67 East Street, Corfe Castle, Dorset, BH20 5EE
Protocols and Risk Assessment

This page can also be downloaded as a pdf file by clicking here.

Any person or group or organisation intending to use the hall is responsible for carrying out their own Risk Assessment, based on their own needs, before using the hall.

The purpose of this page is to highlight any issues that users should be aware of and the do�s and don�ts of using the hall.

Any potential Health & Safety risks are shown in blue.

Dementia Friendliness

The Trustees have adopted a Dementia Friendly approach on the premises in of signage and facilities. However, if any events are being run that may have dementia sufferers present it is up to the hirer to ensure that a further risk assessment is carried out in order to that any confusion is avoided to such guests. For example, a few seats and a piece of reference artwork could be provided in the foyer and the mirror there temporarily covered as well as a strip of lighter coloured carpet laid across the floor. Any of the various rooms in the building could be used as a quiet space.

Car Park

The car park is only for the use of hall or library users. There are two disabled parking spaces in the car park that is shared with the library. There is an agreement with the school for parents to be able to park briefly while dropping off or picking up children from school, but only when the hall is not in use. Nobody else has any right to be parking in this private car park.

External Access

The main approach to the hall is down two shallow steps. There is compliant ramped access from the car park to the main doors on the north east side corner of the building.
There is also a steeper ramp on the south-west corner but In heavy rain this access route has been known to fill with water but clearing the gulley grating situated at the base of the ramp has always resolved any problem.

Rear Terrace and Field

The two patio doors in the main hall open onto a terraced area. There are lights controlled from the main hall lighting bank; please double check that these lights are turned off after use as they are out of sight. The field is not the Village Hall�s and access to it is not included in the Hall Hire contract.

Meter Cupboards

Gas and Electricity meter cupboards and shut off valves are located on the external south end wall.

Door Access

The key to the front door is located in the key box to the right of the doors. The code is changed regularly and will be notified to you on booking. The key must not be taken into the hall: it must always be left in the box after opening the doors to avoid it going missing. The combination must be scrambled whenever the key is replaced in the box, to prevent the code becoming known to any casual observer.

Fire Precautions

Users must read and ake notice of the Hirer's Fire Safety Management Plan documents published on our website or available in hard copy. Users must ensure that they are familiar with fire escape routes from the room(s) they are using. Fire Extinguishers, which are serviced annually, are provided around the building. If any of them are discharged during the user�s occupancy then the Booking Clerk must be informed. If the old committee room is being used then the external door from it should be kept unlocked as an additional means of escape. The key to this door is located in the key box behind the kitchen door; please ensure that it is relocked after use.

Fire Alarm System

The building contains numerous smoke detectors but no Carbon Monoxide detectors. The fire alarm management box is located in the foyer just to the right of the main doors. If the alarm goes off, the hirer must follow the instructions in the Hirer's Fire Safety Management Plan document. However if it is clear that it is a �false alarm�, the alarm can be switched off and the alarm system re-set using the instructions printed on the front of the fire alarm management box (keys in the key box behind the kitchen door).

First Aid Box

There are two First Aid Boxes situated in the kitchen with limited contents. The user will need to assess whether those contents will meet their own needs.

Ladders

Ladders are available in Store room 1. Hirers using these do so entirely at their own risk, and must use due care and attention. The key to the store room is located in the key box behind the kitchen door.

Heating

The heating in the Main Hall and the old Committee Room is by gas heaters. All other areas are heated by radiators. Both these systems are controlled by central controllers located on the external wall of the old Committee Room. The timer settings will heat the hall daily between 10am-12noon; 2pm-4pm and 7pm-10pm. These settings must not be altered by hirers. If any additional heating is required while the hall is in use then the BOOST button can be pressed to give an additional hour of heating. This will need to be pressed again after each hour if required. It cannot be pressed multiple times at once. The controls on the individual heaters must not be altered without prior consent.

User-controlled lighting

A panel of light switches just inside the Main Hall controls its ceiling lights (in three sections) and its wall lights, all of which is dimmable. It is operated on a push-on / push-off system with pressing and holding to dim or un-dim the lights. The round wall light knob is also push-on/push-off and turned to dim/un-dim the lights. On the same panel is a switch for the Terrace lighting. The Bill Carter Room also has dimmable lighting with push-on/push-off switches. The George Preston Room, the Kitchen, the old Committee room and the Store rooms each contain a separate light switch. (Hirers should be careful not to use the switch at the far end of the old Committee room; this controls a light in the attic area above this room.)
At the end of the hire period the hirer must ensure that all this user-controlled lighting is switched off.
If the dimmable lights appear to get out of sequence then press and hold down the light switch for over 10 seconds and the lights should re-set to full on.

Automatic lighting

The lighting in the foyer, corridors and toilets is activated by motion sensors. Hirers can therefore lock up and leave the building with the foyer lighting still on, as it will shut off automatically after a few minutes. The car park is lit by security lighting mounted on the library and Village Hall; this too is controlled automatically by motion sensors.

Water

There are isolator valves under each tap. If access to any is not possible (i.e. locked cupboard) then the main stop cock is located in the entrance drive way to the car park near the main road.

Hot Water

Hot water for tea / coffee is provided by an instantaneous electric heater located by the hatches. This needs to be turned on at least 20 minutes before use. Hot water for the kitchen sinks is provided by an instantaneous gas heater. This should fire up whenever a hot tap is turned on. The main kitchen sink tap may need to run for 30 seconds or more to achieve this. If it still fails to ignite the boiler, turn on the hand basin tap under the boiler as well until the boiler fires up. Instructions can be found in appendix A. The use of electric kettles should be avoided as much as possible, and is done so at the users own risk.

Cooking

Cooking is by a commercial gas cooker oven and six burner hob. Instructions for the operation of this cooker can be found on the wall beside the kitchen window. This is not a domestic cooker and therefore might not react as you expect. The doors must be slightly lifted to ensure they shut properly. We recommend that the oven be pre-heated for at least half an hour before use. Children must NOT be allowed to use the cooker without constant adult supervision. Instructions for use can be found in Appendix C.

Fridge

This will need to be turned on when needed. Hirers should ensure that the fridge is left empty, clean, switched off and the door hooked open after use.

Microwave

Hirers should ensure that the microwave cooker is unplugged after use.

Plate Warmer

There is an electric plate warming cupboard available next to the kitchen door. Hirers should ensure that this is switched off after use.

Catering

Larger events can use the additional catering equipment (cutlery, plates etc.) located in the large white doored cupboards at the end of the old Committee Room, but these will need unlocking by prior arrangement. Extra glasses are located in the kitchen cupboard by the fridge.
Additional water jugs and �nibble� bowls are available on request and kept at the head of the stairs in the new extension attic.

Breakages

Please report any breakages to the Booking Clerk.

Report Book

There is a report book in the kitchen in which you can write comments about anything that might need fixing or sorting out.

Cleaning

Vacuum cleaner, brooms, mop & bucket, dustpan & brush are located in the cleaning cupboard, which is alongside the disabled toilet. Additional cleaning materials can be found in the cupboard under the kitchen sink. The padlock is only there to prevent young children gaining access, and its code is 0-0-0.
It is a condition of hire that all users leave the hall clean and tidy as listed below. If this is not possible for any reason the hirer must inform the Booking Clerk as soon as possible. Floors should be swept, and mopped too if needed, especially if damp weather has led to muddy footprints or wet grass on the floor. Surfaces must be wiped down, both in the kitchen and on any tables used. It is also the hirer�s responsibility to check that toilets have been left in a reasonable state, with no litter left on the floor and any dirty nappies removed.

Rubbish

Hirers should empty bins throughout the building and remove all other rubbish from the premises. There are flip top bins located in the kitchen and main hall. Spare black liners can be found in the cupboard under the kitchen sink. Full sacks should be placed in the blue bin located by the sheds to the south of the building; the black bin is only for overflow use. Neither sacks nor any other items should be left on the ground alongside the bins. There are no recycling bins available. Hirers should take any excess rubbish away with them.

Attics

There is an attic above the old Committee Room. This is not to be accessed by other than authorised personnel or under supervision by authorised personnel.

Tables & Chairs

These should always be returned to their normal positions after use. Tables must be carefully stacked in the table trolleys and secured by the straps provided. The older red chairs should be stacked between windows, but not more than eight high. The chairs in the Bill Carter Room and the George Preston Room should be stacked on their trolleys ten high.

Notice Boards

There are various notice boards in the foyer and corridors. Some are for specific use of certain regular users (e.g. Rainbows, Brownies, Youth Club), whilst another is for Village Hall notices only. The largest notice board on the right hand side of the foyer is for any notice of general interest, although the CIO trustees reserve the right to remove any items they feel inappropriate. There is also a shelf for flyers.

Electric Piano

Store room 1 contains a Clavinova electric piano available for use by prior arrangement.

Staging

There are 16 Sico folding staging units. Hirers may use this equipment, but entirely at their own risk; hirers who have never used such equipment must request some prior instruction. Note that no safety edge rails are available. The main staging units come in two heights: 8 units can be set at 600mm or 800mm in height, and 8 units can be set at 800mm and 1000mm in height. The highest positions of each unit will need the folding legs fully opened. The two stair units should be moved using the drop down wheels and NOT dragged. The handrails to these steps are slotted into sockets and can appear wobbly but hirers must ensure that the locking screws are tight before use. If hirers use these steps without the handrails, they do so entirely at their own risk.

Brown Screen Curtains

There are four mobile curtain screen units available. Height adjustments must not be attempted without prior agreement and instruction. If moving them, the feet must always be at right angles to the curtains.

Film Screen

There is a folding film screen available in a long wooden box located on top of the white cupboards at the end of the old Committee Room. Instructions for use can be found in Appendix B.


APPENDIX A

Kitchen Sink Hot Water

The water heater is situated above the side hand basin. This is a fully automatic appliance that has NO pilot light. In case of emergency the gas supply can be turned off by a tap located in the cupboard under the hand basin. This tap must not be turned off unless for an emergency. There is an on/off dial switch on the left of the unit that needs to be turned to the I - position for ON or O - position for OFF. This can be left at the �I� position without wasting any gas.

When the kitchen sink or hand basin tap is turned on the appliance automatically turns itself on. A green light should appear on the right of the unit once the burner has ignited. If a red light appears in the centre of the unit this may mean that the appliance needs to be �re-set� by pressing that red light (which is also a button). Turn the dial switch off and on then wait a few moments for it to settle down before trying the hot taps again. If the green light fails to appear or the re-set process fails then please notify the village hall as soon as possible as the engineer will need to be called out. Clearly this means that it cannot be fixed the same day.

Hot water is still available either from the hot drinking water unit by the hatch or (in emergencies only) by heating kettles, or by a large urn located in the far left hand cupboard under the sinks.


APPENDIX B

Film Screen Instructions

The screen is kept in a long wooden box on top of the lower cupboard under the electrical fuse boxes at the South end of the old committee room with a separate wooden cross-bar on top of that box. Place the screen box on an opened staging unit or some tables with the catch facing the projector. Swing out the stabilising feet from the underside of the wooden box to 90 degrees.

Open the box lid and remove the two aluminium side poles from the box and insert them into the holes at each end of the box to form upright side supports. Place the wooden cross-bar into the tops of the side poles with the brown stained face towards the projector. Using the loop in the screen�s wooden top bar in the box carefully pull out the screen material until the screen top bar reaches the top cross-bar to the rear and the loop can be taken over the top of the cross-bar to loop onto the hook on the top cross-bar. To remove any creases carefully lift the remaining screen roll in the main box and roll up any slack to tension the screen. To tension the screen the bottom roll should be dangling within the main box.

Align your projector and the screen until the largest picture is obtained.

To pack up: unhook the screen at the top and, with help, very carefully roll the screen back onto its main bottom pole till the wooden top bar is tight to the roll. Then replace the screen roll back into the box with the wooden top bar tucked down beside the screen roll to the back of the box.

Dismantle the top cross-bar and side poles & replace the poles into the screen box. Return the box and top cross bar to its original position in the committee room.


APPENDIX C

Cooker Lighting Instructions

Make sure both �main switches� are on (black/orange label). Switch fan ON to full (Nicotra (UK) Ltd). Turn key to ON position � there will be a �click� noise (Gasguard).

To turn oven on, press & turn the oven knob (far left) then press orange button to ignite gas. Hold oven knob in for 10 seconds or so, to ensure the flame stays alight. To close right hand oven door properly, lift it slightly as it shuts.

To turn rings on, press in & turn relevant knob. Ignite manually with lighter or matches & hold relevant knob in for 5 seconds or so, to ensure flame stays alight. The ring knobs control the rear burners, then the front burners, starting from left.

When finished with cooker, switch the fan OFF and turn the key to the OFF position. Do not remove the key! Please return the gas lighter to relevant cupboard for other users.


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