PTA people - do you carry out risk assessments?

Wywth

lexuslass wrote: »

Thank you for your replies! All noted! Sorry for the delay!

We had a change of committee this year (new chair, secretary and treasurer {me!}) and have ran everything as has always been done! Had an incident when someone slipped on the grass which of course had to be reported and we were asked about our risk assessment!!!

We phoned the PTA people who were so helpful! We've also found out that we shouldn't be borrowing a BBQ (we had absolutely no idea!!!).. We've always borrowed the same BBQ at every event (very reputable family within the village who have never had a problem with us using it and have always really kindly never charged us for the gas!) of course we've always taken sensible precautions where the children are concerned! Now looks like we have to purchase one out of the PTA fund. Same with the bouncy castle (had since been donated to us, so that is ours to use now).

We are a small village school (50 kids) so fundraising is really tough!

One thing I've thought of this evening is that we usually get people making cakes for events. Always goes down really well... There must be some regulations on this surely?

Any info or advice will be welcomed x

Why shouldn't you be borrowing a BBQ? :huh:

Same qusetion over the bouncy castle? Most events actually hire bouncy castles rather than purchase them outright (as they are very expensive, especially if only used once per year) - hiring is very similar to borrowing.

lexuslass

Wywth wrote: »

Why shouldn't you be borrowing a BBQ? :huh:

Same qusetion over the bouncy castle? Most events actually hire bouncy castles rather than purchase them outright (as they are very expensive, especially if only used once per year) - hiring is very similar to borrowing.

It's to do with insurance apparently.. If someone had an incident with the BBQ or bouncy castle, it's not the school or the PTA that is liable - it's the owner of the BBQ or bouncy castle who is! I suppose a hire company would have to have their own insurance. We've just assumed we'd be covered but according to the PTA helpline, we're not.

Wywth

lexuslass wrote: »

It's to do with insurance apparently.. If someone had an incident with the BBQ or bouncy castle, it's not the school or the PTA that is liable - it's the owner of the BBQ or bouncy castle who is! I suppose a hire company would have to have their own insurance. We've just assumed we'd be covered but according to the PTA helpline, we're not.

That doesn't sound right to me.

If I lend my car to someone (assuming it's all legal and above board), and they have an accident in it, I'm not responsible, they are.

Or say, if I ask to borrow my neighbours ladder to fix my guttering, but end up falling off it, can I sue my neighbour (even if there was nothing wrong with the ladder)?
What if when the ladder falls, it falls on the same neighbours car, damaging it? Can I tell the neighbour it's not my problem because it was his ladder that hit his car???

Savvy_Sue

Wywth wrote: »

Why shouldn't you be borrowing a BBQ? :huh:

Same qusetion over the bouncy castle? Most events actually hire bouncy castles rather than purchase them outright (as they are very expensive, especially if only used once per year) - hiring is very similar to borrowing.

lexuslass wrote: »

It's to do with insurance apparently.. If someone had an incident with the BBQ or bouncy castle, it's not the school or the PTA that is liable - it's the owner of the BBQ or bouncy castle who is! I suppose a hire company would have to have their own insurance. We've just assumed we'd be covered but according to the PTA helpline, we're not.

lexus, I think it's a bit more complicated than that. If you hire equipment formally, then the hire company will check everything both before and after the hire and ensure it's in a good, safe condition - tubing on the BBQ, connectors etc. You have your own event insurance, but the hire company COULD be liable if the equipment is faulty. They probably WON'T be liable if the equipment is obviously faulty and you should have spotted it in your own pre-event safety checks, but unless it's been damaged en route it shouldn't be faulty.

Now, if you buy your own BBQ and have been given a bouncy castle, someone has got to inspect them every year and know what they're looking for. That's part of the 'mitigating risk' part of your risk assessment.