Policy

HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY

CBK PROJECTS HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY

1. OUR COMMITMENT TO HEALTH & SAFETY

CBK Projects is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all children, young people, staff, volunteers, and visitors involved in our activities. We recognise that working with children and young people carries specific responsibilities and we take every reasonable step to prevent accidents, injury, and harm.

This policy is made in accordance with:

•       The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

•       The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

•       The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)

•       The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992

•       The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)

•       The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981

•       The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

This policy should be read alongside our Safeguarding Policy

2. Responsibilities

2.1 The Organisation / Senior Leadership

CBK Projects will:

•       Ensure adequate resources are allocated to health and safety

•       Appoint a competent person to assist with H&S compliance

•       Ensure this policy is reviewed at least annually

•       Ensure all relevant risk assessments are completed and acted upon

•       Ensure adequate insurance is in place for all activities

2.2 Named Health & Safety Lead

The Health & Safety Lead is Brendan Kiernan, contactable at info@cbkprojects.com. They are responsible for:

•       Day-to-day management of health and safety matters

•       Coordinating and reviewing risk assessments

•       Ensuring H&S induction and training is completed

•       Investigating accidents and near misses

•       Maintaining H&S records, including accident logs and inspection reports

•       Liaising with the HSE or relevant enforcement body where required

2.3 All Staff and Volunteers

Every person working with young people must:

•       Follow this policy and all associated risk assessments and procedures

•       Take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others

•       Report all hazards, accidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions to the H&S Lead

•       Not misuse or interfere with anything provided for health and safety purposes

•       Attend all required H&S training

•       Ensure they are fit to carry out their role and inform their manager if not

3. Risk Assessment

A written risk assessment must be carried out before any activity takes place. Risk assessments must:

•       Identify foreseeable hazards relevant to the activity and the age group involved

•       Assess the likelihood and potential severity of harm

•       Specify control measures to reduce risk to an acceptable level

•       Name the person responsible for implementing each control measure

•       Be reviewed following any incident, near miss, or significant change to the activity

Specific risk considerations when working with children and young people include:

•       Age, maturity, and developmental stage of participants

•       Any known medical conditions, disabilities, or additional needs

•       Group size and required supervision ratios

•       Environmental hazards (indoor/outdoor, terrain, weather)

•       Transportation and off-site arrangements

•       Equipment suitability and condition

4. Supervision Ratios

Adequate adult supervision must be maintained at all times. The minimum ratios below must be met; activity-specific risk assessments may require higher ratios.

Minimum Adult-to-Child Ratio

Under 5 years - 1:3

5–7 years - 1:5

8–12 years - 1:8

13–17 years - 1:10

At least one member of staff present must hold a current, relevant first aid certificate. Supervision ratios must never be compromised due to staff absence — activities should be reduced in scale or postponed if minimum ratios cannot be met.

5. Premises, Facilities & Equipment

5.1 Premises

Before any session or activity, the person in charge must carry out a pre-activity safety check of the premises, including:

•       Ensuring all emergency exits are clear, unlocked, and accessible

•       Checking for obvious hazards (wet floors, damaged furniture, unsecured equipment)

•       Confirming heating, lighting, and ventilation are adequate

•       Ensuring toilet and welfare facilities are accessible and in working order

•       Checking fire alarm and extinguisher status

5.2 Equipment

All equipment used in activities with young people must be:

•       Age-appropriate and fit for purpose

•       Inspected before use and removed from service if defective

•       Maintained and tested in line with manufacturer guidance

•       Stored safely and securely when not in use

Faulty equipment must be reported immediately to Brendan Kiernan and clearly labelled 'Do Not Use' until repaired or replaced.

Kits are checked and restocked by Brendan Kiernan on a termly basis.

Prior to any activity with children, staff must:

•       Confirm at least one trained first aider is present

•       Be aware of any children with known medical conditions or allergies

•       Know the location of the nearest first aid kit and AED (if applicable)

•       Know the procedure for calling emergency services

All first aid treatments must be recorded in the accident/incident log. Parents or carers must be informed of any first aid treatment given to a child on the same day.

6. Fire Safety & Emergency Evacuation

During any session with children, the person in charge must know the total number of children present and account for all children at the assembly point located in the school, venue, arena where sessions are taking place.

7. Off-Site & Outdoor Activities

All off-site activities must be subject to a specific risk assessment before they take place. In addition:

•       Written parental/carer consent must be obtained in advance

•       Emergency contact details must be taken off-site

•       A mobile phone must be carried by the lead member of staff

•       The route, activity, and return time must be notified to a named person remaining on-site

•       Supervision ratios must be maintained or increased as required by the risk assessment

8. Lone Working

Where staff or volunteers are required to work alone or in a remote location, a lone working risk assessment must be completed. Lone working arrangements with children must also comply with CBK Project's Safeguarding Policy.

9. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually, or following any significant incident, change in legislation, or change to the organisation's activities. The next scheduled review date is 23/02/2027. The policy owner is responsible for initiating the review and ensuring it is approved by founder.