Why Your Asbestos Register Might Not Survive The HSE's 2026 Spot Checks

The HSE has just launched a new wave of unannounced spot checks to mark Global Asbestos Awareness Week. If your school o …

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Richard Melis
by Richard Melis Richard Melis
2 min read
13-Apr-2026 15:36:10

Why Your Current Fire Risk Assessment Might Now Be a Liability

If you manage an education estate, the push for stricter competency standards probably isn't news to you. You likely alr …

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Richard Melis
by Richard Melis Richard Melis
2 min read
30-Mar-2026 11:50:46

Legionella in the News: The Pre-Return Reality for Estates

Some of you might have read about the UKHSA investigating a London Legionella cluster. With eight confirmed cases, they …

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Richard Melis
by Richard Melis Richard Melis
2 min read
26-Mar-2026 14:53:49

7 Things Your School Site Team Shouldn’t Do Over the Festive Break (and What to Do Instead)

You know the feeling: the site’s finally quiet, the corridors aren’t full of coats, and you can almost hear the caretaki …

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Richard Melis
by Richard Melis Richard Melis
4 min read
17-Dec-2025 17:15:27

Does Your School First Aid Kit Come with Psychological Plasters?

Why December is the time to look after more than frozen pipes.

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Richard Melis
by Richard Melis Richard Melis
3 min read
03-Dec-2025 13:54:42

Making Sense of Asset Management in Schools

Every school starts somewhere. Some start with colour-coded spreadsheets. Some start with chaos. Both are valid beginnin …

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Richard Melis
by Richard Melis Richard Melis
2 min read
13-Nov-2025 10:37:20

Great Site Teams Are Worth Every Penny

Let’s talk about Trigger’s Broom. No, not a new cleaning product — the legend.

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Richard Melis
by Richard Melis Richard Melis
2 min read
13-Nov-2025 09:58:29

The True Cost of Reputational Damage from Compliance

Why compliance isn't just about audits – it's about protecting your school or trust's good name. We've all got one. That …

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Richard Melis
by Richard Melis Richard Melis
3 min read
07-Nov-2025 10:14:35

Would Your Defibrillator Be Ready When It Counts?

When a student collapsed during PE, the school’s premises manager ran for the new defibrillator. Three minutes later, th …

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Richard Melis
by Richard Melis Richard Melis
3 min read
30-Oct-2025 16:53:47

Are You Ready for the Autumn Audit?

When you read the title, you probably thought Ofsted, didn’t you? Nope—that was my other article. There’s another kind o …

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Richard Melis
by Richard Melis Richard Melis
2 min read
02-Oct-2025 11:30:31