This is not related to health and safety at work, so no. PH2

No wonder H&S gets a bad name. So glad I got out of occupational safety. Haven't the committee got anything better to do?

If this is a group of people who are not at work and only use the site as a past time /recreation activity my advice, after looking after many public sports facilities for many years, is that if the committee wants it then they do it. Its right that an organisation knows about their own risk but they should manage the risk ID area themselves

Its the leisure activity that the assessment is required for by the committee. Where is the sense of proportion!! If anthing, it should be the committee telling the users of the building, what the risks are. In my sport - cricket - the winter practice gym we use (local school owned) have never asked for a RA and I wouldn't expect them to. However we have our own internal controls for different age groups, use of hard cricket ball etc

If the RA was just for the act of playing bowls I would tell the committee to go forth...if, it was for other aspects of the sport ie facilities, emergency arrangements, etc, then fair enough. Sport - volenti non fit injuria applies.

Those with no luck at all may of course find after 23 years of playing that dead bowls and jacks have been thudding off an AIB wall at the end of the rink...................

Actually I meant to add that I seem to recall a sports injury case where a rugby player was seriously injured, I believe rendered tetraplegic as the result of a collapsed scrum, and sued. I would assume that the defendant would have claimed 'volenti' but if I recall correctly the case was successful as it was decided that the referee had not taken suitable action to prevent repeated scrum collapses. Not sure if anybody knows any more of the case. Now back to that particularly dangerous past time of carpet bowls :-)

I have had a similar problem. Our staff always make an effort for children in need and this year they have announced that they are going to put on a schools sports day for staff to participate in. I’m in a bit of a quandary really as my boss is concerned that with unfit middle-aged staff partaking in sack, wheelbarrow and three legged races, we will end up with a few broken bones. He has asked me to carry out a risk assessment. The last thing I wish to do is say no and perpetrate the “elf & safety” gone mad scenario, however, I do feel that some broken bones, considering the age and fitness of some of the participants is reasonably foreseeable. Obviously this will not be a work activity, but it will be on our premises with the knowledge of management and in work time. I would be grateful for your opinion here as I really do not know how to approach this. My gut instinct is to say it is not a work activity, there is no need for a risk assessment and that we just need to get employees to sign a disclaimer in respect to partaking at their own risk. How would you approach this one? Thanks Linda

I wouldnt event bother with the disclaimer to be honest. Its a fun event and if your staff do not want to take part they dont have to. Credit them with knowing their own physical capabilities. If the injury was due to a physical hazard that was present then I dont think as diclaimer would help you unless you warned them of it in advance. If the injury is just down to bad knees, worn joints, weight issues or general poor health then they should have the good sense not to take part. IMHO. Regards

Some cuation is required. I vaguely remember significant case law on this. Whereas the event was seen as a "non-work" event it was demonstrated and proven that employees were essentially coerced into participation by the employer - some sort of Team Building Event thingy. I don't recall the details, but I'm sure there was more than one, and one was an event overseas. i.e. all concerned have to be satisfied that this is a wholly voluntary activity.