Health and safety laws should not be a barrier to organising and running amateur sports activities that are an important part of community life.

Employers/self-employed/volunteer organisations with employees running sports clubs

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 ('the Act') and the regulations made under it, apply to club organisers who are both employers and self employed. The law requires them to do what is reasonably practicable to ensure peoples health and safety.

The Act sets out the general duties that employers have towards their employees whilst at work. The Act also requires employers and the self-employed to protect people other than those at work e.g. volunteer staff like coaches, club members, visiting teams and spectators. These people should be protected from risks to their health and safety arising out of, or in connection with, their club's work activities.

Volunteers running sports clubs

Health and safety law does not generally apply to volunteers running a club with no employees, unless the club has responsibility for premises like a clubhouse or playing fields.

Anyone (including volunteers) with control of premises like a clubhouse or playing fields has a duty to see that the premises, access to them and plant ( e.g. sports equipment) and substances provided are safe for the persons using them so far as is reasonably practicable. Often this is a shared duty between the premises owner, a management committee and users.

The extent of a club's legal duty will depend on the level of control it has over the premises and the type of plant or substances provided. For example, if your club owns or manages the premises, then you would be expected to keep the premises and any sports equipment provided in good repair. If your club uses sports equipment then you would be expected to take reasonable steps to check it is safe to use e.g. check goal posts are secure before a game so they won't collapse and injure a player.

Health and safety law does not cover safety matters arising out of the sport or activity itself e.g. damaging a wrist during a boxing match or being injured following a bad tackle during football training. Note: that a duty of care under the common (civil) law may apply. (So a very reckless tackle by a player which causes injury could result in some form of civil compensation).

Competitors/players taking part in competitions and/or training are generally subject to non-statutory rules set down by sports National Governing Bodies (NGBs). These rules will include topics like supervision (coaching staff to player ratios) and training, plus 'in play' emergency procedures and medical provision. Some of these rules and procedures may go beyond the requirements of workplace health and safety legislation. Most NGB's and networks are members of the Sport and Recreation Alliance.

Take a look at our ten safety essentials pages. These pages will guide you through the essentials for managing health and safety in your business. The areas below contain specialist advice for you to consider when writing your risk assessments and implementing safe systems of work & procedures to keep staff and visitors safe.

When undertaking your risk assessment for your club you may wish to look at these examples to give you ideas of hazards and control measures:

• Sport England - creating a risk assessment
• Risk Assessment from the Grounds Maintenance Association 
• Watch the Introduction (including risk assessment) Video from the Grounds Maintenance Association
• England Hockey - Example Risk Assessment
• The Football Association - A Guide to risk management for grass roots football
• Health and safety in golf course management and maintenance (PDF, 1.2MB)

You may also need to consider hazards in:

• Food preparation, cooking and service
• Pubs, clubs and bars

The most common cause of injury in the workplace slips, trips, and falls can happen in sports clubs due to spilled water, excess sweat, muddy thoroughfares and divets on pitches. There may also be uneven floors or equipment creating obstacles which can cause people to trip and fall

More information:

• HSE Slips website
• Preventing Slips and Trips at Work: A brief guide
• Slips and Trips hazard spotting checklist

Work equipment can be defined as: any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool, or installation for use at work. The use of work equipment is also very widely interpreted and can be described as: any activity involving work equipment and includes starting, stopping, programming, setting, transporting, repairing, modifying, maintaining, servicing, and cleaning.

Work equipment can be anything used in the workplace such as: ladders, mowers, goalposts, hand held tools, computers etc..!

Many injuries are caused by poor interaction with work equipment. Many are minor, some are life changing and some are fatal, but all can be avoided if work equipment is used correctly.

More information:

• Provision and Use of Work Equipment: Approved Code of Practice and guidance
• Buying new equipment
• GMA Provision and Use of Work Equipment
• FA Guidance to Pitch and Goalpost Safety

The Grounds Maintenance Association contains lots of useful information on their website.

• Cricket Health and Safety
• Football Health and Safety
• Rugby League Health and Safety
• Rugby Union Health and Safety
• Lawn Tennis Association - Maintenance

The nature of a sports club environment can mean that germs are spread easily. Many people come into contact with each other and use the same equipment, which can lead to the spread of infection.Keep your tackle clean Keep your tackle clean (PDF, 205KB) is a leaflet offering guidance to members. Regular cleaning schedules should be implemented to sanitise high-touch areas, such as shared equipment and changing rooms. There should also be disinfectant wipes, and sprays readily available for members to wipe down equipment before and after use. See more guidance on Sports infection prevention and control and guidance (PDF, 94KB)

Employers have a duty to report work-related accidents to the enforcing authority. More information can be found on our Accident Reporting page.

What is defined as a work-related injury can become confusing in a sporting environment, for example a footballer suffering injury from a bad tackle is not reportable, but it would be reportable if a goalkeeper is taken to hospital because the crossbar fell on them causing injury.

The Leisure Expert Panel have produced some 'Guidance Concerning Compliance with RIDDOR'.

You will also need to ensure that you have suitable fire precautions in place;

• A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire
• Small and medium places of assembly
• Large places of assembly

Fire safety precautions are enforced by Lancashire Fire and Rescue and not the Council.