HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY

PART 1 GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

Shirehampton Public Hall Community Association is committed to providing and maintaining safe and healthy conditions for its staff, volunteers, users and visitors.

The Association is not required to have a written Health and Safety Policy under current legislation. However, because of its commitment to a safe environment, it has recognised that a Health and Safety Policy will help all those involved in the Association to ‘think safety’ at all times.

Emergency procedures and contact details are shown at the end of this document.

It is the Association’s policy to:

• Provide safe and healthy working conditions for all its employees, volunteers, users and visitors, and to comply with all relevant statutory requirements.
• Conduct its activities without risk to the general public.
• Provide appropriate supervision and training in health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable in each case.
• Renew and update this Health and Safety Policy Statement regularly, as necessary, and at least annually.

This policy applies to all activities at Shirehampton Public Hall. It sets out the health and safety responsibilities of the Board, Bristol City Council, employees, volunteers, users and hirers of the hall, contractors, and members of the public. The policy also applies to any activities which the Association carries out away from the Public Hall.

This policy is in three parts. Part 1 is this statement of overall policy. Part 2 describes the organisation of health and safety, and sets out responsibilities of different groups. Part 3 gives details of arrangements and procedures.

The Association requires all individuals on its premises to take reasonable care of the safety of themselves and of others who may be affected by their acts, and to co-operate in achieving a safe environment. The Association operates a strict No Smoking policy.

PART 2 ORGANISATION OF HEALTH AND SAFETY

Shirehampton Public Hall is owned by Bristol City Council. Shirehampton Public Hall Community Association manages it on a day-to-day basis. The Association has part-time employees. Other organisations based at the Hall have their own part-time employees. From time to time, the Association holds events at the Hall. However, most activities are carried out by the other organisations based in the Hall, or by groups or individuals who have hired its facilities. It is therefore necessary to clarify the health and safety responsibilities of all these parties.

• Bristol City Council

The City Council owns the Public Hall, which is occupied by the Association. The Council retain responsibility for the fabric of the building, and main services, including heating, gas, and electrical installations, the fire alarm system, fire extinguishers, water and sewerage. It is the City’s responsibility to ensure that all of these are maintained in safe condition.

 

• Shirehampton Public Hall Community Association

The Association is governed by its Board. The Board takes responsibility for all of the Association’s health and safety obligations. It delegates these to the Health and Safety Officer (who may be an employee, Board member or volunteer). The Health and Safety Officer will manage the Association’s responsibilities in the first instance, but will refer any problems back to the Board. The Board remains responsible for ensuring that the Association complies with its obligations.

The Association has the following responsibilities:

1. To inform the City Council of any safety related problems with the building fabric or with services

for which they are responsible, and to monitor the City’s rectification of any problems.

1. To confirm that the City carries out any necessary periodic checks of safety systems for which they retain responsibility, including fire alarms and extinguishers, emergency lighting, and fixed electrical and gas installations.
2. To maintain equipment owned by the Association in a satisfactory condition, and to carry out regular safety checks where applicable (eg plug testing).
3. To maintain the hoist giving access to the understage storage area in a safe condition, to ensure that all necessary inspections and insurance are completed, and that its use is restricted to those individuals who have been authorised.
4. To comply with any safety requirements in the Hall’s Licences.
5. To ensure that all employees work in a safe manner, that any risks arising in their work are properly assessed, and that any training needs which are identified are met.
6. To ensure that the Hall is kept in clean condition, and that the Cleaner is trained in safe methods of working.
7. To ensure that all volunteers work in a safe manner, that any risks arising in their work are properly assessed, and that any training needs which are identified are met.
8. To arrange to carry out regular checks on the operation of the fire alarm system, and to record the results.
9. To provide first aid equipment, and keep it in good order.
10. To maintain an accident book, to investigate the circumstances of any incidents, to determine if any lessons can be learned, and to report to the appropriate authority any incident involving death, major injury, accidents resulting in over 3 day injury, diseases, dangerous occurrences or gas incidents, under the RIDDOR regulations.
11. To ensure that all hirers of the Hall are aware of their health and safety responsibilities.
12. To check that stairs, gangways and fire exits are kept clear of obstruction, and that equipment is only stored in designated areas, and to ask users to clear obstructions they have caused.
13. To ensure that all users of the Hall, and members of the public, have access to basic safety information.
14. To review this policy at least once a year.
15. To carry out any other actions which will promote the health and safety of Hall users.

The detailed arrangements to discharge these responsibilities are set out in Part 3 of this policy.

1. Employees and Volunteers of the Association

The Association’s employees include the Hall Administrator, the Cleaner, and any other individuals with a contract of employment. Volunteers are those carrying out work for the Association on an unpaid basis. They may also be members of the Board.

All employees and volunteers have the responsibility to co-operate with the Board and the Health and Safety Officer to achieve a healthy and safe environment, and to take reasonable care of themselves and others. They must not intentionally or recklessly interfere with anything provided for their health, safety or welfare, eg misusing equipment, knowingly adopting unsafe systems of work, deliberately putting someone else’s safety at risk, etc. Serious breaches of the Health and Safety policy will be dealt with through disciplinary procedures.

Whenever an employee or volunteer notices a Health and Safety problem which they are unable to put right, they must immediately inform the Health and Safety Officer, or in his/her absence, one of the Officers of the Association.

This section does not apply to employees or volunteers of other organisations based at the Hall.

• Hirers of the Hall and other rooms

The Association does not carry out most activities at the Hall itself. Any such activities are managed by an organisation or individual who hires the Hall facilities from the Association. The Association is not responsible for the actions of the hirer, or of individuals attending events put on by the hirer. The hirer agrees to accept obligations under this policy when he completes the Booking form. In particular, the hirer has the following responsibilities:

1. To use any equipment belonging to the Association in a safe manner.
2. To ensure that the hirer’s own equipment is in a safe condition.
3. To ensure that any employees or volunteers operate in a safe manner.
4. To ensure that all users of their services are made aware of any safety concerns, and that they behave in a safe way.
5. To ensure that any relevant food safety and hygiene and similar regulations are complied with.
6. To enforce the No Smoking policy.
7. To comply strictly with the terms of any relevant conditions in the Hall’s Licences.
8. To ensure that all necessary Child Protection and Vulnerable Adults policies are in place and observed.
9. To ensure that stairs, gangways and fire exits are kept clear of obstruction, and that equipment is only stored in designated areas.
10. To carry out any safety-related request made by the Health and Safety Officer.
11. To inform the Association’s Health and Safety Officer of any health and safety concerns about the

building,

 

• Contractors

The Association will ensure that any contractors working in the building are aware of this Health and Safety policy. In the case of contractors appointed by the Association, the Association must be satisfied that the contractor has made appropriate arrangements to ensure the safety of his own staff, of Hall users, and the general public.

• All Users of the Hall and other rooms

All users of the Hall, including the general public, must take reasonable care of the safety of themselves and of others who may be affected by their acts, and co-operate in achieving a safe environment.

Where necessary training will be provided to ensure that any manual handling procedures are carried out safely.

All users must carry out any safety-related request made by the Health and Safety Officer. All users must comply with the No Smoking policy.

Violence or aggressive behaviour towards any member of staff or users of the Hall is not acceptable. If such behaviour is reported it will be dealt with according to the complaints procedure in this volume.

PART 3 ARRANGMENTS AND PROCEDURES

This part of the policy describes the detailed arrangements made to ensure that the Association meets its obligations as set out in Section 2 of Part 2.

1. The Health and Safety Officer (HSO) is the Hall Administrator. Unless otherwise stated, the HSO will be responsible to the Board for carrying out the responsibilities in Section 2 of Part 2.
2. The HSO will notify BCC’s Property Services Department of any defects within the City’s responsibility,

copy these notifications to the Community Buildings Officer, and keep a log of defects and responses.

1. The HSO will keep an equipment maintenance register, and record safety checks of electrical and gas equipment and the hoist. The HSO will arrange for these checks to be carried out when they are due.

1. The hoist giving access to the understage area must only be used by people authorised by the HSO. The HSO will ensure that all authorised users have been trained in the use of the hoist, and will keep a register of those authorised.
2. The HSO will periodically inspect the condition of the First Aid equipment, and replace any used materials. The inspections will be recorded in the equipment maintenance register.
3. The HSO will keep a file of manufacturers’ data sheets for cleaning materials and other substances used by the Association. The HSO will ensure that the use of such substances complies with the COSHH regulations, normally by ensuring that they are only used in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions, and that cleaners and other users are properly trained in their use.

1. The Booking Form will include conditions to ensure that hirers are aware of any obligations they have

under the terms of the Hall’s Licences.

1. The HSO, in conjunction with members of the Board and volunteers, will carry out an annual Risk

Assessment of the Building and its facilities, and of the Association’s activities.

1. A nominated volunteer will carry out operational checks on the Fire Alarm and Emergency Lighting systems at regular intervals (normally weekly), and record the results.

1. The Accident Book will be located in the kitchen. The HSO will examine it for new entries regularly.
2. Hirers may hold Fire Drills for their users, but any such exercise must be agreed in advance with the HSO.
3. What to do in an emergency

Action to take in the event of a fire is displayed in all rooms. Telephone numbers for the emergency services are displayed by the telephone in the foyer. Emergency contact numbers for BCC property services and the location of the water mains stop-cock are also in the foyer.

To ensure that all users are aware of this policy, it will be displayed on the notice board at the entrance to the building. The Booking Form will include a condition that hirers abide by it. All regular hirers will be given a copy and asked to draw it to the attention of their users. Fire Safety Notices, setting out the action to be taken in the event of a fire, will be prominently displayed around the building.

Approval

This document was revised and approved by the Board in February 2023.