Hello all, Here's the latest concerning development in challenges being visited on the sector. It doesn't seem to have happened in our customer area, however, as most are on pupil break, there may be an item awaiting attention. You will see that the nature of this one again covers the aspect of to 'lockdown' or not, the essential element of 'authoritative source' communications and the not necessarily well thought out actions of parent/carers, which need to be planned for. Bill Schools told not to take action following malicious emails  which threatened that pupils would be “run down and shot",   as police appeal for information in hunt for sender Investigations have now begun into who sent the emails, which led to   some schools being on "lockdown" as frantic parents began arriving to remove children . A spokeswoman for the Met Police in London said that schools across the capital had been targeted but that the “malic...

Hello all, The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have issued a warning to keep head lice treatments away from naked flames. You may wish to share this with your school community and discuss it with staff where there may be a curriculum issue to address too? Here is the warning: Check product instructions as some head lice products can ignite your hair if near a naked flame. Parents, caregivers and people with head lice are being reminded to always read product instructions before applying head lice removal products. Some of these products have the potential to ignite when in the presence of an open flame – such as when lighting cigarettes. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a  Drug Safety Alert  advising pharmacists to tell people about the risk of fires when they discuss options to treat head lice. With some head lice removal products easily accessible at supermarkets and without a pharmacist’...

Hello all, You may have seen that schools across the country, including here in our customer area were targeted by malicious bomb warnings by email. Some, in liaison with the Police, evacuated and searched while, as the incident unfolded, others decided against it. This is another scenario where potentially you can't win and are damned by some whichever way your decision is made. Don't forget though, if you evacuate, a bag bomb means a 200m cordon, not standing in your assembly area for fire. A vehicle of concern, 400m. The Police will not usually respond on a blues and twos basis and when they do arrive will ask you to accompany them, because they don't know your place like you do. That will all take substantial time and shelter/facilities for those evacuated will need to be put in place quickly to recognise that. Ensuring all medicines and first aid equipment plus your usual evacuation crates and bags are essential too. There is no indication as to whethe...

Hello all, The forecast has just worsened for Sunday over part of our customer area! There is now an AMBER warning for snow for just south of Bristol in a line down to Southampton and North across the channel into S. Wales and part of Glos. The area extends down through N. Somerset into Somerset and across into Banes. The YELLOW warning area surrounds the AMBER and is for snow and ice.  A YELLOW ice warning extends across our whole customer area until 10.00 am on Monday 19th to add to the challenge of the return on Monday morning. It appears there might be some travel difficulty hanging over until then.    ​B​ etween 00:05 Sun 18th and 18:00 Sun 18th There is the potential for a spell of snow, moving west over southwest Britain on Saturday night and become locally heavy on Sunday. Strong easterly winds will lead to some drifting of snow. Travel delays on roads are likely, stranding some vehicles and passengers. Some delays and cancellations to rail and...

Hello all,   In case of activities over the weekend whether on or off site and/or for whatever you are getting up to, that weather from the East is due to return temporarily this weekend! The Met office have issued the following YELLOW warning which covers all of our customer area. The potential for snow in terms of timing seems to confine itself to the morning on Sunday and, at present, doesn't look as if its impact will hold over into Monday.  Between 00:05 Sun 18th and 23:55 Sun 18th Snow showers are likely to continue throughout Sunday, and where these converge some snow may well accumulate and could then prove disruptive. There is a small chance that snow may fall for a longer period across southern, and particularly south eastern regions for a time on Sunday. There is a chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel. There is a chance that power cuts will occur and services, such as mobile pho...

Hello all, Things have eased and our area is now covered by a Yellow warning, better than forecast yesterday. However further snow is forecast today and ice. The Yellow warning for ice remains in place across the area tomorrow. Many of the principal gritted routes have been successfully been kept open but the advice is not to travel unless essential. Public transport is monitoring the position before deciding whether to leave depots. First in Bristol have just said they will delay a decision to midday. Sunday is now better than yesterday's forecast as Max temp is now a heady 6 then Monday is 7 degrees, so a thaw will be underway. Do ensure those vulnerable pipe runs that may have frozen are isolated and the end tap opened so as to minimise any potential damage from a burst pipe and wasted water. That heating needs checking too perhaps to make sure it is doing its stuff over the weekend and you are ready to go on Monday! It is appreciated that with the wide ...

Here's the latest from the met office all: Today the Red warning for Wind and Snow is in place for the area I described earlier. It is to  the West of our customer area and travel to work area, including South Wales. Around the  Red area the Amber warning is in place for the majority of the customer area. There is also  a concern regarding a change to freezing rain over night but less certainty about that. Please note the timing information: When the Red warning concludes the for the area it covers the Amber is still in place.  When the Amber warning concludes a yellow warning remains into Saturday.  There is then a yellow warning in place for ice until 9.00 am Saturday morning.  Precipitation isn't forecast for Saturday but temperatures remain around freezing so the  less cold weather isn't appearing yet.  Snow showers may occur on Sunday morning with temperatures the same.  Precipitation ...

DS Risk Warning: Weather Inbox x Priority x Hello all, The Met Office has just issued for today a  RED warning of wind and snow  within the amber area to  the  west of Gloucester, Bristol and down to Exeter. It includes a slice of S. Wales and much of  Somerset. Please be aware the boundaries may change and are a best estimate. If you are in the West of our customer area and/or staff travel from there you should immediately  review  your situation and those of us in the Amber area need to remain vigilant and dynamically  risk assess. This is the highest level of warning and says: Between 15:00 Wed 28th and 10:00 Thu 1st Heavy snow showers and drifting of lying snow in the strong easterly winds will become  more  widespread across the area later on Wednesday afternoon, through the evening and  overnight  into Thursday. Roads will become blocked by deep...