Health and Safety Policy – Agriculture Courses at Irongate Farm, Hertfordshire

  • Organisation: GroundSchool CIC
  • Venue: Irongate Farm, Hertfordshire
  • Activities: Agriculture and land-based education and practical activities
  • Policy Owner: Zoe Davis, Director
  • Approved By: Joanna Bowen, Director
  • Effective From: 1st October 2026
  • Review Date: 1st October 2027

1. Policy Statement

GroundSchool CIC is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of everyone participating in or affected by its activities at Irongate Farm and elsewhere.
Our courses involve classroom and practical learning in a converted stable block and on farmland, as well as in other locations hired for courses and events. We recognise that agricultural environments contain hazards that may not be present in a conventional classroom or training venue.
GroundSchool CIC will therefore:
  • Provide and maintain safe places, equipment and systems of work;
  • Identify hazards and assess risks associated with our activities;
  • Provide appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision;
  • Take reasonable steps to protect course participants, staff, volunteers, contractors, visitors and members of the public;
  • Provide appropriate welfare and first-aid arrangements;
  • Maintain appropriate emergency procedures;
  • Ensure that practical activities are planned and supervised appropriately;
  • Take account of individual needs and additional vulnerabilities;
  • Record, investigate and learn from accidents, incidents and near misses; and
  • Regularly review this policy and the associated risk assessments.
GroundSchool CIC will work with the owner of Irongate Farm and any other location we are using for our courses, to ensure that risks arising from the wider farm environment are appropriately controlled.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:
  • GroundSchool CIC employees;
  • Tutors and course facilitators;
  • Volunteers;
  • Course participants and learners;
  • Contractors; and
  • Other people who may be affected by GroundSchool CIC activities.
It applies to activities undertaken:
  • Inside the converted stable block classroom;
  • In the immediate outdoor areas used for teaching;
  • On farmland used for course activities; and
  • When moving between these areas.
  • On other premises hired by GroundSchool.
This policy covers practical agricultural activities undertaken as part of GroundSchool CIC courses. Activities involving power tools, chainsaws, agricultural machinery or other higher-risk equipment are outside the scope of routine course activities unless separately risk assessed and specifically authorised.

3. Responsibilities

3.1 GroundSchool CIC

The directors of GroundSchool CIC have overall responsibility for ensuring that suitable health and safety arrangements are in place for its courses.
GroundSchool CIC will:
  • Maintain suitable risk assessments;
  • Ensure tutors and facilitators understand their responsibilities;
  • Provide suitable information and safety briefings;
  • Ensure activities are appropriately supervised;
  • Provide appropriate first-aid arrangements;
  • Maintain accident and incident records;
  • Ensure appropriate emergency arrangements are communicated;
  • Consult with Irongate Farm regarding hazards associated with the site;
  • Review this policy and relevant risk assessments; and
  • Stop or modify activities where they cannot be undertaken safely.

 

3.2 Course Tutors and Facilitators

Tutors and facilitators are responsible for the day-to-day safety of activities under their supervision.
They must:
  • Review a pre-course/site safety check;
  • Explain relevant hazards and control measures to participants;
  • Ensure participants understand instructions before practical activities begin;
  • Provide appropriate supervision;
  • Ensure participants use tools and equipment correctly;
  • Monitor changing weather and ground conditions;
  • Maintain awareness of the location of the group;
  • Respond appropriately to accidents, illness and emergencies; and
  • Stop an activity if conditions become unsafe.

 

3.3 Course Participants

Participants are expected to:
  • Follow reasonable health and safety instructions;
  • Attend safety briefings;
  • Use tools and equipment only as instructed;
  • Wear suitable clothing and footwear;
  • Take reasonable care of their own safety and that of others;
  • Report hazards, accidents, injuries and near misses promptly;
  • Tell a tutor if they are unable to safely undertake an activity;
  • Stay within designated areas and follow site boundaries;
  • Not interfere with farm machinery, animals, buildings or equipment; and
  • Not undertake activities for which they have not been instructed or authorised.

 

4. Risk Assessment

GroundSchool CIC will undertake suitable and sufficient risk assessments for course activities.
Risk assessments will consider:
  • The activity being undertaken;
  • The location;
  • Who may be harmed and how;
  • Existing control measures;
  • Additional controls required;
  • The level of supervision required; and
  • Emergency arrangements.
Particular consideration will be given to people who may be more vulnerable to particular hazards, including new or inexperienced participants, people with disabilities or additional support needs, pregnant participants and people with relevant medical conditions or allergies.
Risk assessments will be reviewed:
  • Before courses commence;
  • When activities or locations change;
  • Following an accident, incident or near miss;
  • Where new hazards are identified; and
  • At least annually for ongoing activities.
A site risk assessment exists for Irongate Farm Stable Classroom which will be updated on an annual basis or if there is a significant change to the space. Where additional hazards are identified, an additional course-specific risk assessment will be conducted and documented by the course tutor and reviewed by a member of GroundSchool CIC staff. Where GroundSchool is using other locations for its courses, a site-specific risk assessment will be conducted and recorded by a member of GroundSchool CIC staff.

5. Site Safety – Irongate Farm

Irongate Farm remains a working agricultural environment. Course participants must therefore be treated as visitors to a farm environment and must remain within areas designated for GroundSchool CIC activities.
Before each course, a member of GroundSchool CIC staff will identify any relevant current farm hazards and share these with the course tutor where relevant. These may include:
  • Agricultural vehicles and machinery;
  • Livestock or other animals;
  • Uneven, muddy or slippery ground;
  • Farm buildings and structures;
  • Ponds, ditches, watercourses or other bodies of water;
  • Slurry, manure or other waste;
  • Crops or areas under cultivation;
  • Electric fencing or barbed wire;
  • Gates and field boundaries;
  • Hazardous substances;
  • Falling objects or unstable materials;
  • Extreme weather;
  • Stinging or biting insects; and
  • Other site-specific hazards.
Participants must not enter restricted areas or approach farm machinery or animals unless this forms part of a specifically planned and risk-assessed activity.
Particular care will be taken to prevent participants inadvertently entering areas containing significant hazards such as machinery, livestock, water hazards, slurry or other agricultural infrastructure.

6. Converted Stable Block

The converted stable block will be maintained as a safe teaching environment.
Before courses, a member of the GroundSchool CIC team will check that:
  • Access and exit routes are clear and doors can be used safely;
  • Floors are reasonably free from trip hazards;
  • Lighting is adequate;
  • Heating and ventilation are appropriate for the conditions;
  • Electrical equipment being used is suitable and in good condition.
Any defect presenting a significant risk will be reported and, where necessary, the affected area or equipment will not be used until the risk has been controlled.

7. Outdoor and Farmland Activities

Practical activities will be planned according to the conditions on the day.
Before outdoor activities begin, GroundSchool CIC staff will consider:
  • Weather conditions;
  • Ground conditions;
  • Visibility;
  • Temperature;
  • Appropriate clothing and footwear;
  • Location of other farm activities;
  • Livestock and wildlife;
  • Traffic and vehicle movements;
  • Potential slips, trips and falls;
  • Manual handling requirements; and
  • Whether the planned activity remains suitable.
Activities will be adapted, postponed or cancelled where conditions create an unacceptable risk.
Participants will be encouraged to wear sturdy, closed-toe footwear and clothing appropriate to outdoor agricultural work. Additional PPE will be provided or required where the risk assessment identifies a need.

8. Hand Tools and Practical Equipment

Course activities may involve the use of basic hand tools and other low-risk agricultural equipment.
Tools will be:
  • Suitable for the task;
  • Maintained in a safe condition;
  • Inspected before use where appropriate;
  • Stored safely when not in use; and
  • Used only by people who have received appropriate instruction.
Tutors will demonstrate safe use where necessary and supervise participants according to their experience and the level of risk.
Participants must not use equipment in a way for which it was not designed.
Power tools and other high-risk machinery will not normally be used as part of these courses.

9. Manual Handling

Activities involving lifting, carrying, digging, moving materials or other physical work will be assessed for manual-handling risks.
Where reasonably practicable, risks will be reduced by:
  • Avoiding unnecessary lifting;
  • Reducing the weight or size of loads;
  • Using suitable equipment or assistance;
  • Sharing loads between people; and
  • Providing instruction on safe handling techniques.
Participants should not attempt to lift or move an object that they believe is beyond their capabilities.

10. Animals and Zoonotic Infection

Where course activities take place on a working farm, participants may potentially encounter animals, animal waste or contaminated soil.
Participants must follow instructions regarding animal contact.
Where relevant, controls will include:
  • Limiting animal contact to planned activities;
  • Supervision of animal-related activities;
  • Handwashing after contact with animals, soil or manure;
  • Keeping food and drink away from areas where contamination may occur;
  • Covering cuts and abrasions;
  • Preventing participants from touching their face or eating before washing their hands; and
  • Providing information about relevant infection risks.
Particular attention will be given to zoonotic infections associated with agricultural environments. HSE notes that diseases such as E. coli O157 and Cryptosporidium can be transmitted from farm animals to people and that visitors to farms can also be affected.

11. Personal Hygiene and Welfare

Participants will have access to the designated compost toilet at Irongate Farm. Where courses are not held at Irongate Farm, another toilet and handwashing facility will be provided.
Suitable handwashing facilities will be available and participants will be instructed to wash their hands:
  • After using the toilet;
  • After practical agricultural activities;
  • After contact with animals, manure or soil where applicable;
  • Before eating; and
  • Whenever otherwise necessary for good hygiene.
The toilet and associated facilities will be maintained in a clean and usable condition.
GroundSchool CIC will ensure that participants have reasonable opportunities to take breaks and access drinking water.

12. Food and Lunch Provision

Any food provided to participants will be prepared in an appropriately approved/registered food preparation kitchen and transported and served in accordance with the relevant food hygiene arrangements.
GroundSchool CIC will:
  • Identify known dietary requirements and allergies where this information is voluntarily provided;
  • Communicate relevant dietary requirements to the food provider;
  • Ensure food is protected from contamination during transport and serving;
  • Provide suitable facilities for eating;
  • Ensure participants have access to handwashing facilities before eating; and
  • Take reasonable steps to prevent cross-contamination.
Participants will be encouraged to inform GroundSchool CIC of any relevant food allergy or dietary requirement before attending a course.
Food allergies will be treated as a significant safety consideration and information provided by participants will be handled appropriately and shared only with those who need it to manage the risk.

13. First Aid

GroundSchool CIC will maintain appropriate first-aid arrangements based on a first-aid needs assessment.
A suitably stocked first-aid kit will be readily accessible during courses.
At least one person responsible for each course will know:
  • The location of the first-aid equipment: In Irongate Stable Classroom when that location is being used. In the case that other locations are used, an alternative first-aid kit will be made available.
  • How to summon emergency assistance: Call 999.
  • The location of the course and appropriate access point for emergency services.
  • The location of the nearest defibrillator: The Rising Sun Pub, Hall’s Green (when Irongate Farm is being used as the course location).
  • The arrangements for dealing with an accident or medical emergency.
Where reasonably practicable, a trained first aider or appropriately trained person will be present during course activities.
First-aid arrangements will take account of the fact that practical activities are undertaken outdoors on a farm rather than solely within a conventional workplace.

14. Emergency Procedures

In an emergency, the immediate priority is to protect life and prevent further harm.
The person leading the activity will:
  1. Stop the activity where safe to do so.
  2. Move people away from immediate danger where appropriate.
  3. Provide or arrange first aid.
  4. Contact the emergency services if required by calling 999.
  5. Provide the emergency services with the correct location and access instructions.
  6. Notify the GroundSchool CIC responsible person: Zoe Davis.
  7. Notify Irongate Farm where the incident relates to the farm or its operations, or notify the owner if an alternative location is being used.
  8. Record the incident as soon as practicable.
The course leader should have access to a charged mobile phone during outdoor activities.
The emergency location, access route and appropriate farm gate/access point for emergency services will be confirmed before courses commence.

15. Fire Safety

Fire safety arrangements for the converted stable block: there will be a fire extinguisher located within the Irongate Stable Classroom.
Participants will be informed of:
  • The location of emergency exits;
  • The designated assembly point: Irongate Market Garden (when Irongate Farm Stable Classroom is the location being used for the course, or an alternative location where other premises are being hired);
  • What to do if a fire is discovered; and
  • The requirement not to re-enter the building until authorised.
Fire exits and escape routes must remain unobstructed.
Any cooking, heating or other activity involving naked flames will be subject to separate controls and risk assessment.

16. Safeguarding and Lone Working

GroundSchool CIC will ensure that course activities are appropriately staffed and supervised.
No participant will be required to undertake a potentially hazardous practical activity alone where this would create an unacceptable risk.
Where staff or tutors work alone at the farm, lone-working arrangements will be assessed and appropriate communication and emergency arrangements put in place.
Where children or vulnerable adults attend courses, GroundSchool CIC’s safeguarding policy and relevant safeguarding procedures will also apply.

17. Incident, Accident and Near-Miss Reporting

All accidents, injuries, near misses and significant hazards must be reported to the course leader as soon as possible.
GroundSchool CIC will maintain an appropriate accident/incident record, stored with the first aid kit in Irongate Stable Classroom.
Incidents will be reviewed to determine:
  • What happened;
  • Whether anyone was injured;
  • The underlying causes;
  • Whether existing controls were adequate; and
  • Whether risk assessments or procedures need to be changed.
Where an incident is potentially reportable under relevant legislation, GroundSchool CIC will take appropriate action.

18. Contractors and Other Site Users

GroundSchool CIC will take reasonable steps to ensure that contractors and other people whose activities may affect course participants are identified and managed.
Where other farm activities are taking place during a course, GroundSchool CIC will liaise with the farm operator to avoid unnecessary interaction between course participants and agricultural operations.
Course activities will be paused or relocated where necessary to maintain separation from vehicles, machinery, livestock or other hazards.

19. Accessibility and Individual Needs

GroundSchool CIC aims to make courses accessible while ensuring that activities remain safe.
Participants will be given an opportunity to identify relevant access, mobility, medical, dietary or other requirements before the course.
Where an individual requirement creates an additional health and safety risk, GroundSchool CIC will consider reasonable adjustments and additional control measures.
No participant will be required to disclose unnecessary medical information.

20. Training and Safety Briefings

All participants will receive an appropriate safety briefing from the course tutor before undertaking practical activities.
The briefing will cover, as relevant:
  • Boundaries and areas that may be accessed;
  • Farm hazards;
  • Appropriate clothing and footwear;
  • Use of tools;
  • Manual handling;
  • Animal and hygiene risks;
  • Weather considerations;
  • First aid;
  • Emergency procedures;
  • Fire arrangements;
  • Toilet and handwashing facilities; and
  • Reporting of accidents and hazards.

 

23. Smoking, Alcohol and Drugs

Smoking and vaping will not be permitted in Irongate Stable Classroom or in any active agricultural areas (with crops, materials, or livestock). Smoking and vaping should never take place where they could create a fire or other safety risk.
Participants must not attend or participate in practical activities while impaired by alcohol, illegal drugs or medication in a way that affects their ability to participate safely.
GroundSchool CIC reserves the right to exclude a person from an activity where their condition or behaviour creates a significant safety risk.

24. Monitoring and Review

The responsible person will monitor compliance with this policy through:
  • Pre-course site checks;
  • Review of risk assessments;
  • Participant and staff feedback;
  • Accident and near-miss records;
  • Inspection of equipment and facilities; and
  • Periodic review with the Irongate Farm operator.
This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner where:
  • There is a significant change to the activities or site;
  • There is a serious accident or incident;
  • Relevant legislation or guidance changes; or
  • Monitoring identifies that existing arrangements are no longer adequate.

 

25. Related Documents

This policy should be read alongside:
  • GroundSchool CIC Site Risk Assessment(s);
  • Safeguarding Policy; and
  • Relevant course-specific activity risk assessments.

 

26. Declaration

GroundSchool CIC is committed to maintaining a positive health and safety culture in which everyone is encouraged to identify hazards, raise concerns and contribute to safer working and learning practices.
The organisation recognises that agriculture presents particular risks and will take reasonably practicable steps to ensure that course participants, staff, volunteers and visitors are protected from avoidable harm.
  • Signed: Zoe Davis
  • Name: ZOE DAVIS
  • Position: DIRECTOR
  • Date: 21ST SEPT 2026
  • Next Review: SEPT 2027