Background
Lisburn Outlook offers inclusive social, cultural and recreational activities, designed primarily to enhance the lives of blind and partially sighted people.
Every effort will be made to ensure that activities pose no risk either to participants or to other members of the public.
Health and Safety Responsibility
Every event or activity will have a designated leader or organiser. In the case of regular activities, such as a walking group, the overall activity leader may designate someone else to take that role if s/he is unable to take part on a given occasion.
Responsibility for the safety of each individual, whether blind, partially sighted or without sight loss is shared between that individual and the activity leader.
It is for each blind or partially sighted person to let it be known how much guiding they require in particular situations – for example they may require more help in hours of darkness, or more help in unfamiliar surroundings.
It is for the activity leader to ensure that each blind or partially sighted person has adequate assistance available to them from other members of the group.
Specific Activities
Walks will be organised by qualified walk leaders.
All tandem pilots will have been trained in their role. At least one tandem in each group outing will carry first aid kits. Tandems will stay in groups.
Important Medical Information
Everyone taking part in cycling or walking activities is obliged to wear an armband, supplied by Lisburn Outlook, containing a sheet of paper with vital medical and emergency contact information. This is for use if an accident occurs and they are not conscious or lucid enough to impart this information themselves. Directions as to the information required will be issued from time to time by the Secretariat, on the advice of appropriately qualified colleagues.
People taking part in other Lisburn Outlook activities are also encouraged, through regular reminders, to carry similar information with them.
Risk Assessments
A risk assessment will be conducted for each activity by the relevant organiser of that activity, and lodged with the secretary. In the case of regular activities such as cycling or walking, risk assessments can be generic, not tied to a particular date, although they may require steps to be taken on each occasion.
Covid-19
As activities resume following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions first imposed in Spring 2020, new risk assessments will be carried out to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to minimise the risk of virus transmission.
Minors
Anybody under the age of 18 taking part in an event or activity shall do so under the supervision of a designated responsible adult related or well known to them. Any such arrangement shall be agreed in advance with the event organiser.
Criminal Records Check
The Committee reserves the right to ask new members or volunteers to undergo Access NI checks before taking part in specific activities.
Accident Book
A record is to be kept of all accidents and incidents. An incident is an event which might have been an accident but for good fortune. The contents of the accident and incident records are to be reviewed by the Committee at least quarterly to ensure that any necessary follow up action has been taken and that any trends are noted.
Review
This policy will be reviewed annually by the Committee.
Approved by Lisburn Outlook Committee following review via email and Whatsapp, May 2020.
Amended to take account of Covid-19 pandemic, August 2020.
Lisburn Outlook, registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, NIC 103202.
lisburnoutlook.com 