Safety Statement
The safety of our Volunteers is of paramount concern - here is our Safety Statement which is read out before any activity takes place.
We insist that all our volunteers work in pairs, and that no one enters the river unless there are trained volunteers in attendance.
Statement wording can be seen below.
Volunteer Safety Statement
This Safety Statement must be read at the start of every activity
Sign in on arrival& follow Safety Officer’s instructions. Inform Safety Officer if leaving early.
- All taking part must wear FOTC hi-vis vests, gloves, warm clothes and robust footwear.
Working in Pairsis mandatory. Anyone in or near the water must have a partner on the bank using the “buddy system”. Do not enter the water unless completely safe and you are trained/competent to do so.
Be aware at all times, avoid local hazards e.g. weirs, steep banks, deep water and road traffic.
Use pickers for broken glass. Do not handle any hazardous waste e.g. drug paraphernalia or unidentified objects, report all to the co-ordinators
Avoid touching face and mouth while working; wash hands well before eating or smoking etc.
Cuts and scrapes to be cleaned ASAP. First Aid Kit available.
Under 18s or vulnerable persons must be accompaniedby parent / guardian and must never work near water’s edge.
Under 18s or vulnerable persons must be in sight of parent / guardian at all times.
HSE definition of Vulnerable Person: “older persons or persons with a disability that, as a result of physical or intellectual impairment, may be at risk of abuse”. Notwithstanding this definition, it will be at the discretion of the Safety Officer(s) to decide whether any person attending activities may participate alone or whether they should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
School/Youth groups: groups of under-18s must be accompanied by authorised responsible adult e.g. Teacher, who will be responsible for supervising them during the activity.
Report any Incident or Accident or Concern immediately to Safety Officer.
Full bags of rubbish to be left in designated areas for collection. Avoid lifting and dragging bags or heavy objects alone. Ask for help.
Do not cut vegetation or disturb birds and other wildlife under any circumstance.
WEIL’S DISEASE is a bacterial disease spread by contact with infected animal urine, it is water born or found in soils. Any flu-like symptoms after activities should be followed up by medical advice.
Please be aware that you are responsible for your own health & safety and must follow the safety statement at all times.
Child Protection Statement
As well as school tours (like this one demonstrating water quality sampling) some of our events are family and children focussed we have a robust Child Safety Statement which can be seen below.
FOTC Child Safeguarding Statement - updated Oct 2020
Name of organization: Friends of the Camac.
Friends of the Camac – Children and Vulnerable Persons Safeguarding Statement
Friends of the Camac – Children and Vulnerable Persons Safeguarding Statement
Nature of organization and principles to safeguard children and vulnerable persons from harm:
Friends of the Camac is a local not-for-profit community volunteer group set up to preserve/improve the Camac greenway for the people of Clondalkin.
Mission Statement:
“Protecting, preserving and enhancing the Camac River in Clondalkin; its heritage, wildlife and ecosystem; for present and future generations.”
As part of our mission, we encourage families to join us in volunteering e.g. ‘Planting for Pollinators’ project and monthly Community Clean-up Days on the River Camac in Clondalkin.
We also organize nature walks with groups from local schools and encourage youth engagement with the natural environment by e.g. running a Children’s Art Competition.
Risk Assessment
We have carried out an assessment of any potential for harm to children or vulnerable persons while participating in activities with Friends of the Camac. Below is a list of the areas of risk identified and the list of procedures for managing these risks.
Risk identified | Procedure in place to manage identified risk | |
1 | Safety in and around the water | A Safety Statement is read out at the beginning of every activity by one of our Safety Officers. First Aid kits are on hand. Strict instructions are given to participants to buddy up (working in groups of 2 or more), and no person is to work alone. |
2 | Protection of Children and Vulnerable Persons (HSE definition of Vulnerable Person: older persons or persons with a disability that, as a result of physical or intellectual impairment, may be at risk of abuse) | Children and vulnerable persons must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and must remain in sight of that parent or guardian during activities. No volunteer to work alone with any child or vulnerable person; buddy system to operate (i.e. 2 or more volunteers to work together at all times), and children and vulnerable persons must remain in sight of parent/guardian. |
3 | Groups | Groups of children must be accompanied by authorised responsible adult e.g. teacher, who will be responsible for supervising them at all times. |
4 | Photographs | Permission must be given by parent, guardian or school for any photo of children or vulnerable persons to be used by Friends of the Camac e.g. Newsletter. |
HSE definition of Vulnerable Person: “older persons or persons with a disability that, as a result of physical or intellectual impairment, may be at risk of abuse”. Notwithstanding this definition, it will be at the discretion of the Safety Officer(s) to decide whether any person attending activities may participate alone or whether they should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Procedures
Our Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children(2017), and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice. In addition to the procedures listed in our risk assessment, the following procedures support our intention to safeguard children while they are availing of our service:
Procedure for the management of allegations of abuse or misconduct against workers/volunteers: any concerns should be reported as soon as possible to:
A Friends of the Camac Safety Officer: Kevin Keogh, Katie Goodwin, or Brian Ronan. [a Safety Officer or nominee will be present at all activities]
An Officer of the Friends of the Camac Committee: Chair, Secretary or Treasurer.
Advisor of Friends of the Camac: Breeda Boner.
Procedure for the safe recruitment and selection of workers and volunteers:
Volunteers never work alone with children or vulnerable persons, and children or vulnerable persons are not allowed to participate in activities without the constant presence of a parent/guardian.
Any concern about safety should be dealt with promptly and appropriately:
Concerns about water safety, health, First Aid should be reported to a Safety Officer and will be brought forward for action at next Committee meeting.
Any serious concern about abuse or misconduct against workers/volunteers will be brought to the attention of the Gardai, Tusla, or the proper relevant authority.
Implementation
We recognise that implementation is an on-going process. Our group is committed to the implementation of this Children & Vulnerable Persons Safeguarding Statement and the procedures that support our intention to keep children and vulnerable persons safe from harm while participating in activities of Friends of the Camac.
This Children and Vulnerable Persons Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement refers.
Signed:Maria O’Connor(Hon. Secretary) 3rdOctober 2020
Friends of the Camac