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Paula Lightfoot has worked at Chetwynde School for more than eight years as a bursar, after swapping life as an accountant for this new career.

However, the 42-year-old is still dealing with figures as she is responsible for the Barrow school’s finances. She is also in charge of the school’s buildings and has just gained a NEBOSH award for health and safety and is keen to develop this side of her work.

The NEBOSH Award in Health and Safety at Work is a three-day course provided by Furness Training, (the business development arm of Furness College), which covers the basic health and safety principles and practices essential in the workplace. It is ideal for anyone wishing to gain an introduction to health and safety and can be used as a first step towards the other NEBOSH qualifications.

Paula was motivated to undertake the NEBOSH training as she is a member of the health and safety committee at Chetwynde School and line manager to the health and safety officer. It was agreed that they would both take the course in order to ensure compliance with regulations. Paula said: “We have used Furness Training, for the full NEBOSH national certificate previously, however, the Health and Safety at Work course involved less time away from work and was therefore cheaper, allowing both myself and the health and safety officer to attend.

The course consisted of three full days, which included classroom delivery, practical exercises and group discussion. The course was assessed with a multiple choice exam on the last day and each candidate had to submit a risk assessment based on an area in their workplace, which was also assessed. Enrolment on the course was dealt with efficiently and any queries were answered in a helpful manner. The facilities at the college were excellent and the staff there were also helpful.

Paula believes by completing the course it ensures essential compliance with health & safety regulations and continues to emphasise Chetwynde School’s commitment to keeping its children, staff, parents and visitors safe. Through attending this course, health and safety officer Dave Nicholson and Paula gained knowledge on the health and safety issues relevant to their workplace and gained further understanding of the duties and responsibilities for each level of staff at the school. The course highlighted the importance of communication within an organisation and this has helped improve the procedures. For Paula the main benefit to her personally was the completion of risk assessments. “Although I am not required to complete any in my role as bursar, I am responsible for making sure that they are completed annually and that we have them for all aspects of school life.”

Having found the course really interesting, for the future Paula would like to develop in this area as part of her professional development at Chetwynde School.