Health and Safety Guidelines for Club Members

Club Responsibilty:

• As far as possible, the Club will aim to protect the health and safety of all members engaged in Club training.  The Health and Safety Guidelines, Club procedures and any associated Health and Safety Guidance will be reviewed, at least on an annual basis, to ensure that they remain accurate and reflect the Club ethos.

Member Responsibilty:

• Members should familiarise themselves with the Health and Safety guidelines located on the club website.  As members you have a responsibility to do your best to prevent harm to yourselves, your running partners or members of the public.  As members you should acknowledge that you owe a duty of care to not willfully injure yourselves or others by your negligent acts or omissions.  You must take personal responsibilty for your own safety, whilst keeping a watchful eye on others running in the same group, particularly new members.  Consideration should be given to others, and common sense used. 
  

• The club relies on its members to report any problems encounted whilst running on training routes.  For example, dangerous styles, damaged pavements, tree roots, overhanging branches, posts, bollards, rubbish bins and bags, potholes, poor visability etc.  Be considerate of other pavement users, and do not run in cycle paths.

• All members of the club declare themselves medically fir to run at their own risk and shall not hold the club responsible for any incident occuring through a personal medical condition or injury.  As appropriate, members should request regular checu-ups with their General Practitioner.  Members with any medical conditions agree where appropriate to carry with them the relevant details of the condition and their name, address and emergency phone number with contact details.  Voluntary disclosure of medical conditions shall be the responsibility of the individual member.

• Members should understand the value of wearing appropriate clothing for the time of the year and appropriate trainers for variations in terrain.  When running in the dark members should take responsibility for making themselves highly visable by wearing bright clothing, preferably with fluorescent or reflective strips, and be aware that drivers may find it difficult to see you.
  

• Running with headphones outdoors is a safety hazard. You won’t be able to hear cars, cyclists or someone approaching.  If you want to use an MP3 player on a Club run (on and off road) you must only use one ear piece on the headphones.  This will still allow you to hear the music and also be more aware of your surroundings.   

• The group endeavour to stay together as much as possible.  Members should take care to listen to the proposed route before setting off.  The group lead should ensure that a head count is takenand that a tail runner has been assigned to ensure that no one individual gets left behind.  Whenever mixed ability occurs within a group, regrouping by looping should take place at appropriate times along the route to ensure that no one individual gets left behind.  If one runner decides to leave the group whilst out on the ruyn, they must inform at least one other runner in that group.  Upon returning to the start the group lead should check that everyone who started out has returned or can be accounted for.

• Routes shall be planned to avoid unlit roads at night during hours of darkness.  Routes passing along roads without footpaths shall be avoided wherever possible and when this is not possible (on quiet roads) runners shall run to the right to face any oncoming traffic or to the left at bends where forward visability to the right is limited.  Check your surroundings before crossing roads.  Use pedestrian crossings where available. 
  
  

• Members shall famiiliarise themselves with any individuals who have a recognised emergency first aid qualification within the club. 
  
  
  Incidents:

• Whenever reasonably possible, one member of the group should carry a mobile phone.  In the event of an incident, members should first check if anyone is injured and locate an emergency first aider (if available).  It is advisable for at least one member to stay with the injured person, who should not be moved unless their location is immediately life threatening.  If appropriate, emergency services should be contacted using 999.  Finally, a Group Leader should be informed as soon as is practically possible in order that relatives can be informed and incident records made. 
  

• Members are sometimes verbally harassed and occasionally threatened on a run. Be sensible and vigiliant when you run, but don’t let insignificant taunting limit your freedom. The advice from Police is not to engage in any conversation but to call them on 101 or 999 if necessary. 
  

• These guidelines are endorsed by all Committee Members and Club Members of Jelly Legs Running Club through their new or continued membership of the club.