Church Life
Rural Church Buildings
6.1 Security
The Security section on Churchcare provides practical advice on securing fences, doors and windows, as well as covering the very important issue of personal safety http://www.churchcare.co.uk/churches/guidance-advice/looking-after-your-church/security and here www.churchcare.co.uk/churches/guidance-advice/opening-up-your-church-building
There is also practical advice on the Resources Centre part of the Methodist Insurance website www.methodistinsurance.co.uk/resources/index.aspx.
There is also a useful leaflet on window protection which can be read here www.methodist.org.uk/static/rm/windowprotect.pdf
Ecclesiastical have very useful information on their website at https://www.ecclesiastical.com/ChurchMatters/churchguidance/churchsecurity/index.aspx
National Churchwatch offers free seminars on church security and personal safety and provides downloadable guidance on security. http://www.nationalchurchwatch.com/
The Roman Catholic Church offers advice here http://www.cbcew.org.uk/document.doc?id=113
There is advice on the United Reformed Church website at www.urc.org.uk/images/S831%20v2012.pdf
6.2 Metal Theft
For an up to date overview of this issue go to Churchcare http://www.churchcare.co.uk/churches/guidance-advice/looking-after-your-church/security/metal-theft.
English Heritage’s guidance note Theft of Metal from Church Buildings (2011) gives advice on dealing with the theft of metals from historic buildings and sites. It mainly concentrates on lead roofs on churches, but the guidance will be relevant to other metals and buildings. Preventing potential theft is obviously paramount, but advice is also given on dealing with its unfortunate aftermath.
There is a lot of practical information on the Methodist Insurance website which can be found here www.methodistinsurance.co.uk/resources/index.aspx.
The Ecclesiastical Insurance website provides detailed advice including on the use of roof alarms and SmartWater http://www.ecclesiastical.com/ChurchMatters/churchguidance/churchsecurity/theftofmetal/index.aspx
https://www.ecclesiastical.com/ChurchMatters/churchguidance/churchsecurity/smartwater/index.aspx
6.3 Bats
Seventeen different species of bats can be found in the UK, most of which are endangered. All bats are protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c) Regulations 1994, making it necessary to get a licence from Natural England to move or disturb a colony. In large numbers they can cause serious damage to churches and their historic interiors, and in the worst cases sometimes making the use of the building almost impossible.
Practical guidance be found on Churchcare at http://www.churchcare.co.uk/shrinking-the-footprint/taking-action/wildlife/bats.
Natural England and the Church of England are currently working together on the Bats in Churches Working Group. This has produced a useful-looking management guide which helps those who look after church buildings that are used by bats to understand their legal obligations. It will be of help to architects, surveyors, local authority conservation officers, ecologists and Natural England and English Heritage staff and volunteers. This can be downloaded from http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/bats-in-churches/
6.4 Insurance
Insurance is essential for your place of worship and halls, but also for the events that take place inside them. You must also inform insurers in advance if you are intending to undertake any building works and/or changing or extending the use of your building.
Ecclesiastical is the main insurer for Anglican churches and has advice on a range of practical issues relating to the upkeep of places of worship. www.ecclesiastical.com/church
Methodist Insurance is theinsurer for Methodist churches and some other denominations www.methodistinsurance.co.uk/products/church-shield/index.aspx.
The United Reformed Church has advice here www.urc.org.uk/images/S861.pd
Baptist Insurance is the leading insurer of Baptist Churches www.baptist-insurance.co.uk
Congregational and General Insurance insures places of worship for most denominations www.congregationalinsurance.com
6.5 Other Regulations that affect buildings
ACRE and the Rural Community Action Network of village hall advisers provides an information and advice service for those who manage village halls and other rural community buildings. www.acre.org.uk/our-work/community-assets/village-hall-information-service
Specific issues to do with buildings include:
Churchcarehas information here http://www.churchcare.co.uk/churches/guidance-advice/looking-after-your-church/health-safety-security/asbestos.
The Methodist Church website has information here www.methodist.org.uk/ministers-and-office-holders/property/technical-and-conservation/regulations-requiring-action/asbestos
The Baptist Union Corporation has information here http://www.baptist.org.uk/Groups/220866/Legal.aspx
The leaflet on asbestos is L11 Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations
The United Reformed Churchhas guidance here www.urc.org.uk/resources/plato-property-handbook/safety.html
The Quakers website has information here www.quaker.org.uk/property-matters
(b) Electrical Inspections and Testing
The Methodist Church website has information here www.methodist.org.uk/ministers-and-office-holders/property/technical-and-conservation/regulations-requiring-action/electrical-inspection.
The United Reformed Church has guidance here www.urc.org.uk/images/S241.pdf
The Quakers website has guidance entitled Electricity in a fire hazard, which can be downloaded here http://www.quaker.org.uk/property-matters
Churchcare has information here http://www.churchcare.co.uk/churches/guidance-advice/looking-after-your-church/health-safety-security/fire-precautions.
The Methodist Church has information here www.methodist.org.uk/ministers-and-office-holders/property/technical-and-conservation/regulations-requiring-action/fire-safety
The Baptist Union Corporation has information here http://www.baptist.org.uk/Groups/220866/Legal.aspx
The leaflet L10 is on Health and Safety and Fire Precautions
The United Reformed Church has guidance here www.urc.org.uk/images/S251.pdf
Health and safety is important for those who come into your building as worshippers, visitors or as employees. It is important during the normal running of the church and especially important if you are planning building works or functions.
Most local authorities will have a section on health and safety for community groups as well as guidance on how to undertake risk assessments for events and new projects.
The Health and Safety Executive has launched a new website Health and safety made simple: the basics for your business. Among other things it covers appointing a health & safety officer, writing an H&S policy, managing the risks, consulting your employees, training and information, workplace facilities, first aid, accidents and ill health. This will be particularly helpful for small charities, many of which are churches and many of which lack specialist advice on H&S. Remember, H&S is the law and, in any case, it’s largely about common prudence.
Churchcarehas a whole section on all aspects of health and safety http://www.churchcare.co.uk/churches/guidance-advice/looking-after-your-church/health-safety-security.
The Ecclesiastical website also has very helpful information on Health and Safety for churches https://www.ecclesiastical.com/ChurchMatters/Churchguidance/ChurchHealthandSafety/index.aspx
The Roman Catholic Church has information here http://www.cbcew.org.uk/document.doc?id=113
Methodist Insurance also provided Health and Safety information in the Resource Centre part of its website www.methodistinsurance.co.uk/resources/index.aspx.
The United Reformed Church has guidance here www.urc.org.uk/images/S271.pdf
The Baptist Union Corporation has information to help local churches with Health and Safety athttp://www.baptist.org.uk/legal-property-a-charities/buc-guidelines.html .
The leaflet on Health and Safety is C07 Health and Safety and Fire Precautions
(e) Health and Safety Risk Assessments
Risk assessment in the workplace is a legal requirement: and businesses employing five or more people are obliged to make an assessment and record the significant findings.
The Health and Safety Commission has just produced a useful on-line risk assessment tool for offices which is designed to help those working in low-risk office-based environments to do their risk assessment quickly and easily and without buying in external advice. The assessment should take around 20 minutes.
You can also find information on Risk Assessments on the Methodist Church website here www.methodist.org.uk/ministers-and-office-holders/property/technical-and-conservation/regulations-requiring-action/health-and-safety-risk-assessments and here www.methodist.org.uk/static/rm/propertyriskassess.pdf.
and on the Ecclesiastical website here https://www.ecclesiastical.com/ChurchMatters/churchguidance/index.aspx
Information from Churchcare can be found here http://www.churchcare.co.uk/churches/guidance-advice/looking-after-your-church/health-safety-security/working-at-height.
And on the Methodist Church website here www.methodist.org.uk/ministers-and-office-holders/property/technical-and-conservation/regulations-requiring-action/working-at-height-regulations.
