UCLU CLUB AND SOCIETY HEALTH AND SAFETY PACK

Revised June 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Accident reporting

Trips Abroad - Insurance

Personal Insurance Cover

Making an Insurance Claim

Near Miss Occurrence Reporting

Instructors, coaches and tutors

Activity registration

Health and Safety, good practice and managing risk

Notes about this section

Statement of Good Practice

Scope of Authority

Club/Society Administration

Risk Assessment

Training Courses

Activity Registration

Activity Organisers

Transport Requirements

General

Private Vehicles and Private Vehicle Registration9

Hired Self-Drive Vehicles

Contract Vehicles

Trailers

Overseas Travel

Accident and Emergency Procedure

Declaration

Accident reporting

In spite of all reasonable precautions accidents can still occur during club and society activities and you could never foresee every possible scenario or control every possible risk. However, the College, the Union, you and your members need to know that everything is being done to minimise risks and that there will be an appropriate response if anything does go wrong.

The Activity Leader should submit an Accident/Incident Report to CSC Reception within 24 hours of any incident, or as soon as practicably possible.

The following procedures are designed to:

  • provide fast and safe help to all concerned
  • to supply the Union with the specific information it needs
  • to protect everyone involved from any media involvement.

In the event of an incident on College or Union property the Activity Leader should immediately contact a member of staff, who will be conversant with the relative incident procedure and the availability of First Aiders.

In the event of an incident at another College, University or sports facility, the Activity Leader should follow instructions from an official representative of that establishment.

In the event of an incident that may warrant the use of any of the emergency services the Activity Leader will ensure that:

  • the appropriate emergency service is contacted immediately.
  • any intervention/assistance does not jeopardise the safety of other members of the group including themselves.
  • the treatment of casualties is only administered by those who are qualified to do so, except in cases where the casualty has already stopped breathing.
  • UCL Communications Centre (020-7679-3333) is contacted and advised of the situation if there is loss of life or life threatening injuries.
  • media enquiries are referred to the UCL Corporate Communications Officeand the UCLU Democracy and Communications Officer, and that no statements are made to the media, as unofficial statements may affect any subsequent legal proceedings and may lead to relatives being contacted by the media.
  • in the event of death, the police are contacted, and ensure that no member of the group advises the next of kin of the fatality.

Trips Abroad - Insurance

If you are organising a trip outside the UK mainland you must obtain additional insurance cover in respect of any Union equipment taken on the trip. This can be organised by making an appointment with the Activities & Skills Manager via CSC Reception.

You are also strongly advised to make independent arrangements for insurance to cover medical expenses, repatriation, cancellation costs, personal liability cover and personal possessions, as none of these are covered by the Union’s insurance.

Personal Insurance Cover

Personal accident cover for all UCL registered student club/society members is arranged by the Union as part of the membership process. Cover only applies to club/society members who are registered UCL students.

The policy provides financial compensation in event of death, permanent disablement, or temporary total disablement, whilst engaged in club/society activity, or whilst travelling to/from recognised club/society activity. Details on the scale of benefits are available from the Activities & Skills Manager.

Club/Society members who are not registered UCL students (Visiting/Associate Members) are strongly encouraged to make appropriate personal accident insurance arrangements. You should inform your members of this.

Members are also reminded to take out their own personal travel insurance when travelling abroad, as certain exclusions apply to the Union’s cover in this respect.

Making an Insurance Claim

All insurance claims must be initially reported by the submission of an Accident / Incident Report. The president of the club or society will be emailed (or given via their club pigeon hole) the appropriate claim form within 3 working days of handing in the report if requesting an insurance claim. The claim form should be completed as fully as possible and returned to the Activities & Skills Manager with any relevant quotes, letters or receipts as soon as possible.

Near Miss Occurrence Reporting

The reporting of all “Near Miss” occurrences is vital for the future safety of all individuals, as such information helps others to plan and prepare in order to avoid possible dangers. If the Union is not informed of potential hazards or problems, it is not able to take steps to minimise the risk.

Completed Accident/Incident Reports should be submitted to CSC Reception within 24 hours of the incident, or as soon as practicably possible.

Instructors, coaches and tutors

If your club wishes to engage the services of any coach, teacher or instructor for any activity you must register them with UCL Union before they take any sessions. This is to ensure a level of competency, so your membership are receiving the required level of service and most importantly that they are insured to the necessary level. Getting the right coach is an important decision, and one in which you may need help - for information on the exact process to follow in hiring a coach or instructor, please refer to the Coach/Instructor Packas early as possible. If a volunteer coach or instructor is to be used all participants must be in agreement to undertake instruction from the named person.

Coaches, teachers and instructors of physical activity, must submit copies of their qualifications and details of their insurance. Coaches/Instructors who are paid for their time can only be paid as a self-employed person; full details can be found in the Coach/Instructor Pack.

Please note: your coach, instructor or teacher should invoice the club for payment of the services they have provided. Pay cannot be backdated prior to receipt of the relevant paperwork

No Coach/Instructor may take a session or be paid until these conditions have been fulfilled.

Activity registration

Activity registration is essential to provide a detailed understanding of club/society activities, which means the Union is in a better position to assess the inherent risk in those activities. Registering activity means that you:

  • Minimise risk to participants
  • Ensure your activity is properly planned
  • Ensure participants are aware of what is involved in the activity and the degree of difficulty
  • Ensure that in the event of an accident activity leaders know what to do and the Union has accurate information about who is on the trip

Your regular activity is recorded annually in your Annual Risk Assessment. This information is used to risk assess your club or society activity and assign it an Activity Category. You will be issued with a set of guidelines to follow based on the information submitted to us.

Any activity not included in your Annual Risk Assessment must be registered separately by completing an Additional Activity Registration Form. Activity Registration forms ensure that all appropriate information has been made available to participants, which will benefit everyone involved in the event of an incident. Completed forms must be submitted in advance of the activity as follows:

Type of activity / Submit to the CSC
Involving overnight stays / at least 2 weeks in advance
Outside the UK / at least 8 weeks in advance

If you intend to stay overnight away from the main UCL campus you will also need to complete an Overnight Stay form(part of the additional activity form ) with full details of all participants.

The Union accepts no liability for cancelled activity resulting from the late submission of forms, and reserves the right to cancel activity that is not registered within the above guidelines.

The CSC Reception should be notified of any amendments no less than 24 hours prior to departure. You should take all reasonable steps to notify CSC Reception of any changes made after departure. The Activity Organiser should retain a copy of all information submitted in case of emergency.

Health and Safety, good practice and managing risk

Although the Union accepts that there is a vast depth of knowledge within Clubs and Societies it is nonetheless essential that all Club/Society activity is undertaken within strict guidelines in order to ensure the safety of participating members. It is hoped that these guidelines will ensure high standards of operation in all areas of Club/Society operation, and that activity will not be curtailed.

These Good Practice guidelines have been produced for each Club/Society to ensure that recognised good practice is followed, and that leaders are aware of their "Duty of Care" (Refer to Appendix 1). Certain Clubs and Societies will additionally be required to observe the minimum requirements of the appropriate National Governing Body.

All Clubs/Societies wishing to remain operational are required to lodge a signed declaration with the Union for approval on an annual basis.

Notes about this section

1.Addenda are issued along with the standard Good Practice Guidelines to reflect the health and safety requirements of each club/society.

2.It is highly recommended that the Clubs/Societies append these guidelines with those of the relevant National Governing Body (NGB).

3.All Clubs/Societies are required to have confirmed their acceptance of the Good Practice Guidelines prior to any activity; any subsequent amendment to the Good Practice guidelines must be approved by the Union.

4.All Club/Society members are required to follow the Good Practice Guidelines for the Club/Society. Failure to comply with the approved guidelines will result in Union support being withdrawn from the Club/Society. This may include disaffiliating the Club/Society from the Union, freezing the Club/Society funds, preventing the use of Club/Society equipment and removing Club/Society notice boards. Clubs/Societies will also operate a disciplinary procedure for members who fail to comply with Club/Society guidelines.

5.Assistance with the development of additional guidelines, in accordance with NGB recommendations, is available from the CSC.

Statement of Good Practice

Clubs and Societies must be totally committed to the safety of their members. Your club and society will sign a declaration to show it considers it good practice to operate in accordance with the following guidelines.

Scope of Authority

All Club/Society activity is bound by the conditions of the Club/Society Constitution, and these Club & Society Good Practice Guidelines. Club/Society activity is defined as involving one or more of the following:

  • Activity publicised at a Club/Society meeting.
  • Activity in any way publicised by the Club/Society as Club/Society activity.
  • Activity funded in part or in whole by the Union.
  • Activity requiring the use of equipment owned by the Club/Society/Union.
  • Activity where group transport is booked through the Union.

The Club/Society President will ensure that all Club/Society members and those involved in coaching are familiar with these guidelines. Personal activities which do not require Union support will also follow the spirit of the guidelines.

Club/Society Administration

The Club/Society recognises the safety of participants is dependent upon the effectiveness of the administration as implemented by the committee. The guidelines are designed to ensure that the administrative standards of the Club/Society are appropriate.

The Club/Society recognises that Union support of the Club's/Society's activity is contingent upon the Club/Society operating within the Union Constitution and the Club/Society Regulations, of which these Good Practice Guidelines are an integral part.

Risk Assessment

The Club/Society will undertake self-assessment of risk, as required by the Union to:

  • Identify Hazards, i.e.the potential to cause harm
  • Assess the Risk, i.e. the likelihood or possibility that people will come to harm
  • Decide upon risk control measures, i.e. the stringency of the measures proportionate to the risk identified
  • Supervise implementation, i.e. check that control measures are being carried out
  • Implement control measures i.e. reduce and if possible eliminate the risk to participants.

Completed Annual Risk Assessment Forms (which are part of the Annual Risk Assessment) must be returned to the Activities & Skills Manager no later than the last day of the summer term prior to the academic year in which the activity takes place.

Any activity not included in the Annual Risk Assessment must be registered and risk assessed by the completion of anAdditional Activity Registration Form.

Training Courses

The Club/Society will ensure that relevant officers, as determined by the Union, attend training as required by the Union e.g. Leadership Training, Activity Leader Training and First Aid Training.

The Club/Society will endeavour to anticipate changes in membership and to select appropriate individuals for training, to ensure that the Club/Society benefits from their experience in the following academic year.

The Club/Society will ensure that those members put forward for training are worthy candidates, and will benefit the Club/Society for the full Academic Year.

The Club/Society committee will actively encourage members to seek further training at every opportunity. The President of the Club/Society will liaise with the appropriate NGB and the Union to ensure that training is available for members.

Activity Registration

The Club/Society will ensure that the Union is informed of all activities being undertaken by the Club/Society, and of the location at which those activities take place. This will benefit everyone involved in the event of an incident. The Club/Society will provide full details of all activity in accordance with the requirements outlined in the Activity Registration Form.

Members of activity category 6 & 7 clubs (categories confirmed at the start of each year) and societies (e.g. Mountaineering, Boat Club) are required to have lodged a completed Personal Details Form with the CSC, as a condition of membership.

All club/society activity should be registered with the Union by submitting an Activity Registration Form to the CSC. This includes activity which meets the following criteria:

  • Activity not included in the Annual Risk Assessment which forms part of the Annual Registration Pack.
  • Activity away from the main campus involving an overnight stay.
  • Club/Society activity in activity categories 6 & 7.

The Club/Society President should maintain written records of all activity participants.

Activity which is not approved by the Activities & Skills Manager or the General Manager will not take place. Completed Activity Registration forms must be submitted in advance of the activity as follows:

Type of activity / Submit to CSC
Involving overnight stays / at least 2 weeks in advance
outside the United Kingdom / at least 8 weeks in advance

The Activities & Skills Manager should be notified of any amendments to the information submitted on the Activity Registration Form no less than 24 hours prior to departure. The Club/Society will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the Activities & Skills Manager is notified of any changes made after departure.

The Union accepts no liability for cancelled trips resulting from the late submission of Activity Registration Forms, and reserves the right to cancel activity that is not registered within the above guidelines.

The Activity Organiser and Activity Leaders will retain a copy of all the information submitted to the Activities & Skills Manager, which will be kept easily accessible in case of emergency.

Activity Organisers

The President of the Club/Society will appoint an Activity Organiser (this may be the President him/herself) for all activity; this will ensure that members have a reference point when seeking information on activity.

The President will be responsible for the overall planning of the Club/Society activity; although s/he may delegate tasks to an Activity Organiser, it is her/his responsibility to ensure that all requirements are fulfilled, in order that the activity can run safely, efficiently, and successfully.

Particular responsibilities are as follows:

  • Completing the Activity Registration Forms within the stated deadlines.
  • Following the completion of Joining Fortnight ensuring that only fully paid-up members of the club/society take part in club/society activity.
  • Ensuring that all aspects of planning have been addressed including: Activity Leaders, First Aiders, transport, drivers, equipment, itinerary, accommodation (where necessary) and emergency procedures.
  • Providing the Club/Society Committee with comprehensive details of the proposed activity, in order that they can fulfil their responsibilities.
  • Working in conjunction with the Activity Leaders and the Club/Society President to provide all participants with sufficient information to ensure that they understand the nature of the trip, and their personal responsibilities and requirements, particularly the participants’ duty to inform the Activity Leaders of any relevant medical conditions.
  • Ensuring that all participants are issued with a copy of the relevant pages of the Activity Registration Form at least three days in advance of the activity.
  • Liaising with UCL staff in safety, room booking and estates departments for on campus events. Ensuring an event plan is in place and adequate stewarding is in effect (1 steward per 100 people minimum).
  • Ensuring where possible that all participants respect the Club & Society Good Practice Guidelines, and that neither the Club/Society, Union nor UCL is brought into disrepute.
  • Filing an Accident/Incident Report with CSC Reception within 24hrs of the completion of the activity.

Transport Requirements