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Risk Management Guide 2023

Following the Risk Assessment of the WBBL building the following control measures have been identified to manage everyday risks in the building.
When hiring space, it will be necessary for you to assess and manage any other risks arising from the activities you are delivering.
Fire  

  • If you discover a fire, raise the alarm and call the emergency services. 

  • Signage outlining procedure displayed around building 

  • Fire Exits Clearly marked with signage

  • The Fire alarms tested weekly 


Fire Evacuation procedure:

  • The Fire Exits are the front and rear door of the building

  • If the fire alarm sounds please instruct your participants to leave the space you are using, calmly and swiftly and direct them to the nearest fire exit. Do NOT use the lift!

  • Any building users with limited mobility should be escorted/ supported to the refuge points on the first and second floors. Ensure fire doors are firmly closed and await the arrival of emergency services.  

  • The fire assembly point is the car park of the Health Centre adjacent to the garden.

  • We would advise group facilitators to make these fire procedures clear to their participants prior to the sessions.
     

Community Building
The building is an open community building. Young/vulnerable people should be accompanied at all times when in communal areas of the building. At certain times the building will be unsupervised. Specific instructions will be given as to how to manage entry to and exit from the building when unsupervised.  

Trailing wires- slips trips and falls.
All appliances with wires should be positioned around outside of room where wires are not trailing. Tape must be used to secure wires to floor where trailing is unavoidable.
Parents to supervise children at all times.

Flasks and Urns - scalding
Briefing on safe use to be given to building users who will be using urns or flasks for their sessions. All children are to be accompanied by an adult and are their responsibility. Small children to be constantly supervised by their guardians and kept away from the tea points.

Occupancy:
At all times you must ensure that occupancy does not exceed the maximum occupancy given for your activity in the booked space. Table as below:
                                                        Usage/purpose        Max occupancy
Whole ground floor & garden    General assembly    180
Ground Floor Meeting tables    Seated activity          40
Ground floor total                        Not to exceed         180
1st Floor Activity Room              General assembly    59
1st floor communal                      General assembly    59
1st floor total                                Not to exceed          59
2nd floor kitchen                         Seated activity          15
2nd floor 1:1                                  Seated activity          4
2nd Floor Blue                             Seated activity          10
2nd floor grey                               Seated activity          4
2nd floor Green                           Office                         5
WBBL office                                Office                         5
2nd floor communal                   Seated activity          15
Second floor total                      not to exceed            59

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Lifting, moving and handling furniture, equipment or other items.
Use safe handling techniques when lifting, moving and carrying. Use TILE assessment before lifting and moving. (Task, individual, load, environment/ equipment)
Ensure there is adequate space to move safely.  Use trolley and lift where possible.  Be aware of your own capabilities/ limitations. Do not undertake tasks alone when more than one person is required. e.g.  Fixed tables should be moved by 2 people.   

Loose furnishings
Your room will be set up in advance of your session according to your booking request. Please contact us immediately if the room is not set up as required. Occasionally we will need to provide folding trestle tables. Please ensure tables are erected according to the given instructions.
Anydefective furniture to be labelled/ removed and reported to WBBL representative.

Use of lift.

  • The lift undergoes 3 monthly safety checks and 6 monthly LOLER inspection.

  • The lift must not be used by unsupervised children.

  • The lift must not be used by lone workers in building.

  • For lift emergencies (ie. breakdown) the Pickerings Lifts 01642702190 should be called via the phone line located in the lift. Emergencies can also be escalated to emergency services via 999.
     

Accidents or ‘near miss’ Incidents
Any accidents or near miss incidents should be reported to the Whitley Bay Big Local representative as soon as possible after taking place. If no representative is on site please email  david.carnaffan@whitleybaybiglocal.org.  The incident will be recorded in an accident book, stored in main office, and any compliance with RIDDOR requirements assessed and carried out.

COSSH- cleaning products.
Most cleaning materials will be stored in the kitchen and only used by designated volunteers/ session leaders/ contractors when appropriate. Some Anti-viral sprays and blue roll are accessible in all areas of the building to allow for frequent cleaning of high touch surfaces.  All session leaders are required to clean down all areas and surfaces used by their session participants before and after each session.
All session leaders are required to ensure that their groups participants do not use cleaning products inappropriately. (see covid 19 RA)

Access to building and locking up out of hours
On certain occasions, particularly in evenings and at weekends, the building will be unsupervised. On these occasions we will provide special instructions to ensure that you can access the building and leave it securely locked. Should these instructions fail for any reason then you should contact the Operations Manager on 07543508894

Use of the garden
Before using the garden please ensure that there are no hazards from litter/ fallen branches/ animal faeces. 

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