Health and Safety Policy

1. General Statement of PolicyThis document is the Health and Safety Policy of Tideswell & District Voluntary Youth Club for the purpose of running Tideswell Community Hall and the outside recreational area.Tideswell Community Hall Management Committee has overall responsibility for Health and Safety at the Community Hall and the outside recreational area.Our policy is to:
   1. Provide healthy and safe working conditions, equipment and systems of work for our employee(s), volunteers, committee members and hirers.
   2. Keep Tideswell Community Hall and equipment in a safe condition for all users.
   3. Keep the outside recreational area in a safe condition.
   4. Provide such training and information as is necessary to staff, volunteers and users.
   It is the responsibility and intention of Tideswell Community Hall Management Committee to comply with all Health and Safety legislation and to act positively where it can reasonably do so to prevent injury, ill health or any danger arising from its activities and operations.Tideswell Community Hall Management Committee considers the promotion of the health and safety of those who use its premises, including contractors who may work there, to be of great importance.The Management Committee recognises that the effective prevention of accidents depends as much on a committed attitude of mind to safety as on the operation and maintenance of equipment and safe systems of work.To this end, it will seek to encourage employees, committee members, hirers, users and visitors to engage in the establishment and observance of safe working practices.Employees, hirers, users and visitors will be expected to recognise that there is a duty on them to comply with the practices set out by the Management 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.
2. Duties of Tideswell Community Hall Management Committee Tideswell Community Hall Management Committee will appoint one (or two) person(s) as their Health and Safety Officer(s) to draw up the appropriate records, advice and notices for Tideswell Community Hall and oversee implementation of a Health and Safety Policy. The Health & Safety Officers will;
   • Carry out a risk assessment for Health & Safety and Fire at least every two years, preferably annually. The risk assessments will be based on  the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) five step risk assessment procedure.
     • Step One – Look for the hazards
     • Step Two – Decide who might be harmed and how
     • Step Three – Evaluate the risks and decide whether existing precautions are adequate or if more should be done
     • Step Four – Record the findings
     • Step Five – Review the assessment regularly and revise it if necessary
   • Prepare a Health and Safety file, which is kept at the hall in a ring binder in case of query which will include a copy of the Hall’s Health and Safety Policy and Health & Safety and Fire Risk Assessments, Fire Evacuation Procedure and a Floor Plan of the building.
   • Provide access to the information in the Health and Safety file for the Hall to every committee member
   • Ensure that the booking secretary makes all hirers aware of the Health and Safety Policy for the Hall and the Fire Evacuation Procedures.
   • Ensure that all hirers agree to abide by the terms and conditions given.
   The persons delegated by the Management Committee to have overall responsibility for the implementation of this policy are:Name: Deborah Willoughby Telephone No: 07794423833Name: Gary Hancock Telephone No: 07754186579Committee Members with responsibility for aspects of Health and Safety will report to the committee regularly, including any accidents, faults, misuse by hirers or other matters which could affect the health and safety of users or employees.
3. Duties of Hirers and Visitors It is the duty of all employees, hirers and visitors to take care of themselves and others who may be affected by their activities and to co-operate with the Management Committee in keeping the premises safe and healthy, including the grounds.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 either of the persons above, or the Bookings Secretary, as soon as possible so that the problem can be dealt with.Where equipment is damaged a notice should be placed on it warning that it is not to be used and it should be placed in the storeroom.
4. First AidAn appropriate first aid box will be provided based on assessment. Regular users will appoint their own first aider. Any Hirer can access the first aid box to use the contents, it is not necessary to be first aiders to access the first aid box.Information for emergency contacts, local doctors and hospitals is available in the Health & Safety file in the Hall along with the location of the nearest defibrillator. This is given below.The Nearest Facilities:Hospital Accident and Emergency/Casualty 24hrChesterfield Royal Hospital, Calow, Chesterfield, S44 5BLTel: 01246 277271Minor Injuries (8am – 8pm)Buxton Hospital, London Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 9NJ,Tel: 01298 214000Defibrillator;MCS laboratories opposite the playground on Whitecross Road, SK17 8NYTurn right out of the building and walk on the main road for c.150m.Doctor’s Surgery:The New Surgery, Parke Rd, SK17 8NS.Tel: 01298 871396The First Aid Box:In a marked cupboard in the kitchen
5. Accidents and Incidents Any accidents or incidents or injuries should be reported in the accident book and the Booking Secretary should be informed. It is the responsibility of the Tideswell Community Hall Management Committee to ensure the information in the accident book is stored securely.
6. Hiring Agreement All hire of the premises will be covered by a written hiring agreement. The hiring agreement will signpost the hirer to the Health and Safety policies which hirers are obliged to follow and give the location of the Health and Safety folder and first aid box.
7. Insurance Tideswell Community Hall is insured through;Allied Westminster (Insurance Services) Ltd, Allied House, Holgate Lane, Boston Spa Wetherby LS23 6BN.Telephone No: 01937 845245Date of Renewal: 9th April Annually.The insurance covers Public Liability, Employer’s Liability and Building and Contents Insurance It does not cover personal belongings of the hirer. Groups who use the building regularly and have permission to store equipment must have their own insurance.

  Changes to this Policy The management committee will update this policy / document in line with legislation, guidance, and operational issues in a timely manner. This document is revision controlled and all updates are to be noted in the revision notes section below.Policy Adoption Tideswell and District Voluntary Youth Club Committee formally adopted this policy March 2022 for the purposes of managing the bookings and operations for Tideswell Community Hall.Revisions – 

Revision	Date	Notes
	March 2022	Original Issue
01	January 2025	Checked for accuracy and updated to include outside area