Health and Safety policy

GENERAL STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Allerton Players believes excellence in the management of health and safety is an essential element within its theatrical productions - a good health and safety record goes hand in hand with excellence in performance.

People are the most important asset to this society and therefore we are totally committed to ensuring their health, safety and welfare at all times. From an economic point of view, the society believes that prevention is not only better but cheaper than cure. There is no necessary conflict between humanitarian and artistic considerations. Profits and safety are not in competition. On the contrary, safety is good business.

From a legal perspective, the society is committed to ensuring that it complies with all relevant health and safety legislation. Where it is reasonably practicable to do so, the Allerton Players will strive to go beyond the requirements of legislation.

The Allerton Players is committed to on-going monitoring and review processes, so continual improvement in the management of health and safety can be achieved.

Our general intentions are:-

• To provide adequate control of the Health and Safety risks arising from our theatrical, production and artistic activities.

• To consult with our voluntary society members on matters affecting their Health and Safety

• To provide and maintain safe systems of work and equipment

• To ensure safe handling and use of hazardous substances

• To provide information, instruction and supervision for all society members, sub contractors and general theatre staff.

• To ensure all society members, sub-contractors and general theatre staff are competent to do their tasks and to give them adequate training

• To prevent accidents

• To maintain safe and healthy working conditions

• To provide a safe environment for audience members and visitors attending our productions

• To review and revise this policy at regular intervals

Signed: Richard Broadley (on behalf of The Allerton Players Committee)

Position: Chairperson

Date: 18 Feb 2026

Date of next review: February 2027

RESPONSIBILITY

Overall Responsibility for health and safety is that of The Allerton Players Committee.

Day-to-day responsibility for ensuring this policy is put into practice is delegated to Paul Staines (committee member with responsibility for Health and Safety) (non productions) and Stage Manager (productions)

Duties of Society Members:

All society members are required to

• Co-operate with the Society Committee on health and safety matters

• Not interfere with anything provided to safeguard their health and safety

• Take reasonable care of the health and safety of themselves and others

• Report all Health and Safety concerns to the Stage Manager or Committee

Non-compliance with health and safety rules and procedures can result in members being asked to appear before the committee to explain their actions and where necessary the committee reserves the right to ask them to leave the society where deemed appropriate.

All society policies and procedures in relation to health and safety are regarded as supplementary to this policy.

RISK ASSESSMENT

In accordance with our commitment to the safe running of our theatrical, production and artistic activities, the Allerton Players will carry out risk assessments of all actions or omissions that present a risk to its members or other persons directly or indirectly involved, for example audience members and sub-contractors. These risk assessments will be carried out in line with NODA SAFE guidance and the procedure for doing so is as follows

1. Identify the significant hazards involved in our activities

2. Decide who might be harmed and how

3. Evaluate the level of risk and decide if existing precautions are sufficient or if more needs to be done

4. Record the significant findings of the assessment

5. Review the assessment when things change or there is reason to believe that it is no longer valid

Risk assessments will be undertaken by Stage Manager/Committee member

Approval for the required action to remove or control risks will be given by the Committee.

Risk Assessments will be kept in The Production Notes File

PRODUCTION FILE

The Allerton Players operates a documented health and safety production file provided by our health and safety consultants, NODA SAFE, who are our competent advisers on all aspects of health and safety. They can be contacted at any time for advice on 0845 257 6632 or via email at nodasafe@noda.org.uk The health and safety management system is the responsibility of The Stage Manager/ relevant committee member.

CONSULTATION WITH SOCIETY MEMBERS

The Allerton Players will consult with its members in accordance with our commitment to the safe running or our theatrical, production and artistic activities. Consultation with Society Members will be provided in Pre-Production Meetings/all associated activities.

SAFE USE OF PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

The Allerton Players will ensure all production equipment and materials are suitable and without risks to health and safety, in accordance with the society’s commitment to providing the safe running of our theatrical, production and artistic activities. Responsibility for identifying all production equipment & materials needing maintenance is that of Stage Manager Any problems with production equipment & materials should be reported to Stage Manager/Committee Responsibility for checking new production equipment & materials meets health and safety standards before it is purchased is that of the committee.

SAFE HANDLING AND USE OF POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

The Allerton Players will assess and control health risks from exposure to hazardous substances. Only approved products will be used in our productions. Responsibility for identifying all hazardous substances that need assessing lies with the Stage Manager. Hazardous Substance Assessments will be carried out by Stage Manager.

Approval for the required action to remove or control risks will be given by The Committee.

Hazardous Substance Assessments will be kept in The Production File

ACCIDENTS, FIRST AID AND WORK RELATED ILL-HEALTH

The depth of an accident investigation will depend on the seriousness of the incident and this in turn will indicate the type of approach to be taken. For minor injuries such as cuts or bruising which do not result in any time lost from the production or a member of the public/student being taken to hospital, a brief description of the incident along with the injured parties detail will need to be entered in to the incident log. In the case of a more serious injury or incident a more in-depth investigation will be required.

The procedure for such an accident investigation is as follows

• Care for injured person(s) including contacting emergency services where necessary

• Control hazards/secure accident site if safe to do so

• Notification of the incident to NODA Safe, who will advise appropriate action to take

• Investigate promptly

First aid box(es) are kept in: ascertain at the venue

The appointed first aider is to be confirmed at each venue

All accidents and work related ill-health are recorded in the incident log.

Responsibility for reporting accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences to NODA Safe is that of The Stage Manager/Committee Member.

MONITORING

To check our production conditions and ensure our safe working practices are being followed, we will undertake pre-production checks.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES - FIRE AND EVACUATION

Responsibility for ensuring a fire risk assessment and emergency plan for the venue is in place is that of The Stage Manager or person in charge of the rehearsal if appropriate.

Escape routes are checked by The Stage Manager or person in charge of the rehearsal if appropriate, and The Stage Manager prior to audience members being permitted on to the premises.

In the event of an emergency the person responsible for roll call and giving any necessary information to the fire officer is The Stage Manager.

VISITORS

The Allerton Players acknowledges its responsibility to ensure the health and safety of all persons who come in to contact - either directly or indirectly - with its theatrical, production and artistic activities - this includes visitors to premises such as audiences and contractors. In particular adequate signage and information notices will be used to ensure visitors are informed of any particular hazards or emergency arrangements, which they may encounter during their time at the premises and to inform them of any precautions they should take.