- Chichester Area Talking News provides a fortnightly recorded news service for blind and partially sighted people. Our aim is to assist in improving their lives and enhancing their safety by providing up to date local news, information and advice.
- We are committed to safe working practices in all our operations. The service is entirely provided by unpaid volunteers who have a variety of roles in the organisation and we seek to ensure as far as practicable that all our volunteers operate in a safe environment, are fully aware of their roles, and follow safe working practices. This is achieved though an induction programme for all volunteers which is updated regularly, and by careful supervision.
- The Health and Safety (Information for Employees) Regulations 1989 require organisations to display a poster with essential information on health and safety arrangements. This is displayed in a prominent position on the wall of the office attached to the recording studio together with a copy of this policy. A first aid box is located in the adjacent kitchenette. A fire extinguisher is positioned in the studio.
- We are also required to record all Accidents and Incidents and these should be entered in the Day Book.
- Our Area Helpers visit listeners in their homes to assist them to set up equipment and operate it safely and to provide advice and support. They will telephone ahead whenever practicable to make an appointment; try to ensure where possible that there is another adult present in the house at the time of the visit; and will also carry CATN identification when visiting.
- We also provide a CATN helpline and support service from our studio office at St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester which is staffed during part of every weekday.
- The Recording Studio is under the direction of the Head of Production who is assisted by the Technical Co-ordinator and the team of technical operators. The volunteers working in the Office , the Morning Helpers, are managed by the Morning Helpers’ Co-ordinator, and support for listeners and the co-ordination of the Area Helpers is the responsibility of the Listeners’ Admin Team.
- All volunteers are reminded that Health and Safety is the responsibility of everyone. The procedures to be followed are set out on the poster displayed on the wall of the office, together with instructions on the action to be taken in an emergency. If anyone becomes aware of any safety issue they should raise it with their team leader. Details should also be recorded in the Day Book.
- In an emergency they should immediately contact the emergency services by dialling 999.
- All personal documentation relating to listeners and volunteers is kept in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act in the studio office which is securely locked and protected by an intruder alarm system. The data base is password protected and it is impressed upon all volunteers that addresses and other personal information regarding listeners and volunteers must be treated in strict confidence and kept securely. The Data Protection Policy of CATN is displayed on the website. The organisation has full public liability insurance and the studio, its equipment and the office are also insured.
- There is an emergency ‘panic button’ by the office door to operate the intruder alarm in case of an emergency in the office or the studio, which also sounds on the hospital switchboard. If appropriate, they should dial 999.
- This Health and Safety Policy should be read in conjunction with the Safeguarding Policy for CATN, both of which will be regularly reviewed and updated as necessary.
Last updated 16 September 2019