Calling all secretaties - Liability question

[plot88(Cardiff)]

Afternoon all,

Our allotments have been awarded funding for a rotovator and a strimmer for the use of tennants.
We are however concerned about how best to deal with any liability issues relating to the use of this equipment.

Hire shops generally instruct  or provide safety data, and have a disclaimer in the agreement, plus I would imagine they have pretty hefty insurance. we are tentatively thinking of something along these lines.

Do any of you have this sort of equipment on your sites? If so, I would be interested in how you dealt with safety and liability issues.

Regards
Plot88(Cardiff)

[plot88(Cardiff)]

[Trevor_D]

We were advised (by two separate official sources) that as our equipment is owned by the members we were not hiring it out, they were merely using their own tools.

But we do have a disclaimer pinned up that all equipment is used at the member's own risk. We also have instruction sheets (copies or resumes of the instruction book) pinned up. We keep the equipment shed locked, but have a rota of committee members who unlock & let out equipment. We then insist that everthing is signed out & back (with a Comments column to report any problems) and if we think a member hasn't used a particular item before, we show them.  And we insist that anyone using the strimmer uses the goggles provided, and in every case that sensible clothing & footwear are worn.

This may seems a bit formal & long-winded, but it really isn't. People are aware why we are doing it and everyone co-operates; and if anything is damaged, we know immediately and can do something about it.

We have a rotovator, 3 mowers (lots of grass paths) and a couple of strimmers. We also have a few items we don't let out to members: a chain saw and 2 hedge-trimmers. These are for working-party use only.

[Robert_Brenchley]

We have a similar situation, with a rotavator, lawn mower, strimmer and hedge cutter available for members. We have a book for them to sign them in and out, and a list of instructions. As far as we know we're in the clear as we're not charging for the service, and we do have them serviced. But it's early days yet, and if the need arises, we'll take out insurance.

[saddad]

We used to let out equipment... but people kept putting it back dirty/broken so we gave up... we had a book to sign and tick that you had read the instructions taken the goggles etc.....
:-\

[PurpleHeather]

This is one of those areas where there is no actual precedence, as far as we could make out when we were also offered one.

Although the argument about shared ownership is a good one. Disclaimers it seems are not worth the paper they are written on. If you are teaching some one, it must be, properly, from a manual, not just some bloke showing another.

We also found that we had to keep comprehensive records (risk assessments) and that 'someone' had to be responsible for repairs and servicing, as required.

We decided that we did not want to be the ones used in the 'test case'.

[kt.]

We had a £1000 rotovator.  Broken by a user within 15 months.  £400 to fix.  Been sat there for 2 years now as we can't justify the cost.

[plot88(Cardiff)]

Thankyou to everyone for your feedback.

No easy answers I see, but you have helped me to understand the issues more clearly.

I will post with the outcome of our deliberations in due course, in the hope that it will be usefull to other sites

Best regards
Plot88 (cardiff)

[plot88(Cardiff)]

Yikes,

I just realised that I misspelled Secretaries in the the thread title.  :-[

I think I must have tatties on the brain.

(Actually, I don't think, I know!)

Ho hum.

plot88(Cardiff)

[susan1]

we all have to buy all our own equipment , and as new to this hub bought a 25year old rotavator off ebay works a treat