Audit Leisure Centre

Health and Safety Services and Community Services

Leisure Centre Audit

1. Summary

The purpose of the audit visit was to look at the management of the site and systems for health and safety control, in order to advise client of areas of non-compliance and to make recommendations for improvements. Areas from the last visit especially front of house were much improved. However, key ones tested were still found to be at amber to red indicating the need for further action to achieve compliance and control. Individual observations are set down in appendix 1 with recommendations for action.

Areas tested

• Management of public areas
• Management of higher risk operations – swimming pool
• Compliance; kitchens and plant rooms especially as regards fire safety
• Staff competence as observed through duties carried out and training records
• Visitor and contractor management

2. Conclusions

The Centre is old, rather complex and in need of refreshing. However, management of the centre can add to that problem unless good quality systems are in place and rigorously applied. For example if visitor control is poor, key operational plant may be vandalised or staff and users put at risk by unauthorised people on site. Compared to the last audit, visitor control has improved. If key control is poor staff may leave areas insecure could mean that means that several keys are missing so people appear to “break –in” as a means of gaining access. As a result fire check doors are damaged and largely inoperable, increasing the risk of fire spreading unchecked in the building.

Lack of quality systems was a feature of the last visit. That has improved somewhat. However more needs to be done particularly as regards staff training and management monitoring as there was clear evidence in regards to pool testing and kitchen management of poor identification and response to problems. Both these areas have potential implications for public safety risk including reputation of the business

3. Recommendations

In the short term, many of the items identified for attention form part of the normal day-to-day task of managing this type of facility e.g. toilet and kitchen cleaning; removal of waste; pool testing and staff record keeping. Others may require longer planning to achieve e.g. refurbishment of fire doors throughout the building, maintenance of

Client and contractor need to agree an action plan to address problems identified and clear time scale for compliance.

4. Methodology

A walk round survey was carried out in the company of PJ, client monitoring officer. Site operations were observed and discussions held with the duty manager and the contract manager. Management documents were also examined (Accident book not seen). Initial feedback was given to the Manager of Operations and the Regional Manager. This was followed up with a specific email about the kitchen area particularly in view of the planned event.

5 Main findings

Individual observations are set down in appendix 1. The over arching findings with illustrations are given below.

6. Staff and working schedules

The standard of cleanliness front of house has improved considerably since the last visit. However, areas such as kitchens and toilets especially those hired out for use by third parties were well below acceptable standards

Access in the building has also improved. However, the goods lift was out of order potentially increasing the risk to people when carrying equipment of awkward size and weight down the stairs.

The pool was covered by lifeguards throughout the time of the visit. 3 lifeguards were observed on duty – 2 on the large pool and 1 on the small pool.

7. School parties

School parties arriving were observed signing in and staff did were clear which school it was. That was a clear improvement from last time.

8. Activity rooms

A number of these were inspected. The standard of facilities were observed to have improved since last visit especially the Combat rooms, which had been a very poor state.

The displays generally appear better managed.

9. Legionella

The records for the system showing weekly and daily checks were available for inspection.

10. Operating procedures

Staff on this occasion were able to readily locate the operations manuals and records for the site.

11. Delivery of chemicals

This is an area of significant risk for the business. Yet there were no written safety procedures for dealing with this, despite a previous prosecution. There were no records of chemicals in/out. This has implications for stock control and indeed for the proper dosing of the pool for hygiene and infection control. If ordering or deliveries are delayed, inadequate dosing could cause hygiene problems and eventually failing to meet the service standard for pool opening resulting in pool closure. LC – I can confirm that my Operations Manager checks each day that he works, which is 5 – that we have enough chemicals.

12. Pool testing and pool dosing –

There were no written procedures for these. The operations manager had been on a pool management course but appeared to be unclear about the significance of the pool readings. At times the pool readings were outside safe operations parameters but these were not picked up or dosing etc adjusted to bring these back in line. Readings had been filled in but it is questionable whether all were actual readings or assumed. On some shifts, readings had been missed completely. LC – all site operation staff will be going on a pool plant operators course in the near future, senior team members will undergo a company training course for pool plant operating.

13. Plant room

The main plant room has considerably improved since last visit. This was tidy and disused materials have been removed. Doors are now secure preventing unauthorised access. So it was particularly disappointing to find the plant room above the hire kitchen, even though locked, was clearly being used as a recreation area with food scraps and combustible debris posing a fire risk to the building.

14. Chemical store

The bund has been cleared and the area generally much improved. Empty drums are still being stored at fire exit from plant room. The emergency power cut off switch is in a darkened area.

15. Kitchens and food

The kitchen for public hire was extremely dirty and ill kept. There were also clear breaches of food hygiene rules and codes of good practice.

16. Contractor management

This area has clearly improved –contractor staff were observed signing in. However, operatives erecting temporary furnishings for an event had to be spoken to twice to prevent clearly unsafe work at height. There is a question about the exchange of risk assessment and method statements between the parties and onsite induction of operatives about expected standards of working.

17. Car park

Parking on site has improved considerably with the coaches setting down and parking in a less free-for all way.

There is far less litter and material dumped in the car park and around the site generally. However, the compactor at the rear of the building was observed to be open at the time of the visit, a serious trapping, and suffocation risk. .

Audit of Leisure Centre 24.4.09
Area / Observation / Risk / Priority / Action required / Who by; when
1 / Kitchens - fire safety / Fire-check doors throughout area still faulty.
Fire exit door in kitchen broken glass panel
Obsolescent cooking equipment installation still being hired out.
Dust and grease extractors blocked; not cleaned / Fire / / Repair or replace fire doors.
Ensure extractors regularly cleaned and serviced including replacement of filters.
2 / Kitchen – food safety and / Freezer unlock and dirty
Spillage of food out of packet in freezer
No dates on food in freezer / Unacceptable risk to staff and public from food spoilage and contamination. / / Catering staff need urgent re training in food safety and hygiene.
Effective management action required to monitor and assure quality control in food handling and storage.
Scores on doors scheme advised.
3 / Kitchen – cleaning and hygiene / No safe system of work in place for cleaning kitchen All sinks for washing hand dirty
2 soap dispensers pressers very dirty
Dirty food preparation sinks blocked with putrefying food matter.
Oil splatter over cooker splash back panel
Work counters thick with oil
Oil left in deep fat fryer over a week old - evidence of bacteria spoilage.
Cooker dirty with grease and food remains
Poor control of waste.
Rodent traps not regularly checked.
Floor very dirty. / Unacceptable risk to staff and public from food spoilage and contamination. / / Effective cleaning schedule required as well as management action to monitor and ensure safe standards are maintained.
4 / Services / Expose gas, electrical and water pipe in middle of kitchen / More liable to be damaged. Also difficult surfaces to clean / / Services should be boxed
5 / Toilets adjacent to kitchen / Toilets by kitchen no lights and toilets very smelly and grimy
Are Legionella checks been carried out?
Fire door glass view panels missing and some panels broken / Hygiene /infection risk including legionelliosis / / These facilities must be kept clean and Legionella tests done. Replace lighting and repair corridor fire door.
6 / Plant room above kitchen / H43, H45 - Food scraps and packaging over floor.
Cigarette butts stubbed out on floor
Full rubbish bag hanging from pipework
Reduced ceiling height in places - Hard hat missing from plant room safety gear / Risk of pest including rodent infestation
Increased risk of fire including spread in roof void.
Increased risk of head injury / / People with access obviously using this locked area inappropriately for recreation including smoking, which must be stopped. Management inspection must include checks of high-risk areas like this.
Replace head protection; regular checks to ensure safety equipment in place and available for use.
7 / Plant room /

Emergency cut off for plant room in darkened area.

D10 electrical cupboard – obstructed access to fuse box / Risk of delay when rapid shut down required.
Increased risk of fire; tripping accidents / / Entrance to plant room – Lights needs to be on when building open.
Need to be kept cleared of clutter. Combustible material should be kept in secure fire resistant containers only if left in this area.
8 / D10 missing insulation ceiling panel
Loose ceiling panel on fir exit stairs adjacent to plant room / Increased risk of fire spread into roof space / / All inspection panels should be replaced and gaps fire-stopped.
9 / D13 double fire door by goods lift loose handle and badly damage door / Increased risk of fire spread; also trapping if handle falls off. / / Repair or replace.
10 / D14 Glass panels on staff room door along escape corridor covered up – / Obstructs vision for entry exit; also in emergency / / Needs to be removed
11 / First Aid Room / Large bin needs to be opened by hand to use.
Sink dirty.
Bed in room - foam exposed; not safety marked. / Infection risk.
Fire risk. / / Replace with a pedal bin.
Ensure regularly cleaned and sanitised.
Needs replacing
12 / Pool reading / Will Holmes took pool reading, which read free 0.5 and ph 7.0 no explanation given in adjustment column.
Learner pool seemed very cloudy. / Pool reading faulty chemical balance not corrected leading infection risk or eye and breathing complaints / / Required staff training and management scrutiny to ensure tests are reliable and results being acted on as necessary.
13 / Compactor / Observed open and unattended / Trapping and suffocation risk. / Staff must ensure that the compactor is never left open and unattended; consider an alarm to warn when left open.

Key to priority scoring

Critical importance and immediate action is needed to improve the health and safety performance to an acceptable level

Action is needed within an agreed timescale to improve health and safety performance to an acceptable level.

Health and safety in this area is generally satisfactory, however recommendations may be given for further improvement.