RISK ASSESSMENT
A Risk Assessment should always be carried out especially where the activity carries a greater risk factor than usual. A Risk Assessment may have already been carried out at the venue you use, for example by the organisation that owns the various buildings.
Leaders will have to use their own judgement to assess any likely risks:
- 1.--If you are handling money for your group, please see the Risk Assessment for Handling Money.
- 2.--For a venue we have a Venue Based Risk Assessment Checklist and a partially completed Partially Filled Venue Risk assessment This should be completed the first time a new venue is used or the first time an activity takes place and should be filed away and kept.
- 3.--If your meeting place is a member’s home, please complete a Home Based Risk Assessment before the activity takes place for the first time. It should be repeated if the activity moves to another member’s home or a member’s home changes in a significant way.
- 4.--For the walkers we have a Walks Leader Risk Assessment Check List and a Walks Ambling & Rambling Risk Assessment
We do not want our Group Leaders to become too worried by this. We can only manage risks; we cannot prevent them. If a reasonable Risk Assessment has been carried out, we are covered.
To get you started, we have provided Check Lists to remind you of the things you should consider and partially completed Risk Assessment forms. It is suggested you start with the Check List where provided and then complete the Risk Assessment.
We have also included advice from the Third Age trust in the form of Trust Risk Assessment FAQ\'s which may answer any questions you may ask.
It is intended that Group Leaders download and print off the relevant forms, add and complete them where necessary. On all these forms you can write on any additions you may think are necessary. If Group Leaders or members identify any other risks, they should write them down and assess them to mitigate the new risk to make it a LOW RISK.
If this is not possible the activity must be reconsidered or cancelled until the risk can be reduced to LOW.
When completed, we ask all Group Leaders to file them away. Please note that some of the forms provided are on more than ONE sheet.
If there was an incident the Insurance Company might ask if a Risk Assessment form was completed and want to see it. Complete an Incident Reporting Form if an incident has occurred.
Finally
- Please make sure group members are aware of any risks.
- Ensure that a plan of action has been thought out should an incident/accident occur.
- If you are arranging trips, transport must be hired from a reputable company.