— Health and Safety Policy
The club’s current Health and Safety policy is set out below:
Cambridge Soccer Club Inc. is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all members and guests, and to providing the information, training and supervision needed to achieve this Cambridge Soccer Club Inc. will take responsibility for health and safety procedures; however, members need to be aware of their responsibilities and comply with the club’s health and safety policy.
Each member is expected to play a vital and responsible role in maintaining a safe and healthy environment through:
- Members being actively involved in the club’s health and safety system.
- Maintaining correct procedures and equipment.
- Wearing protective clothing and equipment as and when required.
- Ensuring all accidents and incidents are reported.
- Helping new members and visitors to the club’s premises understand the right safety procedures and why they exist.
- Promptly communicating any health and safety concerns to a committee member.
- Keeping the club premises and grounds tidy to minimize the risk of any trips and falls.
Club members participation is greatly appreciated.
Your committee
Cambridge Soccer Club Inc.
- Accidents and incidents
Club members are expected to advise the Health & Safety committee member if they become aware that any of the following accidents and incidents have occurred on the club’s premises or grounds:
- Any accident on club premises during a football match, a training session or club event that requires a member or visitor to seek emergency hospital treatment, or attendance by an ambulance;
- Any accident or incident in which someone is significantly injured, (i.e., requires medical attention), by equipment or chattels of the club.
- Any accident or incident which takes place on club premises or grounds while they are being used by a third-party hirer of our facilities.
- Safety
We want our members and guests to feel safe on our premises at all times.
As a club member, if you become aware of a hazard or risk, it is your responsibility to remove or address the hazard/risk in the first instance and communicate the hazard/risk to a committee member.
Significantly, if the following occurs, club members are expected to communicate the following to a committee member.:
- Threatening behavior towards any of our members or guests.
- Any equipment, chattel or function within club premises that is faulty with the potential to put any person at risk (including showers, electrical equipment, toilets, and training/playing equipment).
The club’s committee will regularly check that its premises comply with the appropriate Fire Safety and Food Safety regulations. Any deficiencies will be remedied within a reasonable time limit.
Hirers of the club’s grounds and premises will be required as a condition of their hire to adhere to all H&S requirements outlined as part of this policy and not jeopardize or put at risk any of the club’s certification related to safety.
Junior players are left with their team coaches at a training session and often on game day. To protect the safety of our junior players all junior team coaches are to be police vetted within 30 days of being appointed. The cost of this process is the responsibility of the club.
- First Aid
We encourage our members to undertake certified First Aid training courses, and to make themselves known to the committee.
This policy has attached to it a list of certified First Aid practitioners known to the club.
In March of each year the club will identify all trained first aiders. There will be lists published in both the Junior and Senior Clubrooms.
Each team in the club is provided with a First Aid kit, and there is additional First Aid equipment held at the senior and junior clubrooms in Vogel St.
Team managers/coaches are asked to ensure these kits are available during training and matchday events, and are maintained.
- Events
Where the club is hosting major events it will ensure sufficient support is available from medical services.
For club-hosted events involving more than 100 players, St John Ambulance or a similar service will be asked to be in attendance.
For these events, the club will make available fluids (e.g., drinking water) to minimise the risk of dehydration.
- Equipment and appliances
Where equipment is being used that has the potential to cause harm, the club will ensure it is used or handled only by members or guests who are aware of the hazards and will use safe practices.
This includes use of electrical appliances, cabling, ladders, power tools, cooking equipment and heavy machinery used for ground maintenance.
Any contracted parties to the club using equipment and/or appliances must hold a relevant health and safety policy and produce it upon request before commencement of work.
- Reporting
Upon receiving notification of any accident or incident by the filing of a Hazard report, (available from the clubrooms), and informing a committee member, the committee will ensure a report is completed, (see attached report form), and that it is received by the next appropriate meeting of the committee.
- Investigation
Upon receipt of an accident/incident report, the club’s committee will appoint at least one member to investigate the circumstances to establish:
- The circumstances which led to the accident/incident;
- Any actions required to prevent any repetition of the accident/incident;
- Any change in policy or procedures as a result;
- Who needs to be informed of the accident/incident (external/internal), and how.
An investigation form is available from behind the bar at the senior clubrooms.
Once the investigation is complete the person reporting, and or/club will be advised of the outcome, and necessary changes will be implemented.
- Improvement of practices
Club members and guests are invited to suggest any improvement to this policy to any member of the committee.
This policy will be reviewed at least annually by the committee.
Accidents
Despite being run entirely by volunteers, our club grounds and premises could be deemed a “workplace” by WorkSafe inspectors.
The Health & Safety at Work Act 201,5 (which came into force on April 4, 2016), imposes on organisations, such as our club, the responsibility of taking “reasonably practicable steps” to reduce the risk of accidents. The legislation also increases the penalties for non-compliance.
In the event of a “serious” accident at our grounds or premises, (regardless of who is involved - visitors, contractors, members of the public etc.), WorkSafe inspectors have the power to compel our club to produce information about the “workplace”.
Our reporting obligations:
We are obliged to report:
- Any accidental death of a person.
- A notifiable injury or illness, (I.e., An injury that requires treatment for serious head injury, burn or amputation, or requiring admitting to hospital or medical treatment within 48 hours, or an infection caused by the work undertaken at our grounds).
- A notifiable incident, (where a person is exposed to a serious risk to their health and safety arising out of exposure to situations such as explosion, fire, fall from height, electric shock etc.)
What to do in the event of a “serious” accident
- Get medical help and control the accident scene.
- Contact the chair/secretary of the club. If they are unavailable, contact other members of the committee.
- Refer any media inquiries to the chair or secretary.
- Be aware of the implications of any incriminating admissions (including any written notes, texts, messages).
- Support any club members involved in the accident.
- The committee may decide to conduct its own investigation in the accident.
If approached by a WorkSafe inspector:
- Co-operate but remember your rights to seek legal advice before answering questions.
- Ensure someone accompanies the inspector on site.
- There is no legal obligation for the club to talk to the inspector.
Records
The law requires our club to keep a record of every notifiable event for at least five years.
If required by WorkSafe, the club must provide written notice of the notifiable event within 48 hours of being asked to do so.
