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Be prepared:

health and safety

Advice for managers and owners

of small Girlguiding properties

If you manage or own a Girlguiding property, making

sure you’re up to date with health and safety and

are doing everything right is really important.

After all, what could be more vital than protecting the girls

using your building from harm?

We know it can be a bit difcult to get your head round it all.

How do I do a risk assessment? What about re safety?

How do I make sure my electrical

equipment isn’t dangerous?

This guide will answer all

your health and safety

questions, so you’re

ready for anything.

Is this the

right guide for me?

This guide is for managers or owners of small

Girlguiding properties.

By small property we mean one made up of maybe

a main hall with a couple of meeting rooms off it,

a small ofce and kitchen, a couple of toilets and

some parking outside.

If you hire a property or a space, take a look at

our other guide here.

Your rst step:a risk assessment

What hazards should I be looking for?

Top tips for doing your risk assessment

Protecting your property from re

How can I prevent a re?

What re safety equipment do I need?

Maintaining your re safety equipment

If there’s a re…

Hazardous chemicals and substances

Managing water systems

Managing electrical systems and equipment

Top tips for keeping your electricals in shape

Gas safety

Maintaining other equipment

Asbestos

Health and safety signs

Reporting accidents and incidents

Contents

When it comes to health and safety, the place to start is with a risk

assessment. That means going round your property and, step by

step, identifying things that could cause harm, and coming up with

ways to get rid of or minimise these risks.By small property we

mean one made up of maybe a main hall with a couple of meeting

rooms off it, a small ofce and kitchen, a couple of toilets and some

parking outside.

There are three things you should write down in your risk assessment:

The hazards you’ve found

2. Who might be harmed by them and how

(Children, public, visitors? What could happen to them?)

What you’re doing now to control the risks,

and a ‘to do’ list of anything you need to start doing

We’ve got a handy risk assessment template for you to use, and also some examples

of lled-in templates.

You’ll need to review and update your risk assessment whenever necessary – for

example, after an accident or changes to equipment or staff.

Your rst step:

a risk assessment

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• Slip/trip/fall hazards – uneven oors, stairs, steps (inside

and outside) and wet oors due to cleaning

• Boiler risks – carbon monoxide, gas leaks, potential explosions

and re

• Ovens – burns, carbon monoxide, gas leaks, potential

explosions and re

• Electricity – res and electric shocks from poor wiring,

damaged plugs/leads and overloaded sockets

• Water systems – tanks dirty/contaminated, potential for

legionella and other disease, and scalding from hot water

• Asbestos

• Fire in general – build-up of combustible materials,

ammable chemicals/fuels/gas cylinders, and ignition sources

such as electricity, cigarettes or bins left next to building

• Dangers of working at height, for example while doing

roof maintenance, clearing leaves out of gutters or decorating

inside

• Equipment risks – not being serviced and breaking down

more often, becoming dangerous, safety devices failing to work,

and using equipment not suitable for the task

What hazards should

I be looking for?

Return to contents page

• When you’re assessing the risks of equipment like ovens,

computers or boilers, check the safety instructions that came

with it and make sure you’re following them all.

• Look back at any accidents that have happened in your

property. Are you doing everything possible to make sure they

don’t happen again?

• It can be a good idea to start your risk assessment with a list of

activities you do, then for each one try to think of any hazards.

Consider:

–

The equipment being used

– How many people are involved

– The age of participants – will they understand

instructions, be excitable etc?

–

Are there any hazards in the area where the activity

takes place, like sharp edges, trip hazards or chemicals?

–

Are there any other dangers, for example being close to

roads, open water, steep drops, the public, workmen or

animals? Could bad weather cause a problem?

• Ask your colleagues for help – they might help you think of some

hazards you’d forgotten.

• Remember, it’s impossible to eliminate all risk – it’s part of

everyday life. But you do need to do everything ‘reasonably

practicable’ to protect people from harm.

Top tips for doing your

risk assessment

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Protecting against re is another huge part of making your property

safe. The law says you have to do a re risk assessment for your

property. This is similar to a risk assessment, but looking specically

for re hazards, and working out what you’re going to do to remove

or minimise them.

You can use our re risk assessment template to do this. We’ve also got an example

of a lled-in assessment.

If you don’t feel comfortable doing your own re risk assessment, lots of companies

or the local re authority can do it for you, for a fee. If you decide to use a

company, make sure to get at least three quotes.

You need to keep your re safety risk assessment up to date. If there are changes to

your premises or the people who work there, you’ll need to review it.

How can I prevent a re?

Remember the re triangle, which shows that res can start from a mix of:

• Heat

heaters, lighting, naked ames,

electrical equipment, cigarettes,

matches or anything else that

can get very hot or cause sparks

• Fuel

wood, paper, plastic, rubber,

foam, loose packaging, rubbish,

furniture or chemicals

• Oxygen

the air around us

Protecting your property

from re

Return to contents page

• Keep sources of ignition (like matches) and

ammable substances apart

– Use a ammable-resistant cupboard or container for

things that might ignite.

–

Don’t store ammable substances in electrical

cupboards.

–

Check the chemical safety data sheets of your cleaning

products to see which chemicals shouldn’t be mixed,

and store them in separate areas.

• Avoid accidental res

– Make sure heaters can’t be knocked over.

– Don’t store combustible materials close to lights.

– Remove phone chargers from sockets after use.

– Don’t overload electrical sockets.

– Regularly check that electrical appliances are working

well.

• Keep your property tidy

– Avoid letting rubbish that could burn build up.

– Keep external rubbish bins away from building (in case

of an arson attack).

–

Empty cigarette bins.

How can I prevent a re?

Return to contents page

What re safety equipment

do I need?

You need a re detection system in your property – as a minimum,

smoke alarms in every room. An alarm that sounds throughout the

building automatically if there’s a re is also a good idea.

If you don’t have this automatic alarm, you should have a system thought out

for how you would quickly alert everyone in the building that there’s a re, for

example by shouting ‘re!’ or sounding a foghorn.

If you’re using your property for sleepovers, you must have an automatic alarm.

You also legally need to have re extinguishers. Someone with the right training,

most likely from a local re protection company, needs to install these and make

sure they’re working on site. They’ll also be able to advise you on what types of

re extinguishers you need, how many, where they should go, and train you how

to use them.

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Maintaining your re

safety equipment

Another crucial part of re safety is maintaining all your equipment,

servicing and testing it regularly. It’s a good idea to keep a log book

of your maintenance checks – we’ve got a log book template you

can use.

Here’s what you need to think about in terms of maintenance:

• Your re extinguishers should be serviced every year by a

qualied contractor. After 5-10 years you might need to

replace your extinguishers, but this will depend on the

environment you keep them in.

• At least every month, you need to check extinguishers are

in place, at the correct pressure, their locking pins are

intact and their tamper seals are unbroken.

• Your re detection and alarm systems should be serviced

every six months by a qualied contractor, like an

electrician. Depending on the system’s size, it may need

serviced every three months. You should test it’s working

once a week, setting it off from different places to make

sure it’s working fully.

• Sprinkler systems, if you have one, need to be serviced

every year.

• Gas suppressant and gas automatic shut-off systems should

be serviced every year, along with smoke extractors.

• You should give your re doors a formal check every six

months, and more often if they’re used heavily. After a

re alarm test, you’ll need to check doors which close

automatically to make sure they’ve worked properly.

• Test your emergency lighting, if you have it, every month.

Return to contents page

If there’s a re…

Everyone in your building should know what to do if there’s a re.

Every Girlguiding group using your property should do a re drill at

least once a term.

Make sure everyone knows:

• How they’ll know if there’s a re (a bell or siren sounding, for example)

• Where all the emergency exits are, and where to gather outside the

building (your assembly point should be well away from the property)

• How they should behave while leaving (stay calm and listen to the

person in charge, for example)

If there’s a re, your responsibilities as the person in charge are to:

• Know how to use the re extinguishers (although your priority should

be to evacuate)

• Have a plan for evacuating the building, including for people with

disabilities

• Call the emergency services and liaise with them when they arrive

• Make sure the building’s been cleared and everyone is accounted for

• Make sure you have emergency contact details for girls’ parents/

guardians so you can let them know what’s happened

• Have a plan for getting your group home if they can’t get back in

the building

• Put together an ‘emergency pack’ to grab in case of a re with

details of the building, such as its electrical plan (cut-off switches

etc), gas supply/storage, water supply and storage of chemicals or

ammable items. Also include a torch in case it’s dark outside when

you evacuate

• Ensure escape routes are clearly marked and kept clear at all times,

with signage that’s visible even in the dark

Make sure you get training if you need it on any of the above.

There’s no legal time limit for how quickly you need to get people out –

it will depend on the complexity of the building. However, for a simple

building like a hall you should be trying to get people out

within three minutes.

Return to contents page

Hazardous chemicals

and substances

Do you use and store chemicals in your property, for cleaning or

other purposes? There are some health and safety procedures you

need to bear in mind.

Look carefully at all the chemical products you use. If they have a hazard symbol

(see below), you need to do a risk assessment, according to the national Control of

Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations.

You can use the Girlguiding COSHH risk assessment form, which comes with an

example of how to complete it. The Manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for

each product will help you do the assessment – it should come with the product or

you’ll be able to nd it

online.

Key things to look at

in your assessment

are what protective

clothing you need to

wear to use the product,

what rst aid would be

needed if someone had

an accident with the

product, whether it can

be mixed with other

products, and how to

dispose of it.

And of course, you’ll

need to store hazardous

products properly and

keep them out of reach

of children. Always keep

hazardous products

in their own, clearly

labelled bottles too.

Return to contents page

Managing water systems

From sinks, toilets and showers to hot water tanks, you need

to maintain all your water systems, not only to make sure you

have good quality water, but also to stop bacteria like Legionella

developing.

Legionella can make people very ill, or even be fatal. It’s often transferred in

water, especially in water systems that aren’t properly maintained.

To keep your water sparkling clean, your rst step should be to do a risk

assessment. Doing a legionella risk assessment and putting together a management

plan is quite complex, so you should use a UKAS-approved contractor – get three

quotes to make sure you get the best price.

The contractor will recommend you do weekly or monthly checks for legionella.

If you’re going to be responsible for them, you should think about going on a

legionella awareness training course. The contractor may be able to provide this,

or several companies offer online training, which can be cheaper.

Part of these weekly/monthly checks will be testing water temperatures – you’ll

need a good quality temperature gauge for this, which may cost around £100.

Again, ask your contractor for recommendations.

A small, simple site should only need a legionella risk assessment once every two

years. However, if there are lots of problems you may need to repeat it every year

until your systems are in good order.

Find out more about

legionella in the HSE Approved

Code of Practice and

Brief guide for duty holder

Return to contents page

Managing electrical systems

and equipment

The last thing you want is an electrical re, so maintaining your

wiring and electrical equipment and appliances couldn’t be more

important.

Most properties’ xed wiring should be tested every ve years, by a qualied

electrician. Some properties may need testing more often, for example if they’re

exposed to severe weather conditions. Swimming pools should be tested every year.

If you install new or alter your electrical systems, your electrician should give you

an Electrical Installation Certicate (EIC) or Minor Electrical Installation Works

Certicate (MEIWC), guaranteeing they’re safe to use – keep hold of these in case

of any problems.

When it comes to testing your electrical equipment (known as ‘Portable Appliance

Testing’), doing your own simple yearly check just by carefully examining the

equipment for damage and checking it works, will usually be OK. Y

ou can nd out

more on the Health and Safety Executive website.

In case of problems or an emergency, it’s a good idea to have a plan of your

building’s electrical wiring, including where the distribution board and/or fuse

boxes are, and where the main electrical power cable comes into your building.

Return to contents page

Top tips for keeping your

electricals in shape

• Think about doing an electrical awareness training course.

• Check leads and extensions more regularly than other

equipment – it’s much easier to damage them as they’ll

quite often be lying across oors or be jammed in doors.

• Don’t allow block adaptors to be plugged into your

electrical sockets – they can overload the circuit and are

one of the main causes of electrical res.

• Child safety covers for plug sockets are NOT recommended

– UK power sockets have their own in-built safety

mechanism, and covers actually stop this working. They

can cause more danger, not less.

• Always remove chargers for electrical items after use –

these could be a re hazard if left plugged in and switched

on, especially overnight.

• When you’re using an extension on a reel, make sure it’s

completely unwound when in use, otherwise it could cause

a re.

You can nd out more

about electrical safety from

the

Health and Safety Executive

and the Electrical Safety Council.

Return to contents page

Gas safety

Fire, explosions, gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning. These

are just some of the dangers poorly installed and maintained gas

appliances can cause – so you’ll want to follow health and safety

advice to the letter.

A yearly gas safety check is the place to start, done by a qualied engineer who’s

on the Gas Safe Register. You’ll need someone qualied to inspect both domestic

and commercial gas equipment. If you have liqueed petroleum gas (LPG) on your

site, make sure your engineer is qualied to work with this too.

If you have steel gas pipes underground, they’ll need to be inspected for corrosion

and leaks. Any gas cylinders must be stored properly, in a lockable cage separating

full and empty cylinders.

Find out more about

gas safety on the

Health

and Safety Executive website

Return to contents page

Maintaining other equipment

We’ve already covered a lot of the equipment you’ll have in your

property above. However, it’s your responsibility to maintain every

single piece of equipment so it works properly and doesn’t cause any

health or safety risks.

Other equipment you may need to consider includes:

• Ladders

• Hand tools

• Grounds maintenance equipment – lawn mower, for example

• Vehicles

• Kitchen equipment

• Security system

• Heating/air conditioning systems and duct work

For each piece of equipment, make sure to read its manual and set up any

maintenance it recommends. Make sure you use a qualied contractor for any

servicing needed, and budget for this. Also ask yourself:

• Is the equipment suitable for its intended use?

• Is it safe to use, maintained in a safe condition and

inspected?

• Have the people using it had adequate information,

instruction and training?

• Where applicable, does it come with health and safety

measures like protective devices and controls (emergency

stop devices, adequate means of isolation from sources of

energy, pressure release systems, protective guards and

clearly visible signage and warning devices)?

• Are you following the manufacturer’s operating

guidelines

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Continues overleaf

Also bear in mind that some equipment will need specialist, mandatory

inspections, including:

• Passenger lifts

• Lifting equipment (fork lifts, reach trucks)

• Eyebolts (for attaching harnesses etc)

• Pressure systems, for example, compressed air systems,

pressure cookers, heat exchangers, pipework and hoses

Tell your insurers if you have equipment like this as they’ll usually arrange for an

independent engineer to inspect it.

Maintaining other equipment

Return to contents page

Asbestos

Asbestos was used in building for many years, but was banned

in 1999 when it was conrmed that it can cause serious health

problems to people heavily exposed to it, including cancer.

Asbestos is a mineral made up of ne bers that are resistant to heat, re and

many chemicals which is why it was used so much. You need to know if you have

any in your building so that you can manage it.

If your property was built before 2000 and hasn’t had an asbestos survey, you’ll

need to have this carried out by a UKAS-accredited contractor.

You can then use the survey to put together an asbestos management plan.

Asbestos in a contained area won’t cause any harm to people using the building –

indeed, asbestos in good condition should be left in place. Your plan should set out

how you’ll make sure it isn’t disturbed.

Find out more about

managing asbestos from the

Health and Safety Executive.

Return to contents page

Health and safety signs

You need to be really clear where there are health and safety risks

in your building – and that means having good signage.

You should put up signs to show people:

• Prohibited areas

• Safeguards they need to follow – wearing protective

clothes, for example

• Hazards to watch for – like a risk of tripping

• Where re exits/equipment and rst aid equipment are

Lots of companies sell the signage you’ll need, so shop around for a good price.

Remember, when it comes to re safety signs, these need to glow in the dark (if

you don’t have emergency lighting).

Find out more in

Girlguiding’s guides to

Safety signs and signals regulations

and

Fire safety signs.

Return to contents page

Reporting accidents

and incidents

If an accident or incident does happen on your property, it’s

important that you report it properly. Also remember to think

about what you could do differently so it doesn’t happen again –

although of course some accidents are unavoidable.

First of all, report all accidents to Girlguiding – you can see how on our website.

You may also have to report serious accidents and incidents to the Health and

Safety Executive – nd out more about what needs reported.

Keep a record of all the accidents and incidents that happen on your property, so

you can identify any trends which may help you reduce accidents.

Any questions

about health and safety?

If you have any more questions,

please get in touch with Girlguiding

at propertygateway@girlguiding.org.uk

Girlguiding

17-19 Buckingham Palace Road

London, SW1W 0PT

girlguiding.org.uk

Reg. Charity Number 306016.

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