Issue - meetings

Following consideration of a report by the Corporate Manager for Property, Leisure and Climate Change, the Environment Policy Development Group made the following recommendation, that:

1)      That the current risk assessments and safety inspections be considered adequate to meet the Council’s responsibilities and for individual pieces of play equipment to be identified on the risk assessment forms.

2)    That digital transformation of the current inspection method would make the task more efficient and implementation of a process would be expedited.

The Cabinet had before it a report * from the Corporate Manager for Property, Leisure and Climate Change reviewing the way in which the Council manages its play area risk assessments and safety inspections.

RESOLVED that:

1.    The current risk assessments and safety inspections frequency were considered adequate to meet the Council’s responsibilities and for individual pieces of play equipment to be identified on the Risk Assessment forms.

2.    Digital transformation of the current inspection method would make the task more efficient and that implementation of a process would be expedited.

(Proposed by Cllr C Slade and seconded by Cllr S Penny)

Reason for the decision - The Council must have an inspection and maintenance regime for its play areas as stated within the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999) to ensure the health and safety of users, as far as reasonably practicable.

Note: * Report previously circulated; copy attached to the minutes.

To receive a report to review the way in which the Council manages its play area risk assessments and safety inspections.

The Group had before it the *Play Area Risk Assessment and Safety Inspection Review from the Corporate Manager for Property, Leisure and Climate Change.

The officer explained that the review detailed the way in which the Council managed its play area risk assessments and safety inspections.

He explained that the last review had been undertaken in 2019 and that currently the Council had 83 play areas, 17 play areas were leased to Parish Councils and there were 3 closed sites. The Council carried out 2000 inspections a year by qualified Council employees and independent surveys were completed to maintain quality control.

It was therefore RESOLVED to recommend to the Cabinet:

1)    That the current risk assessments and safety inspections were considered adequate to meet the Council’s responsibilities and for individual pieces of play equipment to be identified on the risk assessment forms

2)    That digital transformation of the current inspection method would make the task more efficient and implementation of a process would be expedited

(Proposed by Cllr L D Taylor and seconded by Cllr S J Clist)

Reason for the decision: The Council was required to have a maintenance and inspection regime for its play areas as stated within the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999)

Note: *Assessment and Review previously circulated and attached to the minutes