Health and Safety policy

Introduction

Petersfield Community Radio Ltd (PCR) has a duty of care towards its volunteers, together with anyone that we come into contact with.

Everyone has a part to play in this and should take this responsibility seriously. It’s in all our interests to ensure that our activities are safe or as low in risk as possible.

Policy statement

Prepared under guidance in the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974

Our statement of general policy is that PCR will:
 

• Identify and manage health and safety risks arising from its activities as they affect those involved with or coming into contact with those activities
• Consult with its management, advisers and volunteers on matters affecting health and safety
• Ensure that equipment provided for the use of volunteers is safe and properly maintained
• Provide information and instruction for volunteers to enable them carry out their activities in a safe and competent manner
• Operate a safeguarding policy to protect children and vulnerable adults
• Regularly review this policy and amend and update it as necessary

Health and Safety responsibilities

Overall and final responsibility for health and safety rests with the Board of Directors.

Lucy Davies, Health and Safety Lead volunteer, acts on behalf of the Directors to:

• Address the implementation, operation, maintenance and review of this policy
• Record, investigate and report on any incidents or accidents
• Work with fellow volunteers to create, maintain and regularly review a range of risk assessments covering a variety of scenarios: these are available on this website for you to study.

Your responsibilities as a volunteer

• Make yourself familiar with this policy statement and read, understand and follow guidance contained in any risk assessments relevant to your activities
• Look out for your own personal safety, together with that of your fellow volunteers and others
• Do not interfere with anything provided to safeguard your health and safety
• Follow any safety instructions posted in buildings that you visit, together with any verbal instructions from your hosts or other building managers
• Report any health and safety concerns to an appropriate person, usually the Health and Safety Lead
• Remember that you may encounter risks not covered in our risk assessments. If you do, then take sensible measures to reduce or avoid those risks at the time and afterwards tell the Health & Safety Lead about them
• If at any time you feel that the risk to you or to others is, or is about to become, unacceptable then do something about it immediately

Risk assessments

Complete a risk assessment before conducting any exercise which may present a risk to you or the people around you. The model risk assessments are here to help you think about possible risks associated with common project tasks.

Once you have made a risk assessment, send the form to the Health and Safety lead who will agree any action required to remove, or mitigate risks.

Fire and evacuation

When working within any premises, it is the responsibility of volunteers to:

• Complete a risk assessment
• Check escape routes
• Check that fire extinguishers are maintained and that alarms are tested (they should have a dated sticker on them)
• Understand the alarm system and emergency evacuation procedures

Operating within our partner schools

When operating on school premises, we adopt the emergency evacuation procedures followed by school site staff according to school policies.

Where an activity is taking place within the premises of the local educational partners or a third party organisation, in addition to the health and safety requirements set out above, the Health and Safety policies and Emergency Procedures of the relevant establishment must be followed.

What happens when something goes wrong?

This depends on how minor or serious it is, and only you can judge what to do at that moment.

It may range from merely terminating an interview to leaving a location and/or dialling 999. Take appropriate action but never risk your own safety, especially not to retrieve personal belongings or equipment.

Whenever an incident occurs, you must advise the Health and Safety Lead. They will log and promptly investigate any incidents or accidents arising during the course of volunteer activities, in consultation with the individuals involved. Anything learned from the incident will be reflected in policy and risk assessment updates as necessary.

Policy updated 7 September 2020