Policy: Introduction

The Feilding and District Art Society is a charitable organisation whose operations are undertaken primarily at Feilding Art Centre (the Art Centre) on 104 Manchester Street, Feilding. Our primary constitutional objective is to establish, govern, and manage the Art Centre. To do this, we rely on the invaluable support of staff, members, volunteers and visitors.

Health and Safety is an important factor in ensuring our Art Centre remains a thriving community hub, as well as a key part of our compliance requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act (2015), referred to hereafter as The Act.

Everyone who visits the Art Centre has a role to play in ensuring it is a safe place to work and visit. This plan is therefore intended to serve as a guide to help identify, mitigate and monitor any hazards that may arise at the Art Centre. However, it is no substitute for a culture of care and support. We are best-placed to ensure the health and safety of all our members and visitors by looking out for each other.

 Legislative Requirements

 All Feilding and District Art Society committee members, employees, and volunteers (hereafter, “personnel”) have obligations under The Act. According to The Act, the Feilding and District Art Society is considered an “undertaking”, defined as a group that has elements of organisation, systems, and possible continuity, but are usually not profit-making or commercial in nature. Sections of The Act relevant to undertakings are set out below:

Under Section 36, the duties of the Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU), in this case, the Feilding and District Art Society, are:

• ensuring the health and safety of personnel and visitors to the Art Centre

• providing and maintaining an environment that is without risks to the health and safety of personnel and visitors

• providing and maintaining safe plant and equipment

• ensuring the safe use, handling and storage of plant and equipment

• providing information, training, instruction, or supervision necessary for all personnel to conduct tasks safely

• monitoring conditions at the workplace for the purpose of preventing injury or illness

 Under Section 44, the duties of an Officer (Chairperson) are as follows:

• ensuring the PCBU exercises due diligence and complies with their duties. In order to exercise due diligence, an officer must:

  • acquire, and keep up to date, knowledge of health and safety matters

  • gain an understanding of the nature of PCBU operations and associated hazards

  • ensure that the PCBU has:

    • appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise hazards

    • appropriate processes for receiving and considering information regarding hazards and responding in a timely manner

    • processes for complying with any duty or obligation of the PCBU under this Act.

Under Section 45, the duty of personnel (employees and volunteers) are as follows:

• take reasonable care for their own health and safety in the workplace

• take reasonable care that their action (or inaction) does not adversely affect the health and safety of other personnel

• comply, as far as is practicable, with any reasonable instruction given by the PCBU in order to meet its obligations under The Act

• co-operate as far as practicable with any health and safety policy and/or procedure communicated by the PCBU to its personnel.

Individual Responsibilities

The Act also sets out specific responsibilities for individuals to ensure compliance. These responsibilities apply to all groups as listed below: 

All personnel must:

• take reasonable care of their own health and safety

• take reasonable care to avoid adversely affecting the health and safety of others

• use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as instructed and appropriate to tasks carried out

• report all hazards, accidents, injuries, illnesses, incidents, near hits, unsafe practices

• complete all training assigned in the timeframes provided

• co-operate, as far as practicable, with all workplace policies and procedures

• comply with any reasonable health and safety-related instructions

All committee members must:

• undertake any specific training required to meet their legislative requirements

• assist in the investigation of reported events as required

• actively promote safe workplace practice

• convene health and safety meetings if and when required, ensuring the agenda and minutes of all meetings are distributed to members 

The Art Centre Manager must:

• ensure all personnel, including contractors, complete a health and safety induction

• ensure all personnel participate in health and safety training relevant to their role

• ensure personnel comply with their health and safety responsibilities

• ensure the provision of information and training relating to health and safety

• ensure PPE is provided for personnel when required

• ensure workplace risks are identified and monitored appropriately

• ensure reported hazards are managed and investigated in a timely manner, and corrective action taken

Compliance

If there are aspects of the Health and Safety Policy that are not clear, or you need assistance in meeting your responsibilities, please speak to the Art Centre Manager. If required, queries may be escalated to the Committee Chairperson.