Objective
- To provide written documents that describe safe systems of working for sport grounds maintenance operations, and
- To provide control measures following the risk assessments outlined previously.
Equally, a Safe Systems of Work will help to ensure that all employees are appropriately trained and are competent to carry out their duties.
A Method Statement is different from a Safe System of Work, as it may include several risk assessments and a Safe System of Work together with a number of other issues in order to describe one project.
Definitions
- Competent person: A person who by experience, knowledge and training can identify the risks of a task or equipment and can apply control methods & safe systems
- Competent trainer: A person who has training skills and has been trained and assessed on their experience and knowledge of the task or subject, and can equally, carry out a skills and safety competence assessment of their trainees.
Safe systems
A "Safe System of Work" should be compiled by a person or team who is/are competent to undertake the task.
The written document should :
- Have clarity of presentation.
- Have unambiguous simple procedural statements & diagrams etc.
- Highlight specific safety procedures
- Highlight any training required
- Define specific do's and don'ts
- Be reviewed as required by changes in the task or equipment or at least annually.
Training
Both the appropriate Risk Assessments and Safe System of Work should be used as part of training programmes and refresher courses.
Before commencing work, all employees new to a task must be trained and assessed by a competent trainer including any relevant equipment training e.g. pedestrian operated cylinder mowing. Refresher training should also be carried out every year or when there are changes in the task or equipment used. Some tasks such as pesticide application and the use of a chainsaws, will also require an external assessment and certification. This can be carried out through Agricultural / Horticultural Colleges or by assessment organisations such as NPTC and Lantra both of which have offices at the National Agricultural Centre, Stonely, Warwickshire.
Recording Training
All issuing of risk assessments and safe systems of work together with handbooks and any training courses or "tool-box talks" must be recorded on employee's individual training records. These should be kept secure but accessible for use and inspection. It is also advantageous to prepare a training matrix of all staff to identify training needs & refresher dates.
References
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Regulation 2