ALAN B. PARTNERSHIP LTD....ALAN B. PARTNERSHIP LTD. Health & Safety Advisors C.A.Barraclough BSc (Hons) TechIOSH Edisford Bridge Cottage Edisford Bridge, Clitheroe Lancashire, BB7

ALAN B. PARTNERSHIP LTD.

Health & Safety Advisors

C.A.Barraclough BSc (Hons) TechIOSH

Edisford Bridge Cottage

Edisford Bridge, Clitheroe

Lancashire, BB7 3LJ

mobile: 07411 132 657

e-mail: [email protected]

Mr. D. MacPhee Doncaster Golf Club Bawtry Road Bessacarr, Doncaster South Yorkshire DN4 7PD Friday, 24 January 2020 Dear Duncan Thanks for your time and hospitality during my visit on Friday, 27 September 2019 and for your continued commitment to health and safety.

A safety review visit was made by Alan B. Partnership Ltd. as part of the bi-annual health and safety advisory service, provided to Doncaster Golf Club. The purpose of these visits is to provide advice and review progress made by the association in the monitoring, maintenance and review of their approach to health and safety and the health and safety system.

Please find your safety visit report and recommendations attached; an e-mail reply, to confirm receipt, would be much appreciated. The advice provided is intended to help Doncaster Golf Club to: -

- Provide a safe place to work, - Promote a positive health and safety culture and - Achieve on-going compliance with their responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work

Act 1974 and associated regulations.

As usual, the report is broken down into sections corresponding to the structure of the health and safety system. Each sub-section contains a brief overview, findings and required actions. Being mindful of time constraints, the report identifies those actions that we believe should be considered highest priority. These have been highlighted as pink.

Other actions have been recorded as medium (yellow) and low (green) priority; these should be addressed in due course and their status reviewed at our next visit.

As ever, should you require any clarification, assistance or further guidance, please do not hesitate to contact us. My next visit is provisionally planned for Monday, March 30th. As usual, I will send out a reminder, approximately one month before, at which point the date can be amended as required. With kind regards, Christopher Barraclough For and on behalf of Alan B Partnership Ltd.

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ALAN B. PARTNERSHIP LTD.

Health & Safety Advisors

SAFETY VISIT REPORT: SVR0219 C.A. Barraclough BSc (Hons) TechIOSH

DONCASTER GOLF CLUB 27 September 2019

Contents

HS01: Safety Monitoring System Year Planner ................................................................................................... 2

HS03a: Staff training - Chainsaws ........................................................................................................................ 2

HS03b: Health & Safety Focus ............................................................................................................................. 2

HS04: Fire Tests and Log ...................................................................................................................................... 3

HS05: Fire Precautions Risk Assessment & Emergency Plan ............................................................................... 3

HS07: Electrical Register ...................................................................................................................................... 4

HS08: Plant Maintenance Register ...................................................................................................................... 4

HS11: Substance Assessments ............................................................................................................................ 4

HS12: Risk Assessment Register .......................................................................................................................... 5

HS13: Contractor Vetting Policy .......................................................................................................................... 6

HS17: Authorised Persons Register - Greens ...................................................................................................... 6

HS19: Health Surveillance ................................................................................................................................... 8

HS20: Reports ...................................................................................................................................................... 8

Appendix 1: Golfer Safety Awareness ................................................................................................................. 9

Appendix 2: Poor Visibility - Fog & Darkness Policy .......................................................................................... 11

Appendix 3: Closure of course due to high winds ............................................................................................. 13

Appendix 4: Table to be added to HS01 Planner and Logbook for visual checks of fire extinguishers. ........... 15

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HS01: Safety Monitoring System Year Planner

Action Description Who Progress

Safety checks and inspections

Ensure that all the safety checks & inspections detailed on the Safety Monitoring System Year Planner are completed and records kept.

DM to coord

Good progress – thanks Duncan

System planner

DM to produce 2020 planner based on your 2019 version.

Please see the additional action, regarding visual checks on fire extinguishers, in section HS04 below.

DM

HS03a: Staff training - Chainsaws


Chainsaw operators

1. Please ensure that you have copies of chainsaw operation licenses for all members of staff who undertake chainsaw work.

2. Training be arranged at least every 5 years for all chainsaw operators, to ensure that they are provided with up to date information, instruction and training.

HSE guidance (see INDG317 Chainsaws at work sent with my previous report), recommends that this training takes place every two to three years for occasional users and every five years for regular users.

This can often be incorporated as part of training for more advanced skills. Employers need to record and plan for this training.

DM to coord

RM refresher 3 years ago

DD due refresher training – booked November.

TS no longer a chainsaw operator or attend a refresher training course.

Please see the Forestry work risk assessment action in section HS12 below.

Other certificates

Please ensure that copies of all certifications or licences are held in personnel files. For example, pesticide preparation and application, first aid etc.

DM, RM

On-going

HS03b: Health & Safety Focus


Ticks and insect bites

Green staff and golfers could be exposed to tick borne diseases such as Lyme disease. I would advise: -

Staff provided with guidance information from the HSE and Lyme Disease action - It is important to be ‘tick aware’ in high risk areas. Guidance has been sent with this report.

In areas of long grass, staff advised to wear long trousers tucked in to socks.

Check exposed skin for ticks and remove immediately with tick removal tools.

Tick removal tools are held in first aid kits.

Check clothing for ticks after work or playing golf in and around longer grassed areas.

Staff and golfers are advised to use insect repellents.

All to note

Carried forward for purchase of tick removal tools.

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HS04: Fire Tests and Log


Monthly visual fire extinguisher checks

On a monthly basis, visual checks of fire extinguishers should be made and recorded in the HS01 logbook. These checks are straightforward and include: -

1. Extinguishers are in the assigned locations

2. Extinguishers and signs are clearly visible

3. Anti-tamper tags are in place and unbroken

4. Gauge is showing the extinguisher is full

DM New action arising out of a Fires Safety Officer audit of another client.

See appendix 4 below, containing the recording table template for these checks – this should be copied into your HS01 2020 logbook.

HS05: Fire Precautions Risk Assessment & Emergency Plan


Fire drill As discussed, once you are content that bar staff should know what to do in the event of a fire and members have been notified of their responsibilities (see above), then I would recommend you carry out an actual fire drill.

Best practice is to keep the number of people aware of the drill to an absolute minimum, who should observe what the rest of the staff and occupants do, once the alarm starts to sound.

DM to coord

Due now

Fire evacuation – advice to members

As discussed, I would advice that a communiqué be issued to members (for example by email or in a newsletter) regarding expectations on members, in the event of the fire alarm sounding.

FIRE EVACUATION PROCEDURES

Please note that all staff have recently been trained in evacuation procedures, in the event of an emergency.

We thought it was a good opportunity to remind members what they should do, in the event of discovering a fire or the fire alarm sounding.

On discovering a fire, members should: -

Activate the fire alarm via the nearest call point

NOT tackle the fire, unless they feel confident to do so.

Evacuate the building

On hearing the fire alarm, members should: -

Must not ignore the fire bell or instructions and ACT IMMEDIATELY

Follow whatever instructions are given to them by staff.

Congregate at the FIRE ASSMEBLY POINT, which is in the car-park.

In the event of an evacuation, please: -

DM Repeat every 6 months and imminently, before your next actual drill.

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Do not delay, collecting belongings etc.

Do not move vehicles, as this may block the route of emergency services.

Fire extinguisher note

Whilst emphasis should be to escape and NOT use extinguishers, it is sensible to understand what the different types are used for.

Therefore, please find sent with this report, a new training note on the different types of fire extinguisher and when to use them.

Please circulate to staff members to read.

DM Noted

Fire training and questionnaire

I have also produced a new fire evacuation training note and questionnaire. Please consider using this with staff, to ensure that their evacuation training remains embedded and recorded.

DM Noted and used for staff training.

HS07: Electrical Register


PAT testing Completed 2019 Note

HS08: Plant Maintenance Register


Replacement ladder

DM to review the register and update with any new or replaced ladders.

Please ensure that biannual ladder checks are now embedded into H&S procedures.

DM Carried forward

Change in Enforcement Expectations for Mild Steel Welding Fume

Please see appendix below, at the end of this report, for a change in expectation from the HSE regarding welding work.

With immediate effect, there is a strengthening of HSE’s enforcement expectation for all welding fume, including mild steel welding; because general ventilation does not achieve the necessary control.

Portable LEV systems seem to be available and I would advise you to look to purchase such a unit, to use in conjunction with your welding apparatus or no longer weld on site.

RM RM confirmed that the greens team do not possess a welder.

Air Compressors

DM & RM to decide whether to arrange for a Written Scheme of Inspection for both air compressors to be produced, or procure new compressors.

DM, RM

Complete

HS11: Substance Assessments


COSHH registers

Review the content of the HS11 COSHH registers.

For substances identified as HIGH RISK, please ensure that staff read sections 4, 6 and 7 of the safety data

All Please find the updated Greens and Clubhouse COSHH registers, sent with this report. Based

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sheets BEFORE they use the substance.

- Section 4 : First Aid Measures

- Section 6 : Accidental Release Measures

- Section 7 : Handling & Storage

Staff must be aware of key safety procedures, when using these substances and the act of re-reading this information prior to use reinforces the need for extra care and focus.

on the list received 25/9/19

HS12: Risk Assessment Register


Forestry work In light of two recent incidents, relating to chainsaw operations at golf clubs, I have decided to produce a separate Forestry Work risk assessment template, a draft of which is sent with this report. This covers the following activities: -

1. Chainsaws 2. Chipper 3. Stump grinding 4. Controlled fires

As a draft template, can you please review and amend. I would appreciate any feedback you might have.

RM Carried forward

Clubhouse toolbox or team talks

As discussed, I would recommend that department heads lead discussions of their staff in order to promote safety awareness and remind staff of agreed procedures and safety measures.

This is in response to a number of accidents, involving clubhouse staff, which have resulted in injuries and subsequent personal injury claims.

The club has a responsibility to provide information, instruction and training and I believe that this includes refresher training, to tackle complacency and bad habits.

I have sent a template, with my previous report, that should be used to record that these talks have taken place and who was present.

JL Carried forward – JL & DM to schedule the activities and promote conversion.

Greens near-miss incident recording

I would continue to recommend the recording all occurrences of incidents where greenstaff could have been struck or nearly struck by golf balls.

RM, Grns

On-going DM to include a comment in upcoming

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Note that these includes all instances of golfers failing to afford greens staff appropriate priority and not just where balls have struck or nearly struck staff.

This can be used to inform of higher risk areas, required changes to procedures and risk assessments, player awareness etc.

There are basically two types of near miss incident I am concerned about: -

1) Genuinely wayward shots, where the ball nearly strikes a greenkeeper. Whilst no blame is attached to these incidents, we need to quantify them and hopefully show that they are few and far between.

2) “Trigger happy” golfers, who fail to wait for greenkeepers to either get out of range or wave them through. Note that, in these cases, it is irrelevant how close the ball actually comes to the greenkeeper; it is the potential to cause an injury that we are concerned with here.

newsletters, reminding golfers to shout “Fore!” – I would suggest you use the blue box from the appendix below. RM confirmed that the greens team have reported no near misses. Head Gkp to encourage the continued recording of incidents. Main benefits being: -

Quantify the issue

Discourage impatience

Greenkeeper awareness

Golfer awareness

HS13: Contractor Vetting Policy


Policy document

Please find, sent with a previous report, our Contractor Vetting Policy (CVP) template.

As discussed with DM, I agree that it is sensible to produce a log or file of preferred contractors, who have completed the CVP.

The document is detailed and contains various sections that can be used, depending on the work being undertaken and associated risks.

The key sections are: -

Selection of Contractors

General Manager’s responsibilities

Contractor competency questionnaire

H&S Info. for Contractors

Site Rules

Permission to Work certificate

Please have a look through and come back to me with any questions or queries.

DM On-going – DM to review preferred suppliers.

HS17: Authorised Persons Register - Greens


Work observations

As discussed, I recommend that RM spends time over the summer season observing his team carry out certain key tasks.

I have sent a template previously, for the purposes of

RM On-going – new sheets are being adopted.

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recording these observations.

Each one should take no more than about 30 minutes to complete and I would suggest that you focus on perhaps 3 key task per person per year, over a 3 year cycle to cover the 9 or 10 highest risk or complicated tasks.

Examples should include: -

Chippers & chainsaws

Ride-on mowing of tees and embankments

Ride-on mowing of greens and surrounds

Ride-on mowing of fairways and semi-rough

Mowing under trees

Mowing on slopes

Strimmers & flymos

Tractors and attachments

Spraying and hazardous substances

Greens Refresher training

I would recommend that refresher training takes the form of toolbox talks, involving all the greens team and focussing on a specific task or machine type.

Toolbox talks should include consideration of: -

Risk assessments

How to set up machinery properly and accurately

Techniques used to cut greens, tees, surrounds, fairways and rough

Daily checks of machinery

Daily cleaning off procedures

Safe refuelling

Seasonal servicing

What PPE do we have and why do we use it?

Hazardous substances (if applicable) – storing, handling etc.

Once a talk has been completed, staff should sign the appropriate form, to show their presence and understanding.

Please find a suggested template, for this purpose, sent again with a previous report.

RM On-going – I would just encourage you to record that the conversations have taken place, in the recording template previously provided.

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HS19: Health Surveillance


Hand-arm vibration assessments

Please find, sent with my previous report, the document HS19 - Health Surveillance - Hand-arm vibration, designed to provide a means of routinely assessing staff for signs of chronic conditions arising out of the use of hand-arm vibrating machinery.

The document includes both an initial and annual screening questionnaires, which could be used with staff.

I have also included copies of HSE Guidance notes: -

INDG175 : Hand-arm vibration at work – a brief guide

INDG296 : Hand-arm vibration - Advice for employees

RM, Grns

Carried forward - Discussed again at this visit Please have a look through this new section of the H&S management system, aimed at monitoring greens staff for early warning signs of HAVS. I am happy to discuss this further at my next visit.

Workplace well-being

BIGGA have recently raised the issue of management of stress in the workplace.

I have sent the following two documents, with this report: -

i. INDG430 – the HSE guidance note on how to tackle work related stress.

The document provides perfect insight into the management and control of work related stress.

I would suggest that all line managers be afforded the opportunity to read it; please feel free to raise any further questions with me.

ii. HS19 – Health surveillance – Workplace well-being; a questionnaire for staff to complete, based around the 6 key management standards: -

i. Demands ii. Control iii. Support iv. Role v. Change vi. Relationships

Please review the content of the questionnaire and let me know of any concerns.

Going forward, this can be used as a routine monitoring exercise or as a means of working with an employee, who has identified stress as an issue as part of on-going illness or absenteeism or, for example, as part of their appraisal process.

RM, DM, RB

Carried forward – discussed again at this visit.

As discussed, I have “rebranded” the questionnaire as well-being rather than stress related, as I think it presents a more positive message. As a draft document, I would appreciate any feedback you have. (This was based on a very good questionnaire, produced by the Australian University Deakin, that I found online.)

HS20: Reports


This report Please keep a copy of this report in the H&S system file DM

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Appendix 1: Golfer Safety Awareness

I would recommend that the membership of the club be regularly communicated with regarding safety on the course. The information could, for example be emailed or included in Newsletters are short, specific advice items. The following are recommended topics, taken from the course safety sign.

I believe that the club has a duty of care to all golfers and should take this responsibility seriously. These awareness reminders are designed to tackle complacency, over-familiarity and bad habits that we all fall into over time.

Please find, sent with my last report, a PDF file containing the blue boxes shown in the table below. This new version includes advice for hot weather and strong winds.

It may be worth considering, especially for situations such as fog, displaying temporary signs on the first tee – the blue boxes below can be used for this purpose.

Issue Recommendation When

Fog Please see the separate appendix below, regarding fog policies. Autumn / Spring

On-going Golfer awareness; promoting the use of “FORE!”

I would recommend that golfers be periodically reminded about the use of “FORE!” as a key safety measure.

Having discussed the issue with many golf clubs, there is a consensus that many golfers fail to understand when “FORE!” is required, tending to shout only when they can see their ball flying towards someone.

I suggest that the standard wording regarding “FORE!” (either from the Course Safety Sign or from the R&A Rules of Golf) be communicated to members at the start of the golf season.

Spring or summer

Greens staff priority

We discussed communicating with members, via a newsletter or greens update, to remind them not to play when greenstaff are working ahead and to explain what greenkeeper priority actually means and what greenkeepers have been instructed to do.

Please find example wording below: -

“Please be aware that on the course Greenstaff have priority at all times.

You MUST NOT PLAY until a greenkeeper has acknowledged you, stepped aside and waved you through.

Please DO NOT assume that a member of the greens team will be able to hear and

Spring or summer

Reminderaboutsafetyonthecourse:

• Ifyouplayaballinadirec' onwheretheremaybeadangerofhi; ngsomeone,youmustshout“FORE!”immediately.

• Onhearing“FORE!”–Crouch,coveryourheadandcountto10.FORE!

ReminderaboutGreensstaffpriority:

• GREENSSTAFFworkingonthecoursehavepriorityatall' mes.

• DONOTassumeagreenkeeperwillbeabletohearorreacttoashoutof“FORE!”.

• Playersareexpectedtowaitforstafftoacknowledgethemandmoveoutofrange,BEFOREplayingashotthatmightendangerthem.

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Issue Recommendation When

respond to shouts of “FORE!” whilst they work. They may not be able to hear due to machinery noise, their use of ear defenders and the fact that they are concentrating on the job they are doing.

This priority rule is in place to protect staff against the risk of being hit by golf balls while they work, as one of several safety measures, including: -

Greens staff ensure they are visible to other persons on the course

Traffic routes around the course have been planned to minimise operator exposure to golf balls.

Green keeping work is planned, where possible, to avoid it taking place when holes are in play. This includes greens staff starting work at dawn, to try to get as much work as possible done before golfers begin.

Record of “near misses” is maintained and reported to the Secretary on a regular basis.”

Wherever possible, greenstaff will move to one side, to allow golfers to play through.

However, there will be times when this will not be the case: -

Greenstaff may not notice you, as they are concentrating on the task in hand.

Certain jobs cannot be interrupted. For example, when spraying greens, the job must be continuous to ensure constant and complete coverage.

The job maybe nearly finished or by holding you up once, the greenstaff will pull away from you and not disturb you again.

Finally, please shout “FORE!” even if a greenkeeper has waved you through, if

you hit a ball in their direction. Please do not assume that they have seen your ball and are aware it is flying towards them.”

Hot weather

Summer

High winds Please see the appendix below regarding high winds. All

Footwear I would recommend you communicate with all members reminding them to wear appropriate footwear for the conditions – especially as the ground is damper and more slippery in Autumn and Winter.

Autumn / Winter

ReminderaboutWinterFootwear:

• Thecourse,itsstepsandsurfacesmaybeslipperyinwetorwinterycondi' ons.

• Ensureyouwearappropriatefootwear,tomeettheprevailingcondi' ons.

• Whereverpossible,keeptofootpathsandsteps.

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Appendix 2: Poor Visibility - Fog & Darkness Policy

The club has a duty of care to all users of the course and as such should have a clear policy regarding the discontinuation of play. The policy should be enforced.

I emailed a copy of the example Poor Visibility policy, with this report. I would strongly recommend it be reviewed, tailored and adopted by the club.

In summary, I believe that the most practicable solution is to assign primary responsibility for deciding to stop play with the individual golfer, as it is they who can determine whether they can see the full distance of their intended shot and whether they are putting anyone at risk by playing it. This approach also makes allowance for patchy fog, which may come and go. Golfers could temporarily suspend their round and wait to see whether visibility improves at the point on the course they are.

As a secondary measure, a decision can be taken at the clubhouse to prevent more golfers from starting their rounds. This is typically based on an objective assessment of visibility at the first tee; once visibility drops below a certain distance then golfers are not allowed to start their rounds.

Therefore, I would recommend that the club defines a fpolicy consisting of two key clauses, as described below. Additionally, two further clauses are required to consider competition golf specifically.

Note however that a policy is only effective if golfers adhere to it and the policy is enforced. It is therefore important that the policy is communicated in detail to members, breaches are punished and members are regularly reminded.

Course closure policy

I would advise that the club’s policy should consist of four clauses: -

1. Player responsibility

The decision regarding play in fog or darkness, first and foremost, should lie with the individual golfer.

Wherever they are on the course, from the 1st tee to the last, they must assess whether it is safe to hit the ball; whether they can see the clear distance of their intended shot. If they can't see, they should not play.

2. 1st tee closure

As a secondary measure, the club should also stop matters getting worse by preventing any more golfers from venturing onto the course by closing the 1st tee.

Note that this point of the policy only actually closes the course to new golfers, it does nothing to bring others off the course, which is why it can only be a secondary measure.

3. Suspension of competition

I would draw your attention to rule 6E clause 2.

“Visibility

It is recommended that, if landing areas are no longer visible to players (for example, due to fog or darkness), play should be suspended. Similarly, if players are unable to read the line of play on a putting green due to a lack of visibility, play should be suspended.”

Rule 6E(2) can be triggered based on the actions of individual golfers, as per clause 1 of the suggested policy above.

Once a significant number of participating golfers have decided that it is no longer safe to continue and start to come in off the course, the competition can be suspended or cancelled on the grounds that the course can be deemed unplayable. This decision is therefore based on the actions of a number of the participants.

Note that this is very similar to suspending play in wet weather. The competition committee can decide to suspend or cancel a competition based on the evidence of participating golfers, who report that they are unable to continue playing due to waterlogged greens or fairways.

4. Individual golfers in competition

Should an individual player decide to stop playing on the grounds that they are concerned that they may be endangering other golfers, then the competition committee can allow this without cancelling the competition.

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An example might be a category one golfer, who hits the ball a significant distance, may decide to drop out of a competition due to visibility being restricted for their intended shots, whereas the majority of competitors would be perfectly safe to continue.

I believe that Rule 6E clause 5 is applicable here

“Player Refuses to Start or Picks Up Due to Weather Conditions

If, because of bad weather, a player refuses to start at the time arranged by the Committee or picks up during the round and the Committee later cancels that round, the player gets no penalty as all penalties in a cancelled round are cancelled.”

In such a case, it would be wrong for a Committee to disqualify a player who insisted on discontinuing play and cancelling their round, provided that the committee is satisfied that the golfer discontinued solely because the circumstances could be dangerous to other players if they had continued with their round.

Policy education and enforcement

With a poor visibility policy in place, as described above, greens staff and other members of staff should be given the authority to report any golfers they observe failing to adhere to the policy and to ask them to leave the course.

I recommend that you send a communiqué to every member, explaining why the policy is as it is, why they must adhere and what the consequences will be if they don't.

Many golfers only think about themselves and the group ahead - "We'll give them a few minutes and then tee off - they should be out of range!". They fail to consider all the other issues that bring people into range, such as: -

Golfers losing balls or delayed for other reasons ahead

Golfers walking back to the clubhouse, who won't walk around the holes in order but go for the shortest route.

Greenstaff - If golfers refuse to adhere to your fog policy then you MUST pull greenstaff off the course in fog. As an industry, we justify having players and greenstaff operating in the same space because they can see each other. Take away the visibility and you are putting your staff at undue and unnecessary risk.

Members of the public (trespassers included). If a golfer seriously hurts someone by hitting a ball into fog, the golfer will be liable and the club may also be partially responsible for not preventing them from playing.

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Appendix 3: Closure of course due to high winds

If high winds are a concern, then I would suggest that the club defines its own policy for course closure. I believe that this is a sensible measure and one that the directors ought to consider seriously, particularly when considering their responsibilities towards users of the course they are responsible for, under the Occupants Liability Act.

As I sure you are aware, there is no definitive, objective procedure that all golf clubs are expected to apply. I have therefore tried to put together a sensible proposal, which a club could adopt or amend.

Summary

The directors of a golf club have a duty of care, to all golfers playing the course, to inform them of risks that are not clearly obvious to the golfers.

The directors should ensure that all reasonable steps are taken, to ensure that golfers are not subject to unnecessary risks.

Therefore, trees and buildings on the property should be periodically surveyed, to ensure that the risk of falling branches, roof slates etc. is kept to a minimum.

Consideration should also be given to the increased risk from wayward shots onto adjacent fairways (especially if visibility is restricted) and wayward shots over the course boundary and into adjoining properties or onto public highways.

Consideration must be given to the safety of greens staff, who are expected to work in high winds. Course Managers / Head Greenkeepers must adjust work plans to prevent staff being put at undue risk.

I would suggest that golfers be informed of forecasted high winds, before they venture onto the course.

However, golfers (like all other members of the public) must be assumed to be aware of risks associated with venturing outside in high winds.

Measuring wind speed

Anemometers, device to read wind-speed, are readily available on-line and hand-held versions can be purchased for as little as £20.

The Met Office website metoffice.gov.uk will provide details of forecast wind speeds for any given postcode.

Several free Apps are available, which supply current wind speeds; e.g. Weather Live or AccuWeather

What constitutes a ‘high wind’?

The following table provides information about the impact of winds at increasing speeds. Whilst originally intended for marine activities I believe it does provide pertinent information, which a club could use to help define a course closure policy. As can be seen, I would suggest that winds below about 30 mph (50 km/h) should not be a cause for concern. Whilst golf will become increasingly difficult, it is unlikely that golfer will be at risk or that balls will be blown significantly off course.

Wind speeds between 30 mph and approximately 45 mph should probably be classed as medium risk and consideration given as to whether certain holes should be closed due to increased risk from falling branches and the risk of balls being blown onto adjacent properties or other golf holes – especially if visibility is restricted. Golfers should be informed, before teeing off, that the winds are strong and to take extra care.

Wind speeds above 45 mph or gale force 9+ should, in my opinion, trigger a course closure. There will be significant risk of damage to trees and property, flying debris and little control of wayward golf shots.

Beaufort Wind Scale

Beaufort No. Force

Wind Speed Description Effects

mph km/hr

0 to 5 0-24 0-38 Calm to Fresh Breeze Up to “Small trees sway”

6 25-31 39-49 Strong Breeze Large tree branches move, telephone wires begin to "whistle", umbrellas are difficult to keep under

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Beaufort Wind Scale

Beaufort No. Force

Wind Speed Description Effects

mph km/hr

control.

7 32-38 50-61 Moderate or Near Gale Large trees sway, becoming difficult to walk.

8 39-46 62-74 Gale or Fresh Gale Twigs and small branches are broken from trees, walking is difficult.

9 47-54 75-88 Strong Gale Slight damage occurs to buildings, shingles are blown off of roofs.

10 55-63 89-102 Whole Gale or Storm Trees are broken or uprooted, building damage is considerable.

11 64-72 103-117 Violent Storm Extensive widespread damage.

12 73+ 118+ Hurricane Extreme destruction, devastation.

Source www.MarineWayPoints.com

Furthermore, I would advise that golfers be warned about forecast high winds. As such, I have amended my HS12 – Golfer Safety Awareness file, to include a warning sign regarding high winds. I would encourage clubs to display this when stronger winds are forecast, to ensure that golfers remain mindful of the additional risks golfing in high winds poses.

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Appendix 4: Table to be added to HS01 Planner and Logbook for visual checks of fire extinguishers.

RECORDS OF VISUAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER CHECKS (Monthly)

Checks :- (1) Correctly positioned, (2) Anti-tamper tag in place, (3) Information sign displayed, (4) Full gauge

DATE ISSUES SIGNATURE

Documents

ALAN B. PARTNERSHIP LTD....ALAN B. PARTNERSHIP LTD. Health & Safety Advisors C.A.Barraclough BSc (Hons) TechIOSH Edisford Bridge Cottage Edisford Bridge, Clitheroe Lancashire, BB7