HEALTH AND SAFETY

ANNUAL REPORT 2007

Health & Safety Policy
The Health & Safety Policies introduced last year have been well received, albeit over the past year not all dojo have complied with the requirement to send the BKA H&S Adviser a confirmation e-mail. This is important as it alleviates the need for direct confirmation.

Risk Assessment
Generic Risk Assessment (GRA) forms have been a useful and successful vehicle for risk assessment and placing them on the BKA web-site has been a popular move. I know of a newly formed club whose leader was approached by an officious centre manager demanding their risk assessment and was clearly taken aback when a sound assessment was produced. So, keep up the good work – you never know!

Accidents
There have been no significant accidents reported this year and very few insignificant (ie first aid, not requiring medical assistance). Insignificant accidents will need no further action but play a very important part in the validation of our accident reporting, ie the no accidents statistic is brought into question where there are few reported insignificant accidents.

I make no apology for repeating that in today’s busy world a dojo may think that a minor accident does not merit informing the BKA, or passing on accident information will somehow damage the dojo name and consequently fail to notify the BKA - this is to misunderstand the ethos. By sending this information, you will enable me to identify any national trends that may require a H&S Policy change, assist our Safety Management System (SMS) and provide objective evidence in support of our insurance policy. To report an accident, please send me a simple e-mail in accordance with the guidance given on the BKA website – where appropriate, I will do the rest.

Iaido/Jodo
I have not received any requests for assistance form Iaido and Jodo leaders and understand that they are content to ‘read across’ from the Kendo generic risk assessment. I applaud this initiative and repeat that my door is open to any BKA member who wishes advice on H&S related matters. If it is felt that an Iaido/Jodo specific generic risk assessment (GRA) would be useful, this can easily be arranged – please contact me directly!

Coaching training – Health & Safety section
I have prepared a H&S section for the Level 1 and Level 2 coaching courses with the view of introducing them prior to the commencement of training.

General comments
I have received requests for advice and guidance on H&S matters from many quarters throughout the past year. These are most welcome as they provide me with an insight into the ease of reading of our H&S procedures – which I believe are sound. To date I have been encouraged by the sensible approach I have observed and to anyone who has a question my message is simple – please ask!

DONALD A W GORDON
MSc CMIOSH FRSH Dip2.OSH I.Eng MIET FTC
Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner
Health & Safety Adviser
BRITISH KENDO ASSOCIATION