The risks outside your community centre

When managing risks for your community centre, you may tend to focus on those inside your building, but it’s important not to overlook the risks outside. Whether leased or owned, as an occupier of a premises, if a person is injured and you have failed to adequately address foreseeable risks to visitors, or even your employees, you could be liable for damages.

A community centre’s car park has the potential to be a hive of activity with high volumes of traffic at peak drop-off and pick-up times, for the various activities held.  Particularly if there are children and cars in the area at the same time, there are obvious dangers. Observe the car park activity in busy periods with a focus upon minimising the risks identified at the centre.

There’s benefit to be gained each time you are outside, by viewing the building’s surroundings, with the aim of identifying potential risks to visitors of your centre.

Consider:

• Is there any ground surface that is uneven or are there any potholes?
• After rain, does water pool in a walkway, or does the surface become slippery?
• Are there potentially dangerous overhanging tree branches?
• Are trees depositing seeds or foliage that make paths slippery ?
• Is the car park area and walkway to the centre adequately lit?
• Is the traffic flow directional into the car park?
• Are there any blind spots for cars or pedestrians ?
• Are parking spaces, entrance and exit points, directions and pedestrian walkways clearly identified?
• Do visitors have an unobstructed path to the centre?
• Does the premises provide safe access for all types of visitors, including those with an impairment, ramps and rails?

This area of risk, in insurance terms, is known as public liability. Our Neighbourhood Houses & Learning Centres Liabilities Cover includes Public Liability cover for $10 or $20 million.

Public Liability cover protects you against claims made by third parties (children, parents, members of the public, visitors, trespassers, contractors, etc) who may be physically injured or have had their property damaged at your centre.

Guild Insurance provides a range of policies to meet the needs of community-based enterprises. You can discuss your insurance cover with a Guild Insurance Customer Service Executive by calling us on 1800 810 213