Safety Guidelines - Tower Maintenance

Issue date: 20/09/2019

The Derby City Centre Ringers are committed to providing a safe environment in the tower at St Peter's, Derby. These guidelines are for anyone carrying out maintenance tasks in the ringing room or bell chamber.

You must abide by the tower safeguarding procedures. These can be viewed on the tower website. Copies are also available on the rack near the ringing room door.

You must keep an attendance record and give a copy of this to the tower captain/secretary.

You must have access to a mobile phone while in the tower.

Anyone carrying out work in the tower must have suitable experience, or be under the direct supervision of someone with suitable experience.

You are responsible for controlling access to the church unless another event is taking place in the building and the organiser of that event takes responsibility for controlling access.

Do not leave the church doors unlocked.

Do not let anyone who is not attending your event into the church for any reason. If they have permission to be in the church then they will have their own access arrangements.

Do not share the door or alarm codes with anyone else.

The bell chamber must only be accessed with authorisation from the tower captain/secretary. A key for the bell chamber padlock is kept in the keysafe mounted near the rope spider cord hook.

The key to the bell chamber padlock is kept in the ringing room key safe. Once the door is open, the padlock should be locked and the key retained by the person in charge of the work in the bell chamber to prevent anyone being locked in the bell chamber.

If there is only one person in the tower, and bells will be rung up, the bell chamber accessed, ladders used or power tools used, then another person must first be advised of the times that the work will start and finish, and be told as soon as the work is complete. If this person is not a keyholder, then the church outer door must not be locked, so that they can gain access using the key codes.

Give a warning before lowering the rope spider and check that no-one is underneath it. Do not leave the spider lowered for longer than necessary.

Be aware of people working above or below you. Be careful to place tools and other items where then will not fall onto someone below.

Do not enter the clock cabinet while the clock is working.

Do not disengage or re-engage the clock hammers while people are in the bell chamber. This must be done before anyone enters the chamber - the mechanism must not be operated while people are in the bell chamber. Note that the clock hammers are currently out of use and must always be left off.

Clock hammers must be off while people are in the bell chamber. This must be done before anyone enters the chamber - the mechanism must not be operated while people are in the bell chamber. Note that the clock hammers are currently out of use and must be left off in any case.

Be aware of people working above or below you. Be careful to place tools and other items where then will not fall onto someone below.

Do not move a bell if someone else is using it for support or is in the bell pit.

Take your time when moving about on the bellframe. Try to keep three points of contact when moving, and be careful if using moving parts for support. Do not push or pull sideways on bell wheels. Check that items such as tools, clock wires or simulator equipment are not in your way before moving.

Clear up any spillages, and remove any grease or oil on the bellframe immediately.

If no-one will be left in the ringing room, put the ropes on the spider, and hook the notice warning that there are people in the bell chamber on the ropes. The notice is stored by the rope spider cord hook. If people will be in the ringing room, then they must be instructed not to touch the ropes except under instruction from the person in charge of those in the bell chamber. The circumstances under which this might happen and a suitable signalling system are to be agreed between that person and the person who will be in charge in the ringing room before anyone goes into the bell chamber.

If removing or fitting clappers, the procedure must be discussed beforehand by all involved to ensure the coordination of those working above and below the bell.

In most cases, all bells must be down whenever anyone is in the bell chamber. The following are the exceptions. In all cases at least one other person must be present:

Visual Inspection

a) For routine inspections which do not require anyone to go on or under the bell frame, then bells 3 and 4 must be down, but the other bells may be up.

b) For emergency inspections to determine if it is safe to ring bells down (e.g. after experiencing odd behaviour from the bells while ringing) where no-one will go on or under the frame, or touch the bells or fittings, then all bells may be up, but bells 3 and 4 must be rung down as soon as it has been determined that it is safe to do so.

Inspecting a ringing bell

Where it is necessary for someone to be in the tower while a bell is rung (e.g. for an inspection or demonstration) then this must be limited to the shortest practical time.

If the bell is not silenced then hearing protection must be used.

While the bell is being rung, no-one may be closer than one metre to any moving parts, in a direct line with the clapper, or on top of the bell frame.

The person ringing the bell must be an experienced ringer with a high degree of bell control. A means of communication with the person in charge in the bell chamber must be established before the bell is rung.

See the separate guidance on running ringing events for specific requirements regarding demonstrations.

Fitting/adjusting ropes, silencers or muffles

a) When working on bells 3 or 4 then bells 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 & 8 may be up. No-one is to go beyond the wheels of bells 3 or 4, either on or under the frame.

b) For any bells other than 3 or 4, then all eight bells must be down. While it may appear safe to work with some bells up, if the person working sustains an injury requiring medical attention to be provided in situ, then bells which are up will be a hazard to those providing assistance.

Bells which have set with a broken rope.

a) If the broken end of the rope can be safely reached from ground level in the ringing chamber, then an experienced ringer should use that to pull the bell over the balance and then release the rope, allowing the bell to ring itself down. A second ringer must be in the ringing room, at a safe distance. No-one should be in the bell chamber.

b) If a rope cannot be reached as above, then the bell can be pushed off the balance using a pole where:

• If the bell is number 3, then bell 4 is down

• If the bell is number 4, then bell 3 is down

• If it is any other bell, then all seven other bells are down

• The person doing the work can keep a safe distance from the bell.

• The person doing the work does not need to stand on top of the frame

• A second person must be in the bell chamber, at a safe distance.

• If the position of the rope break is such that the rope could flail around in the ringing room, then an experienced ringer must be in the ringing room to try to prevent damage, and must be advised when the bell is about to be moved.They must only guide the rope, and not try to catch hold of it unless the bell is nearly down.

c) If it is not possible to move the bell over the balance using the above procedure, then a professional bellhanger must be engaged to do the work.

Protective equipment is kept in the ringing room, in the lower cupboard in the old weight chute, and in the bell chamber, in the storage box under the bell 4t. The following equipment is available:

• Hard hats

• Work gloves

• Kneeling pads

• Ear plugs

• Dust masks

• Safety glasses

Ladders are stored in the ringing room, near the door, and in the bell chamber, directly opposite the door.

When using the ringing room ladder, ensure that the rubber feet are on the floor. If using it to reach the upper window, hook the angled wooden blocks on the ladder over the window ledge.

One of the ringing room chairs converts into steps. These can be used to reach the upper cupboard.

There is a fixed ladder leading from the bell chamber to the roof. This must not be used other than to climb onto the bell frame unless required to make an emergency exit.

HSE advice on the use of ladders is available in the tower maintenance log book.

The door at the bottom of the tower stairs must be left open while the tower is occupied.

Ensure that people take their time when using the stairs, and mind their heads when leaving the ringing room or bell chamber. There are manually operated battery-powered lights available in the window alcoves on the stairs, in case of power failure.

There is emergency lighting in the ringing room.

The main light in the bell chamber is a work light mounted above the bells. This is not on the lighting circuit, but is powered from a socket on the right after entering the bell chamber.

There is no emergency lighting in the bell chamber. There is a rechargeable LED work light. This must be switched on while people are in the bell chamber, in case of power failure.

There is a selection of torches and work lights in the storage box near the bell chammber door. There are also torches on the clock cabinet.

There is no emergency lighting in the bell chamber. However, there are battery powered LED light in each of the alcoves in case of power failure.

Portable electrical equipment must be checked for visual signs of damage before use.Any damaged equipment must be marked as unsafe and taken out of use.

Work on the fixed electrical installation is only to be carried out by qualified professionals, and with the agreement of the church authorities.

Circuit breakers are located in the church, at the west end of the south aisle.

Hazardous substances in the tower are to be kept to a minimum, and must be kept in clearly marked containers. They must be documented in the tower maintenance log book, along with instructions for use.

Any such substances are to be kept in the cupboards in the ringing room or the storage boxes under bells 3 and 4 in the bell chamber.

Check than nothing has been left on top of the bells or frame, or where it could obstruct the movement of bells or of clock mechanism (including hammers and linkages).

If anything is left on top of the clock case, ensure that it is not in a position where it could fall off.

Return any equipment that you have used to its proper storage space.

If any cloths, towels or other cleaning materials have absorbed any flammable substance (e.g. oil or grease) then dispose of these away from the church.

Close all windows. In warm weather a small ventilation gap (about 2cm) may be left on the lower windows.

Lock the doors to the tower stairs, ringing room and bell chamber. Be certain that you do not lock anyone in the tower.

If you are the last people in the church, ensure that the church is locked and the alarm is set. Be certain that you do not lock anyone in the building.

Return the keys in line with any arrangements that have been agreed.

Advise the tower captain/secretary if there are health & safety or safeguarding issues that need to be addressed, or any equipment needs to be repaired/replaced.

First aid kits and bottled water are available in the ringing room, on the shelves in the old clock weight cabinet, and in the bell chamber, under the bell frame near the door. Let the tower captain/secretary know if you use anything that needs to be replaced, or if an incident needs to be recorded in the church accident book.

There is a fire extinguisher near the ringing chamber door.

The ringing room has an emergency light which will come on if there is a power failure. There are also torches and other battery-powered lights stored on the clock case near the ringing room door, under the bell frame near the bell chamber door, and in the bell chamber and in the window alcoves on the stairs.

If you call the emergency services, advise them that the church postcode is DE1 1SN, or that the ‘what 3 words’ reference is FULL NOISY HIGHS. If assistance is needed to remove a casualty from the tower, advise them that a ‘Hazardous Area Response Team’ might be required.

Details of emergency exit routes are on the ringing room door.