It is the duty of the Board of Management of Desborough Services Club (the Club) to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of staff, members and their guests, volunteers, suppliers and any other person whilst they are present at the club, in compliance with all relevant Club rules and legal requirements.
Employees, members and guests have a duty to take reasonable care of their own safety and that of other persons who may be affected by their actions or omissions whilst they are at the Club or at one of its events. Members of the Club must exercise full control and supervision over any children.
Each employee will be given such information and instruction as is necessary to enable the safe performance of activities.
Adequate facilities and arrangements will be maintained to enable employees, members and guests to raise issues of health and safety.
Competent people will be appointed to assist management in meeting the Club’s statutory duties including specialists from outside the Club.
Every employee and volunteer must co-operate with the Board of Management to enable compliance with all statutory duties. The successful implementation of this policy requires total commitment from everybody. Full details of the organisation and arrangements for health and safety are set out later in this this document.
This policy will be regularly monitored at management meetings to ensure that the objectives are achieved. It will be reviewed and, if necessary, revised in the light of legislative or organisational changes.
The Club holds a current public liability insurance policy to mitigate against any unforeseen events.
Overall Responsibility
The Club’s Board of Management is ultimately responsible for all matters including those regarding health and safety.
Organisational Responsibility
The Board of Management is responsible for ensuring that the safety policy is implemented in all areas of the premises, both inside and outside.
The Board of Management is responsible for the following:
1. Ensuring that members and guests are aware of safety procedures
2. Ensuring that all its premises fixtures and fittings are maintained in good repair and safe working order
3. Establishing that all equipment used are suitable for the task and are kept in good working condition, this includes the regular servicing and maintenance
4. Providing adequate training, information, instruction and supervision to ensure that events are conducted safely
5. Taking immediate and appropriate steps to investigate and rectify any risks to health and safety arising
6. Bringing to the prompt attention of the club’s management any health and safety issue that requires their attention
7. Ensuring that all accidents and “near misses” are properly recorded and reported and that an investigation is carried out to determine causal factors
8. Always maintaining safe access and egress to the club building.
All Club employees and volunteers must:
1. Take reasonable care for their own health and safety
2. Consider the safety of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions
3. Exercise full control and supervision for any children within their care during club activities.
4. Operate in accordance with information provided this policy.
5. Refrain from intentionally misusing or recklessly interfering with anything that has been provided for health and safety reasons
6. Report any hazardous defects in premises and equipment, or shortcomings in the existing safety arrangements, to a Board member without delay
7. Not undertake any task for which authorisation has not been given
All members must:
1. take reasonable care for their own health and safety and comply with all safety procedures advertised by the Club
2. consider the safety of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions
3. ensure that any guests they invite on to the premises are made aware of their responsibilities towards health and safety
4. exercise full control and supervision for any children within their care while on club premises
5. refrain from intentionally misusing or recklessly interfering with anything that has been provided for health and safety reasons
6. report any hazards or potential hazards in premises and equipment, or shortcomings in the existing safety arrangements, to a Board of Management member without delay
7. not undertake any activity for which authorisation has not been given
The Club should maintain suitable numbers of first aid personnel to deal with minor accidents and emergencies at the club. The Board of Management will ensure that the Bar Manager and Senior Bar Assistants are fully trained in Emergency First Aid by recognised providers in accordance with statutory requirements. Identities of first aiders will be displayed on a suitable board in the Bar area.
Signage will give details of emergency procedures designed to deal with imminent danger and to allow employees, members and guests to move to a place of safety.
The Board of Management will be responsible for the dissemination of relevant information regarding health, safety and welfare to all members and any guests.
Matters arising in connection with health and safety will be discussed at management meetings, as a standing agenda item. A formal review of Health and Safety matters will be conducted on a regular basis.
Planning
In order to ensure regular attention to this policy, the General Manager of the Club will allocate responsibilities to members of the Board of Management, other volunteers and staff as appropriate. These will include regular inspections of the site, testing of emergency systems and procedures and review of risk assessments.
Review
Reviews will be conducted regularly, and changes implemented as required.
Awareness
Signs showing exit routes, exits, location of equipment and location of assembly points will be prominently placed and well maintained.
Staff and Board of Management members present during an emergency are to ensure that club members and any visitors respond promptly.
Extinguishers
Extinguishers are located around the Club. Red portable extinguishers which contain water should not be used on electrical fires or flammable materials.
Fire Procedure
In the event of discovering a fire, break the nearest fire call point glass (usually located at exits on fire escape routes). This will initiate the fire alarm to evacuate the building. From a safe place, call the Fire Brigade.
On hearing the continuous fire alarm, those present in the building are to leave the building immediately by the nearest fire exit; staff and Board of Management members to check that members and visitors have left the area. Areas such as toilets, food area and isolated areas are to be checked by them provided it is safe to do so. Doors and windows to be closed if there is time and it is safe to do so.
If the nearest exit route is blocked by smoke, those present are to leave by the nearest safe alternative route.
Staff/Board of Management members to ensure that members of the club and others who have evacuated do not cause an obstruction to the incoming fire brigade. Special consideration must be given to the evacuation and marshalling of children.
Staff and Board of Management members to account for occupants of the building at the assembly point after an evacuation to assist the emergency services with decisions about entering parts of the building which may be hazardous.
At the assembly point, the person in charge must check that all persons known to be on the premises are accounted for. The person in charge of the assembly point must be informed if someone is suspected to be still inside the building, within the food and smoking areas or in the beer garden area.
Maintenance and Testing
Fire exits to be always maintained and never blocked. Fire doors must not be wedged open.
Emergency facilities to be checked during routine inspections, e.g., escape routes unobstructed, fire extinguishers, fire notices current.
Detection systems and alarms should be tested on a regular basis.
A fire risk assessment to be carried out and be reviewed periodically.
First Aid
The Board of Management is to maintain suitable numbers of emergency first aiders to provide first-aid treatment. First-aiders will be trained and qualified in accordance with statutory requirements. The identities of emergency first-aiders will be displayed on club notice boards. Emergency first aid must not be administered by anyone who is not a designated emergency first-aider of the Club.
First Aid Kit
A first-aid kit and an inventory of supplies must kept available at all times. The location of this kit will be behind the bar.
Accident Reporting
All accidents and near-misses that could have resulted in injury to be entered in the accident book which is kept in behind the bar in the club. An electronic copy of the entry in the accident book will be kept in the Clubs online repository.
Review
The causes of accidents must be reviewed at the time they occur, and remedial action taken if necessary and practicable to do so.
A Risk Assessment which is fundamental to ensuring good Health and Safety standards, for anyone working in, using or visiting the club, should be carried out regularly. The objective is to identify those hazards which are reasonably identifiable, to evaluate the risk they present and implement preventive and protective measures to reduce the risk to a reasonable and practicable level. The objective is not to reduce the level of risk to zero.
It is essential that all staff have sufficient training, appropriate to their duties, to ensure that Health and Safety risks are reduced to an acceptable level.