Interview

I interviewed Susana Robles, the manager of the service of prevention of labour risks at Concorci d’Educació de Barcelona. These are the questions that I asked with the answers that she gave me.

What does your job consist of?

Our prevention service is composed by a series of people with the objective of not letting that any worker suffers an accident in their job. Therefore, our function is to see, from the workstations of the workers, what the risks are and we have to guarantee that no worker has an accident at work. Basically, that is the objective of our work.

When did the emergency drills start applying in the educational centres?

I do not know it with certainty because have worked as a Consorci since the year 2009, which is when we entered and managed prevention in educational centres. The prevention law was created in the year 1995. Since this law was adopted it is when it is become necessary to apply the whole theme of the emergency plans and the drill, and at first it is obligatory from that date on. We have worked since 2009, but earlier it was already being done. Therefore, I can’t tell since when our service is working, but I think that if the law date back to 1995, at first it is obligatory from that date on. It is true that before 1995 many rules were already given to do a drill in the centres, but not in an obligatory way until 1995.

What do the centres have to do before doing a drill?

Previously, they have to do what it is called the emergency plan. The emergency plan is a document that shows which are the emergencies that can exist in an educational centre and, from here, what to do in front of an emergency. Then, once you have the emergency plan, which is a document that explains all this, it is necessary to do the practice of this emergency plan that are the drills. Therefore, a centre has to begin to do the drill from doing the emergency plan first.

Who has to know that a drill will be carried out? Because the pupils can’t know it.

At first, the ideal case would be that only one person knew it. In practical terms of our schools, we have a coordinator of prevention, which is a teacher that acquires this figure and is the contact between the centre and us, the service of prevention of the Consorci. So, normally he (the one that coordinates the whole drill) and the director of the school know it. It is true that more often more teachers usually know it, but the idea is that just both of them have to know it. What does the school normally do? Two weeks before the drill, they give a talk to the staff and another one to the pupils, and then they already know that sooner or later the drill will be carried out; but at first, the exact day and time are only known by the coordinator of prevention and the director of the educational centre.

What are the most important aspects for the correct fulfillment of this drill?

I think that first of all, the entire educational centre has to become aware of the importance of doing a drill in a centre; therefore I think this would be the first premise. From here on, important tasks apart from this are: all the teaching personnel, PAS (Personal d’Administració i Serveis) or workers that take part in the drill and have a charge like having to call the fire fighters when there is an emergency, to open doors of the school or other charges like being a broom (what they do is, once everyone has left, they verify that there is no one left in the building and they leave). These tasks are the most important, therefore it is very important that they can do this, bear it in mind and be very aware. I think that this and to introduce inside each one how important is to do a drill because it could be a real emergency, are the important points of the initiation of this drill.

Knowing this, has any centre found problems when making the drill?

What we find in the centres are many doubts. Normally the prevention coordinators do a formation where they learn all this, but then, at the moment of the truth when they have to put it into practise, they have many doubts. So, it is not that there are problems or they have big problems, because it is not difficult to do a drill, but many doubts appear at the moment when there is a change or a new person enters. There are always doubts. It generates work going to advise these centres, but there are not problems as such; there are everyday doubts like: “Now we have to change the distribution to know where we have to leave.”, “I am not sure if this is well or not.”... It is more reaffirming what they have and seeing that it is actually effective to be able to do the drill and make sure it is successful.

Once the drill is done, how is it necessary to evaluate?

Once they have done the drill, we give them a card where they have to fill out certain information, and then they value it according to this card. Normally, when they do the drill, what they have to see is, for example, if it is a drill of evacuation in which they have to leave the building, they have to verify that there is no one left inside and also the time that they take doing the drill. There is no established time, but it is true that a building, for example, of 400 people, it would be necessary to evacuate in two, three or four minutes. If they take the double of this, it means that something went wrong in the process and then it would be necessary to revise.

What is the most important point to do a good drill?

I think everything is important, it is what I have told you earlier; the centre has to see that doing a drill is important and normally they see it the other way round, like “It is such a big deal having to stop the whole school schedule to do this.”. They have to become aware that doing a drill every year and in a spontaneous way means that later, the day when there is a real emergency, they will already have it internalized, therefore it is much easier and faster to do. If they do not do this annual learning, what it can happen and usually happens is that in front of a real emergency they do not know what to do and they end up taking more time in evacuating a building. I think it is a success if we do this every year and we have it internalized, therefore I think that having it internalized is the basis, and from here on, continue working.

How often is it necessary to carry out a drill? Every year as you said?

Yes, it is necessary to do it every year, and in the last two years it is obligatory to be done in the first trimester of the school year. This is not to bother anyone, basically it is because when the school year begins there are new pupils and teachers, substitutes or temporary workers, so there are new people in the centre. If we do it in the last trimester, these new people, both pupils and workers, do not know what they have to do. If in the course of the school year there is a real emergency, these people won’t know what to do, so that is why it is important to do it in the first trimester. They arrive to the centre and a month or month and a half later, both pupils and workers, who more or less already know the dynamic of the centre; the ideal would be to do the drill in this first trimester. Then you guarantee the rest of the school year because they already know what they have to do if there is a real emergency, and it is always necessary to do it at least once a year. If they do it more than once, better.

To finish, what are the fundamental stages to follow when the centre decides to carry out a drill until the result has been valued?

First of all, they develop the emergency plan that I have told you before that it is the report from which the drill is put into practice, and they have to update it according to, if they have done an emergency plan and a drill, they basically change if there has been some restructuring at structural level of a building. For example, if there have been works in summer and they have changed classes or tours, it is necessary to update this emergency plan. Once it is updated, normally what the centres do is a staff meeting and they explain all the points of the drill: who will do what, who will call, who will be “the broom”... And once each one already knows what they have to do, they let some time pass and do the drill. Once the drill is done, they do this evaluation that I have told you it is the card, and depending on the parameters, they decide with the card if the drill is favourable or it is necessary to repeat it. Maybe the centre calls us as a prevention service to ask for advice on some aspect that is not clear to them. Normally if there has been some restructuring we are directly going to advise them, because as the tour of the evacuation has changed or will change, they need advice. This is in the case of the centres that have been already working for a long time. When it is a new centre we do the same, the only difference is that we have the collaboration of the fire fighters of Barcelona, so we call them and normally one of them comes with us, the prevention service. We go to the centre and he advises us all about if what we have put or will put into practise is correct. We normally do this just with the new centres. Some old centre has asked us sometime for a fire fighters’ advice because they are not sure enough, and then we also help them, but normally we only help the new ones.

 And as a question that has just come up to me now, if a centre carried out a drill and came off badly for whatever reason, and it did it, as you have said, in the first trimester; would you have to advise them or could they do another one? Because since the drill went wrong, maybe the pupils or the teachers would not know what to do if something happened during the school year.

Normally, when we say that it goes wrong is because, for example, in some floor of the building there is someone left inside. Someone in the toilet that has not realized or some teacher in some department that has not heard the emergency alarm. Apart from this, it might go wrong if some of the tours of evacuation are stopped up and then they take too much time to leave. Then, because of this, they normally ask us for advice because there is something that does not work, so we go and they do the drill again. Normally, it is like this.

Surveys

The appendix of my project contains the two surveys that I made with its questions and answers, its corresponding graphics and also an interpretation that I made of both of them. So, for you to see what the results were, I am going to show you my interpretations of the surveys.

Survey about action protocol

In this survey, most of the participants were woman and young people. In general, all the answers have been pretty correct, as they were not so difficult to understand and normally we would all deduce the right option or the right thing to do in case of an emergency even if we do not really know every single rule of protocols accurately. However, there has been some confusion or lack of knowledge in certain questions that were asked, such as knowing what the first thing to do when detecting a fire is. On the contrary, there are other questions in which people seem to be more confident and they really know the answer, such as knowing what the first step to do would be in case of being the emergency chief. To finish, almost everyone has said that the most important thing to do while doing an evacuation is to control that there is nobody left, and almost anyone has said that making sure that the doors remain closed would be the most relevant one.

There is not really a correct answer, as I just wanted to know their personal opinion, but with these answers I can see that people give a lot more importance to people’s acts and survival than to the buildings and possible consequences of not securing them.

Survey about social protocol

This survey has been mainly answered by women and people of a young age. First of all, I wanted to know their opinion, so I asked them what their favourite topic was between the three that were given. The most chosen topic was black tie, and most of the people have answered correctly the questions about it. The less chosen topic was about wedding etiquette, and unsurprisingly most of the people chose the wrong answers about it. The other one was about table manners, and mostly both of the questions that were presented to them have been well answered. Unlike the previous survey, there has been a lot of variation between the percentages of the answers in this one. In some of them, people seem to be really sure about a certain option, as we see in the one that talks about the dispersion of the cutlery. In other questions, however, there has been more doubt, as we see in the one that talks about the characteristics of the tailcoat. In conclusion, I also wanted to know if they followed social rules or were interested in them, and principally people have answered that they liked knowing the rules and applying them in their lives.

The consequences of not following protocol

If a person breaks the rules, it can cause a ripple effect:

First of all, missing protocol means that a person is either not paying attention or does not care about it. Secondly, people think they are above the protocol when everyone at every level is expected to do the same thing but they do not. Thirdly, people can’t manage a situation if the protocol is laughed at. Fourth, some people may think protocol is meaningless, but there is a reason it is in place. Fifth, if someone does not follow protocol, he can’t expect the people under his power to follow their protocols. Teamwork is also important in some situations, as there are “I” people and “we” people; and the “I” people need to go. Moreover, a person who does not follow protocols and procedures will become ineffective, and then it will hurt the others. There is no excuse when a person does not follow protocol, and there should be a “three strikes and you are out” rule without exceptions. Finally, breaking protocol means that there is no respect for it.

The importance of protocol

Following proper protocol is a sign of respect both for academe's system of etiquette and for the individuals involved, so violating professional etiquette can result in significant unwelcome consequences. The loss of professional etiquette is often attributed to a culture of entitlement that seems to characterize not only academe but contemporary society as a whole.

Besides, the society demands more every day the care of public image and the respect to behaviour rules. Protocol is not only for the King, a minister or an ambassador; it is currently an organization.

From a different perspective, we all know that the better way to describe strategies for avoiding or minimizing small but routine risks is the adoption of protocols. We embrace all sorts of protocols on a daily basis as a matter of habit.

The protocol is used in weddings, working dinners or receptions, giving importance to the learning of the aforesaid rules to behave correctly in front of the rest of guests and hosts. Let’s say that protocol helps to distinguish exceptional situations from the rest of our daily situations. 

Both in the social and business field, it is important to know how to behave and to give a good image. Etiquette and protocol are fundamental in social and business relations.

So, to sum up, the main idea is that good protocol and etiquette promote good will; whereas its absence fosters resentment and discontent. 

Social protocol

WEDDING ETIQUETTE

Traditions and customs

The rings. Wedding rings are traditionally made of precious metals like gold to express the true value of a relationship. Today the rings are paid for by the groom and are usually carried by the best man until required during the ceremony.

The best man. Back in the days when the groom kidnapped his bride, the best man was appointed by the groom for protection and to ensure him and his bride arrived safely at the church.

The cake. Originally the bride and groom would stand on opposite sides of the cake and attempt to kiss. If the kiss was carried out without toppling the cake, good fortune could be expected. This tradition has been continued and modified into today’s multi-tiered cake with the kissing couple on top.

The dress. Today, most brides marry in white to signify virginity, happiness and joy, although historically they would have wed in they preferred colour, usually wearing their favourite dress.

The veil. Originally worn by brides in Roman times, it was later adopted as it was thought to signify chastity.

Something old, new, borrowed item and blue. The bride wears something old as a symbol of her old life. Something new refers to the hope in her new life. A borrowed item form a married woman is believed to pass on good luck. Blue symbolises purity, faithfulness and her commitment to her new husband.

The flowers. After the ceremony it is traditional for the bride to throw her bouquet over her shoulder towards unmarried female guests. The catcher of the bouquet is believed to be the next to marry and will be blessed with good luck.

The kiss. In days gone by, a kiss was the couple’s way of publicly accepting the contract of marriage.

Clothing

The bride. A church wedding might require more formal, traditional attire, whilst a register office or civil ceremony may allow a less strict dress code.

The groom and attendants. The bridegroom and the best man would traditionally wear morning dress. For civil ceremonies suits are often worn. 

The guests. Male guests would often wear suits even if the wedding party are in morning dress. Female guests should wear a hat and a dress to a formal wedding and evening dress to a black tie affair.

The ceremony

If the couple have no religious beliefs they may consider a civil ceremony, perhaps followed by a blessing. If they plan a church wedding it is advisable to check availability as soon as possible. If they plan a summer and/or Saturday ceremony, they have to check again availability to give themselves the widest choice and book early.

However, if they plan a mid-week ceremony they are most likely to book the venue of their choice and be closer to their original date. 

The reception

Receiving guests. A receiving line is formed to greet the guests individually as they arrive. The hosts stand at the front of the line. Next in line would be the groom’s mother and father, followed by the bride and groom and any other attendants. The guests then make their way to their respective tables.

Seating plan. Handwritten place cards in the style of the invitation, numbers on tables and a plan of the room will help guests find their seat with the minimum of fuss.

Cutting the cake. It was believed, in order for the bride to bear children, she should cut the first slice. Today the first cut is more symbolic to the couple’s shared future together.

Departure of the bride and groom. Traditionally a time for the best man and friends of the couple to decorate the going away car with balloons, crazy foam and tin cans without the couple’s knowledge.

Entertainment. The only traditional entertainment at the reception takes the form of the speeches and the bride and groom’s first dance. With modern weddings it is common for there to be a very informal evening party, usually including a buffet.

Other etiquette

Invitations. The wording on the invitations is dependent on who is ‘hosting’ the wedding. It is important to decide who the hosts are and word the invitations accordingly.

 

Photographs. Careful planning is essential to ensure a couple to obtain the photographs they desire, without guests waiting around unnecessarily for the perfect shot.

Speeches. The traditional order of speeches are as follows: The bride’s father proposes a toast to the bride and groom and continues, with an insight into his daughter. The groom responds on behalf of his wife and himself, thanks all those involved in the organising of the wedding, and may wish to present his and the bride’s mother with bouquets. Also, the groom thanks his attendants and speaks about his new wife. After the groom has finished, the bride may wish to speak. The best man then delivers his speech.

TABLE ETIQUETTE

Courtesy rules of Western Europe

Traditionally in Western Europe, the host or hostess takes the first bite unless he or she instructs otherwise. Food should always be tasted before salt and pepper are added. 

The fork is held with the left hand and the knife held with the right. When eating soup, the spoon is held in the right hand and the bowl tipped away from the diner, scooping the soup in outward movements.

Only white wine or rosé is held by the stem of the glass; red by the bowl.

It is impolite to reach over someone to pick up food or other items.

When one has finished eating, this should be communicated by placing the knife and fork together on the plate, at approximately 4 o’clock position, with the fork placed lower than the knife, and its lines facing upwards.

 So, be punctual at the time of the meal. Sit up straight at the table and when sitting or standing on the table, use the left side of the chair. 

When using the serviette: you must put it on the lap; if you are at home or at a friend’s house, fold the serviette when you finish eating; if you are only visiting during the meal, leave the serviette unfolded next to the plate; and before drinking water, you must clean your mouth to avoid dirtying the glass.

Put the jug on the table with the handle towards the person who will use it. 

The toothpick is used privately, never on the table. Do not leave food on the plate and serve only what you are going to eat.

The table

The table has to be specially treated so that its presentation is in line with the category and rank of the honouree in honour of the person who offers the banquet, decorating it with a candlestick, if it is a dinner. Along the centre of the table a chain of varied natural flowers and greens are placed.

The glasses are usually placed in front of the centre of the cutlery: one for the dark whine, one for the white one, one somewhat bigger for water, another flat or long for the cava and finally the liquor one. The glassware must be placed in a way that the highest one is on the left of the lowest one.

The dispersion of cutlery is usually done by placing the fork on the left, the spoon and the knife on the right, and the dessert cutlery and teaspoon in front of the dishes.

BLACK TIE ETIQUETTE

There are different types of black tie that must be used, both in acts of a general nature and in those of special character, whether they are public or private:

Morning coat. Garment worn with black waistcoat and dark gray striped trousers. With the morning coat it is only necessary to wear white shirt with starched cuff and fixed to the shirt. The tie has to be long and dark, being able to carry a pin and a pearl in it. The socks are black. Gloves will be gray in official acts, except for the funerals in which they will be black as same as the tie.

Tuxedo. The waistcoat can be of round and wide neckline with two small pockets. The shirt is white with a rigid chest and closes with a single button. The tie is small and it has the shape of a butterfly with a central knot. It is usually called “bow tie”. The shoes are black and the socks are also black. 

Dress uniform. It is a garment that is commonly used by various entities and military bodies. It is a garment in which each of the pieces is properly regulated. 

Tailcoat. The shirt and the neck are the same as the tuxedo, fastened up with white, pearl or glossy buttons. The tie is made of piqué in the form of butterfly or bow tie. The gloves are white. The appropriate hat for the tailcoat is called “top hat”. The tailcoat is usually worn with a black coat or cape.

Action protocol

SCHOLAR PROTOCOL

Bullying

When there has been a bullying incident, a clearly defined process is followed.

Once a staff member is aware of a bullying incident, he or she shall intervene immediately, or as quickly as reasonably possible, to address the bullying behaviour. The staff member will: stop the behaviour, identify the bullying behaviours, refer to classroom and/or school rules, resist the temptation to dismiss the bullying as normal behaviour for that age, meet with the student(s) separately if necessary, follow-up with appropriate action, and document the behaviour as well as the action taken at this time.

Head lice

Once head lice is found, the school has to follow some notification procedures.

The customary notification for the presence of head lice is to be done on an individual/case by case basis to the parent or guardian of an infested student. Classroom notifications are not done with typical head lice cases. In the rare case a student is to be excluded, a notice will be given to the parent in person; a phone contact will be attempted and documented. If there is concern about the delivery of the notification, it can be sent by certified mail. A template is available for the School Nurse to use for this notification. There are even very unusual cases, in which it may be appropriate to consider a general parent or guardian notification for a high number of identified cases of head lice. 

Eating disorders

Basically, a teacher has to express his care and concern. If he suspects that one of his students has an eating disorder it is important that they seek help immediately. The sooner a person starts treatment for an eating disorder, the shorter the recovery process will be. Seeking help at the first warning sign is much more effective than waiting until the illness is in full swing. Some helpful tips when talking to a student he suspects may have an eating disorder: the teacher has to try to use ‘I’ statements (e.g. ‘I care about you,’ ‘I am worried about you’). Also, he has to help them to feel it is safe to talk to him. He has to ask them how they feel, give them time to talk about their feelings and listen respectfully to what they have to say. Then, he must encourage them to seek help.

The teacher can help them by remaining supportive, positive and encouraging. The importance of seeking help early cannot be overstated. The earlier an intervention occurs, the shorter the duration of the eating disorder, and the greater the likelihood of full recovery, especially in children and younger adolescents.

Besides, he has to involve the family whenever possible. Decisions about when to pass confidential information about a student’s health and wellbeing on to the student’s parents can be complicated, but factors to consider in making their decision include the age of the student, their own thoughts about involving their parents, the severity of the student’s physical and psychological condition and the resulting level of risk to their health and safety. Families are generally in a better position than schools to encourage children and young adults to seek professional medical and psychological help quickly and on an ongoing basis. It is important that a student with an eating disorder gets a professional diagnosis. 

Violence

Three common procedures to begin assessing school threats: first of all, teachers should ask what is the motivation of the threat maker and credibility of the threat. Secondly, they should ask if the threat maker could have the information on how to carry out the threat. Lastly, they should also ask if the threat maker could have access to the tools, and the capability to carry out the threat. Today, we know the answers to questions two and three could easily be, “Yes.” 

Suicide

Basically, the main things to do are identification and intervention. Early identification and intervention are critical to preventing suicidal behaviour. When school staff become aware of a student exhibiting potential suicidal behaviour, they should immediately and escort the child to a member of the school’s crisis response team for a suicide risk assessment. They should not “send” the student on their own and typically, it is best to inform the student what a teacher is going to do every step of the way. He must solicit the student’s assistance where appropriate. Under no circumstances should the student be allowed to leave school or be alone.

EMERGENCY PROTOCOL

Fire

In the event the fire alarm sounds, a person has to leave the building immediately via the nearest stairway exit.

If possible, before he leaves the room: turn on the lights, open the drapes, close windows and lock the door. Also, he has to remember to wear shoes and carry a towel to place over his nose if smoke is present. If he should happen to be away from his room when the alarm sounds, he must not return to his room itself, but leave the building via the nearest exit. 

If a person should spot a fire anywhere in the building, he must activate the building fire alarm system closest to him. If it is possible, without endangering himself, he has to notify someone empowered to keep order and evacuate the building immediately by using the stairs and not the elevator.

Earthquake

During an earthquake, if someone is inside a building, he must stay where he is until the shaking stops. He must not run outside or get in a doorway as this does not provide protection from falling or flying objects, and he may not be able to remain standing. Also, he has to drop down onto his hands and knees so the earthquake does not knock him down. He should drop to the ground. Moreover, this person must cover his head and neck with his arms to protect himself from falling debris. If he is in danger from falling objects, and he can move safely, he should crawl for additional cover under a sturdy desk or table. If there is low furniture or an interior wall or corner nearby, and the path is clear, these may also provide some additional cover. He has to stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall too, such as light fixtures or furniture. Furthermore, he must hold on to any sturdy covering so he can move with it until the shaking stops. And finally, he has to stay where he is until the shaking stops too.

Airplane

To try to survive a plane crash it is necessary to follow the following tips:

First, the seatbelt must be fastened. Then, the person must place himself in emergency position. He must put the seat upright, rest his head on his knees, grab his ankles with his hands and keep his face between the legs. Anyone should not have a pointed object, since in case of impact it can stick to them accidentally. 

Also, everyone have to put their oxygen masks before helping others. In case of depressurization of the cabin the top compartment will be opened and the oxygen masks will go out. People only have fifteen seconds to start breathing through the mask before falling unconscious. After that, a person has to protect himself from smoke. Fire and smoke cause most deaths in air accidents, so he must cover his nose and mouth with a handkerchief or another garment. If possible, he should moisten it for greater safety and try to stay as low as possible from the smoke level when escaping. Later, everyone has to exit the plane as soon as possible. Almost seven out of ten deaths in air accidents occur due to fire, not injuries. That is why it is crucial to get off the plane quickly through one of the emergency exits that a person sees most safely, without entertaining trying to rescue his belongings. Conclusively, everyone must keep in a safe place. 

Heart attack

Once it is detected, someone must call for help. If a person has any of these symptoms, he must call his local ambulance service immediately for the safest and quickest transportation to the hospital. He must not drive himself to the emergency room. 

Then, in the emergency department, the hospital takes special steps when a person arrives with symptoms of a heart attack. First, the patient is taken to an exam room. Emergency department staff members check the person carefully. The patient is connected to a heart monitor, but this procedure is painless. Oxygen may be given through a tube in the nose and, in the emergency department, the patient is not allowed to eat or drink until a proper diagnosis can be made. He or she must stay in bed to rest the heart as much as possible. In some hospitals, a special team of doctors and nurses arrives to give the best possible care once the patient is diagnosed with a heart attack.