Hi all,

The company want to organise woodland walks as part of the wellbeing program. This would be a company organised event, so other than running it past our insurance company do we have that much of a liability in terms of risk assessments etc.

There are no risks other than what you would encounter in normal daily life (we aren't climbing everest of anything), from a H&S perspective do I need to make sure a risk assessment is in place, first aid etc or am I being OTT.

Thank you

Hi MrBrightside, 

We support a number of sports and social activities for our employees. All are risk assessed, partly as our directors are very risk averse and partly due to insurance and possible liability issues. It may be just a walk in the woods, we'd all wish it was that simple. Sadly some people can't see a hazard when it is right in front of them. A simple risk assessment covering the obvious and likely hazards should cover everyone so make sure everyone involved has read it. Some might not do anything but peace of mind is easily acheived with little work. Enjoy your walk!

Edited by user 02 March 2022 11:36:49(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

During lock down furlough I would take a walk through the woods on a river bank to a nearby park. On the hot sunny days it was lovely however come the rainy season we saw the footpath washed away. I managed to slip on the mud landing firmly enough on my back to be winded and was fortunate the hat I was wearing stopped direct contact with the tree root behind my head.

Then of course you have the wildlife to contend with - some people can have nasty allergic reactions to insect bites or stings, Ticks carrying lyme's disease, rats with Weil's disease near water courses....

Domestic pets - every dog owner will tell you their animal does not bite (that is ONLY when they are on the other end of the lead) and of course not every owner picks up https://metro.co.uk/2022/03/01/dog-faeces-on-pitch-cause-rugby-player-lifelong-health-infection-16198188/

If the route is a bridleway highly likely you will have equine riders or lycra clad masochists furiously pedalling by.

Just who was it claimed something could be as easy as "a walk in the park"?

and the plants - nettles, hogweed, poison ivy....

Mr Brightside

Whilst thinking that you need to keep the paperwork proportionate, I am with Roundtuit on some of the risks that the "townies" may not understand and where some of the countryfolk are perhaps not as up to speed as they should be.

Children have come to grief thinking that Giant Hogweed is good for use as pea shooters, and if your woodland walks are near any substantial water course, G Hogweed is likely to be there in abundance.

Most people in the UK are largely ignorant of the risks posed by ticks - Lyme Disease in particular, but some even nastier diseases heading across the Channel in greater numbers. Whilst they vary year by year, there is a general increase in the number of ticks even in urban areas, whilst a higher proportion are likely to carry Lyme Borrelia but as with so much in the world of health and safety underreporting of Lyme Disease is a big issue, not least as many GPs are not up to speed.

...and then there are the diseases your walking parties could be spreading to trees and other plants and possibly animals. So you need to take account of the messaging in the Keep it Clean campaign and apply appropriate biosecurity measures.

Keep it clean - Forestry and Land Scotland

I hate to say it, not least as I often didn't do it when I was younger, but keep to the paths.

....and of course you have to cater for the odd idiot. There was the story some years ago of a family holiday on the Isle of Arran so the two brothers decided to climb Goat Fell. One saw a grassnake so decided that his brother should take a picture of him holding it. So, far so good, but then he saw another and picked it up as well. Both bit him and they had to get the air ambulance out to rescue him after his anaphylactic shock.

The comments, including from someone in Australia are worth reading!

Man bitten by snake picked up adder for holiday snap | The Scotsman

I doubt if I was alone in being taught as a child that you leave snakes well alone - mostly for THEIR benefit.

As happens the last recorded fatality from being bitten by a snake in the wild in the UK was in the 1970s. The adders are much more frightened of humans than vice-versa.

But the No 1 issue is an emergency plan for what to do when someone falls over and is immobilised or has a stroke etc etc.

P

Edited by user 02 March 2022 14:42:56(UTC)  | Reason: A few words of clarification

Originally Posted by: achrn

Looks to me like you'll have to stay at home in bed MrBrightSide - it is apparently far too dangerous to go for a walk.

Not saying that at all - lots of work activities require simple RA's - it does not mean we should not do them!

Originally Posted by: achrn

Looks to me like you'll have to stay at home in bed MrBrightSide - it is apparently far too dangerous to go for a walk. 

Bed sores, muscle wastage, allergy to house dust mites...bed is not the answer

As with everything - considered moderation

I don't think anyone thinks that an organised walk in the woods is not a healthy idea. Just needs some "considered moderation" as Roundtuit suggests.

I suggest that most such events wouldn't even have tick bites on their list of concerns. 20 years ago it would have been a risk that might reasonably have been assessed as "negligible", except in a few tick "hotspots". Lots has changed.

Similarly, Ash Dieback was not really a concern 20 years ago, but is causing havoc in England whilst Phytophtora ramorum is a major headache for the forestry industry in Scotland.

Just as we should (IMHO) give proper attention to climate change, we should also consider other aspects of the environment we inhabit. Isn't doing so good for wellbeing?