Health & Safety - Example Assessment

http://www.oxfordcroquet.com/health/risk.asp

Dr Ian Plummer

Health & Safety

Example Health & Safety Assessment

This is given as an example in good faith - you should confirm details.

7th October 2001

Contents:

1 HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY
2 HAZARDS
3 RISK ASSESSMENT
4 WELFARE
5 SMOKING
6 SAFETY SIGNS
7 FIRE & FIRE PRECAUTIONS

8 ACCIDENTS & FIRST AID
9 ELECTRICITY
10 COSHH
11 LADDER SAFETY
12 STORAGE
13 RECORDS
14 SUMMARY

1 - HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY

The {xxx} Croquet Club takes Health and Safety seriously and we detail our considerations below.

The Croquet Club aims -

To provide and maintain safe and healthy conditions, with the legal requirements defining the minimum
To provide training and instruction to enable members to use the facilities safely and efficiently.
To make available, as necessary, safety devices and protective equipment and to supervise their use.
To maintain a constant and continuing interest in Health and Safety matters including Accident Prevention and Safe Working Practices.
To impress a Duty of Care on all members.

2 - HAZARDS

The keeping of the greens is done by the {xxx} Staff who have their own Health and Safety criteria.

The following are identified as possible hazards which concern the Croquet Club directly.

CHEMICALS:	pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, cleaning fluids, wood preservatives.
DISEASE:	tetanus, dermatitis, Weil's disease, toxocara (infection from faeces).
PLANTS:	allergies from handling plants, allergies from sap, spines and thorns.
FALLS:	maintenance work - from ladders.
IMPACT:	tree debris, misdirected croquet balls, misdirected croquet mallets, heavy hand tools.
MANUAL HANDLING:	lifting, carrying heavy weights, loading, use of wheelbarrow.
FIRE:	paint, solvents
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION:	exposure to strong sunlight

We do not have hazards of the following type: ELECTRICITY

3 - RISK ASSESSMENT

The categories above are amplified in the table below

Task	Hazard	Hazard Type	People Affected	Risk	Worst Case	Present Control	Risk Evaluation
Use of Lawns	Chemical	Herbicides.	Players, Public	Possible	Fatal	Signs erected after spraying	Managed by Parks staff
Use of Lawns	Disease	Puncture wounds, ingestion, contact.	Players, Public	Possible	Fatal	None	Outside the Club's control
Use of Lawns	Plants	Allergies from handling plants, allergies from sap, spines and thorns.	Players, Public	Possible	Injury	None. Recommend reassessment of plants surrounding lawns	Unacceptable
Use of Lawns	Plants	Wounds from spines and thorns.	Players, Public	Probable	Minimum Injury	Ball-stop boarding is around major flower boarders. Recommend reassessment of plants surrounding lawns	Acceptable
Hut Maintenance	Falls	Maintenance work from ladders.	Members	Possible	Fatal	Provision of wide base step ladder	Acceptable
Use of Lawn	Impact	Tree debris.	Players, Public	Probable	Fatal	Dead wood clearance of trees overhanging courts	Acceptable
Use of Lawn	Impact	Misdirected croquet balls, misdirected croquet mallets.	Players, Public	Possible	Injury	Safety instruction during coaching	Acceptable
Setting Out Lawns	Impact	Heavy hand tools (sledge hammer)	Members	Possible	Injury	Supervision and instruction	Acceptable
Use of Lawns	Impact	Damage to eyes by low branches.	Players, Public	Possible	Injury	None. Recommend pruning of trees overhanging courts	Unacceptable
Setting Out Lawns	Manual Handling	Lifting, carrying heavy weights, loading, use of wheelbarrow.	Members	Possible	Injury	Supervision and instruction	Acceptable
Maintenance	Fire	Paint, solvents.	Members	Possible	Fatal	Small quantities and dual exits. Smoking forbidden in hut	Acceptable
Use of Lawns	UV Radiation	Short and long term damage to the skin. Melanoma.	Members	Probably	Fatal	Free sunscreen is available in the Club hut	Acceptable

An 'unacceptable' risk evaluation indicates the risk can be reduced.

TRAINING. Members are instructed in the use of equipment. Members involved in maintenance are supervised by the Senior Member.

PPE (personal protective equipment). Gloves and eye protection are available for maintenance use. A first aid kit with free access is maintained in the Club hut. Sun cream is provided by the Club

4 - WELFARE

Welfare leglisation does not appear to apply directly to the Croquet Club, however:

We provide a well-ventilated Club hut which lacks any temperature control. As it is used in the summer this is not a significant issue.
Natural lighting is used within the hut.
Simple waste bins are used for all disposal and are removed by the Parks staff on request.
The hut is kept tidy by members of the Committee.
Access to the hut has recently been paved to improve the safety of traffic routes in the wet.
Heavy objects are stored at ground level.
Shelving is provided for storage.
Sanitary conveniences and washing facilities are located 200m from the hut and are maintained by the Parks.
Drinking water is available from an adjacent stopcock and drinking vessels are available in the hut.
Hooks are provided for members' personal clothing whilst playing.
Duplicate sets of PPE are available for kit which is likely to be wet or contaminated.
Eating is possible in the hut, which is not contaminated by pesticides, chemicals or smoke.
Smoking is prohibited in the hut.
The Club provides sun cream.

5 - SMOKING

Smoking is actively discouraged in the Club. It is forbidden in the hut and members are informed about the general disgusting nature of the habit and warned of ingestion of pesticides, fertilizers, etc. because of smoking.

6 - SAFETY SIGNS

The grounds staff erect spraying and chemical safety signs after spraying. The hut contains one non-regulation no smoking sign. The exits to the hut are not signed; it is however such a small construct that they would be superfluous.

Recommend: that regulation 'No Smoking signs' are supplied to the Club.
Recommend: that Club produces a safety poster

7 - FIRE & FIRE PRECAUTIONS

No fire signs or fire fighting equipment are in the Croquet Club hut. No large quantities of paint or solvents are stored. The nature of the hut construction and equipment (e.g. mainly wood) means that fire is a risk. Waste bins are emptied at regular intervals to reduce the amount of combustible material.

Recommend: information is sought on suitable precautions.

8 - ACCIDENTS & FIRST AID

The Club has a recommended first aid box.
There is a designated (junior) Safety Representative, who is qualified in first aid.
The nearest telephone is over 400m away. Notices in the Club hut indicate its location and relevent numbers.
The knowledge of members in first aid is unknown. We have one committee member qualified in first aid.
We do not maintain an accident record.

We identify the following possible accidents/medical emergencies:

Choking - whilst eating in Clubhouse
Simple Cuts & Scratches
Minor Burns & Scalds - hot water from thermos flasks
Serious Burns & Scalds - if major fire
Bites & Stings by Insects
Puncture Wound - standing on nail, using garden fork, etc.
Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke & Sunstroke
Abdominal Pain & Stomach Cramps
Broken teeth & Knocked out tooth - due to mallet impact
Muscle Cramps - older players
Bruises, Strains, Sprains
Broken Bones - falling off ladders, falling, falling tree debris
Heart attack - older croquet players during game.
Head, neck & back injuries - mallet impact, improper lifting technique
Severe Bleeding - cuts
Internal Poisoning - herbicides and insecticides
Object in Eye - including eye damage from overhanging trees
Shock
Convulsion & Seizures

Recommend: accident and first aid procedures must be reviewed

9 - ELECTRICITY

Electricity is unavailable and not used in the Croquet Club. The Club does not use electrical (or petrol-powered) machinery

10 - COSHH

Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health. The Croquet Club uses domestic products for its maintenance: paint and thinners, linseed oil and varnish. No additional COSHH assessments are made other than reading the advice on the products. Personal protective equipment is provided to avoid skin and eye contact.

Recommend: we discover whether this is deemed adequate in these circumstances.

11 - LADDER SAFETY

The Club uses a domestic aluminum step ladder for use within and outside the Hut. The ladder is designated Class 1, Industrial Duty, Rating 130Kg (BS-2037 1990) and is in good order. It does not display an obvious CE mark. Use of the ladder is nominally restricted to the Committee.

Recommend: check out whether ladder is satisfactory and indicate in safety policy that it must be used only by trained and approved users.

12 - STORAGE

Crockery and basic beverages (tea bags, sugar and coffee powder) are stored in a locked cupboard in the Club hut to which only Committee members have access. The cupboard prevents the ingress of dust and vermin.

13 - RECORDS

No records are currently kept for Health and Safety purposes.

Potential information to be recorded

accidents
use of first aid box
replenishment of first aid box
condition of ladder and safety check date
date and conclusions of safety audit

Recommend: Discover obligation to keep records

14 - SUMMARY

The Health and Safety aspects of the Croquet Club have been considered from which arise a number of recommendations. The assistance of the Area Safety Officer for Sport is welcomed in reviewing this document and advising further on Health and Safety issues.

The following areas have been identified as requiring further action

Category	Detail	Action
Reassessment of plants surrounding lawns	Many thorny plants surround the lawns, pampas grass is close and can inflict painful cuts. Certain conifers around the lawns raise rashes.	Ask Parks' Superintendent to reconsider planting around the area.
Large branches falling on lawns	Heavy boughs have crashed to the lawn during play in the past	Ask Parks' Superintendent to arrange periodic clearance of dead wood from trees overhanging courts.
Eye damage	Eye-level branches overhanging the courts	Ask Parks' Superintendent to arrange pruning of trees overhanging courts
Smoking	Lack of regulation no smoking signs.	'No Smoking signs' are supplied to the Club.
Safety Information	No safety information is available in the hut	Club produces a safety poster detailing safety considerations, regulations and location of telephones etc.
Fire	No fire precautions in place	Information must be sought on suitable precautions.
Accidents and First Aid	No accident or first aid procedures in place	Accident and first aid procedures must be reviewed
COSHH	Use of domestic DIY products. No assessments made	Need to determine whether this is deemed adequate in these circumstances
Ladder Safety	Ladder in use in hut	Need to check out whether ladder carries CE mark and Club needs to indicate in safety policy that ladders must be used only by trained and approved users.
Health and Safety Records	No records are kept	Discover obligation to keep records, e.g. accident book.

Dr. Ian Plummer, Senior Member

Author: Dr Ian Plummer

Updated 13.iii.07
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