3/4 capacity, which is worth taking into account.
But safety, safety, safety - drill it into whoever you have with you.
I'll probably think of some more later, I'm quite excited about it already!
Hi Matt.
I would have thought the school would have stipulated that you have to have CRB clearance and a H&S policy with Chas or safecontractor.
Make sure your van is signwritten and in a visible position, and that you have signwritten clothing too.
I have a meeting with the school representative/project manager on tuesday to go through the final details, schedule of works and all the requirements.
Risk assessments etc have already been issued and organised and sufficient areas and space have been designated.
Im so excited for this project!
There is also talk of a working party on a saturday morning so parents can come and try things and get involved in the construction process overlooked by me.
Just in the process of upgrading the insurances to allow this to happen.
Adrian - We will have an allocated parking space throughout the project and all the team involved will be wearing a uniform with a branded Hi Viz. We will also sign in and out etc etc