The information contained in this section relating to Health and Safety is for guidance only. Parishes must seek independent advice relevant to their church building(s).
Health & Safety and Inclusivity Matters
General Advice
The information contained in this section relating to Health and Safety is for guidance only and Parishes should seek independent advice relevant to their church building(s).
Examples of legislation and regulations when parishes are considering and managing any works to buildings are:
- Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) - the definition of 'construction work' includes for example, 'construction, alteration, repairs, upkeep, maintenance and cleaning'
- Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
- Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
- Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- Control of Legionella Bacteria in Water Systems (Approved Code of Practice 2013)
- Work at Height Regulations 2005
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations 2022
- Disability Discrimination Act 2005
- Equality Act 2010
Fire safety
A fire risk assessment (FRA) should be carried out which will consider many aspects of the church building and take into account the number of people using it. The FRA must be reviewed annually and if there is a substantial change to the building for example, re-ordering and use.
Some examples of fire safety are:
- Identifying the potential risks, sources of ignition and mitigation measures
- Fire alarms
- Emergency lighting
- Fire extinguishers
- Signage and fire action notices
- Fire assembly point
- Fire doors
- Prevention of spread of smoke and fire within the construction of the church
- Heating type and potential risks
- Electrical installation and Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
- Storage of items
- Keeping the escape routes and exits clear, and identifying and having an evacuation plan for those people who may require assistance to evacuate the building
- Routine testing and maintenance of fire safety systems and equipment must be done and recorded.
- It is important to act upon any advice and recommendations that you are given and of any problems that are raised by church users.
- Where churches are being used for events, an event management procedure should be prepared and communicated, with key safety information being given to attendees.
Control of Legionella Bacteria in Water Systems applies to church buildings
Some aspects to consider but do take specialist advice relevant to your church building.
- How frequent is the church building, including halls, in use?
- Are the outlets (hot and cold water taps to toilets and kitchens, instantaneous hot water boilers, any taps to sinks in cleaners and flower arranging cupboards, including outside taps) run on a regular basis, to ensure that there is no standing water in pipework and outlets for long periods to prevent the build-up of bacteria in water systems?
- Are there signs of limescale buildup to outlets which could allow bacteria to form?
- Does the building have any stored water tanks and any outside open rainwater collection tanks?
- During summer months and other times when the building may not be used by others because of holiday periods, do ensure that outlets are run through for several minutes.
- Ensure that water systems are regularly inspected and record all works that are done to the water systems in the church, including to any hot water cylinders.
- The impact on health can be severe from Legionella for those of all ages and with vulnerabilities.
- If you have any concerns about the water systems, you need to seek appropriate advice and take the relevant action.
Control of Asbestos Regulations
These regulations apply to your church building:
- An asbestos management survey report should be carried out by an accredited company, with a management plan prepared and re-inspections done on a periodic basis.
- For any works to church buildings, the survey needs to be referred to and a specific survey (known as Refurbishment and Demolition 'R&D') should be undertaken relevant to the type of work being proposed.
- Your maintenance contractors must be given a copy of all surveys, prior to them starting any work.
- If there is a need for asbestos to be removed or encapsulated, then depending on the type of asbestos this will need to done by a non-licensed or licensed specialist asbestos contractor.
- All records of any works done to asbestos must be recorded and fully documented.
- Seek advice from a specialist as to actions that you need to take.
Gas safety
Annual servicing and maintenance to gas heating and appliances must be carried out and certified to that effect by a Gas Safe Registered contractor. If there are any issues relating as safety these must be acted upon immediately.
Electrical safety
Electrical installation 'hard wired' testing should be carried out every 5 years by a certified electrician and an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) must be provided. In respect of Portable Appliance Testing (PAT), this needs to be done and recorded, including visual inspections. Specialist advice should be sought on frequency of testing. An inventory of all electrical appliances is to be kept and updated when new equipment is provided.
Sump pumps and pumped drainage systems located within basement boiler rooms, undercrofts and the like will need to be serviced and maintained on a periodic basis. In the event of pump failure, immediate action must be taken to prevent the risk of flooding.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels including batteries, associated equipment and controls must be inspected and checked on a periodic basis. It is important that as part of system design, that any necessary fire rated enclosure(s) for batteries and other precautions are put in place, which would be advised upon together with an inspection strategy by the manufacturer and installer. When proposing the installation of panels, a structural assessment of roof structures would be required to determine if the roof can take the weight of panels or need strengthening.
Other safety advice
Renewable Heating (including Electric Heating)
Periodic servicing of renewable heating systems such as air source heat pumps must be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and be done by a suitably qualified heating engineer.
Oil Heating
Periodic servicing and maintenance of oil heating systems are required by a certified engineer, including the checking of integrity of tanks and bunds for any signs of defects and leaks. Any oil incidents must be acted upon immediately to reduce risks to people and pollution to the environment.
Ventilation Systems and Extractor Fans
To ensure the efficiency of systems for example, air conditioning, ventilation ducting and grilles; then routine inspection and servicing, including changing of filters and checking flow rates should be carried out by a specialists. Where there are standard 'domestic type' extractor fans to toilet and kitchen areas, it is good practice to clean the grilles and for an electrician to check and clean the fans on a regular basis. If fans stop working, repair/replacement should be done.
Kitchen Equipment
As part of servicing and testing for compliance, all appliances and equipment must be done checked in accordance with manufacturers/installers instructions. This would also include for inspection and cleaning of cooking extraction and ventilation systems and when required for 'deep cleaning' work.
Fire Alarm and Emergency Lighting Systems
Routine servicing and testing of these systems must be done, including any 'stand alone' smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, as advised by the servicing engineering specialist. In the case of emergency lighting systems, it is important that periodic 'drop tests' are done to ensure that batteries will provide the required amount of light for the specified period of time such as three hours. Even though a simple key switch test can be undertaken to check if a light is working, it should not be assumed that it would perform for the duration required, hence the need for 'drop tests'.