Health & safety Policy

Health & Safety Policy - updated November 2023

Our policy is to:

a) Provide healthy and safe working conditions, equipment and environment for Management Committee members, hirers, users and other visitors.

b) Keep the village hall and equipment in a safe condition for all users.

c) Provide such advice and information as is felt appropriate for Management Committee members, hirers, users and other visitors to safely use the facility

It is the intention of the Management Committee to comply with all relevant Health and Safety legislation and to act positively where it can reasonably do so to prevent injury, ill health or any danger arising from all activities and operations in the building.

The Committee will encourage its members, hirers, users and other visitors to engage in the establishment and observance of safe working and other practices.

Hirers, users and other visitors will be expected to comply with the legislation and the practices set out by the Committee, 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.

Hirers are responsible for all attendees at their event including safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. Fire Safety is specifically the responsibility of the hirer at their event.

Should anyone using the hall come across a fault, damage or other situation which might cause injury and cannot be rectified immediately they should inform the Chairman or the Bookings Secretary, as soon as possible so that the problem can be dealt with.

Where equipment is damaged or otherwise faulty a notice should be placed on it warning that it is not to be used and the Chairman or the Bookings Secretary informed as soon as possible.

Any equipment brought in by the hirer/user must be removed at the end of the hire period and is the sole responsibility of the hirer.

Details

a) Licence

The hall premises are licensed for music, singing and showing of films. (Please note additional licences / permissions required for films, please discuss)

The sale of alcohol is permitted either through the hall’s licence or through the hirer obtaining a Temporary Event Notice. In either case the agreement of the committee is required to sell or serve alcohol.

The hall also has a Performing Rights licence

b) Fire and Electrical Precautions and Checks

Fire detectors are located throughout the building. Although there are fire extinguishers of various sorts appropriate to each room, the advice to all users is to evacuate the building and call the emergency services to deal with any fire. The FAP (Fire Assembly Point) is the grass area at the front of the Royal Oak public House

All fire extinguishers are checked annually by a professional organisation and replaced/ recharged as necessary.

All electrics including emergency lights are checked professionally on an annual basis and on an ad hoc basis by the committee members.

c) Procedure in case of accidents

Any accident must be reported to the Chairman of the Management Committee direct or via the bookings contact.

The RIDDOR* form should be completed where appropriate. *RIDDOR is Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations)

Safety Rules

All hirers will be expected to read the whole of the hiring agreement and should sign the hiring form as evidence that they agree to the hiring conditions. Payment of the hire fee is also taken as agreement to all terms and conditions.

The hiring agreement states that all statutory or local regulations and rules for public safety must be strictly observed by hirers and fire and safety equipment must not be misused or removed from its designated location. Fire and other exits must not be obstructed. It is the hirers responsibility to ensure fire safety at their event. This means knowing how to evacuate the building, making sure your attendees know what to do in the event of fire, ensuring all passageways to exits are kept clear etc.

A Risk Assessment (RA) is carried out at least annually and any risks reported to the Management Committee.

Hirers are responsible for carrying out their own RA for their event.

Any volunteer, including any member of the committee, is expected to ensure they take full regard of all health and safety matters. They should not work alone, if they do, they must ensure someone knows they are and arrange to call them regularly for example. There must always be two people when using a ladder/ stepladder and one must hold the ladder.

Contractors

Only contractors deemed competent to carry out the work (eg have appropriate qualifications, references, experience) will be used.

Contractors are expected to have adequate public liability insurance cover and familiarise themselves with any hazards in or around the building.

Contractors have their own health and safety policy for their staff.

The contractor must know which member of the committee is responsible for overseeing that their work meets the contract.

All work undertaken by contractors must meet the relevant laws and regulations.

** End of policy **