Fill - Free fillable Church Health And Safety Policy With Guidance PDF form

Church Health and

Safety Policy with

guidance notes

Version 6

Contents

Policy

Introduction 3

Our Health and Safety Policy 4

Section A – General statement of policy 5

Section B – Organisation and responsibilities 6

Section C – Arrangements (implementation of the policy) 10

– Accidents and ﬁrst aid 10

– Fire safety 11

– Electrical safety 13

– Gas equipment safety 14

– Hazardous substances 14

– Safety of plant and machinery 14

– Slips, trips and falls 15

– Lighting 16

– Working at high levels 16

– Preparation of food 16

– Manual handling – lifting, carrying and moving loads 16

– Display screen equipment 17

– Hazardous buildings/glazing 17

– Child protection 17

– Personal safety 17

– Risk assessments/activities 18

– Contractors 18

– Information and enforcement 19

– Health and Safety law poster 19

Guidance notes

Health and safety guidance notes 21

Up to date guidance notes on a range of important topics are available on our dedicated web

site for church customers at www.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters/churchguidance. For any

additional advice or help please contact your local Insurance Consultant and Surveyor or call our

church customer services team on 0345 777 3322.

Whilst Ecclesiastical Insurance Group PLC has

used reasonable endeavours to ensure that the

information in this publication is correct at the

time of publication, please note: (a) the

information is not intended to constitute a

deﬁnitive or complete statement of the law on

any subject, nor is any part of it intended to

constitute legal advice for any speciﬁc situation;

(b) the information may over the course of time

become incorrect or out of date; and (c)

Ecclesiastical Insurance Group PLC cannot

accept any responsibility for action taken as a

result of information provided in this publication.

You should take speciﬁc advice when dealing

with speciﬁc situations. The information provided

in this publication is general and educational in

nature and may not reﬂect all recent legal

developments and may not apply to the speciﬁc

facts of individual circumstances.

You assume sole responsibility for the use of this

document and should obtain specialist advice in

relation to its use in speciﬁc circumstances.

Accordingly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Group

PLCand its subsidiaries shall not be liable for

any losses, damages, charges or expenses,

whether direct, indirect, or consequential and

howsoever arising, that you suffer or incur as a

result of or in connection with your use or

reliance on the information provided in this

document except for those which cannot be

excluded by law.

CHURCH

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HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 3

Free guides full of practical advice

and information

Tower tours

A minimum of two

stewards should escort

parties.

Working at height and

the safe use of ladders

Every year many people

are injured, sometimes

fatally, from using ladders.

Asbestos

The duty to manage

asbestos applies to all

places of worship.

Keeping a church safe is no easy matter. You have to be sure you

have done everything you can to minimise the risks to your church,

workers and visitors, and that everyone knows what to do if anything

goes wrong. That’s why Ecclesiastical has produced a range of

helpful guides on how to keep things running safely and smoothly.

Written by insurance experts, the guides give you step-by-step

practical support to help you and your church.

You can ﬁnd further guidance on our dedicated web site for our

church customers at www.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters/

churchguidance. For further information contact your local Insurance

Consultant and Surveyor or

call us on

0345 777 3322

Monday to Friday. 8am to 6pm (excluding bank holidays).

We may monitor or record calls to improve our service.

You can email us at

churches@ecclesiastical.com

Or Visit

www.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters

About Ecclesiastical

Ecclesiastical was established in 1887 to protect the Anglican

Church and we’re still committed to doing this today. Ecclesiastical

donates all available proﬁts to our owners, Allchurches Trust Limited,

a registered charity, enabling the Trust to continue to support the

church and other charitable institutions.

Note: Ecclesiastical provides these guidance notes without additional

charge to Ecclesiastical Church Insurance policyholders.

This advice is provided to you as best practice guidance from

Ecclesiastical Insurance. Please check your policy documents for

details of any conditions speciﬁc to your policy.

4 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY

This document has been prepared in

accordance with the provisions of the

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

and the regulations made under it.

The policy is in three sections:

Section A – General statement of policy

Section B – Organisation and responsibilities

Section C – Arrangements

Note

Instructions and guidance are in brown type

To all employees, voluntary helpers

and contractors:

The success of this policy will depend on

your co-operation. It is therefore important

that you read this document carefully

and understand your role and the overall

arrangements for health and safety.

Name of church

Address

Postcode

Date

Review date

Our Health and Safety Policy

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HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 5

Our policy, so far as is reasonably practicable,

is to provide and maintain safe and healthy

working conditions, equipment and systems

of work for all our employees, casual labour

and voluntary helpers, and to provide such

information, training and supervision as they

need for this purpose.

We will also endeavour to ensure, so far

as is reasonably practicable, the health,

safety and welfare of all members of the

congregation, contractors, visitors and

others who may visit the church, churchyard

and any associated buildings.

The allocation of duties for safety matters and

the particular arrangements that we will make

to implement the policy are set out below.

The policy will be kept up to date, particularly

in the light of any changes to our buildings or

activities. To ensure this, the policy and the

way in which it has operated will be reviewed

regularly and the appropriate changes made.

In order to ensure that health and safety

matters are kept constantly under review,

an item on health and safety will be on the

agenda for all meetings of the Parochial

Church Council, and sub-committees (where

they exist) and employees and voluntary

workers will be consulted on a regular

basis in order to seek their views on

health and safety matters.

Signed

Vicar/Rector/Priest in Charge

(delete as appropriate)

Date

Review date

This policy should be reviewed at regular

intervals. The interval will depend on

the level of your activities and the extent

of change.

General statement of policy A

6 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Responsibility of the Vicar/Rector/

Priest in Charge

Overall responsibility for health and safety

is that of the Vicar/Rector/Priest in Charge

(delete as appropriate)

the Revd

who will ensure that arrangements are in place

to satisfy health and safety regulations and

appropriate Codes of Practice. Speciﬁc

responsibilities may be delegated to church

personnel. As new projects emerge, the

names of responsible persons will be notiﬁed

and the list amended accordingly.

Responsibility of the Churchwardens

Responsibility to ensure that the arrangements

outlined in this policy are carried out and

updated as necessary is with the

Churchwardens, as noted below:

Responsibility of the Parochial

Church Council

The Parochial Church Council has general

responsibility to ensure that the health and

safety policy is implemented.

Responsibility of the

Health and Safety Ofﬁcer

The following person carries the responsibility

for the day-to-day implementation of the

arrangements outlined in this policy:

The responsibility of the health and safety

ofﬁcer shall be to:

1 be familiar with health and safety

regulations as far as they concern

church premises

2 be familiar with the health and safety

policy and arrangements and ensure

they are observed

3 ensure so far as is reasonably practicable,

that safe systems of work are in place

4 ensure the church and hall, if applicable,

are clean and tidy

5 ensure the churchyard is properly

maintained including the safety of

monuments, tombstones and trees,

and that grass is kept cut

6 ensure that safety equipment and

clothing is provided and used by all

personnel where this is required

4

3

2

1

Organisation and responsibilities B

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HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 7

7 ensure that all plant, equipment and

tools are properly maintained and

in good condition and that all operators

have received the appropriate training

8 ensure that adequate access and egress

is maintained

9 ensure adequate ﬁreﬁghting equipment is

available and maintained

10 ensure that food hygiene regulations

and procedures are observed.

Responsibility of employees and

voluntary workers

All employees and voluntary workers

have a responsibility to co-operate in the

implementation of this health and safety

policy and to take reasonable care of

themselves and others whilst on church

business or premises.

Employees and voluntary workers

must therefore:

1 comply with safety rules, operating

instructions and working procedures

2 use protective clothing and equipment

when it is required

3 report any fault or defect in equipment

immediately to the appropriate person

4 report all accidents (however minor),

injuries, near misses or other potential

safety hazards as soon as possible

5 not misuse anything provided in the

interests of health and safety.

Responsible persons

The following are responsible for safety

in particular areas:

Allocate responsibilities either by the area

of the church or by activity or a combination

of both. Alternatively, you may wish to

arrange responsibilities in some other

way. (The numbers in brackets relate to

the appropriate section of the policy.)

These lists are not exhaustive.

6

5

8 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

1. By activity

Accident book/Accident reporting (1)

Fire extinguishers (2.1)

Emergency evacuation (2.4)

Portable electrical appliances (3.1)

Fixed electrical system (3.4)

Gas equipment (4)

Hazardous substances (5)

Plant and machinery (6)

Condition of ﬂoors and stairs (7.1)

Condition of churchyard (7.2)

Light bulb changing (8)

Working at high levels (9)

Food preparation (10)

Manual handling (11)

Display screen equipment (12)

Building defects/glazing (13)

Child protection (14)

Personal safety (15)

Fêtes and outings (16.1)

Tower tours (16.2)

Bell ringing (16.3)

Contractors (17)

Choirs/music

Health and safety training

Name/position

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HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 9

2. By area

Main body of church

Chapels

Clergy vestries

Choir vestries

Vergers vestries

Sacristy

Organ loft

Ringing chamber

Bell chamber

Boiler room

Kitchens

Churchyard

Church hall

Name/position

10 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

This section sets out our arrangements to

minimise as far as is reasonably practicable

risks to the health and safety of employees,

voluntary workers, members of the

congregation, visitors and contractors.

Note: general guidance is given but you will

need to detail your own arrangements where

appropriate. You should refer to the various

guidance notes produced by Ecclesiastical

and other guidance produced by the Health

and Safety Executive.

There are a number of places where you need

to insert the interval for inspections. This could

be weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually.

The period you choose will depend on your

own situation and experience.

Accidents and ﬁrst aid

First aid boxes are located in:

Trained/qualiﬁed ﬁrst aiders are:

The accident book(s) is/are located in:

All accidents and incidents are entered in the

accident book or on an Accident report form

and our insurers advised. (A specimen Accident

report form is available upon request.)

If the church or church hall is let to outside

organisations, they are told in writing that in

the event of an accident, details must be

entered in the accident book. A separate book

is kept for this purpose.

Accident books and accident records are

regularly reviewed.

RIDDOR Reporting of Injuries,

Diseases and Dangerous

Occurrences Regulations 2013

Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and

Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013

(RIDDOR) there is a statutory requirement to

report certain types of accident, dangerous

occurrences and disease to the enforcing

authorities. Fatal accidents, major injuries and

injuries which involve the injured person being

absent from work or unable to perform their

normal duties for more than seven days must

be reported to the enforcing authorities. So

must diseases and certain dangerous

occurrences, as deﬁned by the regulations.

For most types of incident the responsible

person must notify the enforcing authority

without delay, in accordance with the reporting

procedure (Schedule 1 of the Regulations). A

report must be received within 10 days of the

incident.

n serious injuries or dangerous occurrences

(as deﬁned by the regulations) must be

reported immediately.

n accidents involving the injured person

losing more than seven consecutive

days work (excluding the day of the

accident but including any days which

would not have been working days) but

1

Arrangements (implementation of the policy) C

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HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 11

which do not fall into the above category,

must be reported within ﬁfteen days

n accidents to members of the public or

others who are not at work must be

reported if they result in an injury and the

person is taken directly from the scene of

the accident to hospital for treatment to

that injury. Examinations and diagnostic

tests do not constitute ‘treatment’ in such

circumstances.

n reportable diseases, as deﬁned by the

regulations, must be reported to the

enforcing authority. This will be required

only if the employer receives a written

diagnosis of the disease made by a

doctor and the person concerned is

involved with a work activity as speciﬁed

in the regulations. Reportable diseases

include certain poisonings, infections

such as legionellosis and hepatitis, and

other conditions such as certain

musculoskeletal disorders.

Accident reporting

Go to www.hse.gov.uk/riddor and complete

the appropriate online report form. The form

will then be submitted directly to the RIDDOR

database. You will receive a copy for your

records.

All incidents can be reported online but a

telephone service remains for reporting fatal

and speciﬁed injuries only. Call the Incident

Contact Centre on 0345 300 9923 (opening

hours Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5 pm).

Recording

Full details of all accidents, disease and

dangerous occurrences should be recorded

using the Data Protection compliant HSE

Accident Book. This is necessary for

monitoring purposes and is also a requirement

of RIDDOR, as well as the Social Security

(Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979

and Social Security Administration Act 1992.

Fire safety

Our policy is to fulﬁl our obligations under

the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order

2005. In order to achieve this, we undertake

the following:

n an assessment of the ﬁre risks in the

church and associated buildings and the

risks to our neighbours. This is carried

out either as a speciﬁc exercise or as

part of our general health and safety

risk assessments

n a check that a ﬁre can be detected in

a reasonable time and that people can

be warned

n a check that people who may be in the

building can get out safely including,

if necessary, the provision of emergency

lighting and ﬁre exit signage

n to provide reasonable ﬁreﬁghting

equipment

n a check that those in the building know

what to do if there is a ﬁre

n a regular check that our ﬁreﬁghting

equipment is in place and is serviceable,

and that there is an annual maintenance

contract in place with a reputable company.

2.1

Fire extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are kept in the following

locations:

Location Type of extinguisher

and capacity

(eg organ loft) (eg Carbon Dioxide 2kg)

2

12 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY

The extinguishers noted are checked every

(eg week, month etc.) by the responsible

person to ensure that they are still in place

and have not been discharged.

The extinguishers noted above are

checked annually by

(insert name of maintenance company)

2.2

Fire alarm system

Note: if you have a ﬁre alarm system, note

below details of the procedures for checking

and maintaining the system and who has

responsibility to ensure this is done

2.3

Other ﬁre protection equipment

Note: if you have other ﬁre equipment

eg ﬁre blankets, hose reels, dry risers etc.,

note below the procedures for checking

and maintaining them and who has

responsibility to ensure this is done

2.4

Evacuation procedure

For large services and concerts, where the

congregation/audience exceeds

(insert number as determined from ﬁre

risk assessment)

our procedures for

stewarding/evacuation are as follows:

Note: the following is a suggested evacuation

plan. This must be adapted to meet your own

requirements or insert your own plan

1

All designated ﬁre doors must be

unlocked before the service/event

commences and be clearly marked as ﬁre

exits using the ‘Running Man’ symbol

2 A check must be made that all doors

can be opened

3 A trained steward must be allotted to

each door and have responsibility for

persons in a speciﬁc part of the church

Area of church Exit door(s)

(eg nave) (eg west doors)

4 Responsibility for using each ﬁre

extinguisher will be allotted to named

and trained stewards

5 If emergency lighting is not available,

torches must be available for each steward

6 In the event of an emergency (ﬁre/bomb

threat, etc.), an announcement to leave

the building will be made by the

(senior member of clergy/churchwarden/

verger etc. Insert as appropriate)

7 Persons will assemble in the

8 The emergency services will be contacted

immediately by a nominated person using

the telephone located in the

9 If there is no telephone available in

the immediate vicinity, a mobile phone

will be held by

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HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 13

2. 5

Evacuation drills

Fire evacuation drills will be carried out every

(eg six months, annually). All employees and

voluntary workers should ensure they are

familiar with escape routes and ensure these

are kept clear and unobstructed.

2. 6

If you discover a ﬁre

(no matter how small)

1 Immediately raise the alarm

2 Telephone the emergency services

3 Check the building for occupants

4 Attack the ﬁre if possible and within your

capability, using the appliances provided,

but without taking personal risk

5 If not possible to attack the ﬁre or if

you are unsure which ﬁre extinguisher

to use, assist in the evacuation of the

building, ensuring that all doors are

closed behind you. The general rule is

people before property

6 Evacuate to the designated assembly point

7 Ensure clear access for the

emergency vehicles

Electrical safety

1 A list of all our portable electrical

appliances is maintained by the

responsible person

2 Every

(eg week, month, quarter) plugs, cables

and sockets will be inspected by the

responsible person to ensure that there

are no loose connections, worn ﬂexes

or trailing leads. Any repairs needed will

be reported to

for action

3 Every

(eg year) all our portable electrical

equipment will be tested by a competent

person with an appropriate level of

electrical knowledge and experience who

has the correct equipment to complete

the tests, knows how to use it and can

correctly interpret the results. Any unsafe

equipment will be safely disposed of

4 Every

(eg quarter) a visual inspection will be

carried out of the ﬁxed electrical

installation by the responsible person.

Any defects will be reported to

for action

5 Every ﬁve years, our ﬁxed electrical system

will be inspected and tested by a

competent contractor who is a ‘Full Scope’

member of the NICEIC, ECA or NAPIT. Any

necessary remedial work will be carried out

6 At intervals of between two and a half and

four years our lightning conductor system

will be examined and tested by a

competent specialist ﬁrm of lightning

engineers

7 It is our policy not to sell any second-hand

electrical goods unless they have been

inspected and tested by a suitably

qualiﬁed person and a register of such

equipment is maintained

8 Misuse and abuse of electricity is a

signiﬁcant cause of ﬁres and injury.

Faulty electrical equipment can kill.

All employees and voluntary workers

must observe the following:

(

i

)

Visually check all electrical equipment

before use

(

ii

)

Report all faults immediately to the

responsible person

(

iii

)

Do not attempt to use or repair

faulty equipment

(iv) No electrical equipment is to be

brought onto the premises and used

until it has been tested by the

approved person and entered in the

electrical equipment record

(

v

)

Electrical equipment should be

switched off and disconnected when

not in use for long periods

3

14 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

(vi) Flexible cables should be positioned and

protected so that they do not

constitute a tripping hazard and are

not subject to mechanical damage

Gas equipment safety

(Delete this section if not applicable)

1

Our gas boilers and any other gas

equipment is maintained and checked

annually by a competent contractor who

is registered with the Gas Safe Register.

Any necessary work required for safety is

implemented immediately

2 Our arrangements for the use of

appliances using LPG (liquid petroleum

gas) are as follows:

(

i

)

We have

LPG heaters

(

ii

)

These are located in

(

iii

)

Cylinders are changed outside in

the open air

(

iv

)

Spare cylinders

(maximum held) are kept in a locked

compound

(delete/insert as appropriate).

These arrangements are checked by

the responsible person.

Hazardous substances

The responsible person will maintain a list of all

hazardous substances used in the church/hall.

Where possible, we have eliminated the

use of hazardous substances. Where this is

not possible, our safety arrangements are

as follows:

For all hazardous substances, which include

substances marked as ‘harmful, irritant,

corrosive, toxic, very toxic, ﬂammable, highly

ﬂammable, extremely ﬂammable, explosive,

oxidising or dangerous for the environment’,

data sheets or product information provided by

the manufacturers are used to determine the

correct method of use, protective clothing

needed, method of storage, and action to take

in the event of an accident for example

Name of substance: Liquid ﬂoor cleaner

‘Flash’

Hazard level: Low

Storage: Must be kept in locked

store room off vestry

Protective clothing: Wear overalls and

gloves

Accidents: If splashed in eyes wash

immediately with copious

amounts of water.

Detail all substances, noting in each case

the name of substance, hazard type, method

of storage, protective clothing required

and procedure in the event of an accident.

A hazardous substance record is available

upon request.

Examples of other hazardous substances you

might have are: petrol, pesticides, insecticides

and polishes. Some hazardous substances,

such as asbestos, which may be found in

boiler rooms or pigeon droppings in belfries,

require specialist treatment and must only be

touched or removed by specialist contractors.

(You must consult the local Environmental

Health Ofﬁcer in such circumstances.)

Do not mix chemicals.

Do not store chemicals in unmarked

containers.

Safety of plant and machinery

The responsible person will maintain a list of all

items of plant and machinery. The procedures

for checking and rules for use are as follows:

1 Employees and voluntary workers must

not operate plant or machinery that they

are not trained and authorised to use

2 Employees and voluntary workers must

not ride on any parts of machinery not

intended for that use

6

5

4

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HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 15

3 Machinery must be switched off before

any adjustments are made

4 After carrying out maintenance and

adjustments, all guards must be replaced

before the machinery is used

5 Before using any item of plant or

machinery, a check must be made to

ensure it is in a safe working condition,

correctly adjusted, and there are no

loose nuts, bolts or other defects

6 The appropriate personal protective

equipment detailed below must be

worn when operating any item of plant

or machinery

7 Persons under the age of 18 may use

hand tools only and are not permitted

to operate any power driven item of

plant or machinery

8 Ladders may only be used when other

equipment such as tower scaffolds or

mobile elevated work platforms cannot

be used and for work of short duration

provided they can be safely secured. This

may necessitate the use of ladder ties

9 Any defect and damage found to any

item of plant or machinery must be

reported to the responsible person

10 All plant and machinery will be regularly

maintained and a schedule kept of

maintenance requirements, for example,

our oil ﬁred boiler is checked and

maintained annually by an OFTEC

registered engineer.

(List all your items of plant and machinery

and the rules and procedures for their

use, including the appropriate personal

protective equipment needed. In most

cases when using machinery, boots, gloves,

eye protection and overalls should be

worn.)

In certain situations, such as when

working in the bell tower, head protection

and ear protection may be necessary.

Other items of plant and machinery could

include the following: ladders,

lawnmowers, strimmers, chainsaws.

A form to list your plant and machinery is

available upon request.

11 Persons must not work on their own

unless they have a means of

communication and have notiﬁed a

colleague of the details of the work being

undertaken and agreed a procedure to

ensure their safety is checked on

12 The following items of plant and equipment

are tested by a competent person in

accordance with an inspection programme.

You must detail here those items of plant

and equipment that require inspection by

a competent person such as an engineering

insurance company inspector or engineer.

Such items will include a font cover with

a counter-balanced lifting mechanism, lifts,

hoists and other lifting equipment.

Slips, trips and falls –

condition of ﬂoors, steps and paths

In order to reduce as far as is reasonably

practicable the risk of slips, trips and falls,

an inspection will be made every

(eg week, month, quarter etc.) by the

responsible person of

1 all ﬂoors and stairs in the church and

hall, and

2 all paths and steps in the churchyard.

Particular note will be made of moss,

algae and leaves on paths. Any defects

will be reported to

who will arrange for repairs or remedial

measures to be carried out.

7

Item Inspection arrangements

16 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Lighting

In order to ensure that the church is adequately

lit, an inspection will be made every

(eg week, month etc.) by the responsible

person to ensure that all lights in the church,

hall and churchyard are working. Any bulbs

that require replacing will be reported to

who will ensure that the bulbs are replaced

following appropriate safety procedures.

Working at high levels

The following areas are designated as

high levels:

(Insert as appropriate, eg Interior: triforium,

clerestory, canopy over altar Exterior: Nave

parapets, Chancel gable end)

Only the following persons may work at high level

(eg approved contractors, competent

volunteers, named individuals)

The following procedures must be followed:

(eg the safety harnesses provided must

be used in conjunction with the ﬁxed

anchor points at triforium level and the

ﬁxed latchways at clerestory level)

Only the following work is authorised

without special agreement:

(eg replacing light bulbs in the nave, clearing

leaves and debris from the north and south

aisle gutters.)

The appropriate training will be given and a

system of recording will detail who is working

where at any time.

Preparation of food

(Your procedures must state where, when, how

and by whom food may be prepared. You should

consult the local Environmental Health Ofﬁcer to

see if your premises need to be licensed or

if any improvements are needed. Food Hygiene

Regulations apply whether you sell publicly

or privately, in a hall or marquee, for proﬁt or

for fund-raising. The only exception is for food

cooked at home for private consumption.)

1

We ensure that we follow the appropriate

regulations governing the preparation and

storage of foodstuffs

2 We ensure that all food handlers have

received adequate supervision, instruction

and training

3 We ensure that the appropriate

assessment of risks is carried out for the

foods to be prepared and stored including

storage at the correct temperatures

4 Before any preparation commences,

all surfaces coming into contact with food

must be washed down and disinfected

5 Food stuffs may only be prepared in the

following areas:

6 Only the following persons who have

received the appropriate training may

prepare and serve foodstuffs:

7 We ensure that all hirers who wish to

provide foodstuffs are advised of the

facilities and procedures.

Manual handling –

lifting, carrying and moving loads

1 Our policy is to eliminate the need

for manual handling as far as is

reasonably practicable

8

11

10

9

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HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 17

2 Where it is not possible to avoid the

need to move loads, we will carry out

risk assessments and make use of

lifting aids, including trolleys, lifts and

hoists as far as possible

3 The necessary training will be given

to all those employees and voluntary

workers who are required to undertake

manual handling

4 Only those persons who have received

the appropriate training are authorised

to undertake manual handling tasks.

Display screen equipment

Our policy is to assess the risks to all habitual

users of computer workstations and to reduce

those risks to the lowest level possible.

The following factors will be considered

when carrying out risk assessments:

n stability and legibility of the screen

n contrast and brightness of the screen

n tilt and swivel of the screen

n suitability of keyboards, desks and chairs

n the work station environment

n the user-friendliness of the software.

Daily work routines will involve periods away

from the screen. Where necessary, risk

assessments will be carried out by the

responsible person.

Hazardous buildings/glazing

1 Our policy is to ensure that our buildings

are safe and without risks to the health,

safety and welfare of all who work in and

use them. In order to achieve this, the

buildings are inspected every

(eg quarter) by the responsible person

2 Any defects noted are immediately

reported to

and the procedures put in hand for repairs

3 Where necessary, temporary measures

are taken to ensure that there is no risk

of accident or injury until permanent

repairs can be carried out

4 A check is made of any asbestos in the

building by a competent person noting

its location, type and condition. Where

necessary, asbestos will be removed by a

licensed contractor. Information regarding

any asbestos remaining in the building is

given to all contractors and anyone else

who may be affected

5 A check is made of all glazing in the

buildings to ensure that any glass

in windows below waist height and in

doors and beside doors below shoulder

height is of a safety material or is

protected against breakage

Remember that a Faculty application may

be necessary. Archdeacons can often

sanction temporary repairs pending

permanent arrangements being approved.

Child protection

Your procedures should include a policy on

child protection issues as set out in the current

Church of England House of Bishop’s Policy

Document or The Church in Wales document

Children and Young People: A code of good

practice for use by parishes in the Church in

Wales. The activities undertaken by youth groups

require special attention. Details of the numbers

and ages of the young people involved in each

group and details of adult supervisors must be

maintained. Parental consent forms should be

obtained for trips away from the parish and any

particular needs of individual children noted.

Similar considerations for vulnerable adults apply.

A statement upholding our procedures will

be made at each annual church meeting and

be suitably recorded.

A permanent record will be maintained of

all accidents involving children.

Personal safety

Risk assessments need to be undertaken

to assess the risks to persons working

alone in the church, travelling to and from

church, accepting persons into their homes

and handling cash and other valuables.

15

14

13

12

18 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Procedures must be drawn up, including the

appropriate control measures. A guidance

note concerning personal safety is available

from Ecclesiastical.

Risk assessments/activities

Risk assessments will be carried out on all

areas of the church premises and all activities

that carry a signiﬁcant risk at regular intervals

by a competent person in order to meet

our obligations under The Management of

Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

For all hazardous activities, you need to carry

out risk assessments and introduce

procedures that must be followed.

These procedures need to be based on your

own situation. However, there are guidelines

produced by Ecclesiastical

in our Guidance

Notes for Churches.

The following activities will require risk

assessments. You will then need to write your

own procedures and include them in this

health and safety policy:

n fêtes, including the use of bouncy castles

n tower tours

n change ringing bells

n sponsored walks, visits and outings

n churchyard maintenance, including

grave digging

n erection of temporary staging.

Refer to Ecclesiastical guidance notes

to help you draw up your own procedures.

(A specimen Risk assessment form is

attached.)

Contractors

Anyone entering church premises for the

purposes of carrying out work, other than

an employee or voluntary worker of the

church, will be regarded as a contractor.

All contractors, including the self-employed,

must abide by the following:

1 have their own health and safety policy

(where required by law) and be able to

provide a copy of the same

2 produce evidence that they have

appropriate Public and Employers’

Liability insurance in place. A record of

this evidence will be maintained

3 comply with all the requirements of this

health and safety policy and co-operate

with the church ofﬁcials in providing

a safe place of work and a safe system

of operation

4 where plant and machinery is brought

onto the church premises by contractors,

they must be able to show where

necessary that the equipment has been

inspected and tested to ensure

its safe operation

5 contractors may only use sub-contractors

or persons other than their own direct

employees with the express permission of

the church ofﬁcials. However, responsibility

will remain with the contractors

6 all contractors will be given detailed

instructions regarding the areas where they

are permitted to work and the extent of

the work they are authorised to undertake.

This ‘permit to work’ will also specify any

safety precautions they must undertake.

(A specimen Work permit is available upon

request.)

Particular care needs to be taken for

‘hot works’ and a separate Hot work permit

is available from Ecclesiastical.

CDM Regulations

The Construction (Design & Management)

Regulations apply to all construction work in

Great Britain. You should be aware of your

responsibilities under these regulations.

As a ‘client’ – an individual or organisation

for whom construction work is being carried

out, you have a number of speciﬁc duties

under the CDM Regulations, which the

guidance on the legal requirements

summarises as:

n Make suitable arrangements for managing

a project. This includes making sure:

- other dutyholders are appointed;

- sufﬁcient time and resources are

16

17

CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 19

allocated;

n Making sure

- relevant information is prepared and

provided to other dutyholders;

- the principal designer and principal

contractor carry out their duties;

- welfare facilities are provided.

n A project is notiﬁable to the HSE if the

construction phase will be longer than

30 days and have more than 20 workers

on site simultaneously at any point in

the project, or 500 person days of

construction work.

n Clients must appoint principal designers

and principal contractors as soon as

practicable and before the start of the

construction phase, so they have enough

time to carry out their duties to plan and

manage the pre-construction and

construction phases respectively.

Information and enforcement

Environmental Health Service Information:

(Enter here the contact details for the

Environmental Health Department of your

local council).

Address

Tel

Email

Contact name if known

Employment Medical Advisory Service

Information:

(The Medical Advisory Service is a part of

the Health and Safety Executive and is able

to provide guidance on health matters. Enter

here the contact details of your regional HSE

ofﬁce where you can contact the Medical

Advisory Service).

Address

Tel

Email

Contact name if known

Health and Safety Executive

Information Line: 0300 003 1747

HSE Books: 01787 881165

Health and Safety Law poster

A copy of the HSE poster ‘Health and

Safety Law – what you should know’ is

displayed in

If you have any employees then you

need to display the HSE poster ‘Health

and Safety Law – What you should know’.

This is available from HSE Books or

HMSO bookshops. ISBN 9780717663149

(standard version).

19

18

20 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Contents Health and safety guidance notes

How to carry out a risk assessment 21

Risk assessment calculator 21

Risk rating matrix 22

Risk assessment checklist 22

– Accidents and ﬁrst aid 22

– Fire safety 22

– Electrical safety 22

– Gas safety 22

– Control of hazardous substances 23

– Plant and machinery 23

– Slips, trips and falls 23

– Lighting 23

– Falls from a height 23

– Food hygiene 23

– Manual handling 23

– Display screen equipment 23

– Hazardous buildings/glazing 24

– Child protection 24

– Personal safety 24

– Activities and other hazards 24

– Improving safety – additional control measures 24

– Example risk assessments 25

The following forms are available upon request

Manual handling procedures

Hazardous substance record

General risk assessment form

Fire risk assessment form

Accident and witness report form

Work permit

Plant and machinery record

Letting of church premises

Personal safety risk assessment form

CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 21

How to carry out a risk assessment

Risk assessment is not difﬁcult, but it does

take time. It is sensible, therefore, to spread

the load as far as is possible and for people

to carry out risk assessments in their own

particular area, where they best know about

any hazards. For example, the organist should

look at the organ loft and choir vestry, the

tower captain the ringing chamber and belfry,

and so on. The process should be overseen

and co-ordinated by the person who has

overall responsibility for health and safety.

Systematically look at each area of the

church/hall or other building and note all

of the hazards and risks, and any existing

safety measures. Note also any person

who may be speciﬁcally at risk. You must

then note any additional safety measures

or ‘controls’ which will reduce those risks

as far as possible. As well as the interior

of buildings, you must also look at the

churchyard and other external areas.

In order to help you, a checklist is given

overleaf of common hazards that you should

look for in each area that is being assessed.

The checklist is in the same order as the

sections of the health and safety policy. If any

of these hazards are present then record them

and what you need to do about them. Look for

any other hazards that may not be included in

the checklist, such as speciﬁc activities or

pieces of equipment that may cause harm.

If you wish, you can calculate a risk rating to

help you prioritise any additional safety

measures that may be required.

An example of a risk assessment is shown

on page 25.

It is not necessary to do this calculation if

you don’t want to. Just leave the likelihood,

severity and risk rating columns blank and

note any existing safety measures and any

additional ones that you decide to implement.

However, any risk which could result in

a fatality must receive priority attention.

Risk assessment calculator

To calculate a risk rating, you need to grade

both the likelihood and severity from 1 to 3.

The grades are then multiplied together to

give a risk rating.

Likelihood

The likelihood of something happening can

be graded as:

= Low (seldom)

= Medium (frequently)

= High (certain or near certain)

Severity

The severity of injury if something does

happen can be graded as:

= Low (minor cuts and bruises)

= Medium (serious injury or

incapacitated for 3 days or more)

= High (fatality or a number of

persons seriously injured)

3

2

1

3

2

1

Health and safety guidance notes

22 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Having assessed both likelihood and severity,

a risk rating can be calculated by multiplying

the likelihood with the severity. This will give

a rating from 1 to 9.

Risk rating matrix

The implementation of additional controls

can then be prioritised as follows:

Risk Rating:

1

–

2 = low priority

3

–

4 = medium priority

6

–

9 = high priority

n With low priority no action at all may

be required.

n With medium priority additional control

measures may be necessary.

n With high priority it may be necessary

to stop the particular activity or restrict

access to the area until action has

been taken.

Risk assessment checklist

Accidents and First aid

n Provision of ﬁrst aid equipment

n Persons with ﬁrst aid training

n Procedures to deal with accidents

n Transport arrangements to hospital

n Existing arrangements and assess what

is needed

Fire safety

n Combustible materials, ﬂammable liquids

and accumulations of waste

n Heaters, smoking and other sources of heat

n Provision of ﬁre exits, escape routes, signage

and emergency lighting

n Provision of ﬁre detection equipment and

ﬁreﬁghting equipment

n Effect of a ﬁre on our neighbours

n Evacuation plans and training of stewards

Electrical safety

n Condition of ﬁxed electrical installation,

including switches and sockets

n Condition of portable electrical appliances,

including leads and plugs

n Use of unauthorised electrical appliances

and temporary wiring

n Mechanical damage to wiring

n Frequency of inspections

Gas safety

n Condition and maintenance arrangements

for ﬁxed gas boilers and heaters

n Condition and arrangements for use,

including storage and changing of

cylinders for portable Liquid Petroleum

Gas heaters

2

Likelihood

2 4 6

1 1 2 3

1

Severity

2 3

3 3 6 9

CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 23

:edjhebueVuYPpPhTekiuikRijPdSUiu

Internal

n Cleaning materials

n Types, amounts, storage arrangements

n Provision of personal protective equipment

External

n Pesticides, herbicides, petrol

n Types, amounts, storage arrangements

n Provision of personal protective equipment

Plant and machinery

Internal

n Condition and potential injury arising

from font covers, sanctuary lamps, hanging

roods and crosses, canopies and other

suspended items

n Lifts, hoists and other lifting mechanisms

n Ladders, scaffolds and staging, including

storage and accessibility

n Display screen and computer equipment

n Bells, clock weights and chiming mechanisms

n Any other equipment

External

n Churchyard maintenance equipment

n Lawnmowers, gang mowers, strimmers, etc.

Slips, trips and falls

Internal

n Loose carpets, rugs, mats and other

ﬂoor coverings

n Loose and uneven tiles, stone paving

and ﬂoorboards

n Trailing leads and other obstructions

n Worn, steep and uneven steps and stairs

n Inadequate lighting, lack of handrails

External

n Uneven and poorly maintained paths and

steps, boiler room steps and access

n Potholes, tree roots and unprotected drops

n Gravestones and other obstructions

n Long grass and undergrowth

n Areas designated as wildlife habitats

n Poor drainage of paths and growth of algae

n Inadequate lighting and lack of handrails

n Unprotected open graves prior to burials

Lighting

Internal

n Check adequacy of lighting

n Pay particular attention to stairs,

steps, crypts, basements

External

n Paths, steps, drives, car parks,

boiler room steps and entrances

Falls from a height

Internal

n Arrangements for light bulb changing

n Use of unsecured ladders

n Unprotected openings and walkways

at high level

n Roof loft openings

n Use of ﬁxed vertical ladders

External

n Clearing of gutters and valleys

n Low parapets and balustrades

Food hygiene

n Extent of food preparation

n Nature of foods to be prepared and stored

n Areas used for food preparation

n Facilities for washing and preparation

of foodstuffs

n Facilities for storage of foodstuffs

n Experience, training and competence of

food handlers

Manual handling

n Moving and lifting of furniture,

staging, pianos and other equipment

n Numbers required

n Specialist equipment needed

Display screen equipment

n List all computer equipment

n Who uses it and for how long

n Check seating, workstation, screen, software

24 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY

CPpPhTekiuRkZbTZdWi )WbPpZdWu

n Loose stonework, falling masonry,

parapets, pinnacles, slates, tiles, gutters,

ﬂag poles

n Detail any glass in windows below waist

height and in doors or beside doors below

shoulder height which is not of a safety

material or protected against breakage

(narrow panes up to 250mm need not

be included)

n Arrange for a competent person to check

for the presence of asbestos

n Dangerous gravestones, tombs, monuments

and railings in the churchyard

Child protection/Safeguarding

n Existing child protection/Safeguarding

procedures

n Implementation of Diocesan guidelines

Personal safety

n Risk of attack

n Lone working, church sitting

n Handling of cash

n Means of raising an alarm,

summoning assistance

Activities and other hazards

n Services, concerts, events, exhibitions, etc.

n Numbers attending

n Age-related hazards (children/elderly)

n Disability access/provision

n Fêtes, sponsored walks, fund-raising activities

n Bungee jumping, abseiling, parachute

jumps etc.

Note: These activities will require separate

insurance arrangements by the provider of

the facility

n Look for and note any other hazard which

could cause someone harm which are not

included in the above checklist.

Improving safety –

additional control measures

In most cases, it will be obvious what

additional measures are necessary to reduce

risk. For example, if there is a risk of falling

down steps which are badly lit and do not have

a handrail, the additional controls needed will

be to improve the lighting and ﬁt a handrail.

If you ﬁnd any hazardous glazing, this will need

to be replaced with safety glass, such

as toughened or laminated, be covered

with a safety ﬁlm or have a barrier ﬁtted.

If there are risks of falls from a height, you

will need to consider the ﬁtting of barriers

or the use of safety latchways, eyebolts and

the use of harnesses.

In many cases, however, safety can be

improved by changing working methods.

It does not always require alterations to the

building. For example, there is a considerable

risk of accident and injury if bells are left

‘up’ after ringing. This hazard can be removed

simply by ringing bells ‘down’ after ringing.

Maintain a record of the work you have

done to reduce or remove hazards.

Remember that most changes to the

building, even if required for health and safety

reasons, will still be subject to the usual

Faculty procedures.

Your church architect will also need to be

involved in designing changes and producing

the appropriate plans.

CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES 25

Four examples of risk assessments are given below:

Note: the likelihood and severity rating will depend on what existing controls

are already in place

Hazards/

risks

Falls down

steps into the

church

None 3 (High) 2 (Medium) 3 x 2 = 6

(High

priority

action)

Fit handrail

Area – South porch

Existing

controls

Likelihood Severity Risk rating Additional controls

Hazards/

risks

Cuts, eye

injuries and

hearing loss

from use of

strimmer in

churchyard

All operators

use full face

visor, gloves,

ear muffs,

steel-capped

boots, must

be over 18

and have

been trained

1 (Low) 1 (Low) 1 x 1 = 1

(Low

priority

action)

Strimmer must be

regularly serviced

and maintained

Area – Churchyard

Existing

controls

Likelihood Severity Risk rating Additional controls

Hazards/

risks

Portable hot

water heater –

risk of scalds

and burns

from hot

water and

steam

None 1 (Low) 2 (Medium) 1 x 2 = 2

(Low

priority

action)

Strap the water heater

to the wall or place it

in a cradle to prevent

it from being knocked

over. Replace with a

ﬁxed heater

Area – Kitchen

Existing

controls

Likelihood Severity Risk rating Additional controls

Hazards/

risks

Faulty ﬁxed

electrics –

risk of electric

shock and

burns

None 3 (High) 3 (High) 3 x 3 = 9

(High

priority

action)

Isolate the faulty

electrical wiring and

arrange for a qualiﬁed

electrician to carry out

remedial work at the

earliest opportunity.

Ensure the faulty wiring

cannot be switched

back on until it has

been made safe

Area – Nave

Existing

controls

Likelihood Severity Risk rating Additional controls

26 POLICY & GUIDANCE NOTES CHURCH

–

HEALTH AND SAFETY

This outline document has been prepared by

Ecclesiastical as a service to its customers.

This document may not be copied or sold

in any format, including electronically.

However, churches insured with Ecclesiastical

may copy and amend it as appropriate.

©

Ecclesiastical Insurance Ofﬁce plc 2015

Beaufort House, Brunswick Road,

Gloucester GL1 1JZ.

www.ecclesiastical.com

Contact us

For further information contact your

local insurance Consultant and Surveyor

or call us on

0345 777 3322

Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm (excluding Bank Holidays).

We may monitor or record calls to improve our service.

You can email us at

churches@ecclesiastical.com

Or visit

www.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters

Other useful contacts

Ecclesiastical Financial Advisory

Services: 0800 107 0190

www.ecclesiastical.com/getadvice

Ecclesiastical home insurance:

0800 917 3345

www.ecclesiastical.com/churchworker

Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc (EIO) Reg. No. 24869. Ecclesiastical Insurance Group plc (EIG) Reg. No. 1718196. Ecclesiastical Life Ltd (ELL) Reg. No. 243111. E.I.O. Trustees Ltd

Reg. No. 941199. All companies are registered in England at Beaufort House, Brunswick Road, Gloucester, GL1 1JZ, UK.

EIO and ELL are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Beaufort House, Brunswick Road,

Gloucester GL1 1JZ

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