Ride-on mowers at a school, church or club

Where a school, church, sports club or village hall has grounds to keep, a ride-on mower may do the work, driven by staff or by volunteers.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes guidance on what an organisation should have in place.

When the law covers volunteers

An organisation with at least one employee has duties under health and safety law. Those duties protect volunteers as well as employees. HSE says volunteers belong in the risk assessment too.

A group made up only of volunteers is not normally covered by health and safety law. One exception is a committee in control of a village or community hall. Volunteers still owe each other, and anyone their work affects, a duty of care under civil law.

A council may provide tools or machines to a volunteer group. When it does, the council has duties under the work equipment rules.

The mower and the rules

Those rules are the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, known as PUWER. Under them, work equipment means any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool or installation for use at work.

The organisation must keep it suitable for its use and in good repair. Where a machine has a maintenance log, someone keeps the log up to date. HSE adds that self-propelled equipment needs a way to stop unauthorised people starting it, and a brake. Where the driver's own view is poor, it needs something to improve it.

Who may drive it

PUWER says only people who have had adequate information, instruction and training may use work equipment. HSE's code of practice says self-propelled equipment should be driven only by people trained to drive it safely.

For most everyday equipment, HSE says training can be given in-house. It can draw on the maker's instructions and on more experienced people. Training may need refreshing from time to time, and again when the equipment changes.

HSE asks organisations to check each volunteer can manage the task and is covered by the insurance policy. A volunteer gets a full induction before starting, with supervision afterwards.

Checks and records

HSE describes three levels of inspection. A risk assessment decides which ones a machine needs, and how often.

Before each use

Quick checks, such as testing the brakes and lights on a mobile machine. HSE says these do not normally need a record.

Each week

Checks that guards are in place and safety devices work. Tyre pressures, windows and mirrors are checked too.

Every few months or longer

A closer look at the machine's general condition.

What to write down

The result of an inspection is recorded and kept at least until the next one. An organisation with five or more employees must record the significant findings of its risk assessment.

Slopes, banks and ditches

HSE's guidance on tractors and other self-propelled vehicles says "all vehicles can overturn". Accidents happen on or near banks, ditches, drains and ramps, as well as on hills.

A slope that is safe when dry can become unsafe when it is wet, frozen or thawing. HSE advises turning uphill when working across a slope. Drivers come down straight, on the gentlest gradient. A slope that a driver went up safely may still be unsafe to come down.

Where a machine has a roll bar and may be used where it could overturn, HSE says it should also have a lap belt. The driver wears it. Anyone who drives on slopes should be trained in the hazards.

Keeping people away while you mow

A risk assessment asks how visitors and members of the public might be harmed, as well as staff. HSE's advice on vehicles at work says people on foot should be kept away from areas where vehicles are working, unless they need to be there.

Petrol at a club or association

HSE has a page for petrol kept at a club or association that is not a workplace. That page does not cover a school, or any other workplace. Up to 30 litres can be stored at a club or association without telling the local Petroleum Enforcement Authority. Anyone storing more, up to 275 litres, must tell that authority in writing and follow the other storage rules on HSE's page.

Petrol must not be kept in living accommodation. It can be kept in plastic containers of up to 10 litres, or metal ones of up to 20.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has its own work equipment regulations, from 1999. The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) covers health and safety at work there.