U3A HEALTH AND SAFETY

Transcription

1 University of the Third Age Perth U3A HEALTH AND SAFETY Pack for interest group leaders March 2013 Amended March

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3 CONTENTS Introduction 4 Fire evacuation procedures in hired accommodation 5 Insurance 6 Incident reporting 13 incident report form 14 Electrical inspection and testing and borrowing equipment 16 Social events and travel 17 Risk assessment 20 Walking groups 21 3

4 INTRODUCTION It is the duty of every organisation to take care of the health and safety of its members. Additionally, there are legal requirements which have to be followed. The consequences potentially resulting from legal action claiming negligence can be financially crippling. For these reasons Perth U3A has reviewed its existing documentation on health and safety. In doing so it has drawn on material developed by the Third Age Trust for the use of all U3As. (See for full information on TAT publications) This pack is being issued to each interest group leader. It applies particularly to leaders whose groups meet in public places, but there are some sections which refer to groups which meet in private homes. Group leaders are requested to familiarise themselves with the contents and to ensure that should they hand over leadership of a group to someone else they pass on the pack for the information olf their successor. Occasional updates will be necessary and these will be issued as and when they are published. An up to date version of the pack will always be on the website at Additional notes Fire evacuation procedures: The committee member with responsibility for arranging accommodation in hired premises will issue each group leader affected a set of the evacuation procedures for the premises they use and a note of the contact details for the relevant link person in their venue. Insurance: Insurance cover for U3A activities is an important but complex subject. One of the advantages of membership of the national U3A movement is the public liability cover arranged through the Third Age Trust (TAT). The information provided by TAT is included in this pack. It is not always easy to interpret the detail of the cover, and we have on occasion sought clarification from TAT. If you have any questions concerning insurance matters please refer them to Ian Tait (Contact details within the section of this pack on Insurance) Walking groups: Perth U3a has a number of groups engaging in outdoor activities. These range enormously in what they do and no one health and safety document can do justice to their variety. We have therefore left specific guidance to the discretion of group leaders. Most groups have devised and adopted their own safety policies. The document included in this pack is intended to be indicative rather than prescriptive, and to serve as a reminder to walking groups of the kind of safety issues they need to be alert to and make known to participating members. We have decided against requiring participants to sign a disclaimer, as is the practice in some walking groups, as it is not clear that it would be legally binding particularly if negligence can be proven. For this reason it is particularly important that group leaders take all necessary steps to safeguard members for their own sake as well as for the sake of group members. Are there any gaps? There may be health and safety issues which are not covered here. If so, and you have a concern that they are addressed, please contact the secretary or another committee member. 4

5 Perth University of the Third Age (U3A) Fire Evacuation Procedures in Hired Accommodation See also section on Accidents and emergencies It is the responsibility of the Group Leader to be fully informed of Fire Evacuation Procedures for the venue in which the group is meeting. It is the Group Leader s responsibility to ensure that members understand the required action in the event of a fire alarm and/or fire. The Group Leader may decide that this requires a rehearsal of the procedure. The U3A Committee recommend that group members are reminded of the procedures as often as the Group Leader deems necessary but at least twice in a session eg at the first meeting and at the first meeting following the Christmas break. In order to ensure safe evacuation a record of members attending is kept at each meeting. It is important to recognise that in some venues the U3A group may be the only occupants of the building at the time. The following advice is given to Group Leaders. 1. Before the start of each session make contact with an officer for the venue. Contact details are available from the U3A Secretary. 2. Determine the Fire Evacuation Procedures or any changes to them. 3. Some venues eg Letham St Mark s and the Gateway have detailed written Evacuation Procedures. 4. In the event of there being no written procedures the Committee advise that the Group Leader rehearses evacuation with an officer of the letting agency. 5. This will include familiarisation with :- i. evacuation routes ii. assembly points iii. alarm systems. 6. Should the U3A group be the only occupants of the building in the event of a fire the Group Leader should be able to contact the Fire Brigade and an officer of the letting agency. 7. In the event of a U3A group ever having to evacuate a building the Group Leader should provide a report of the occurrence for the Committee. The Committee will forward its consideration of the event to the letting agency. 5

6 OVERVIEW OF THE INSURANCE POLICIES PROVIDED BY THE THIRD AGE TRUST FOR U3As Public and Products Liability Aviva Insurance Limited policy number CCI This cover indemnifies all U3A members against all sums you could become legally liable to pay as a result of Accidental injury to or death of any person. Accidental loss or damage to material property not belonging to you, which arises or is caused in connection with the business of U3As. Indemnity limit - 5,000,000 for any one incident. Excess per claim. Money Cover Aviva Insurance Limited policy number CCI This policy covers U3A cash held in members homes, hired premises and in transit. Limit Excess - zero. All Risks Equipment Insurance Aviva Insurance Limited policy number CCI This policy provides cover for loss or damage to property owned by a U3A, excluding wear and tear depreciation and gradual deterioration, wherever it is held and in transit, providing due diligence is observed and reasonable precautions are taken to ensure it is stored securely. Limit - 25,000. Excess Home Contents Cover Aviva Insurance Limited policy number CCI This covers damage to the property of any U3A member whilst their home is being used to host a U3A interest group/meeting. Limit Excess Charity Indemnity Insurance Aviva Insurance Limited policy number CCI This cover provides Indemnity for the legal liability of a trustee or the charity for loss which results from a wrongful act when carrying out the duties of a trustee. Investigation costs. 6

7 Indemnity for the legal liability of a trustee or the charity for the physical destruction of or damage to documents. Indemnity for any reasonable cost incurred as a result of restoring or replacing the documents. Limit - 250,000 in any one period of insurance. Excess Tour Operators Liability Royal Sun Alliance policy number TOL This policy consists of Public and Products Liability limit 2,000,000 any one event which provides indemnity against the legal liability for accidental injury to third parties or loss or damage to their material property arising in connection with the product/event. Legal Defence liability 100,000 which provides indemnity for costs arising and costs awarded in connection with the defence of proceedings brought or an appeal against a conviction relating to an alleged offence in the course of the business in respect of the Health and Safety at Work Act, Part 11 of the Consumer Protection Act, the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and the Package, Travel, Package Holiday and Package Tour regulations 1992, where there has been no actual injury or damage. Emergency legal assistance limit 5000 which provides indemnity to the insured in respect of costs and expenses incurred in providing emergency assistance to the passenger where such passenger suffers bodily injury or in the event of the death of the passenger, the passenger s legal personal representatives. Professional indemnity limit 1,000,000 which provides indemnity to the insured for the legal liability for damages and claimants costs and expenses in respect of claims arising for breach of professional duty by reason of neglect, error or omission occurring or committed in good faith. This also includes the cover required for packages as defined in the Package Holiday Package Tour and Package Travel Regulations Excess on all sections. NB This insurance is to cover a group leader/co-ordinator who wants to arrange a short study trip for his/her group, involving overnight accommodation. If you want to organise a U3A holiday, do it through a bonded travel agent. February

8 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (This is a TAT document dated May It predates the February 2013 Overview so needs to be treated with caution.) BACKGROUND INFORMATION What is meant by Public Liability Insurance? In general, Public Liability Insurance is intended to indemnify the insured against compensation, which they become legally liable to pay, following injury or property damage sustained by a third party, as a result of an activity. Legal liability to another person can arise in a number of ways but by far the most common is negligence. A third party is a person or legal entity who is not party to the contract of insurance. Public liability does not cover pure accidents where no legal liability has been established. What is meant by Product Liability Insurance? Product liability protects the policy holder against claims arising from injury or damage sustained due to a failure with a product, for which you are held legally liable. Does the cover dilute with the number of public liability claims? The limit of indemnity is 5m on any one claim arising from one incident or a series of incidents with no limit on the amount payable in the aggregate in any one period of insurance. How does this cover apply to Group Leaders? The policy is set up to protect all U3A members, and includes member to member cover so if somebody is injured undertaking a U3A activity and legal liability could be proven, the insurers would deal with any claim. PROPERTY/EQUIPMENT Does the Public and Products Liability policy cover against loss of U3A property or property belonging to others? The policy protects you against claims made by third parties and therefore U3A owned equipment will not be covered. The National Office has a separate arrangement which offers this cover at extremely favourable rates. Loss or damage to property belonging to others will in the main be covered. If a member loses personal property whilst taking part in a U3A activity would it be possible to claim against the Public Liability policy? The Public Liability does not automatically cover loss of property, but if such loss or damage is caused by an act of negligence or omission by the U3A, or any member (other than the member whose property it is), a claim could be made. Here again, it should be remembered that most household insurance policies cover the policyholder and members of his family living with him for personal liability. VENUES/ACCOMMODATION If a Local U3A uses a hall to run an event, is it covered for Public Liability? Yes, subject to the normal test of legal liability. 8

9 What is the situation regarding the hire of a hall where the contract with the hall hirers appears to make the U3A responsible for all loss and damage? This is not correct as any damage or injury caused by a defect in the property and/or the facilities is the responsibility in law of the building owner. You should bring this to the attention of the person handling the hire and ask that the clause be removed but if you fail to achieve that, our insurers have said that in the last resort, you can sign the contract because that clause is unenforceable. Does the insurance apply when groups are held in members houses? Yes it does. (NOTE This is misleading. See the notes on pp ) SAFETY/ACCIDENTS Should we be getting our electrical equipment tested? Portable appliance testing only applies to electrical equipment at work and in public places. However, the Trust has issued some guidelines as some U3As rent office space and often equipment is moved around and used by different people, so user checks and visual inspections make sense. It is possible that if you wish to take your equipment into rented accommodation, you may find that it has to have a PAT sticker Does the Public Liability Insurance cover the Local U3A against accidents whilst using machinery, such as power lathes, drills, saws and the like, either owned by the U3A or others? The Public Liability Insurance does provide cover for your legal liability to others following incidents whilst using machinery whether it is owned by the U3A or others. It does not cover the machinery itself, since in common with other Public Liability insurance policies, it excludes liability in respect of property within the custody or control of the insured. With regard to particularly hazardous activities, it is important that you check with the National Office in advance. Does Public Liability cover the Local U3A against accidents whilst out walking or any other type of outdoor or strenuous activity? It does, so long as it is remembered that the Public Liability policy is an insurance against legal liability. The Policy is not an automatic Personal Accident insurance. It would have to be shown that U3A, its agents or members had in some way been negligent in causing injury to the victim. Are we required to have trained first aiders within U3A? You are not required to do so and insurance advice is to contact the emergency services immediately in the event of a serious incident, even if there happens to be a member present who has attended a first aid course. Should we be carrying out risk assessments for any/all of our activities? There is no formal requirement to do so but The Trust has prepared a set of checklists covering outside venues, walking and workshop activities which you may like to use. If a Local U3A runs a function and serves meals or light refreshments and someone is taken ill as a result - can a claim be made against Public Liability Insurance? Public Liability insurance will cover this eventuality if you are found to be legally liable. 9

10 TRANSPORT/CARS Can U3A members offer lifts to other members and accept money towards petrol costs without compromising their car insurance policy? Yes they can. Does the Public Liability Insurance provide any cover whilst members are travelling in other members cars or on a coach or minibus? The question of accidents in motor vehicles is complex. Any accident arising from the driving of a vehicle would fall outside the scope of a Public Liability Insurance because motor insurance is an entirely separate matter and such incidents are properly covered under a motor insurance policy. This would normally include accidents which occur whilst mounting or dismounting a vehicle. However, on a coach where one member is injured by the actions of another member, in circumstances which have nothing to do with the fact that they are driving in a motor vehicle, it would be covered by the Public Liability insurance. What happens if I parked my car in a recognised car park whilst on U3A activities and it is damaged? As explained, the policy is an insurance against the legal liability of the U3A and so any claim would have to prove negligence in some way against the U3A, for example, it would have to be shown that any accident to a parked car, whether in a recognised car park or not, has been occasioned wholly or in part by the negligence of the U3A. This would not normally arise just because the car owner had permission to use a recognised car park at, for example, a local school or village hall. For a claim to succeed against the U3A, the car owner would have to show that he had been led to expect that his property would be protected and would have to show that the U3A or its agents, had been negligent in failing to provide the proper level of protection. NON MEMBERS If somebody wants to try a couple of U3A activities prior to deciding whether to join, is it allowable under our insurance cover? Yes it is providing somebody is monitoring the situation and keeps the group leaders informed, to ensure the attendance as a non-member does not continue indefinitely. Is it permissible for a non-member e.g. spouse or friend of a member, to attend an outing? On an occasional basis with committee approval, there is no problem but it is not acceptable for the same non-member to regularly attend U3A events. Can U3A members who belong to a walking group take grandchildren or dogs with them? As far as our insurance cover is concerned there is no problem if the U3A committee wishes to allow it. If a U3A member needs to bring a carer when attending U3A activities/events, is this permissible under our insurance cover. Yes it is providing the carer does not attend any U3A activities as an individual and committee approval has been given. 10

11 PAID SPEAKERS/TUTORS Do we have any cover for Employers Liability? No. The basis of the policy is that U3As do not have any employees. This type of cover is very different to public liability and is in fact compulsory for all employers so if you have any concerns that you may be considered to be employing people, please consult Lin Jonas. Does this policy provide cover for outside speakers invited to general meetings or on occasions to specific interest groups, whether paid or not? Yes it does cover paid speakers at general or interest group meetings but it does not cover paid tutors. The reason for this, is that the U3A movement is founded on the principle of shared learning and it is not envisaged that people from outside will be paid to lead a U3A interest/activity group. If you are doing so on a short term basis, get a copy of their public liability cover note which should normally be for a minimum of 2 million. ACTIVITIES Is the public liability insurance cover confined to U3A activities in the UK? No. Cover now extends to Europe. Do U3A group leaders need to have a professional qualification to lead physical activity groups? No they do not. But you would expect them to be experienced. What sort of waterborne activities are allowed under our insurance? You can go sailing, rowing and canoeing but only on inland waterways. You are not covered in any craft with an engine. Do we need to get members to sign in at our monthly meetings? Unless it is a requirement of the venue, it is your decision, based on the practicalities of the situation. If you decide, from a fire risk point of view, to ask members to sign in, do make sure that they appreciate the need to sign out. May 2011 NOTE on final FAQ above from Ian Tait, Perth U3A This is somewhat misleading in its unqualified terms. We have been in correspondence with TAT in London and as a result have found that the section needs to be clarified. (We have asked TAT to improve it.) A fair summary of what TAT have said to us is: The U3A insurance covers member-on-member liability. If a member injures himself or suffers damage due to a defect in a building, then the property owner is liable in law. The owner s building insurance will normally apply to such claims (it depends on the buildings insurance the owner has). The situation is the same in a private home or other paid-for accommodation. So if a person trips on a loose board and falls downstairs, the property owner is liable and the U3A policy doesn t provide cover. But if one member, in the course of a U3A meeting, trips over the handbag of another member and spills hot coffee on someone else, or even a carpet, then the U3A policy provides cover. 11

12 So the moral is that the TAT policy provides some extra cover but not a lot. Having a U3A group at home is thus essentially no different from having any largish group in for dinner or whatever. Take the same care of the U3A group as you would any group of that size, bearing in mind any particular difficulties any member might have. Simply be aware of the basics such as locked doors and exits generally (in the event of a fire); how safe the stairs and floor coverings are; and such like. It is not necessary to complete a check list. The U3A insurance cover does not require any note to be kept of numbers attending. (Group leaders may well want to keep a note of this for other purposes but it seems over the top for safety reasons, given the numbers attending a typical home group.) EXTRACT from TAT mailing, 18 May 2012 Insurance Recently there has been concern expressed on two matters which I would like to clear up:- Using your car to ferry U3A members does not affect your social, domestic and pleasure insurance cover and does not require you to pay an additional excess or upgrade to business cover. In addition, accepting a contribution towards petrol is perfectly acceptable. If any of your members experience problems, tell them to contact me.* Holding U3A meetings in your home should have no implications whatsoever on your home insurance, as it is no different from having regular dinner parties or coffee mornings with your friends. The problem emanates from insurance companies not understanding the nature of U3A and its activities. Again any problems, do contact me.* (Me in this instance is Lin Jonas, Senior Executive Officer/ Company Secretary, Third Age Trust. However members of Perth U3A are invited to contact Ian Tait in the first instance with any insurance queries.) Local contact on insurance issues: Ian Tait, Membership Secretary, Perth U3A murrayt@bl;ueyonder.co.uk 12

13 Incident reporting Attendance List For health and safety reasons an attendance sheet should be completed at each interest group meeting, especially in hired premises. Emergencies In the event of an evacuation of premises where a group activity is taking place it is essential that all members present can be accounted for. At the start of a group meeting members should be reminded of the location of the meeting point in the event of an evacuation. If an evacuation takes place the group leader must ensure that the attendance sheet is taken to the meeting point and a roll call taken to account for all members. See also section on Fire evacuation procedures in hired accommodation Incidents It would be useful if group leaders knew if any of their group members had medical or first aid experience as people who might be called on in the event of an accident or medical emergency during a group session. It is important that any incident involving a member participating in a group activity is recorded on the report form below. This will ensure that any claim that has to be made to our insurers is completed in full. The form should then be forwarded to the Secretary of Perth U3A who will process the claim and make a report to the committee. An incident is defined as any occurrence which: a) results in personal injury to anyone (including a member of the public) b) is classifiable as a near miss with potential to cause serious injury c) causes damage to property d) involves ill health or sickness e) results in conflict or complaints f) is something which could cause damage to the reputation of Perth U3A. 13

14 Incident Report Form Perth U3A An incident is defined as any occurrence which: a) results in personal injury to anyone (including a member of the public) b) is classifiable as a near miss with potential to cause serious injury c) causes damage to property d) involves ill health or sickness e) results in conflict or complaints f) is something which could cause damage to the reputation of Perth U3A. It is important that this incident/accident report is completed as soon as possible whilst the details are able to be recalled accurately You should also notify the Secretary verbally in case they want to visit the scene of the accident. REMINDER: Group leaders should have a post code for their venue available in case emergency services are called. U3A group involved with incident: Nature of Incident: Date/ Time/ Location of Incident: Details of any assistance required at the scene: Injuries incurred (if any): Property damage (if any): 14

15 Actions Taken: Follow-up required after incident (Eg. Medical advice/ attention sought afterwards): Any other comments: Witnesses (incl. contact details if not U3A members): Names and contact details of parties to incident, and nature of their involvement: Name of Group Leader.. Telephone Number Signed.. Date.. Completed forms to be sent to Perth U3A Secretary 15

16 Electrical inspection and testing and borrowing equipment It is the policy of Perth U3A that all portable equipment is PAT tested. Certification (Test certificate and equipment register) should be kept with the person responsible for equipment. The current record of equipment is set out below: Equipment subject to PAT testing HP Laptop HP Laptop HP Multimedia Projector Epson Multimedia Projector PA System Extension Lead Other equipment Electronic keyboard Wireless microphone CD player Before a piece of equipment can be used by a group, a group member must ensure that they are familiar with how to use it. It is group leaders responsibility to book the equipment with the equipment holder (See table above) and to arrange its collection and return. To coordinate bookings, the equipment holder will ensure that all bookings are shown on the Perth U3A website. Any problems encountered with the use of the equipment must be reported on its return. 16

17 Social events and travel The text below is copied directly from TAT Advice Sheet 8. Many U3As arrange excellent social events for their members ranging from outings to Christmas lunches, as well as organising travel either in Europe or the UK. The purpose of this advice sheet is to recommend best practice to ensure you are always covered under U3A insurance policies and that neither participating members nor the organisers are putting themselves at risk. There are three types of activities that are considered in this advice sheet: 1. Social Events Day trips; wine & cheese events; Xmas lunches; garden parties etc. open to all members of the U3A. 2. Study Group Travel Outings including both travel and accommodation as an extension of a study group activity. 3. Holiday Trips over several days in either UK or Europe, open to all members of the U3A. Organiser Such activities, once the committee has given its approval, are normally put together by an organiser or a small committee. The organiser is responsible for making the bookings, arranging the transport and accommodation or in the case of a holiday, arranging the travel package with the travel agent/company. However, all the financial arrangements must be overseen by the main committee of the U3A, usually the Treasurer. In addition all contracts must be signed by a Trustee on behalf of and in the name of the U3A. When organising day events or study group travel, care must be taken in making any prepayments, as there is no money cover insurance provided. Social Events The organiser will arrange an event at a suitable date with the venue and then, in liaison with the Treasurer, arrange with the venue and transport operator the contract, deposit and method of payment. The organiser and Treasurer will then agree a sales price usually including a small mark-up as a contingency. The prospective attendees will usually contact the organiser direct to make a booking and send a cheque but in some cases it may go directly to the Treasurer. All cheques should be made out to the U3A and to the U3A social account in particular if one exists. The organiser must never collect cash, cheques in his/her name or pay for a venue or coach by means of a personal debit/credit card or cheque. Ignoring this will mean that it becomes a personal rather than a business transaction and it could have insurance implications and place the organiser at financial risk. In order to ensure that all monies are handled correctly, all payments must be made with the full involvement of the committee, with cheques being signed by two trustees. Study Group Travel The organiser in this case will be the group organiser/leader but the process is similar to that detailed above for Social Events except that accommodation is required and is included in the price. By arranging such trips, the organiser could be considered under the EU Group Package Travel Regulations to be the tour operator and therefore liable for any damages or accidents 17

18 that might occur. So in order to safeguard group leaders, the Trust has arranged insurance which will protect them should anything untoward happen. NB. All monies for study group travel should pass through the main U3A account. Holidays As far as U3A holidays are concerned, the only safe way to organise them is through a travel agency/company so that you are fully covered by their liability insurance. In addition, all payments should be made on an individual basis, directly to the company and not to the U3A. In this way a contract is clearly established between an individual and the company rather than with the U3A as an entity, which is a much safer way to do it. There is, however, no reason why the organiser should not collect cheques and then either send them in one batch or deliver them. If you do organise a holiday yourselves, you will have no money insurance and in the event of a serious incident on holiday involving a U3A member or members, you would have no insurance in place to protect you and the organiser(s) could be in serious trouble and deemed personally liable. If you do organise a holiday yourselves, you will have no money insurance and in the event of a serious incident on holiday involving a U3A member or members, you would have no insurance in place to protect you and the organiser(s) could be in serious trouble and deemed personally liable. Insurance As long as the basic procedures outlined above are followed, then U3A liability insurance will cover your social events and study group travel in the UK and Europe, both with respect to third party liability and member to member cover. If you wish to extend an invitation to members of other U3As that is fine. It must be clearly understood, however, that it does not include personal accident/injury or travel insurance, both of which are the personal responsibility of each U3A member to take out. A further policy Tour Operator Liability Insurance covers a group leader who organises a travel trip for the study group and does not use a travel agency. Some major venues are now asking groups to provide a cover note so that they can check that the policy is current and the extent of the cover, which is in fact up to 5m. Other Matters 1. Charity Commission for England and Wales. Income and expenditure associated with social events does not have to be included in the official annual return. Their definition of social is wide ranging, but it is safe to define it as any event open to all members and not specifically part of an interest group activity, for which members pay to participate. Thus both social events and holidays as listed above would qualify as social. Whilst the Charity Commission does not need the information on social events, your members are entitled to have a full report, therefore it is recommended that the income less expenditure is shown in the accounts as nett income. Note that whilst an individual event might make a small loss the U3A cannot support a subsidy on an annual basis so this item should always be positive. NB. If you are a registered charity in Scotland you have to report all U3A accounts. 18

19 2. Free Trips. When arranging such events it often happens that the organiser is offered a free trip for every 20 places booked, say. It is important that the main committee agrees in advance how these free places will be used by either reducing the overall cost per user or by rewarding the hard work of the organiser with a free place. 3. Cancellations. Usually if a potential attendee cancels with sufficient time, the organiser can recover some or all of the cost from the venue but not the share of the transport. The main committee should decide what its policy is in this matter and issue guidelines as it is not reasonable for the organiser to have to handle this situation without guidance. 4. Use of Debit/ Credit Cards It is bad practice to use a personal credit or debit card. As more and more venues will only accept payment by card it will become essential for U3A to arrange a card on their account. All major clearance banks have now agreed to offer debit cards to charities. The suggested conditions for their use are contained in the Treasurer s Newsletter dated November 2010 and in the booklet Information for Treasurers. 23 June

20 Risk assessment It is important that group leaders are alert to risks associated with the activities of their groups and have taken appropriate measures to address these. See also other sections of this pack. Perth U3A does not require formal risk assessments to be completed, except in very specific instances where such an assessment is of particular importance. The Third Age Trust (TAT) does recommend that attention be paid to its Venue risk assessment checklist. This is reproduced below for the general guidance of group leaders who are asked to be aware of the risks the checklist highlights. Third Age Trust VENUE RISK ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST Is the access suitable for the group attending the activity? Is wheelchair access adequate Is the area free from obstructions and trip hazards? Is adequate means of escape in an emergency provided? Are there appropriate direction signs to aid escape? Is there a fire alarm? Is there emergency lighting? Is there a designated assembly point? Where is it? Is there an emergency procedure for the building? Do you have a copy? Is seating always laid out? Is it a\ U3A responsibility to deal with seating before and after the activity? Is food being provided/ prepared? If so: Is the kitchen adequate and hygienic? Are food safe cleaning materials available? Do a visual safety check on electrical equipment. Are the toilet facilities adequate and accessible? Is equipment being brought into the venue? Has it been safety checked? Is there a first aid box or is U3A to provide? Venue checklist Day of use Emergency exits unobstructed? Emergency exits unlocked? Fire extinguishers in place? Toilet facilities open and clean? Walkways free from trip hazards? Kitchen facilities accessible and clean? Electrical equipment in good condition? Refreshment materials available? First aid equipment accessible? Safety briefing given? 20

21 Walking groups See also last paragraph of Introduction Perth U3A has a number of walking groups of differing standards, ranging from gentle Sunday afternoon walks to demanding hill walks of considerable length and difficulty. The former require minimum guidelines. The latter need more detailed and rigorous ones. No one policy can cover such a variety of activity. Responsibility of leaders Each group leader has responsibility for ensuring that appropriate safety guidelines are written and made known to all group members. Leaders require discretion on the detailed safety measures for their group, and should draw these up taking note of the practice of other walking groups undertaking comparable activity. U3A Committee should satisfy itself when approving the setting up of a group or the appointment of a new leader, that the leader has relevant knowledge and experience to undertake their leadership role effectively. Thereafter it is the responsibility of the leader in consultation with group members to agree the ground rules for their group. Responsibility of group members All participants on walks should understand that they are ultimately responsible for their own safety. They must determine their fitness to undertake the walk. The leader may overrule them if he/she has serious concerns as to their ability to undertake the walk, but cannot accept responsibility if the participant has not advised them of any risk factors, such as a medical condition. Except for the most simple and straightforward of walks, participants should be made aware of the following statement on safety which is based, with their agreement, on a document used by Perth Hillwalking Group: Each participant voluntarily assumes the risk of taking to the hills and should therefore familiarise him or herself with navigation and walking techniques suitable for the standard of walk chosen and be suitably equipped to ensure his or her own safety in the hills at all times. Members should note that hillwalking can be a dangerous pastime and that the U3A has no control over the condition of the terrain to be walked or weather conditions. Perth U3A cannot be held responsible for any loss, injury or damage caused on a U3A walk or weekend nor on the journey to and from each walking venue, however caused. It should be made clear that any participant with particular health problems which it is important to know about in an emergency is responsible for informing the leader of these. On moderate to strenuous walks every participant must carry a note of their emergency contact and of any medical condition. Leaders should note that the statement above will not exempt them from the normal operation of the law relating to negligence. 21

22 The following notes are applicable to groups undertaking moderate to strenuous walks/ climbs. Preparatory work The designated leader for the day is expected to have familiarised themselves with the route and probable conditions and to have briefed participants on distance, anticipated walking time, terrain, amount of climbing involved and standard of fitness required. They should advise participants on what equipment to bring and provide information on all practical details. The main points should be highlighted to participants before the start of the walk. Any special requirements over and above the normal arrangements are at the discretion of the leader. On the day The leader should have a plan B in the event of bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances, and should form an assessment of the ability of all participants to cope with the walk. If there is any doubt as to this the leader should speak with the participant(s) concerned and take steps to minimise the risk of mishap. During the walk the leader should satisfy themselves at all times that every participant is accounted for and should moderate the pace, or take other measures (such as asking another participant to stay with anyone experiencing difficulty) to ensure safety. Conclusion Most groups already have a checklist and requirements, devised specifically for their own purposes. In some instances these will be less detailed than the above notes whilst in others they will be more comprehensive. Perth U3A committee reserves the right to see a copy of the safety guidance adopted by each group and to require it to be amended if it is considered inadequate relative to the nature of the group s walks. 22