Churchyard risk assessment

St Paul’s Church Kersal Moor - Single Hazard Risk Assessment

General Information – Churchyard

St Paul’s churchyard comprises approx 2 acres with graves, grassy areas and both grass and tarmac paths. People accessing graves, working on graves, maintaining churchyard areas, walking through the churchyard do so at their own risk. Monumental masons and voluntary organisations carrying out remedial work e.g. Community Payback, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, must carry their own indemnity insurance. Children are not permitted to undertake activities in the churchyard unless part of an organised and supervised event.

Identification/Description of Hazard

Accessing graves in the churchyard

Who is at risk?

Anyone visiting the churchyard in order to visit a family grave.

Visitors to the churchyard for other purposes e.g. churchyard trail, historic research, genealogical research, general interest.

Level of and associated risk

Low level- use of grass and tarmac paths

Medium level- leaving the path to visit a specific grave as currently most of the graveyard is not maintained except where graves and their access are maintained by individual families

Precautions and controls

Grass paths mowed regularly. Tarmac paths weeded periodically.

Access to many graves is inhibited by long grass and occasional brambles. Care needs to be exercised where there are no clear paths. Persons with walking difficulties are discouraged from attempting to access some graves.

All persons attempting to access graves do so at their own risk.

Action

Draw attention of all users to risk assessment. Monitor all activity via SPACE and PCC

Review date: as required