Tips - how to work better
Many of us have ideas, tools and routines that help us work more efficiently and be effective in our jobs.
Share them here! Send them in on the form to the left.
Cover the drains
Drain covers eliminate frequent cleaning of drain tops.
The drain cover is steel cut to fit each individual drain top size (using a cardboard template to custom-fit each drain), then galvanised and bolted down in 4 places. The bolts are inserted in the drain top and nuts are used to hold each top in place.
When you fit these drain covers you won't need to frequent clean drain tops any more.
Carrying all those keys
This Keybak (costs about.$50) is an excellent way of having your important keys with you wherever you go.
It saves much backtracking to get keys to open doors. It works particularly well if you have a master key system because of the large range of doors that you can open.
Using a "waste" area
Turn a "waste" area into an attractive multipurpose area.
These lunch bay seats were put in to cover 4 grassed areas in front of these classroom lunch bays. This welcome addition has saved mud being tramped into the classrooms has also saved roping off of worn soil areas and they are well used and enjoyed by the children. Comfortable seating on the front edge of the deck facing the netball courts is always being used through the day as also the seating on the seats around the trees as well as on the deck.
Recessed entry mats
For $ 660 (GST incl.) our carpet layer supplied and installed Decord recessed matting in 3 entry doorways:
- two double doorways
- one single doorway
The charcoal colour which masks the dirt and the fact that the mats do not move across with foot traffic is most pleasing. We were forever pulling the mats back into place before.
"Stable" door
Earl's office door has been changed to a stable door.
"I have found it very useful. The children and staff can talk to me face to face, and now the office staff are wanting stable doors."
PS Janie Field has added to this tip ... her school has installed a window in the top half of a door like this for two reasons:
- for security
- so people feel part of a team
Master key
The L & F key series has 400 keys in the series and I have had recommended to me and have used a L & F master key.
This Master key I find particularly useful. One example childrens cell phones and wallets containing bus tickets locked in a filing cabinet during the day and when 3pm came there was no key to open the cabinet.
The master key is very useful in this situation.
Fire Alarms
We have found the anti - tamper stopper covers very useful in our school to prevent accidental or malicious fire Alarm activations resulting in fire brigade attendances and the resulting $ 1,000 plus gst for each call out.
The stopper covers are fitted by an Fire Alarm company over existing call points. When the stopper covers are lifted they emit an ear piercing screamm that mimics an actual fire siren. This is enough to deter students from turning on the call points.
We have two problem areas covered with these anti tamper covers and have not had an actual fire activation from these call points since. Some schools are having these fitted on all call points.
The stopper covers cost between $ 250 and $ 300 each plus gst and fitting of at least $ 100 by the service agent is extra.