Ecclesiastical H&S

"Even if you do not have employees, certain aspects of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 may still apply or you may have to comply with other related law. For example, if you control non-domestic premises e.g. a church hall, you will need to ensure that the premises are safe, including any plant or equipment there. Another example could be where you have construction or refurbishment work completed at your church. Here, you may have specific responsibilities to meet. 

You should also remember that if you own or control premises, you may still have to complete detailed risk assessments for certain hazards (e.g. asbestos, fire)."

"If you would like to speak to someone about health and safety in churches: either call us on 0345 600 7531 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm - excluding Bank Holidays) or e-mail us at risk.advice@ecclesiastical.com"

"A self assessment will help you get started by identifying the steps you might need to take, or simply check the adequacy of what you have already done.

It will also help to pinpoint some of the more common hazards where further action may be necessary. In this context, the question set provided is not exhaustive and you might have to consider other aspects to meet some of the other legal duties you may have. This will depend on your own particular circumstances and the guidance we have prepared will help you decide here.

Answer the 20 questions included in our self assessment questionnaire to find out how safe your church is and what is required from you next.

It is a good idea to review your health and safety arrangements periodically or where circumstances change. It may be useful to re-visit your responses to this questionnaire to help you do this.