Safety with Groups

[oldgirl]

Exactly - the people who are doing the work need to take responsibility for their own safety. There can be tools and guidance, but in the end it's a lot better if you do it yourself. It means you have 'buy in' - to use that horrible phrase.

It also means that issues specific to the project/community are addressed. e.g. we can't have the meeting on that date because the cows are always driven up the road that day. (Or - that may look like a great venue, but the heater in the main room doesn't work....)

[the invisible man]

I did a risk assessemnt and an H&S policy - the risk assessment should be a stand alone document, it should lead to a policy - for the society in which I was active a few years ago, and also for the semi-commercial fieldschool I was involved in. It doesn't take long. I don't know if the society still uses the docs but the fieldschool held an induction for ecery intake of vols/students/customers.

Having said that, it is not clear how many accidents or injuries actually do occur on non-pro excavations, and as was alluded ot above, it's just as important not to let it all get out of hand as it is to do it at all, otherwise people switch off and dismiss it as elfin safety gone mad. Balance and common sense!

[Steven]

Hi
The H&S remit also covers young persons and vulnerable adult so anybody organising a community project for an organisation which will involve anybody under the age of 18 and/or a vulnerable adult may have to be CRB checked. It's best to have a policy on this issue in advance of any project.

David
I have a load of templates such as a Volunteer Induction sheet which lists the H&S issues so that everybody is aware of them and requires signing by each volunteer, daily registers, a volunteer policy and risk assessments etc. I'd be quite happy to send them to you if you want.

[Oxbeast]

My partner was offered a job in the summer with a council, and there was a possibility of vulnerable adults being involved in a volunteer capacity. She applied for a CRB check, and when it came through five months later, she had taken a job elsewhere. If you're setting up a project which requires CRB, its worthwhile to plan for it at an early stage.

[BAJR Host]

@Steven YES indeedily would be perfect to work with something sensible and already working. email me info@bajr.org I could then, with this and some other input create the BAJR Guide to working safe on COmmunity Projects : Guidance for Professiona

[YellowPete]

your problem will mostly be base around the notion of people taking care of the health and safety of themselves and those around them as a liable duty of care.

if people are to accept a duty of care that will require a contract.

a contract, to be binding, will require a nominal payment, or reference in contract.

If payment is offered. monies must be available to provision the said cost into the number of contracts of a daily partisipant level.

if you require people to adhere to a duty off care then the organisational group would be required to make acceptable provisions for accidents, changing of sheduled tasks for unreasonable conditions as well as provisons for making volunteering worth while.

principally tea, biccys, hot, water for other, 'board' games for the kids, possibly toilets if the number of work hours extend into the number of individual work hours exceed a reasonable point (will require a H&S specialist to know specifics) and FUN

[Maggie]

i don't think that 'canes and tape' would cut it as 'reasonable' in a court of law

I take your point about the canes and tape. I was being too specific in thinking about trenches that were shallow and were being filled in the same day. We did have more robust protection last year for trenches that were deeper and had animals around and were open for longer. I suppose the point I was trying to make was how do you stop a spur of the moment scrum in a trench. People after all want to have a bit fun so you can't go around like a sergeant major shouting the odds. The worst offenders are usually the ones who turn up and complain of having a bad back, then hang around the trench with a trowel in their hand waiting for a find to appear, when that happens suddenly they have no back issues and are in there like a bat out of hell. So, I suppose I have answered my own question, a bit of tape is not going to hold them back...

[BAJR Host]

An interesting one from Kevin was no smoking on site.

Is this because it is a place of work or for other reasons.

[Windbag]

10: As regards site safety the site supervisor/director's word is final. If in doubt ask.

I agree with Kevin up to a point, but this one needs clarification. YOU are responsible for your safety and the safety of those around you. If you see unsafe practices or unsafe working conditions, you should refuse to work, even if the supervisor/director says it is safe. You certainly shouldn't be taking more risks than the supervisor/director asks of you.

[Maggie]

I think the scrum in the trench was just in eager anticipation of the Scots win at rugby on Saturday against the Australians, their first in 27 years at Murrayfield.