Earlier this year the Inter-American Division Risk Management Committee (IADRMC) called on the union leadership to implement the 2021 Risk Management Initiatives. These initiatives prioritize the essentials of risk management, and organizations that adopt them are often able to provide safer, more effective ministry. The 2021 Risk Management Initiatives include risk management committees at the union level, safety officers at local churches, and increased emergency planning.
This article will focus on the duties of the safety officer and how to implement safety officers at your local churches. A safety officer can be a key part of helping your church or school stay focused on their mission by helping avoid unforeseen accidents that can distract from your goals.Safety officers have the big responsibility of developing and implementing various risk management components to promote safety throughout the church. The three primary responsibilities of safety officers include:
- conducting self-inspections
- implementing an accident-investigation program
- developing an emergency plan.
Self-Inspection Process
The first responsibility of a safety officer is to conduct at least one self-inspection of the property each year. To prevent losses, it is crucial to identify and correct hazardous conditions before accidents happen. For large churches, it may be necessary to conduct this inspection with the help of a deacon or elder. This self-inspection form can be obtained directly from the ARM website.The self-inspection form has sections for various categories, such as administration, church protection, fall prevention, the mothers’ room, the mechanical room, etc. Each of these sections has yes-no questions, which allow you to easily assess the safety of your organization. For those questions that have a “no” answer, recommendations are provided to help you improve the situation. The church board may need to review some recommendations in order to approve them. Remember, if these surveys are frequently conducted, it will provide you with more opportunities to catch hazards before potential incidents occur.
Accident-Investigation Program
Another responsibility of a safety officer is to implement an accident-investigation program. When an accident occurs at church or during an activity, the church safety officer will need to investigate the incident. This investigation can be done by using the accident/incident report, which has several sections for documenting the accident. One of those sections involves obtaining the personal information of the person who suffered the accident. The form also has a section for documenting the location of the incident and a description of what happened.In these portions of the form, be as specific as possible because you are trying to identify the cause of the incident. Additionally, there is another section that deals with any witness who may be able to provide the safety officer with additional facts about the incident. The purpose of these investigations is to help identify the causes and determine what actions might help prevent similar accidents from occurring again.
Emergency Planning
Emergency planning is another responsibility a safety officer needs to focus on at their local church. Earthquakes continue to occur in the Inter-American Division. Last year there was a fire that occurred in the IAD territory. Churches have a moral and legal obligation to provide a safe environment to those worshipping; therefore, each church should conduct at least one fire or earthquake drill this year.Even though conducting one of these drills during the year is part of the Inter-American Division Risk Management Initiatives, churches are encouraged to conduct drill activities more frequently throughout the year. As a safety officer, you must be able to determine the needs of your local church and decide an appropriate schedule for an earthquake drill or a fire drill. During these drills, make sure that doors can be exited and that aisles, foyers, and steps are kept clear to guarantee unobstructed means of exit in the event of an emergency. If you need further information on these drills, please visit our website.
How to Implement Safety Officers
Now that you know more about the responsibilities of a safety officer, how do we establish safety officers at every local church? This is not an easy question to answer considering each church may have their own process for appointing volunteer positions.One of the ways to establish safety officers is to have local pastors find a church member who either has risk management experience, has experience as a police officer, is first aid certified, or simply cares about the safety of the church. After a safety officer has been appointed at the local church, it is necessary to walk them through their duties. The importance and responsibilities of a safety officer have been pointed out in this article with the hopes that every church in the Inter-American Division appoints one.
Work with your pastor to name a safety officer at your local church. A safety officer has a big responsibility and an excellent opportunity to promote safety throughout the church. This is vital in protecting the ministry of the church as it continues with its mission.
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