There are a number of things a gallery has to keep in mind when it comes to health and safety and liability, employers need to enforce proper health and safety procedures and have certain types of insurance protecting them against claims from employees or the public if accidents happen.
According to AXA a French multinational insurance firm and the world's second-largest financial services company, a list of health and safety concerns a galleries should consider include the following:
1.The risk of slips, trips and wet floors
2. Lifting hazards
3. The risk of transporting art
4. Electrical risk
5. The risk of using knives
6. Lone working
7. Seating
8. Cloakroom
9. Delivery off-site
10: Large accumulation of people for events
AXA lists these with descriptions of why these things are health and safety considerations and informs the reader what to do in order to mimimise any danger involved. This is a link to the full document: https://axa-art.cdn.axa-contento-118412.eu/axa-art%2Fadc8dba4-9a00-4d6e-a0c7-a8003520e935_health-safety-guidelines-museums-galleries-libraries-archives-nov17.pdf
AXA cites HSE or the Health and Safety Executive, which is a UK government agency responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, Eastern Box, The National Trust Manual of Housekeeping and Antiques Trade Gazette
http://www.hse.gov.uk:
Electrical safety and you: A brief guide
Preventing slips and trips at work: A brief guide
The Work at Height Regulations 2005
Manual handling at work: A brief guide
Reporting accidents and incidents at work
www.easternbox.co.uk; Health & safety Procedure Safe System of Work. Issue: 1. Page: 1. Title: Use of Stanley Knives. SSOW No 4.
How to reduce your hand knife injuries
The National Trust Manual of Housekeeping, (Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann, 2006)
‘Signed, sealed, delivered…above all safely’, Antiques Trade Gazette, Issue 2109; 28th September 2011.
Small galleries with less than five employees are not legally obliged to draw up a health and safety policy but are strongly advised to do so, as it sets out responsibilities and procedures for ensuring the health and safety of everyone involved with the organisation, including visitors. Along with the above art gallery specific health and safety concerns, galleries also need to take into account the usual health and safety concerns like fire exits and administering first aid. The gallery can write up risk assessment forms for each health and safety concern and then use it to set about making that health and safety concern safer. If an accident does happen, it must be reported to the proper authorities as it is required by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations Act 1995.
In the case of an incident, a lawsuit may be taken up, and for that reason, galleries are required to have liability insurance. The HSE or Health and Safety Executive provides a brief guide to liability insurance which is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/hse39.pdf
The guide states the following:
"Most employers are required by the law to insure against liability for injury or disease to their employees arising out of their employment. Your employer is responsible for your health and safety while you are at work. If you are injured as a result of an accident at work, or become ill as a result of your work, and if you believe your employer is responsible, you may be able to seek compensation from them. The Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 requires your employer to have at least a minimum level of insurance against any such claims. Employers’ liability insurance will cover relevant work injuries or illness whether these are caused on or off site. However, any injuries or illness relating to motor accidents which occur while you are at work may be covered separately by your employer’s motor insurance. Public liability insurance is different. It covers employers for claims made against them by members of the public or other businesses, but not for claims by employees. While public liability insurance is generally voluntary, employers’ liability insurance is compulsory. Your employer can be fined if they do not hold a current employers’ liability insurance policy which complies with the law."
Business Advice (a website of advice for young businesses created by Prosper Media Ltd) says the following about public liability:
"Public liability insurance: A core business insurance cover that's important for any business that interacts with the public. It can help protect you if someone is injured or their property is damaged, and they blame your business"
Find out more about Business Advice at https://businessadvice.co.uk/about/
In the creation of exhibitions, the project manager and sometimes independent artists have to take all of these things into consideration. Whether you are holding an exhibition in a venue you own, or you are working with a gallery to put one on, you must be aware of the health and safety and liability concerns so as to make sure you and your guests are safe and not at risk of danger or legal action.
In the creation of our exhibition Victim of the Arts, we had to keep the above health and safety concerns in mind. If any of the people involved in the exhibition breached the contract signed at the hand over of the gallery space we had to know the rights of UEL in that situation. We also had to know the liability of Thames-Side Studios if someone was injured on the property, whether that be via fault of our installation, or a health and safety issue that resided within the responsibility of Thames-Side Studios. We also had to make sure to be aware of all the health and safety hazards involved in installing an exhibition. Using tools such as hammers, drills, nails, screws, screwdrivers, knives and staple guns as well as handling heavy or breakable objects like big pieces of wood and glass can create many situations for injury. Fire Exits had to remain clear, with no big pieces of work blocking them, we were all aware that we needed to lift correctly to avoid injury, ladders were held by another student whilst being used. Electrical tools, extension leads and plug sockets weren't overloaded and wires were taped down to avoid tripping. On the night of the exhibition spillages were cleaned up immediately, there was disposal provided for glass bottles and we offered a safe space for guests belongings.
According to AXA a French multinational insurance firm and the world's second-largest financial services company, a list of health and safety concerns a galleries should consider include the following:
1.The risk of slips, trips and wet floors
2. Lifting hazards
3. The risk of transporting art
4. Electrical risk
5. The risk of using knives
6. Lone working
7. Seating
8. Cloakroom
9. Delivery off-site
10: Large accumulation of people for events
AXA lists these with descriptions of why these things are health and safety considerations and informs the reader what to do in order to mimimise any danger involved. This is a link to the full document: https://axa-art.cdn.axa-contento-118412.eu/axa-art%2Fadc8dba4-9a00-4d6e-a0c7-a8003520e935_health-safety-guidelines-museums-galleries-libraries-archives-nov17.pdf
AXA cites HSE or the Health and Safety Executive, which is a UK government agency responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, Eastern Box, The National Trust Manual of Housekeeping and Antiques Trade Gazette
http://www.hse.gov.uk:
Electrical safety and you: A brief guide
Preventing slips and trips at work: A brief guide
The Work at Height Regulations 2005
Manual handling at work: A brief guide
Reporting accidents and incidents at work
www.easternbox.co.uk; Health & safety Procedure Safe System of Work. Issue: 1. Page: 1. Title: Use of Stanley Knives. SSOW No 4.
How to reduce your hand knife injuries
The National Trust Manual of Housekeeping, (Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann, 2006)
‘Signed, sealed, delivered…above all safely’, Antiques Trade Gazette, Issue 2109; 28th September 2011.
Small galleries with less than five employees are not legally obliged to draw up a health and safety policy but are strongly advised to do so, as it sets out responsibilities and procedures for ensuring the health and safety of everyone involved with the organisation, including visitors. Along with the above art gallery specific health and safety concerns, galleries also need to take into account the usual health and safety concerns like fire exits and administering first aid. The gallery can write up risk assessment forms for each health and safety concern and then use it to set about making that health and safety concern safer. If an accident does happen, it must be reported to the proper authorities as it is required by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations Act 1995.
In the case of an incident, a lawsuit may be taken up, and for that reason, galleries are required to have liability insurance. The HSE or Health and Safety Executive provides a brief guide to liability insurance which is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/hse39.pdf
The guide states the following:
"Most employers are required by the law to insure against liability for injury or disease to their employees arising out of their employment. Your employer is responsible for your health and safety while you are at work. If you are injured as a result of an accident at work, or become ill as a result of your work, and if you believe your employer is responsible, you may be able to seek compensation from them. The Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 requires your employer to have at least a minimum level of insurance against any such claims. Employers’ liability insurance will cover relevant work injuries or illness whether these are caused on or off site. However, any injuries or illness relating to motor accidents which occur while you are at work may be covered separately by your employer’s motor insurance. Public liability insurance is different. It covers employers for claims made against them by members of the public or other businesses, but not for claims by employees. While public liability insurance is generally voluntary, employers’ liability insurance is compulsory. Your employer can be fined if they do not hold a current employers’ liability insurance policy which complies with the law."
Business Advice (a website of advice for young businesses created by Prosper Media Ltd) says the following about public liability:
"Public liability insurance: A core business insurance cover that's important for any business that interacts with the public. It can help protect you if someone is injured or their property is damaged, and they blame your business"
Find out more about Business Advice at https://businessadvice.co.uk/about/
In the creation of exhibitions, the project manager and sometimes independent artists have to take all of these things into consideration. Whether you are holding an exhibition in a venue you own, or you are working with a gallery to put one on, you must be aware of the health and safety and liability concerns so as to make sure you and your guests are safe and not at risk of danger or legal action.
In the creation of our exhibition Victim of the Arts, we had to keep the above health and safety concerns in mind. If any of the people involved in the exhibition breached the contract signed at the hand over of the gallery space we had to know the rights of UEL in that situation. We also had to know the liability of Thames-Side Studios if someone was injured on the property, whether that be via fault of our installation, or a health and safety issue that resided within the responsibility of Thames-Side Studios. We also had to make sure to be aware of all the health and safety hazards involved in installing an exhibition. Using tools such as hammers, drills, nails, screws, screwdrivers, knives and staple guns as well as handling heavy or breakable objects like big pieces of wood and glass can create many situations for injury. Fire Exits had to remain clear, with no big pieces of work blocking them, we were all aware that we needed to lift correctly to avoid injury, ladders were held by another student whilst being used. Electrical tools, extension leads and plug sockets weren't overloaded and wires were taped down to avoid tripping. On the night of the exhibition spillages were cleaned up immediately, there was disposal provided for glass bottles and we offered a safe space for guests belongings.
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