Health and safety basics

Health and safety basics include how to implement our risk management system, our health and safety policy, reporting accidents and incidents, our insurance cover, and equipment donations and purchases.

Implementing the risk management system

Our risk management system ensures that everyone who takes part in your events and activities, visits your property, or uses your transport can feel confident that we take their health, safety and wellbeing seriously.

1. Download our risk management implementation process for services, social activities and fundraising events
2. Download our risk management implementation process for property and transport
3. See our risk management system here

See Group Handbook A5: Health, safety and wellbeing

1. Health and Safety Policy
2. Reporting accidents and incidents
3. Insurance cover
4. Equipment donations and purchases
5. Minibus administration
6. Need support?

Health and Safety Policy

We review health and safety legislation regularly to ensure our processes are accurate and up-to-date. Our Health and Safety Policy and Health and Safety Statement detail how we do this.

1. Download our Health and Safety Policy
2. Download our Health and Safety Statement

Reporting accidents and incidents

When an accident or incident happens at a meeting or event attended by the MS Society whether it is a group event, national support group event or staff run event, it must be reported.

Accidents

An accident is when something happens that results in someone getting hurt. An example could be someone tripping over some loose carpet in a venue and spraining their ankle.

1. Download an accident report form

Incidents

An incident is when something happens that could have resulted in an injury, but in reality no one was hurt. This could be someone tripping over some loose carpet in a venue without suffering any sprains, cuts or bruises. By reporting an incident, we can help prevent it from happening again and causing injury.

1. Download an incident report form

Insurance cover

What cover is provided centrally?

Events and activities (whether social or fundraising) run by MS Society groups, volunteers and staff will be covered by the enclosed Public Liability Insurance (PLI) where the relevant MS Society risk management processes are followed.

1. Public and Employers liability insurance cover

What does my group need to provide cover for?

• Vehicles - no group cover exists within the MS Society. You need a minimum of third party liability insurance.
• Property - buildings and contents insurance is needed for all MS Society owned properties.

Arranging cover for events

You will need to arrange cover for any event not covered by our central insurance by contacting Arthur J Gallagher Insurance on 0121 200 4971.

Equipment donations and purchases

Your group must not purchase or accept donations of mobility or clinical equipment for the purpose of lending it to people with MS. We are not qualified or insured to assess the safety and suitability of a piece of equipment for each individual who may wish to borrow it.

This includes the following types of equipment:

• Wheelchairs
• Scooters
• Special equipment – beds, chairs and stair lifts
• Clinical aids – FES/TENS machines

Your group can advertise a piece of unwanted equipment to our members on a person's behalf. Interested parties must be advised to contact the donor directly and you must include our disclaimer.

1. See our disclaimer for use when signposting people to products, information or services provided by others

Minibus administration

If your group runs a minibus, you must get a Section 19 permit and disc to show that you are exempt from certain statutory rules and regulations. The permit and disc are free of charge and issued to an ‘operator’ (your Coordinating Team) rather than a vehicle, so the disc can be moved to another minibus if required.

Once you have a Section 19 permit, you can apply for the Bus Services Operator’s Grant and claim back 80 percent of your fuel tax.

1. Learn about Applying for a Section 19 permit

Need support?

Supporter Care Team

Our Supporter Care Team can help you with basic health and safety queries.

1. Find out how the Supporter Care Team can help you

Health and Safety Team

Speak to our Health and Safety Team for specialist help or to report an accident or incident.

1. Get contact details for our Health and Safety Team

Back to Health and safety