Resources

Health and safety guidance

High Risk Societies

Emergency procedures
  1. Your designated first aider must take control of the situation by:
    • Ensuring the immediate safety of other members present
    • Administering first aid where necessary
  2. On Campus: Contact Campus Security on 0114 225 2000. Off campus: Contact the Emergency Services on 999 or 112 and inform Campus Security on 0114 225 2000.
  3. Await further instructions from the Emergency Services.
  4. Do not comment to the Press if approached or post details of the incident on social media.
Society committees’ responsibility to health and safety!

Society committees and leaders of activities have an elevated level of responsibility and duty of care to all their members and participants. Our health and safety guidance provides more information on negligence and duty of care.

Society committees must ensure that:

  • All participants in their activities hold current memberships or associate memberships to their society and the Students’ Union.
  • All reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the risks associated with their activities are reduced to a minimum level.
  • Suitable emergency and first aid arrangements are in place, where needed.
  • Information contained in risk assessments and general health and safety information regarding their activities is shared with their members and others who may be affected by their activities.
  • Control measures identified by risk assessments are implemented and followed.
  • Advice on best practice received from us and any National Governing Body, or relevant authority, is implemented and followed.
  • All trips to off-campus events are registered with the correct documentation (see Trip registration guidance).
  • All accidents and incidents are reported to us and our Director of Resources.

Societies must provide us with the following safety documents:

  • Suitable and sufficient risk assessments for all society activities.
  • Equipment inventories or logs.
  • Certificates and/or appropriate evidence of certification for coaches, activity leaders, and first aiders etc.
  • Information on activities run by external organisations.
  • Proof of National Governing Body (NGB) affiliation where appropriate.

If your society has any questions about your responsibilities or would like support with any of the paperwork mentioned above, please contact us at activitiesadmin@shu.ac.uk.

Risk assessments

Risk assessments must be submitted for all events and trips that your society offers. Risk assessments (and trip registration forms) must be submitted to activitiesadmin@shu.ac.uk within the following time frames:

  • Single day trip or event - 3 working days notice
  • Overnight trip in the UK - 5 working days notice
  • Trip abroad - 10 working days notice

Risk assessment guidance and example

Risk assessment template

Incidents and near-misses

If there is an incident or near-miss during a society activity, trip, or event then you need to let us know (whether it happened at the HUBS or not!). This is so that we can advise on insurance (if necessary), offer relevant support, and take steps to prevent it reoccurring. Please complete the incident report form and send it to activitiesadmin@shu.ac.uk.

If your incident occurs at a venue you must ensure it is reported to them and logged in their accident book where possible.

Incident report form

Instructors, guest speakers, and performers

 

We require anyone who is not a student or member of the society that is given a platform to speak to go through our guest speaker process.

This applies to any external individual who you wish to attend. We do not require Guest Speaker forms for any current staff or students at SHU/HSU.

The form must be submitted with at least 4 weeks' notice so we can ensure there is sufficient time for the form to be reviewed.

Guest Speaker Form

Coaches/Instructors: Coaches and Instructors no longer need to go through the External Speaker Process. They should still be registered with HSU via the form below.

Instructor/Coach Registration Form

Food safety

If you wish to provide food at an event or fundraiser, please view the society event planning guidance.

Event Planning Guidance

When providing your own food, you must complete a  food safety disclaimer and submit it to us. Your committee can be liable for any illness caused by food or drinks provided or sold at society events.

Food Safety Disclaimer

Allergen Chart

Society equipment

Societies must maintain accurate inventories of their equipment, especially personal protective equipment (PPE). All new equipment must be added to the inventory as soon as possible and any equipment that is disposed of must be removed from the inventory. All equipment should have its own unique identifying mark or number and be inspected/tested regularly by a competent person who has been identified as responsible for this task (this is in addition to pre-user checks that should be performed on all equipment).

It is the committee's responsibility to ensure the inventory is kept up-to-date. More information about society equipment is available in the health and safety guidance.

Society inventory form

Trips and events

Only authorised society committee members will be allowed to organise and book trips and only registered members of the society should be involved in any trips or activities.

It is essential that we know about all trips, events, meetings, etc that a high-risk society has planned. This is to ensure all risks are assessed, and controls introduced.

Established good practice requires the committee to let people know where you are going and inform them of what activities you will be involved in when you get there. In the event of an accident, the information we require from you will be of benefit to everyone involved. All societies are required to complete a trip registration form.

Clubs and societies who fail to follow the above procedures may not have their trips authorised or may have their trips cancelled by us. If a society does not notify us of an upcoming event or trip, we will not recognise it as an official society activity and will not hold any responsibility.

The health and safety guidance includes more information about planning a high risk activity, event, or trip, or you are welcome to discuss your ideas with a member of our team.

Vehicle hire and student drivers

All hire vehicles should be booked using the recommended suppliers (details of this can be found on the Committee Portal). Societies may, at times, use private vehicles during their activities. When using private vehicles, the society must ensure that:

  • The vehicle has all the necessary insurance, tax, MOT, and service certificates and is road worthy.
  • A copy of the front and back of your photo card licence, alongside a copy of an up-to-date MOT certificate and insurance document must be forwarded to us.
  • The relevant insurance company has been informed and is happy for the vehicle to be used for your society activity.
  • Only licensed drivers who are insured to use that vehicle are allowed to drive.
  • Trip registration forms are submitted to us for all trips.