Health & Safety Policy for Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A
1. Statement
Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A is a learning co-operative and membership charity which enables members in their third age to share educational, creative and leisure activities. All members are volunteers and take part in the activities of Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A at their own risk. Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A is committed to ensuring that reasonable care has been taken to avoid harming others and that members are aware of risks.
2. Aims of Policy
Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A aims to provide and maintain safe and healthy conditions and environments for members, prospective members and carers during meetings of u3a interest groups and monthly meetings and at events.
This policy sets out the principal means by which Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A aims to manage and mitigate risks relating to Health & Safety. This policy should be read in conjunction with our Accessibility Policy, which is to be found on this website.
3. Insurance
Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A is covered by the insurance provided by The Third Age Trust. Further details may be accessed on the national u3a website www.u3a.org.uk/advice. Should there be uncertainty whether any proposed activity or event is covered, Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A will contact national u3a office for advice.
NB The cover provided by The Third Age Trust includes public liability assurance. However extreme sports and high hazard activities may be excluded.
4. Risk Assessments
Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A will ensure that appropriate assessments of risk are made for all activities and events. The assessment will be undertaken by the Committee member, Group Leader or other member responsible for the meeting or event. The approach will be appropriate to the context.
- Indoor activities
Most indoor activities take place in venues which already have their own risk assessments and associated health & safety requirements. The person responsible for the activity or event will be familiar with these assessments and requirements and will ensure that they are observed. Where appropriate, there will be an announcement of fire precautions.
- Outdoor activities
Organisers of outdoor activities, such as walks and visits to local places of interest, will shortly before the event undertake a ‘dry run’ in order to assess significant risks relating, for example, to conditions underfoot, permanent obstacles to be crossed or avoided (such as stiles, fords, narrow bridges, steep slopes), temporary obstructions (such as floods, building works or roadworks), dangers from nearby animals or vegetation, the weather forecast, difficulties in arranging help in the event of an emergency etc. Significant risks should be recorded, together with identified mitigations, and communicated to intending participants in advance.
- Trips and Outings
Organisers of trips and outings will work through in advance the risks associated with the venue and the journeys there and back, and will determine and communicate the appropriate mitigations. (See also paragraph 6 below: Lone Volunteering.) The issues are likely to be mainly concerned with keeping the party together, toilet and catering arrangements, dealing with health & safety emergencies, and familiarisation with the risk assessments and requirements of the service providers involved. Unless very straightforward it will be usual to prepare a written record of the risk analysis and mitigations.
- Meals Out
Organisers of groups eating out will make themselves familiar with the risk assessments of their venues and ensure that the group follows the safe practice required at the venue.
5. Accidents / Incidents and Emergencies
In the event of an accident or incident the Chairman (or if the Chairman is unavailable, another member of the Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A Committee) should be informed as soon as appropriate. Where a u3a member or prospective member is involved in an incident whilst taking part in a Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A activity or event, Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A will ensure that an incident report is completed by those who witnessed the incident and were involved. (A template is available to download from www.u3a.org.uk/advice .) The completed report will be shared with those who need to have access to it, including the Chairman, who will retain a copy on file. The report will be shared with the insurers in the event of an insurance claim.
6. Lone Volunteering
There may be occasions when u3a members carry out tasks on their own for Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A (for example, preparing for a meeting or planning a walk). Such u3a members (‘lone volunteers’) will take appropriate steps to ensure someone else knows where they are and when they are expected to return. Lone volunteers will know who to contact in the event of an emergency, and have with them appropriate means of communicating with such contacts. Lone volunteers will avoid hazardous action (such as working at heights) unless they have arranged for suitable support to be present.
7. Manual Handling
Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A will provide simple equipment to facilitate manual handling, where feasible (for example, in folding down large tables). All u3a members are expected to take sensible steps to avoid injury if undertaking manual handling, and to refrain from carrying out manual handling tasks unassisted if they are unable to manage them.
8. General
Great Glen Oadby & Wigston U3A Committee will ensure that this policy is kept up to date, and is reviewed at least biennially.
If you have any queries about this policy, please contact us at chairman@ggowu3a.co.uk or by contacting any other committee member.
This policy was adopted on: 5 September 2023, updates 1st April 2024
Signed: Committee Role: Chairman
Print Name: R R MANSFIELD
Policy Review Date: September 2025