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While many of those that attend a Church or Place of Worship do not require much instruction or training in Health and Safety matters, members of staff and volunteers should receive information about how safety affects their work. The exact requirements for the training that people receive depends on the work the person is doing.
Safety Management Courses
It is important that whoever is responsible for managing Health and Safety in any Church or Place of Worship has a suitable degree of competency. Competency is a measure of the training and experience or knowledge and other qualities needed to perform a task.
There are many courses available in general Health and Safety, starting off with a basic safety management qualification. Most colleges and further education institutions provide short courses in Risk Assessment, Fire Safety and other key areas. Short courses like this are ideal for those who provide management of safety within most Places of Worship.
More advanced courses, such as the NEBOSH General Certificate, would be advisable for larger Churches or Places of Worship and for diocese and denominational office safety managers. Failing this, the use of a consultant is strongly recommended.
Short courses are available for staff and volunteers in safety at work. These are also available from many further education colleges and also through interactive, computer based training packages.
Information and instruction
People need to be informed about Health and Safety issues in your Church or Place of Worship. It is necessary to display a Health and Safety Law poster and a policy statement must be available.
Signs are used to highlight any significant hazard (such as hot water taps), warn of anything that is prohibited (such as no smoking) or give information about safety precautions (such as a first aid kit). These are covered in our Safety Signs page.
Some people might need additional instruction on certain activities they perform. This might be, for example, showing someone how to use Personal Protective Equipment when using a lawnmower or telling someone about the safe use of cleaning chemicals. This need not take many minutes.
Where equipment is supplied with manuals and instructions, it is recommended that these be read by those using the equipment. Where possible, the person should sign the form to show that they have read and understood the instructions.
Training methods
The main group of people that need some kind of training are those who take charge of a group, for example a choir or coffee morning. These people should receive basic training about your Health and Safety Policy and fire procedure. An informal talk is usually adequate.
Where large groups of people congregate, you should have a number of trained stewards. These should have adequate first aid qualifications and they need to be told about the emergency evacuation procedure of the building as these people would guide others out of the premises.
Fire drills are a good way to make sure people know what to do if there is a fire and also they can be used to make sure that the fire procedure is correct. This level of training is ideal for those who regularly use the building. It useful to make sure that people know that there will be a fire drill in the next week or two so that they can prepare themselves and so they don't panic when the alarm actually sounds.
Training videos and interactive software can be useful, and cover a number of topics from fire safety through to manual handling (lifting and carrying). Training courses are also available through most further education colleges and can include fire extinguisher training, first aid and Portable Appliance Testing for electrical appliances.
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