Heath and Safety file and fire Marshal file

[torch1972]

Its a boring story (I will not going into the why or how here) but my theatre has lost both its Heath and Safety file and Fire Marshal file. I have been to asked to create new files. I have a list of contents for both files, what I want from the Blue Room is a fresh pair of eyes to please check I have not miss anything from the list. I know each theatre is different but there are still the main elements which should be in these files.

 

Health and Safety File

Inspection and testing of the Rigging

Electrical Periodic Inspection

PAT testing

Risk assessments for the building

COSSHH data sheets

Plan of the electrical installation

Health and safety policy and Method statement

Ladder inspection and report

First aid kit inspection

 

Fire Marshal File

Plan of fire points and fire extinguishers

Service history for Fire alarm

Service history for fire extinguishers

Service history for the sprinklers

Service history for the emergency lights

Monthly, weekly, daily fire marshal checks

Fire evacuation procedure

Fire risk assessments

 

 

Thanks

[themadhippy]

maintenance/test inspection log of the iron if you've one

[Tom]

LOLER certificates / regular inspection record

Similar for all plant and equipment as required

[The Seedage]

In the fire folder :

 

Fire Evacuation Training Records

 

In the H&S Folder

 

Safe Systems of work/Codes of Practice

[paulears]

The ironic thing is that my own venue who do everything wrong, have all of this documentation - which rather proves the system doesn't work. They have the paperwork but don't understand any of it! So in my own case, we have documentation that shows a very safety aware venue, but their quest is simply for the paper, not the processes.

[The Seedage]

The ironic thing is that my own venue who do everything wrong, have all of this documentation - which rather proves the system doesn't work. They have the paperwork but don't understand any of it! So in my own case, we have documentation that shows a very safety aware venue, but their quest is simply for the paper, not the processes.

 

I've found the best way of solving that, is making sure that the Safe Systems of Work are what workers see on the Health and Safety Side.

 

They dont care about risk assessments, or certification, just the procedure that they need to follow for the job. If the systems of work are born out of sound risk assessment documentation and backed up by proper certification, a safe venue should follow..

 

In theory!!

[Roderick]

The ironic thing is that my own venue who do everything wrong, have all of this documentation - which rather proves the system doesn't work.

Sadly this is not uncommon. It shows an OH&S system that is forced down from management rather than a system build up from the people it affects.

 

When I am brought in to either review or build an OH&S system for a client, I start with a staff meeting where I explain the point of it all and listen to any concerns staff may have.

I then start building up, layer by layer, a system of policies and procedures, each of which are presented to staff for discussion before being implemented.

It is also crucial that paperwork is kept to a minimum and reflects a concept rather than an exact description of each an every situation that may occur once in a lifetime.

No one is going to read a 400 page manual, most of which has nothing to do with their job.

Keep it short, keep it simple and involve your staff in determining who things are done, within reason.

Then you may have a chance of actually starting a 'safety culture' rather than a bunch of meaningless paperwork.

[paulears]

My venue have no permanent stage/theatre staff. They are all brought in at the start of each season for maybe 10 weeks with a few one-off shows before and after.

 

They get a booklet to read that covers every job from cleaner to caretaker, bar staff to bouncers. The owners make no distinctions between skill levels whatsoever. A few get to be supervisors for an extra 50p or so and hour, and they get a set of keys others don't. Training rarely happens in any meaningful way, because to do it properly would mean people coming in outside of their hours and needing paying. So the management are very responsive to input from the local authority or outside agencies. They do exactly what they are told to do. Big panic three years ago. Somebody asked for the ladder register. There wasn't one, so I sorted it for them. Now they have a nice register. Nothing in it, of course. Last year a new authorised access to the roofspace register was started. Of course, the office soon got fed up with being interrupted, and handed out the spare key which was kept in the stage managers desk on stage. I have never signed this book, mainly because nobody ever asked me to. I knew about it of course, but it was just another system that was simply not going to work. The office are quite happy they now have everything organised, and we are 'safe'. The CoSHH register is another good one. Plenty of stuff in it, but only products the individual managers know about. None of the theatre material is in there, there's a nice store on stage with paint thinners, next to identical looking smoke fluid. Every time I see it, I remove the thinners - not stage stuff, so I chuck it out. Somebody, I have no idea who, puts it back, all neat and tidy.

 

I think that systems without common sense and monitoring prove nothing at all. I've just arranged the annual stage machinery inspection - the flying, iron and dencher systems. The current premises license no longer mentions the iron, so although it seals within the prescribed time, we don't drop it within a show as most venues do. There's no reason to do it any longer. However, it does mean that although we don't show the iron to the public, it could be a great safety device - but frequently, speakers, monitors and other gubbins will now be found on the drop line. This is perfectly legal, but bad practice, I reckon. The office are quite happy, viewing the removal of the old iron rules as a positive step.

 

I work for them as a contractor, so although I sort everything out for the production season, I don't work for them, and don't play any role in the rules. It's very difficult to show that their interpretation of the paperwork is not quite what we really should have - but the local authority seem just as paper minded and rarely ask sensible questions about working practices.

 

Other places I work at are the opposite - they make the workplace safe, and just evidence it by paper. Some venues seem to think the paper itself provides safety.

[kerry davies]

That is an interesting comment, Paul, "perfectly legal but bad practice". What you describe is unlawful in lots of ways. Failure to provide basic H&S training for staff, inadequate risk assessment by not implementing the review and revise element, failure to adhere to the written COSHH RA. Just because they don't have to mention the iron, preventing correct use of safety equipment is still unlawful so the classy paperwork is no defence. You may not have to "show" it but it must work properly when it is needed. A copy of an RA never stopped someone getting hurt, implementation does.

 

Making beautifully presented and detailed H&S files sometimes indicates poor performance as these things should be organic documents changing with technology, new conditions and new practices. Simplicity is all and, as Rod rightly points out, huge briefs are never read, K.I.S.S.

 

On a side note, did anyone else see the magnificent programme Grand Prix - The Killer Years last night? Try to view it on the net as it is a perfect example of how hard it was to get any business to take H&S seriously before HASAWA. At Spa in Belgium they did not remove the decapitating barbed wire fences around the track until a drivers strike and it took many driver fatalities before they introduced things like barriers, fire marshalls and even ambulance drivers who knew where the hospital was. Until the drivers paid for medical facilities themselves one tracks' entire medical staff was one nun with a first aid certificate.

[Roderick]

Maybe you should print this out and put it in the office:

HSE - May 2007

 

Kerry points out a few very valid points. And make sure you don't get caught out if anything should go wrong, because there is also this:

HSE - May 2009