creative2 Though I've worked with my employer's schools for over 20 years I've never really done any analysis of the sort you describe. As I guess that other OS&H advisers who work with schools would say the same, this might explain why there hasn't been a flurry of responses to your posting. As you suggest, the vast majority of accidents in schools and similar establishments are minor ones - mostly involving pupils/students who incur minor injuries, usually bruises or grazes, which need no more than basic first aid at school. It's likely that virtually every school in the UK has at least one and perhaps more minor accidents every working day, especially during teaching break. Also it's no surprise that younger pupils, especially those in nursery and reception classes, tend to have more accidents than older ones, often through tripping or colliding with other pupils or walls or other structures because of their inexperience. There's very little which can be done to prevent such accidents. Supervisory staff usually tell and remind young pupils to look where they're going, but their message tends not to register for long in young inexperienced brains. By contrast many secondary school pupils probably spend most breaks texting each other on their mobiles so aren't running about and thereby risking trips and collisions. (This might also explain what seems to be a rise in teenage obesity, especially for pupils who get taken to and from school by car!) Thus, any accident pyramid for the average school is likely to be a flat one with a very wide base. As an aside, my standard advice to schools about the minor accidents to pupils, especially those of primary age and younger, is to keep a brief local record of each accident including who, where, when, what happened, what injury/ies were sustained and who rendered what sort of first aid. This system is simple to use and, among other things, can help if parents subsequently make accusations or claims about such accidents involving their children.

Funny how coincidence occurs. Have been asked by our H&S Committee to produce as part of "Accident Analyses" Incidence and Frequency rates. I pointed out that it was usual for this to be done in respect of RIDDOR reportable accidents (we had one during the last academic year involving a science teacher) but I was overuled by a new member of staff (started this September) and agreed to producing both figures for the next meeting. But hey ho I want to keep my job. My HR manager is now busily working out how many staff we have across my 3 schools and also working out hour many hours work has been done for particular periods by all staff concered. Meaningless exercise I know particularly in the light of over compliance as hightlighted in Loftstedt. Picking up Graham's point concerning Nurseries, my nursery had just over 200 minor accidents during the last academic year, as opposed to a total of 98 inclusive (pupils) for the primary and secondary schools.