ChurchSafety Logo and homepage linkPencil

ChurchSafety Home >> Information Contents >> Risk Assessment

Some examples of control measures

This page considers some examples of the control measures that can be employed to help reduce the risk.  These are simple examples of practical things that you can do.

Electricity - Appliances

Electrical appliances should be inspected periodically to ensure that they are safe to use, and sometimes a Portable Appliance Test can be useful to ensure that the equipment remains safe.

Electricity - Installation

The electrical wiring should be tested and inspected periodically by a competent person.  The duration between tests and inspections varies depending on the age of the installation, but systems are generally checked between every one and five years.

Chemicals

Although most chemicals in use in Churches and Places of Worship are not overly harmful compared to those used in industry, ensure that substances are used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and store them out of the reach of children, ideally locked away in a suitable cupboard.

Storage

Avoid storing heavy things too high up or low down - you should not have to stretch up or stoop down to get anything too heavy.  However, keep in mind that the shelves or storage in use must be able to withstand the weight of whatever is stored.

Lifting and Carrying - Tables and Chairs

Avoid lifting too many at a time - it is best to carry fewer chairs but take more trips.  Ask for others to help as this spreads the workload.

Stacked chairs

Stacks of chairs can be attractive to children, who may climb on them.  Stacks of chairs may also be unstable if they are too high.  Avoid stacking chairs in such a way that they cannot topple or be climbed on.

Slips - spillages

Clean up spillages as soon as they happen.  As the floor dries, consider using a stand-along 'A-Frame' sign to warn people of the slippery floor, such as the kind of sign often found in use in supermarkets.  Remove the sign as soon as the floor is dry as this can also be a trip hazard!

Trips - cables and leads

Try to route cables so that they will not be a hazard to people walking about.  If needed, use cable ramps or gaffer (duct) tape to secure the cable along its length where the trip hazard exists.

Kitchen knives and other equipment

Children should often not be encouraged into a kitchen space unless supervised, so a lock could be fitted to the door to limit access.

Towers and other spaces

If it is intended that people should not access somewhere like a tower or room, rather than just sticking a 'Private' or 'No Entry' sign up, it may be better to lock the door.

Lawnmowers and other tools

Equipment needs to be maintained in good working order and used only by those people that know how to use it properly.

Ladders

Ladders can be used for short-duration tasks but need to be in safe working order.  Ladders should be inspected regularly for damage, and ideally kept somewhere that will mean the ladder only gets used by authorised people.

Broken glass and ceramics

Breakages sometimes happen, and the broken glass or ceramics, along with shards, can carefully wrapped up and disposed of so that the risk of anyone getting a cut is minimised.  Gloves could provide some protection for the person cleaning up.

Rubbish and waste storage

Avoid storing rubbish closer than six metres to a building.  While this is also a fire risk, food waste could attract vermin.  Rat's urine can contain a pathogen that can cause a flu-like illness (Weil's Disease).

Candles

Candles can drip hot wax, so position them in such as way as to ensure that the wax will not drip onto people.  It may be needed to use 'drip catchers' to prevent drops of wax dropping onto people's heads if candles are above where they are sat or walk.

This page has included a taster of some of the possible control measures that are featured on this Website.  The above has not included fire-related issues as these are often considered separately as part of a Fire Risk Assessment.

Back to Controls

Back to Risk Assessment

[Home Page] [About Us] [Site Map & Search] [FAQ]