From the Vindolanda Trust Health & Safety Policy
All volunteers must read the following information before arrival for the excavation experience.
Health & Safety Policy Statement THE VINDOLANDA TRUST
Statement of General Health and Safety Policy 2006-2008
The Trustees look upon the promotion of health and safety measures as a mutual objective for themselves and their employees including excavation volunteers.
Therefore, it is the policy of the Trustees to do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent personal injury and damage to property; and to protect everyone from foreseeable hazard and danger, including the public, in so far as they come into contact with the Vindolanda Trust or its activities.
In particular, the Trustees recognise their responsibility:
- To provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions.
- To provide training and instruction to enable employees and volunteers to perform their work safely.
- To maintain a continuing and progressive interest in health and safety.
- To take into account all statutory requirements for health and safety.
- To consult and involve employees in health and safety matters wherever possible.
- The Trustees also recognize that employees and volunteers have a duty to co-operate with them in their efforts to implement the Policy, by:
- Working safely.
- Meeting their statutory duties.
- Reporting incidents that have led or may lead to injury or damage.
- Following safety procedures and safe systems of work.
Individual Responsibilities
It is the duty of all directors, managers and supervisors to ensure that safety and health factors are fully taken into account when planning and designing operating procedures. Management are also responsible for ensuring that employees and volunteers understand our Health and Safety policy and any Health and Safety rules relating to their jobs. They must ensure that employees and volunteers are adequately trained and made fully aware of any Health and Safety hazards in their areas of work.
Notwithstanding the above, all employees and volunteers have a responsibility for their personal safety and a duty of care to their fellow employees.
The employees and volunteers responsibilities include:
- The duty to comply with the safety instructions and directions laid down by management.
- The duty to use, properly, the means and facilities provided for health and safety at work.
- The duty to refrain from the wilful misuse or interference with anything provided in the interests of health, safety and welfare and any action that might endanger themselves or others.
- The duty of all employees' and volunteers' in authority to ensure that the necessary safety precautions are taken and that the necessary safety instructions are given.
- The duty to report any breaches of the rules to the appropriate member of management.
Health and Safety is a primary concern on any excavation and we take this matter very seriously at Vindolanda. All volunteers will be asked to read the excavation Health and Safety policy above, and agree to abide by its rules. The archaeologists hold the right to dismiss any volunteer from the excavations if it is believed that this person is behaving in a manner that might compromise the Vindolanda Trust's Health and Safety Policy for the excavations. Hard hats and other safety equipment will be issued to all volunteers when deemed appropriate by the health and safety officer for the excavations. Failure to wear this equipment may also result in dismissal from the excavations.
