The school of two children recently injured while fetching a pail of water from up a hill has been charged with failing to adhere to health and safety regulations.
Despite having completed all the required child safety training, the children’s teacher, Mrs Curran, neglected to carry out a full risk assessment before sending the children up the hill. In accordance with the DCSF rules, Mrs Jackson should have filled in a seven page form detailing the level of danger involved in sending the children to fetch the pail of water, explored alternatives to fetching water from up the hill and outlined the learning objectives she was trying to achieve in order to justify the estimated level of jeopardy.
Government Health and Safety Adviser, Tom Beaconsfield said ‘Frankly this was an accident waiting to happen… I mean what were these two children doing out alone in the first place? And does this school not have running water?’ The school’s incident log has recorded that Jack fell down and was later diagnosed with a ‘broken crown’ while no injury was apparently sustained by Jill despite the fact that she ‘came tumbling after’. However health officials have expressed concern at the level of medical attention that was administered to Jack’s injuries. ‘His head was wrapped in vinegar and brown paper, for God’s sake!’ reported his GP. ‘What sort of first aid course do they send these teachers on?’
‘And how come they went up the hill for water instead of down?’ added the Health Adviser, ‘The whole thing sounds highly implausible and we are considering a full enquiry to get to the bottom of it. Just as soon as we have ascertained how three mice, all with a severe visual impairment, came to be running after an armed farmer’s wife…’
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