This is what I wrote for my one, it's passed so will give you an idea of some things you can include
Q2.1 Describe the risks associated with ICT resources and how to minimise them.
There can be many risks associated with ICT resources; both in terms of physical dangers and emotional dangers; these all need to considered by the school and their staff and relevant precautions should be taken to reduce unwanted occasions occurring.
Physical dangers can include the ICT resources not being handled or stored correctly; which can fall and land on their feet causing them an injury or if the resources are being charged, then the wires could be faulty which could which could potentially lead to electrocution. If using a laptop or computer, they may need power cables and/or appropriate electric sockets; it is essential to ensure they are not overloaded or overheat as well as cause a trip hazard. All drinks should be kept away from electrical devices, to prevent any accidents occurring as well.
Other physical dangers can include moving the equipment and ensuring it is done safely, especially bulky equipment e.g. PCs, especially if needing to go up or down the stairs, use of swivel chairs should be prohibited to all children, as well as ensuring that when using ICT resources that it is positioned in an appropriate place to ensure that people are able to still move and get out of the room in an emergency.
To reduce these physical dangers involved with ICT resources; staff should perform regular checks on the equipment and cables to ensure that they are kept at optimum efficiency; preventing use of faulty equipment and ensuring new resources are in place when necessary. When equipment is being stored away, a staff member should accompany the children to ensure that they are put away properly and put on to charge for the next class to use, the storage for the equipment should be locked after and the key stored in the appropriate place; this means that the need for equipment to be charged in class is reduced, reducing the need for charging cables on the class floor and causing trip hazards. By locking the storage for the resources also reduces the opportunity of vandalism occurring on the equipment and opportunities for children to get injured by inappropriately handling the equipment. Staff using laptops/PCs should only be done at their desk and appropriate precautions should be made regarding their cables, to ensure they are not hazards for staff or students as well.
Children should not have access to ICT resources without an adult supervising them and staff should ensure that children do not have any water bottles/cups near the area they are using devices on; they should also ensure their hands are completely dry after washing them to prevent moisture entering any ports.
Staff should put appropriate actions into place when moving heavy or big pieces of equipment e.g. using a trolley when moving equipment, to prevent injuries to themselves or others nearby; this should always be done after school hours to reduce human traffic when travelling with equipment and reducing any potential accidents occurring. If a trolley is unavailable on site, moving equipment should be done with another member of staff, to reduce stress on the individual’s body and should use the correct manoeuvring in accordance to heavy lifting procedures- bending with knees, not lifting above a certain level etc.
Staff should also consider the amount of time they use the computer as extended use can cause Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), strained eyes and stress- staff should organise their workloads to reduce the need for extended periods on the computer, ensuring they take breaks and that when using the computer that equipment is directly in front of them and there is enough leg room to ensure a good posture which is comfortable for them. Staff should also take regular breaks from the computer screen and ensure they have regular eye check-ups to reduce headaches and eye discomfort from excessive use of computers. It is also important for staff to know if a student or another member of staff suffers with epilepsy as some types can be affected by screen flickers on the computer; this means staff should be trained to know what to do if someone has a seizure.
It is also vital for the school and staff to consider internet safety/child protection and ensuring appropriate precautions are in place to prevent access to inappropriate websites are prohibited; this can be done by teaching children from an early age how to be internet safe and the dangers that can occur; when using devices with internet abilities, they should only be used in places that are visible to everyone and teach everyone to not provide personal details online. Schools can also use filtering software, Firewalls and other types of software to prevent access to unwanted websites. These will be used on any school equipment that has access to the school network; this prevents staff from accessing inappropriate websites or performing non-work related tasks that could be deemed unsafe.
If people have extended use on computers and/or the internet, it can have a big impact on their emotional well-being, so it is important for both the school and the families, to make conscious decisions about the amount of use on ICT and ensuring that all their experiences are positive and allowing the child to feel secure in talking to an adult if something occurs that makes them feel a negative emotion e.g. scared, sad or unsafe.
Hope it helps a bit :)
|