Download 2005-26 Preparation for Emergencies

New Zealand School Trustees Association
Memorandum: 2005/26
School:
Chair:
(note that if nothing is shown above we do not have an email address for the chair)
Principal:
(please advise any changes to above addresses)
From: Colin Davies, NZSTA, Manager Service Delivery ([email protected])
Date: 17 October 2005
Subject: Preparation for Emergencies
Purpose: We have received several queries lately about what to do in the event of an emergency
such as extreme weather or an epidemic/pandemic. This memo updates boards on this matter and
outlines some of the information available.
Introduction: It is important for Boards to be prepared for emergencies, it is also essential to
remember that in the event of an emergency, Boards are entitled to take what actions they consider
reasonable at the time. This flows on from the Education Act 1989 s 75’s provision that “except to the
extent that any enactment or the general law of New Zealand provides otherwise, a school’s Board
has complete discretion to control the management of the school as it sees fit”. While the Ministry of
Education and other agencies may provide guidance, it is for the Board to make decisions relating to
your school. (An exception would of course be if you were required to take certain actions, such as
closing the school, in the event of a national or local emergency – see later comments on closure).
General planning for emergencies: Boards are required under the Health and Safety in
Employment Act 1992 to develop procedures to identify hazards in the workplace. For more
information on this, see the “Improving Workplace Safety for Schools” guide produced jointly by
ACC thinksafe and NZSTA, which was sent out to Boards in 2003 (you can obtain more copies from
ACC).
There is also information in the Ministry “Health and Safety Code of Practice in Schools”,
particularly in regard to general practices i.e. hand washing facilities (see most recent Gazette).
The Ministry of Civil Defence has some useful information on its website, www.civildefence.govt.nz,
including a series of guides which are aimed at businesses but can be adapted by schools. To find
these, follow the “Being Prepared” link on the Civil Defence website to the publications. The guide
“Planning and Preparedness for Business” is particularly useful.
A reminder that an emergency preparedness software package, Benchmark for Emergency
Preparedness, is available for purchase through NZSTA (see www.nzsta.org.nz).
NZSTA is also currently working on its own emergency preparedness in how we might play a role in
terms of helpdesk and other functions should an emergency arise.
Closure: A Board is entitled to close the school in the event of an emergency (Education Act 1989
s65E: “A Board may at any time, because of epidemic, flood, fire, or other emergency, close a school
it administers”). Further information on this is given in NZSTA memo 2005/23. In the event of a
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national or local emergency the Civil Defence, Ministry of Health or some other agencies would also
have the right to close or evacuate any public place, including a school.
Pandemics: The Ministry of Health is currently co-ordinating cross-government planning for a
pandemic, such as bird-flu. The Ministry of Education is leading preparation in the education sector in
consultation with sector groups such as NZSTA, principal groups and the Unions.
The Ministry of Education will provide general guidelines for schools and work is underway to assess
ways of ensuring preparedness, but the Education Act places responsibilities on Principals and
Boards (Education Act 1989 s19). The Ministry of Education has no power to close schools in the
event of a pandemic; it is a decision for each Board to make, although the other agencies, such as
Health, will have certain powers.
Parents and teachers (as well as Principals) also have duties under the Health (Infectious and
Notifiable Disease) Regulations, Clause 14 (3) to exclude staff and students with an infectious
disease. A child or teacher suffering from a disease specified in the Second Schedule to the
Regulations MUST be excluded for the period shown in the Schedule. While influenza or bird flu is not
currently included in the Schedule, it is likely that it would be added by the Ministry of Health (via
notice in the Gazette) if there was sufficient concern about it, in the same way that SARS was added
to the Schedule in 2003. We will advise Boards if this happens. In the meantime, we advise Boards to
seek advice on any infectious disease from the local Medical Officer of Health.
In the event of a pandemic, the Ministry of Health would lead the response, and Boards would seek
advice from their local District Health Board, and also from the Ministry of Health website.
There is plenty of information available on the Ministry of Health’s website at
www.moh.govt.nz/pandemicinfluenza. The document “Interim Guidelines for Personal Protection
and Using Personal Protective Equipment During an Influenza Pandemic” is particularly useful.
Preparedness: In the meantime, Boards are advised to do some general thinking about
preparedness (for this or any other emergency). Give our helpdesk team (0800 STAhelp) a call if you
have any queries.
Colin Davies
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