Sports activities are enjoyed by people everyday without a problem. So don’t get too tied up in red tape.
For many clubs, all that is required is to follow a basic series of steps.
Think about:
- The risks – a risk is the chance, high or low, of somebody being harmed by a hazard, and how serious the harm could be
- How accidents could happen and who might be harmed
- What you will need to do to control the risks and ask if there is anything you should do to make your club activities safer
- Financial, legal, event management and club reputation risks as well as health and safety
Common issues to look at and consider may include the condition of sports equipment & playing surfaces plus safe use and access to premises such as a clubhouse or changing rooms.
You can rate each risk on a scale of 1-3, 3 being the highest impact. You can also rate risks in terms of how likely they are to happen.
Clubs do need to monitor the risks and assess if anything changes over time that increases the risk factors.
You’ll need to focus on the risks that could cause real harm. If there is a genuine risk, see what you can do to minimise that risk and still go ahead – it can often be done.
And encourage everybody in the club to report issues and potential risks immediately to a club official.
