The RUCKSACK CLUB Ltd.
HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY FOR MEMBERS (FULL, ASSOCIATE & PROSPECTIVE)
The Rucksack Club recognises that climbing, hill walking and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Its members and guests pursuing these activities are aware of and accept these risks and responsibility for their own actions and involvement.
Election to membership of the Rucksack Club is based on the premise that the individual concerned has reached a level of proficiency in mountaineering skills that enables him or her to assess the potential risks of the activity in which they are engaged, and to be self-sufficient in the mountain environment.
Participants in Club activities and the users of Club huts are required to act in a responsible manner conscious both of their own safety and of the impact of their conduct on the safety of others, and be aware of their individual duty of care towards all in their company.
The Rucksack Club nevertheless acknowledges it has a duty as an organisation to ensure that as far as reasonably possible all its activities are conducted safely and that, in particular, its three climbing huts are maintained and managed to a high standard complying fully with all regulatory requirements.
The Committee intends to exercise its duty of care towards members and guests of the Club engaged in Club activities or using its huts, and others who may from time to time enter or use those premises whether carrying out work for the Club or for pleasure in the following manner:
- It will alert those becoming members of the Club of its expectations of the membership and their guests
- It will establish a routine, normally annual, review of potential hazards in its properties, and take any required remedial action to address reported problems.
- It will ensure that all users of its properties are informed of their proper use and of the course of action should they face an emergency.
- It will require that all accidents in the course of its activities and in its properties are properly logged, reported and investigated, any lessons learned then being applied.
- It will issue guidelines on any aspect of its health and safety responsibilities where this is felt to be necessary or helpful.
- It will invite a Club member to take the lead in monitoring the application of these measures and draw the attention of the Committee to any perceived defects in their application.
- It will review annually the effectiveness of the above measures in addressing its duty of care.
Adopted by The Rucksack Club Committee 08 January 2024