Health And Safety - Turriff Golf Club

TURRIFF GOLF CLUB HEALTH & SAFETY SUMMARY DOCUMENT

INTRODUCTION

Health and Safety is something that affects all parts of our working lives and also our hobbies, pastimes and sport.

Turriff Golf Club’s Health and Safety Policy aims to help protect our members, staff, visitors and other users of the golf course.

It is the responsibility of all members and golfers to ensure they read and follow the policy document for the use of the course.

This policy has been designed, not to spoil the enjoyment of your round, but to enhance it by keeping all golfers and walkers as safe as possible. Please help us to help you!

ACCIDENTS – EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

FIRST AID ASSISTANCE: In the event of an accident, first aid boxes are located behind the bar and in the Greenkeeper’s Bothy within the Greenkeeper’s Shed. There is also a defibrillator located at the entrance to the Lounge.

MOBILE PHONES: In order to summon help when on the course via a mobile phone, please call the emergency services on 999, our post code is AB534DH or the Clubhouse telephone number is 01888562982.

ACCIDENT REPORTING: All accidents must be reported to Administrator and recoded in the
Accident Register located behind the Bar.

COURSE RISK ASSESSMENT STATEMENT

The golf course risk assessment has been carried out on a hole by hole basis. In order to minimise the risks from the hazards which have been identified, it is your responsibility as a golfer, caddie or spectator to strictly adhere to the following:

• You are advised to exercise caution at all times on the golf course with respect to identifying areas where you may be at a potential risk of being hit by another golfer’s golf ball, especially on those holes where the landing area is not clearly visible from the tee and areas where there are parallel fairways.
• Turriff Golf Club has public rights of way through the course along the banks of the Deveron and the Turriff Burn, and there is also a public pathway bordering the right hand side of the
14th fairway. Please remember that people using these rights of way have priority and
golfers must wait until it is safe to play.
• If a golf ball is stuck and is heading in the direction of other people, you must shout FORE to alert them of the impending danger. When you hear the shout of FORE, please take evasive action and crouch down and cover your head.
• Golfers should not strike a golf ball when there is a risk of endangering other people whether that is other golfers, greenkeeping personnel or any other member of the public.
• Particular care should be taken on holes where the landing area of your shot may not be clearly visible. Below is a list of shots identified as requiring caution, and the people at risk:

2nd Hole Tee Shot Golfers playing ahead near the landing zone
3rd Hole Tee Shot Golfers playing ahead near the landing zone
6th Hole 2nd or 3rd shot to the green Golfers playing ahead neat the landing zone
9th Hole Tee Shot Golfers playing ahead near the landing zone
10th Hole & 11th Hole Tee Shots Vehicles entering and exiting the course
11th Hole Tee Shot Golfers on the Practice Area
12th Hole Tee Shot Golfers on the 13th Green
12th Hole 2nd or 3rd shot to the green Golfers on the 13th Tee
13th Hole Tee Shot Golfer’s on the 12th and 13th fairways
14th Hole Tee Shot Golfer’s ahead near the landing zone
Pedestrians on the path to the right of the hole
16th Hole Tee Shot Golfers playing ahead near the landing zone Pedestrians on the path alongside the Turriff Burn

• Animal Holes: Turriff Golf Club endeavours to fill in holes created by animals. However it is inevitable that there will be animal holes which could lead to injuries. These holes are particularly prevalent on the 16th hole. Please take extra care.

• Buggies: Turriff Golf Club has Buggies for hire and allows members to operate their own private biggies on the course. All buggies must be operated in accordance with our Buggies Policy. There is a designated route around the course for buggies which must be adhered to.

• Fertiliser and Insecticides etc: Do not lick golf balls or fingers. A notice on route to the 1st Tee will advise of days that chemicals have been used. Players are advised to take heed of the warnings and protect themselves.

• Footwear: Turriff Golf Club requires golf shoes to be worn on the golf course as they help with avoiding slips and they also help your golf!

• Greenkeepers: The greens personnel are regularly working on the Course when golf is in progress. Please be careful and courteous to them and ensure that they are aware of and have acknowledged your presence prior to playing in their proximity.

• Insurance: All golfers must ensure that they are adequately insured in respect of the risks involved with playing golf at Turriff Golf Club.

• Out of Bounds: No attempts should be made to retrieve golf balls which have come to rest outside of the boundary of the golf course.

• Practising: This is limited to the designated Practice Areas of the Club which are situated beside the car park and beyond the 5th Tee. There is a notice located at the entrance to these practice areas detailing the correct usage of the practice facilities. To ensure the safety of all users of the practice area, as well as other golfers and members of the public, these instructions must be adhered to.

• Steep Banks, Slopes & Paths: Turriff Golf Course has too many steep banks, slopes and paths to list individually. At all times players should take care when walking up or down these, particularly when using golf buggies or trolleys. Adherence to the instructions detailed on the windscreens of the buggies is also essential in respect of minimising risks in this respect.

• Steps & Mats: There are various types of steps and paths with rubber mats, artificial grass or rock dust throughout the course. You are advised to use all steps and paths on the course with caution, particularly in wet or icy conditions.

• Water Hazards: There are water hazards at various locations throughout the course and care is required around all of these hazards to avoid the risk of drowning. The hazards and holes impacted are as follows:
o River Deveron 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 8th and 16th holes
o Turra Burn 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th holes
o Burn 3rd, 4th and 6th
o Ponds 6th, 7th and 14th holes (life belts are located close to these ponds)

• Wildlife: Players should be aware that there is a potential threat from wildlife such as wasps, bees and other biting insects on the course, especially during the summer months. Each summer we have nesting Oyster Catchers around the clubhouse and on the course, golfers should try not to disturb these nests.

• Inclement Weather: Darkness, rain, fog and ice: During inclement weather, the fact that the course has not been officially closed does not warrant that it is fit for play. Therefore,
members and visitors should themselves determine whether they consider it safe to play.
Players have a duty of care to behave in such a way that others may not be injured by their actions. They also have a duty of care to ensure that they do not injure themselves. All players play at their own risk and should do nothing to jeopardise the safety of themselves or others.

• Lightning: It is the player’s own responsibility to discontinue play when, in his/her opinion, a danger from lightning exists. In the event that a player is out on the golf course when lightning is present, then the following safety considerations are advised:

1. KEEP AS LOW AS POSSIBLE AND IDEALLY CROUCH DOWN IN THE NEAREST BUNKER/HOLLOW
2. LEAVE YOUR GOLF EQUIPMENT WHERE IT IS AND STAND AWAY FROM IT.
3. DO NOT USE A MOBILE PHONE – MAKE SURE IT IS SWITCHED OFF
4. DO NOT PUT AN UMBRELLA UP IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
5. DO NOT SHELTER UNDER TREES

To help with the review process of our safety procedures all Members, Guests and Visitors are kindly requested to bring to the attention of the Administrator any incidents that happen on the golf course, or hazards they feel have not been addressed.

TURRIFF GOLF CLUB – BUGGY POLICY

Purpose

This document aims to explain all aspects of the hiring, operation and storage of golf buggies at Turriff Golf Club. Failure to adhere to this policy may result in immediate termination of a buggy hire.

For members who own their own buggies, failure to adhere to this policy could ultimately result in sanctions up to and including a ban on the use of a buggy.

Definitions

The Club – Turriff Golf Club.

Buggy – all motorised means of transport of golfers around the golf course.

Committee – the General Committee of Turriff Golf Club.

Hirer – the person or persons hiring the buggy.

CONTENTS:

Process For Hiring Buggies
Rules for Member’s Buggies
Course Conditions
Approved Buggy Route
General Rules for the Use of Buggies

Process For Hiring Buggies

Turriff Golf Club has a limited number of buggies available for hire to members and visitors. These buggies can be hired via the Professional’s Shop in exchange for the appropriate fees which are set annually in January and they are displayed on the Turriff Golf Club website at turriffgolfclub.com.

Anyone who chooses to hire a buggy will be required to complete an Insurance Form prior to the commencement of the buggy hire.

The person on duty in the Professional’s Shop shall provide the Hirer with instructions in the use of the buggy including a safety briefing. By signing the Insurance Form the hirer is also confirming that they have received appropriate guidance in the use of the buggy as well as the safety briefing.

Rules for Member’s Buggies

Turriff Golf Club has a limited number of spaces available for the storage or storage and recharging facilities of member’s buggies in exchange for the appropriate fees. These fees are set annually in December and they are displayed on the Turriff Golf Club website at turriffgolfclub.com.

These storage spaces shall be allocated on a first come first served basis. Should we have more member’s requiring storage space for their buggies than we have spaces available, then a waiting list will be created and spaces will be allocated as and when they become available. The responsibility for insuring these buggies resides with the owners’, Turriff Golf Club accepts no responsibility for any damage caused to member’s buggies when they are stored in the shed provided or when they are operational on the course.

The owners of all buggies operating on the course are responsible for the maintenance and repairs to their buggies and also for the provision of fuel for their buggies. The Club requires owners to ensure that their buggies are properly maintained and in a safe working order at all times such that they do not present any risk to anyone on the course. The Club reserves the right to carry out any safety checks it feels are necessary in order to provide confirmation that a member’s buggy is in a safe operational state fit for operation at Turriff Golf Club.

Course Conditions

The Committee has a duty of care responsibility for all golfers, employees and contractors using or working at our facility and as such the use of buggies on the course requires careful consideration on a daily basis.

On a daily basis, the Greenkeeper shall assess the course for its suitability for the use of buggies. There are two possible outcomes of the Greenkeeper’s assessment as follows:-

a) The course is declared open and the course is in a suitable condition for the un-restricted use of buggies in line with this policy.
b) The course is declared open, but conditions are not suitable for the use of buggies. A message shall be posted on the course hotline advising that although the course is open, it is closed to buggies due to adverse ground conditions.

It should be noted that the Greenkeeper’s decision is final, and that the safety of all golfers is paramount at all times. The Greenkeeper shall advise the Professional’s Shop of his decision and the reasoning behind it. The Professional is expected to support the decision and assist in explaining the ruling to the members.

Approved Buggy Route

A buggy route plan highlighting the approved route around the course shall be installed in the Club’s buggies and a copy of the route plan shall also be supplied to all owners of buggies who use the course. A copy of the Approved Buggy Route can be found in Appendix A.

General Rules for the Use of Buggies

The general rules for the use of buggies at Turriff Golf Club are listed below:-

Drivers of buggies must be 18 years or over.
Drivers of buggies must not operate a buggy under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Where possible, members who choose to use buggies during Saturday Club Competitions should try to avoid the busy tee times from 8:30am until 10:30 am such that there is limited interference with the play of other walking members. Should members wish to use their buggies during these times, they will be expected to respect the pace of play of the walking members.
Golfers using buggies shall adhere to all signs which are posted throughout the course.
In general, buggies must navigate around the course via the rough at either side of each fairway and observe a 90 degree rule when approaching your ball.
Buggies must be kept off aprons, tees and greens at all times.
Buggies must be driven in a safe manner at all times, giving due consideration to other members and visitors and to the driving conditions on the day.
Extra care must be taken if you are required to drive your buggy through the car park area.