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health and safety policy

   PART 1: POLICY STATEMENT   

This document is the Health and Safety Policy of West Peckham Village Hall CIO (West Peckham Village Hall).

 

This policy is to provide healthy and safe conditions, equipment and systems of work for our employees, volunteers, hirers and users by ensuring the Hall and its equipment is maintained in a safe condition, and by providing such training and information as is necessary to staff, volunteers and users.

 

It is the intention of West Peckham Village Hall to comply with all health and safety legislation, and to act positively, where reasonably practicable, to prevent injury, ill-health or any danger arising from its activities and operations.

 

West Peckham Village Hall considers the promotion of the health and safety of its employees at work and those who use the premises, including contractors who may work there, to be of great importance. West Peckham Village Hall recognises that the effective prevention of accidents depends as much on a committed attitude of mind to safety as on the operation and maintenance of equipment and safe systems of work. To this end, West Peckham Village Hall will seek to encourage its employees, volunteers, contractors and users to engage in the establishment and observance of safe working practices.

 

Employees, volunteers, hirers, users, contractors and visitors are expected to recognise that there is a duty on them to comply with the practices set out by West Peckham Village Hall, with all safety requirements set out in the Hiring Agreement, and with safety notices on the premises, and to accept responsibility to do everything they can to prevent injury to themselves or others.

   PART 2:  ORGANISATION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY   

 

West Peckham Village Hall has overall responsibility for health and safety at the Hall.

 

The persons delegated by West Peckham Village Hall Trustees to have day to day responsibility for the implementation of the policy are:

Mr Ron Wright, Bookings Clerk 07761 005995

Mr Matthew Edwards 07785 901585

 

It is the duty of all employees, volunteers, hirers, users and visitors to take care of themselves and others who may be affected by their activities, and to cooperate with West Peckham Village Hall in keeping the premises safe and healthy, including the car park and grounds.

 

Should anyone using the Hall come across a fault, damage or other situation that might cause injury and cannot be rectified immediately, they should inform one of the persons above or any other trustee of West Peckham Village Hall as soon as possible so that the problem can be dealt with. Where equipment is damaged a notice should be placed on it warning that it is not to be used, and a trustee should immediately be notified.

 

The following items are maintained and regularly reviewed by West Peckham Village Hall :

● First Aid box

● Reporting of accidents

● Fire precautions and checks

● Risk assessments and inspections

● Information to contractors

● Information and Instructions to hirers and users

● Insurance

 

   PART 3: ARRANGEMENTS AND PROCEDURES   

INTRODUCTION

 

West Peckham Village Hall has drawn up this policy to make clear procedures and areas of responsibility in ensuring the health and safety of its employees, contractors, volunteers, hirers and users.

 

West Peckham Village Hall wishes to ensure the safety of everyone using it, and precautions will be taken where possible to achieve this. It is its intention to comply with all health and safety legislation and to act positively where it can reasonably do so to prevent injury, ill-health or any danger arising from its activities and operations.

 

All hirers and users must play their key roles in maintaining a healthy and safe environment by operating in a way that does not compromise the objectives of this policy. Employees, hirers and visitors will be expected to recognise that there is a duty on them to comply with the practices set out by West Peckham Village Hall ; with all safety requirements set out in the Hiring Agreement, Health & Safety Policy and Instructions for Hall Users; and with safety notices on the premises, and to accept responsibility to do everything they can to prevent injury to themselves or others.

 

West Peckham Village Hall has carried out health and safety risk assessments for each area of the hall, car park and grounds together with a fire risk assessment, and these are kept in the Hall’s Health, Safety & Compliance File in the committee room. These assessments list hazards identified, and procedures and precautions that should be adopted in order to minimise and mitigate risk. 

SAFETY RULES

 

All hirers will be expected to read the whole of the Hiring Agreement, and should sign the Booking Form as evidence that they agree to the hire conditions. All new hirers will also be given information/training by the Bookings Clerk about safety procedures at the Hall which they will be expected to follow (e.g. fire evacuation procedures, use and moving of equipment), and will be shown the location of the accident book and the Health, Safety & Compliance File. All hirers must appoint a competent Supervisor who will have the day to day responsibility for ensuring that activities undertaken in the Hall during any hire period are conducted in compliance with current legislation, the Hiring Agreement, West Peckham Village Hall’s policies, Instructions for Hall Users and any approved working procedures.

Supervisors will:

● Be over the age of 21;

● Have access to a working mobile phone at all times during each hire period;

● Not be engaged in any duties which prevent him/her from exercising effective general supervision;

● Be present on the premises for the entire duration of the hire;

● Take charge in case of fire or other emergency to ensure that all persons at the Hall can escape unimpeded through the fire exits and assemble in the car park;

● Instruct all users under their control how to exit the building in the event of fire or other emergency;

● Instigate all accident investigations within their area of responsibility, complete the accident report form (located in kitchen on wall near door) and submit form to the Bookings Clerk;

● Ensure that all control measures arising from risk assessments are implemented, and that their respective user groups receive adequate instruction on all safety rules, procedures and safe working methods;

● Ensure that proper safety precautions have been taken with regard to equipment, processes, substances, articles and working methods;

● Impart to all users under their control, the responsibilities they have to themselves and others whilst in the Hall. They are required to give personal leadership in carefully integrating safety into all aspects of the Hall’s use;

● Be responsible for ensuring that accident reporting procedures are properly followed. Note that certain types of accident or injury must also be reported on a separate HSE form in accordance with the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR);

● Ensure that the Hall car park is adequately marshalled and controlled throughout the hire period;

● Ensure that where relevant there is an adequate ratio of competent adults to children throughout the entire duration of the hire; ● Ensure that whenever required floors are adequately protected with a suitable covering;

● Ensure that all rubbish is removed from the property at the end of each hire period;

● Ensure that the facilities which have been used during each hire period are left in a clean and tidy condition prior to leaving the premises.

All individuals entering the Hall must comply at all times with the following rules:

● No smoking is permitted anywhere in the Hall or elsewhere on the premises, including the car park and grounds, at any time; ● No obstruction of the emergency exit doors is caused;

● No activities are allowed which involve danger to the public;

● No obvious fire hazards are allowed on the premises;

● No unauthorised heating appliances are to be used;

● No hazardous substances (as regulated by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)) are to be used or stored in the Hall, except as approved by West Peckham Village Hall and stored in the cleaner’s cupboard; 4 ● No highly flammable or explosive substances (including fireworks) shall be brought onto or used in any part of the premises including the car park and grounds;

● No internal decorations of a combustible nature (e.g. polystyrene, cotton, etc.) shall be undertaken or erected without the permission of West Peckham Village Hall ;

● No use of smoke machines is permitted at any time

● Compliance with COVID rules as set out on notices in the hall.

 

West Peckham Village Hall has carried out risk assessments.  The following practices must be followed in order to minimise risks:

● Make sure that all emergency exit doors are clear and unlocked as soon as the Hall is to be used, and throughout the hiring; ● Do not operate or touch any electrical equipment where there are signs of damage, exposure of components or water penetration, etc.;

● Do not work on steps, ladders or at height until they are properly secured, and another person is present;

● Do not leave portable electrical appliances operating while unattended;

● Do not bring onto the property any gas appliances or cylinders;

● Do not bring onto the property any portable electrical appliances which have not been Portable Appliance Tested and certified;

● Do not bring onto the property any uncooked or unprepared foodstuffs;

● Do not attempt to lift or move heavy or bulky items (e.g. stacked tables or chairs) – use the trolley provided for chairs; ● Do not move stacks of more than five chairs;

● Do not attempt to carry or tip a water boiler when it contains hot water. Leave it to cool;

● Do not plug kettles into adjacent sockets in the kitchen;

● Do not allow children or animals into the kitchen. Avoid overcrowding in the kitchen and do not allow running; ● Wear suitable protective clothing when handling cleaning or other toxic materials;

● Report any evidence of damage or faults to equipment or the building’s facilities to the Bookings Clerk or any trustee of West Peckham Village Hall;

● Report every accident in the accident book, and to the Bookings Clerk;

● Be aware of, and seek to avoid, the following risks:

i) creating slipping hazards on polished or wet floors – mop spills immediately, and use the ‘Caution: wet floor’ free-standing sign to alert users to the hazard.

ii) creating tripping hazards by not taping down and securing trailing wires or cables

iii) creating tripping hazards such as buggies, umbrellas, mops and other items left in the main hall, vestibule and corridor, kitchen and committee room

iv) causing or creating any obstruction of the emergency exit 

v) use adequate lighting to avoid tripping in poorly lit areas

vi) risks to individuals while in sole occupancy of the building

vii) risks involved in handling kitchen equipment, e.g. cooker, water heater, knives, etc. 5 viii) creating toppling hazards by piling up equipment, e.g. in store cupboards.

 

FIRE PRECAUTIONS AND CHECKS

 

The fire risk assessment for the Hall which incorporates both the Emergency Plan to be followed in the event of fire, and a plan of the Hall showing the location of fire exits, alarms and firefighting equipment, is set out in the H&S pdf, link below.  It should be noted that there is no landline at the Hall and no public telephone in the village, hence it is a strict requirement that Hirers/Supervisors have access to a working mobile phone throughout the entire hire period.

 

CONTRACTORS

 

West Peckham Village Hall will check with contractors (including self-employed persons) before they start work that:

● the contractors are competent to carry out the work, e.g. have appropriate qualifications, references, experience, etc.

● contractors have adequate public liability insurance cover

● contractors have seen the Health, Safety & Compliance file and are aware of any hazards which might arise (e.g. electricity cables)

● contractors do not work alone in potentially hazardous situations and, in particular, on ladders at height (if necessary a volunteer should be present)

● contractors have their own health and safety policy for their staff

● the contractor knows which trustee of West Peckham Village Hall is responsible for overseeing that their work is as asked, and to a satisfactory standard

● any alterations or additions to the electrical installations or equipment must conform to the current regulations of the Institute of Electrical Engineer

 

 

FIRST AID

 

The First Aid box is situated in the kitchen to the right of the window. No qualified First Aider is provided by the Hall. Hirers, users and contractors are advised to consider and resolve their own First Aid requirements.  A defibrillator provided by West Peckham Parish Council is located in the porch on the front external wall of the Hall.

 

 

INSURANCE

 

The company providing the Hall’s Employer’s Liability and Public Liability insurance cover is:

 

Name:    Ansvar Insurance

Address: Ansvar House, St Leonards Road, Eastbourne, BN21 3UR

Telephone number: via Norris & Fisher Ltd, 02380273164

Policy number: CCP 2312593

Date of renewal: 

REVIEW OF HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY

 

The trustees of West Peckham Village Hall will review this policy annually. 

 

Trustees with responsibility for aspects of health and safety will report to the other trustees of West Peckham Village Hall regularly, including any accidents, faults, misuse by hirers or other matters which could affect the health and safety of users or employees.

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