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All buildings need to be looked after, and Churches and other Places of Worship are no exception. Many of these buildings have Listed Building status, and great care is needed to prevent permanent damage to the building.
There are many different kinds of maintenance work that might need to be done in a Place of Worship. This may range from changing a plug through to major structural works. In any case, it is important that the works are correctly planned to prevent harm to people and the building.
It can sometimes be dangerous for work to be done by DIY - specialist skills and expertise are often needed. In some cases, there are legal restrictions that mean that you need to use qualified people. It can also be the case that the building is permanently damaged through well-meaning DIY efforts.
Mandatory Maintenance
There are a number of items that must be maintained for safety reasons. As a general rule, if it is supplied for safety reasons, it must be maintained in good working order. This might be by routine testing, preventative maintenance routines or inspections by a competent person. For more details, please refer to the Safety Maintenance page.
Safety and maintenance
There are many additional hazards that are posed when maintenance work is being done on any building. In some cases, the risks of people being harmed are considerably higher due to special equipment or substances that are in use.
It is essential that suitable Risk Assessments are done and controls put into place to limit the risks of harm to people, including members of the public. This should be done not only to make sure that people are not harmed during the work, but that they are also not affected by the changes after the works have finished.
A good way to limit the risks during the works is to select a good contractor or person to do the work. Some smaller maintenance tasks, like wiring a plug or changing a tap washer can be completed by someone who is 'competent'. Other works must be completed by a suitable contractor. This is the case for electrical wiring, gas installation work, work or any major works.
Contractors need to be suitable qualified and competent, and a good way to check this is to make sure that they are a member of a reputable trade organisation. For example, look for a CORGI registered gas installer or a NICEIC Electrician and check that this covers non-domestic premises.
With some kinds of work, you might need to meet certain regulations or specifications. A good example of this is when a fire alarm system is installed and detectors need to be put is suitable places. In these cases, the contractor you choose should be able to help, but other assistance can be found by contacting people like Environmental Health Officers, Building Control Officers and the Fire Brigade. Other people like architects and structural or building services engineers are also useful sources of advice.
Asbestos
A special hazard in many buildings is Asbestos. In the past, asbestos was used in many different areas of construction from fire protection through to insulation and general building materials. It can appear in many different places from boilers and heaters through to fire doors and very old fire blankets.
You need to identify if you have any asbestos in your Place of Worship, and then work out the risk of fibres being released to the air. You do not have to automatically remove the asbestos from the building if it can be sealed or encapsulated to reduce the risks. It is important not to disturb asbestos, and this is especially true if it has been sealed.
The danger with asbestos is from the dust. Dust can be released by drilling, sanding or disturbing asbestos and asbestos containing materials. You will also have to inform contractors if there is asbestos in the building. This is so that they know if there are any precautions that they need to take when they start working on the building.
If there is any doubt whatsoever if a material contains asbestos, it should be treated as if it does. Independent testing in a laboratory is useful, but is not always necessary.
Lead
Lead has been popular as a general building material, for water pipes and many other uses. Lead water pipes should be removed, especially if they supply water to taps, baptismal pools and suchlike, but down pipes are probably best left in place for architectural reasons. Heating systems might operate perfectly well using lead pipes, but these should be replaced if possible for modern alternatives such as steel or copper.
There has been some concern of late over the use of lead in organs. With new regulations being brought in, lead might not be used in new organ pipes. For general safety, especially for organs in use, there should be little, if any, risk to people. If organ pipes are known to contain lead, it would be wise to ensure that people cannot touch the lead, perhaps by using a cover or barrier (which can be removed when the instrument is being used).
Lead is also used for roofing and as 'flashing' to provide water resistance. In a similar way to organ pipes, there is no reason why this should cause concern especially if this is out of the reach of people. Maintenance staff, on the other hand, should be notified of the problem and protective measures taken, including gloves, barrier creams and ensuring that hands are washed after work and before breaks.
Ladders and steps
Ladders and steps are often used when buildings are being maintained. There are some important rules to follow when using ladders.
Before using any ladder or step ladder, carefully check over it for damage. Wooden ladders might be cracked or otherwise damaged or show signs of rotting or woodworm. Aluminium ladders might be badly warped or heavily tarnished. It is important that repairs must not be done on ladders, instead they should be discarded and a new one bought.
Ladders must be secured so that they do not slip. It might be possible to tie the top of the ladder or someone can hold the base. Brackets and other stabilising hardware are available which usually fix to the base of the ladder and these are highly recommended. Make sure that the angle of the ladder is correct: If the ladder is four metres high, the base should be out from the wall by one metre.
Step ladders must be used on level ground, and they need to be opened out fully (there is often a catch that needs to be locked in place). On many step ladders, the top platforms is not a step, but it is a shelf on which to put tools etc... If this is the case, do not stand on the top platform.
Note that people are at risk from falling objects when ladders are in use. Take care so that members of the public and others nearby cannot be harmed by accidentally falling objects and never throw things from the top of a ladder. When working on a ladder or steps, do not overreach because you could fall.
Permit to work systems
A Permit to Work is a formal go-ahead that is given to a contractor. They are useful for controlling major works, work on electrical or gas installations, work that could cause a fire (or false fire alarms) and work that is in certain parts of the building (for example, in confined spaces or high areas).
The permit would outline the basic tasks that need to be done, along with the date when the contractor may start the work. There is also a date when the permit would finish, and this would be after the works have been completed.
Part of the Permit to Work is a Risk Assessment. With this Risk Assessment, controls and rules can be put into place that the contractor must follow. This makes this document so important when trying to reduce the risks when maintenance work is undertaken in many buildings, and it can help you control Health and Safety in your Place of Worship.
You need to keep copies of the permit signed by the contractor, and these should be filed safety. The contractor also needs to keep a copy of the permit. If you are part of a larger organisation, you might need to send a copy to a property manager or Health and Safety officer.
Spare parts
You should keep a stock of spare parts somewhere safe. All these items can be used for simply maintenance tasks by anyone who is able to do them safely. A typical list of parts would include:
- Fire alarm glasses, which are available from your fire alarm installer
- Emergency torch bulbs and batteries
- Smoke alarm batteries (where required)
- Fuses, fuse wire and lamps / light bulbs
- 13A mains plugs and a selection of fuses
- Gaffer (duct) tape and insulating tape
- Hazard warning barrier tape (non-adhesive)
- Some basic tools (screwdriver, pliers and so on) and some screws
This kit would be used firstly to make a temporary repair or perhaps replace a fuse when it is blown. Sometimes, you might need to make something safe, for example taping over a damaged mains socket or cordoning off a damaged manhole cover. Lamps in emergency torches need replacement from time-to-time and a stock of spares is needed.
Other tools, keys and equipment might be needed, and this depends on your building.
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