Health and safety policy – Wild Things Performing Arts CIC

Created: August 2020 by Jenny Owen

Last Reviewed/Updated: Nancy Monaghan, October 2020

Related Documents

It is the policy of Wild Things Performing Arts CIC to provide, as far as is reasonably practicable, safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work, for company staff and volunteers. We also aim to provide a safe and healthy environment for participants, parents/guardians, audience members and any other visitors. Wild Things Performing Arts aims to ensure that any work undertaken by the company does not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons.

Wild Things Performing Arts CIC will be guided by HSE standards and Health & Safety legislation. The effective implementation of procedures will be monitored by the Directors. Procedures and guidance will be reviewed regularly to ensure they meet the changing needs of the company and its activities.

Policy Aims and Objectives

To promote and maintain standards of safety, health and welfare, that comply fully with the Health & Safety at Work Act, 1974, other relevant legislation, and codes of practice.
To protect staff, volunteers, participants and others, including the public, from foreseeable hazards.
To provide all staff and volunteers with the necessary information, instruction, training and supervision needed to ensure that safe working practices are adhered to and safety awareness is developed.
To ensure that all staff, volunteers and participants are aware of their responsibilities to take care of themselves and others.
To encourage consultation and cooperation between staff, volunteers, participants and management on any aspect of health and safety.
To regulate any risk created by work operations and where necessary consult with outside bodies in order to maintain a safe working environment.

Standards and Expectations

Wild Things Performing Arts CIC strives to impress upon all staff, volunteers and participants that health and safety is the responsibility of all. We encourage a culture where simple actions are taken when a minor risk is noted (e.g. moving a trip hazard, wiping up spilt liquid on the floor) and more significant risks are reported and dealt with promptly.

Responsibilities

1. The Directors have ultimate responsibility for Health & Safety. The Directors are responsible for taking all reasonable steps to ensure that adequate resources are made available, thereby maintaining a suitable, safe working and learning environment.

2. The Chief Executive has responsibility for ensuring the Health & Safety policy is implemented throughout the company, including

Communicate the Health & Safety Policy and procedures to all staff, tutors and volunteers.
Along with the Administrator, write, review and disseminate risk assessments, ensuring that they are fit for purpose.
Action any points arising from the completion of Risk Assessments.
Review the accident book and any related incidents and implement changes to improve safety
Identify needs and arrange training in relation to matters of Health & Safety.
Delegate the day-to-day implementation of the Health & Safety Policy within the company.
Ensure Health & Safety aspects are incorporated into all job instructions.
Bring to the attention of the Directors all new legislation, codes of practice and other related matters.
Report any accident, damage or dangerous occurrence to the Directors.

3. First Aid trained members of staff will be responsible for:

Taking charge of first aid arrangements, including maintaining their own first aid kit and disposing safely of expired contents.
Calling the emergency services in an emergency.

There will always be at least one First Aid trained member of staff present during any face-to-face Wild Things Performing Arts activity.

4. Staff, Tutors, and Volunteers should be made familiar with and conform to all relevant aspects of the Health & Safety procedures. This includes:

Observing all safety rules at all times.
Dressing appropriately for activities.
Wearing appropriate safety equipment when required.
Not interfering with anything provided to safeguard their own or others’ Health & Safety.
Take simple actions when a minor risk is noted (e.g. moving a trip hazard, wiping up spilt liquid on the floor).
Ensure more significant risks are reported and dealt with promptly.
Reporting all accidents, damage and serious occurrences to the Chief Executive.
Reporting all Health & Safety concerns to the Chief Executive.
Taking reasonable care of themselves and others who may be affected by their actions.
Taking a register for each class, including attendees, emergency contact details, and registered medical information.

5. Students/Participants, and parents/guardians, should be made familiar with and conform to all relevant aspects of the Health & Safety procedures. This includes:

Observing all safety rules at all times.
Dressing appropriately for activities.
Wearing appropriate safety equipment when required.
Not interfering with anything provided to safeguard their own or others’ Health & Safety.
Reporting all accidents, damage and hazards to a member of staff.
Taking reasonable care of themselves and others who may be affected by their actions.
Ensuring emergency contact details and medical information (including allergies, conditions and medication) held by Wild Things Performing Arts is up to date.

Promoting Health & Safety

The following steps should be taken to ensure the safety of all those involved in Wild Things Performing Arts’ activities:

Up to date emergency contact details and medical information (including allergies, conditions and medication) for all staff, volunteers and participants are held in registers and on registration forms.
Staff will ensure they have access to this information at all times in the sessions, by carrying a register.
A register is taken at the start of each class, so that staff know who is present in case of an emergency/evacuation.
Children will not be allowed to leave the building unsupervised, unless their parent/guardian has granted permission for them to do so.
If a staff member does not recognise the person who has come to collect the child, they will ask for the “password” given by the parent/guardian at registration.
At least one staff member with up to date First Aid training should be present during activities.
Staff members should receive updated basic First Aid training every 3 years.
All staff and tutors must ensure the space used for sessions, rehearsals and performances are safe and that risk is mitigated in line with the relevant risk assessment(s). This includes checking for slip, trip and fall hazards and manual handling issues.
All staff are asked to review the relevant risk assessments before starting a project.
All staff and tutors must ensure that any activity is safe and that risk is mitigated in line with relevant risk assessment(s).
All staff, tutors and volunteers will receive a copy of this policy prior to starting a project.

Accident and Emergency Procedure

First Aid and Accident/Incident Procedure

In the event of an emergency, a staff member should always call 999 before following the steps below. A responsible adult should be delegated to meet Emergency Services in front of the building.

In the event of an accidents or injury at Wild Things Performing Arts’ sessions, staff should ensure:

Continued risk is removed or mitigated in line with the appropriate written risk assessment(s);
The casualty is not left alone;
The casualty does not engage in any activity that may constitute further risk;
The parent/guardian or emergency contact of the casualty is informed of the accident as soon as possible;
A trained First Aider will care for the casualty. Where necessary and possible, an action plan for treating or managing any injury is developed and agreed with the parent/guardian. The results and progress of this plan should be communicated, too.
The accident/incident is recorded in the First Aider’s Accident Book (or on our online Accident Report Form)
The Chief Executive is notified of the accident/incident on the next working day, or immediately in an emergency.
If hospital treatment is required and parents/guardians cannot be reached on the emergency contact number, or if they do not arrive before the ambulance, a Wild Things staff member will accompany the young person to the hospital and stay with them until a parent/guardian arrives
Staff, tutors and volunteers are reminded that emergency situations may include mental health emergencies, including threats of suicide, as well as physical injury. Mental health emergencies should be handled as described above in the same way as any other medical emergency.

Fire Safety

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 governs all matters of fire safety. Wild Things Performing Arts’ activities mainly take place at Denshaw Village Hall, The Cotton Rooms, UCO Studios, and Oldham Hulme Grammar School. These venues are managed by their respective owners, including inspections of fire safety equipment, producing a fire risk assessment and running fire drills. Fire alarms are tested on a weekly basis and fire drills are run on a regular basis

All Wild Things Performing Arts’ staff are given fire safety training as part of their induction, including location of fire exits, fire alarm points, evacuation procedures and assembly points.

In the case of a fire, the lead staff will ensure:

All staff and participants exit the building quickly and calmly through the nearest fire exit, assembling at the venue’s designated assembly point
Sessional registers are taken with the group to the assembly point
Any Fire doors that are propped for ventilation are closed
The alarm is raised if not already sounding, or the fire brigade is called

All staff have a duty to be aware of the fire and emergency procedures, to ensure that all escape routes and fire exits are kept clear, and to report any defective or damaged firefighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers.

Accident Reporting

Any accidents or incidents involving Wild Things Performing Arts staff, tutors, participants or volunteers should be recorded in the Accident Book (or on our online Accident Report Form) and reported to the Chief Executive.

Information in the Accident Book/Accident Report Form will include:

Date, Time and Place of the incident and outcome.
Name of injured or ill person
Details of the injury/illness and the action taken
What happened to the person immediately afterwards (e.g. went home, went back to session, went to the hospital)
Name and signature of the person writing the report

The Chief Executive will report incidents which fall within the requirements of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013 to the Health and Safety Executive. These incidents include major injuries, accidents resulting in staff being absent from work for more than 7 days, or members of the public going to hospital from the scene of the accident etc.

Review & Improvement

The Chief Executive and Directors should review all accidents or incidents to determine if service could be improved to decrease risk in the future. Actions may include:

Updating policies and procedures
Updating risk assessments
Increasing staff training
Disciplining staff in the event that the Health & Safety policy has been breached.