Baseless Fabric Theatre’s health and safety policy is to:
- Prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health
- Manage health and safety risks in our workplaces
- Provide clear instructions and information, and adequate training, to ensure all employees, freelancers, and volunteers are competent to do their work
- Provide personal protective equipment as necessary
- Consult with our employees, freelancers and volunteers on matters affecting their health and safety
- Provide and maintain safe equipment
- Ensure safe handling and use of equipment
- Maintain safe and healthy working conditions
- Implement emergency procedures, including evacuation in case of fire or other significant incident, at venues as necessary.
- Review and revise this policy regularly
Ultimate responsibility for health and safety lies with the Board of Trustees, in particular for ensuring implementation of the following:
- Ensuring suitable and sufficient risk assessments are carried out as necessary and kept up to date
- Reviewing risk control measures
- Making sure that all workshop leaders and directors have suitable and sufficient information, training, instruction and supervision provided to ensure the health and safety of all other freelancers, participants and volunteers working within the activities carried out by Baseless Fabric Theatre.
All freelancers should:
- Co-operate with managers on health and safety matters
- Take reasonable care of their own health and safety
- Report all health and safety concerns to the Artistic Director
Standards & Expectations
The effective implementation of procedures will be monitored by the Board of Trustees via the Artistic Director. Procedures and guidance will be reviewed annually to ensure they meet the changing needs of the organisation.
Baseless Fabric Theatre strive to impress upon all employees, freelancers and volunteers that health and safety is the responsibility of all and to encourage a culture where simple actions are taken when a minor risk is noted (eg moving a trip hazard, wiping up spilt liquid on the floor) and more significant risks are reported and dealt with promptly.
Arrangements for health and safety
First Aid
During classes, rehearsals and performances suitable first aid arrangements will be available. Workshop Leaders and Directors should be made aware of how to summon a first aider/medical assistance if required.
Medical Information
Workshop Leaders/Directors are to ensure information on the medical conditions (and medications taken), including allergies, of young people in our projects is known to them if there is not a teacher at the school/partner organisation present and taking such responsibility.
Risk Assessment
- We will complete relevant risk assessments prior to each production and actions arising out of those assessments will be implemented.
- Risk assessments for projects taking place at a partner organisation will take place as deemed necessary.
- We will review risk assessments when working habits or conditions change.
Training
- We will give employees and freelancers health and safety information on a project by project basis and provide appropriate training as necessary.
- We will provide personal protective equipment as necessary.
Consultation
We will consult employees, freelancers and volunteers on health and safety matters as they arise and formally when we review health and safety.
Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed and updated annually by the Board of Trustees. It was last reviewed on 20th October 2024.
