WHY A SAFETY PROGRAM FOR THE CHURCH?

1 2 WHY A SAFETY PROGRAM FOR THE CHURCH? church buildings are the scenes of many activities, worship, choir, Sunday school and outreach programs . One important aspect of the church stewardship is keeping the facilities free of hazards that could cause accidents. Even if your church is equipped with all the modern SAFETY features called for in the present building SAFETY codes, it should be inspected regularly, and routine repairs and maintenance completed promptly. This is especially important with older buildings. It s your duty to make your church safe for your members - young and PARTICIPATION and RISK MANAGEMENTWhy not start a church SAFETY Committee as part of the church Board? The more members who be-come involved, the more effective the PROGRAM will be. The care, maintenance and SAFETY of church property are the responsibility of the local trustees. The trustees must establish an ongoing church SAFETY committee.

2 They should select committee members with special expertise, such as police or firefighters, to regularly inspect security measures and fire hazards. Others, equally qualified, should be selected to inspect building structures, parking lots, and electrical systems and heating units. The SAFETY committee should consult with local police and fire officials for professional sure the local police have telephone numbers of the appointed security manager and church administrators. The committee should also be responsible for making sure that all church activities are properly supervised, both on and off premises. Other staff members or volunteers from the congregation could provide assistance when necessary. Encourage members of your congregation and concerned neighborhood citizens to be watchful during off-hours and report any suspicious activity. Lock the church when it is not in use.

3 This is an absolute necessity. Doors and windows should be secured with locking devices. Maintain control over the distribution of keys. No one should be allowed in the building without proper supervision. If possible, lock areas adjacent to the building including courtyards and COMPENSATIONEMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERSN early every church has employees and volunteers to do the necessary maintenance and repair work, as well as cooking and cleaning for church functions. These employees and volunteers are often good-hearted enough to attempt things that they would not dream of doing in their own homes. Their good intentions can lead to serious injury. You can prevent many of these accidents by making certain that your workers are fully qualified to such jobs as roofing, plumbing, or electrical wiring. Don t let church members take unnecessary risks where the job requires specific skills, experience or stamina.

4 When the job requires physical exertion such as moving furniture, digging or pulling, pick employees or volunteers who are fit for the work. Keep all tools and SAFETY equipment in good repair. Faulty or dull equipment is dangerous. Be sure that all electrical equipment is properly grounded or is of the double insulated type. Provide goggles, gloves, hard hats or other SAFETY equipment when the job requires it. Have written instructions available for the use of church equipment, such as all power tools, power mowers, and snowplows. Every church should have at least one fully equipped first aid kit. Make sure that everyone knows the location of the kit. The kit should be periodically checked to insure that the supplies have not been we really do not want to see a church member who volunteers his/her time get LOSS POTENTIALT oday churches must not only guard against the threat of fire but also crime-related losses including arson, burglary and vandalism.

5 Fortunately, there are effective steps that can be taken to minimize the chance of loss to church facilities. This brochure is provided to help you make your church more secure and reduce the possibility and extent of costly property and accidental injury RELATED PROPERTY LOSSESA rsonIntruders, juveniles and even members frequently commit arson. The motivations are numerous. They include maliciousness, revenge and personal grievance. In many instances, burglars, thieves and vandals set fires to cover their activities. Environmental conditions often facilitate and contribute to incendiary activity. The fact that churches are often unoccupied and easily accessible makes them an inviting target for arsonists and others seeking illegal and VandalismChurch buildings are often left unoccupied. Some churches provide a safe haven for their members and the general public, by leaving the front doors open.

6 Regardless of the benevolent intent, this situation is an invitation to burglars, thieves, vandals and arsonists. Proper security measures can help prevent or minimize losses caused by these typical church contains an assortment of expensive fixtures and contents including religious ornaments, paintings, statuary, scrolls, office equipment and an increasing amount of recording and projection equipment that is especially attractive to thieves. These items, and any donation boxes, should be secured in locked rooms and cabinets. Those churches with a history of burglary losses should consider the installation of an intrusion alarm should not be kept overnight on church premises. Collections and other receipts should be deposited at the bank as soon after they are received as is practical. If necessary, night depository facilities should be breakage is one of the most common vandalism problems involving church properties.

7 Consideration should be given to protecting valuable stained glass windows with break resistant plastic glazing, laminated or tempered glass coverings. When intentional glass breakage does occur, repairs should be made immediately to discourage further breakage or illegal intrusion. Grounds should be kept clear of rocks, bottles and other ready-made missiles that can be used to knock out local police to include the church premises as part of their routine nightly patrols. Volunteer patrols, staff employees or private security agencies can augment police patrols. Rounds should not be made on regularly scheduled time intervals, but should instead be staggered to avoid easy prediction of a new patrol round. Floodlighting vulnerable exterior and interior areas will also discourage unwanted nighttime prowlers. Nothing can completely protect a church from a determined intruder intent on causing damage or theft.

8 These suggestions, however, can assist in reducing the impact of crime LossesAccording to the National Fire Protection Association, there are over 2 million reported fires each year, including more than 100,000 arson fires. Thousand of these fires occur at churches and church related institutions, causing tens of million dollars damage. But the ultimate tragedy is that 30,000 American civilians are injured and 6,000 killed by fire every year, many in fires that were preventable. Churches large open construction makes them susceptible to heavy damage. Their steeples invite 4 Fire Losses (con t)lightning. Many contain architectural features, such as concealed spaces, where fire may burn unnoticed. Other common causes of church fires are faulty furnaces and stoves, overheated organ motors, carelessness with smoking materials, and careless use of candles and Christmas WiringChurch sponsored activities, auditorium plays, Christmas decorations, and bazaars require special lighting and electrical appliances.

9 Temporary extension cords provided for these events sometimes become permanent, resulting in substandard wiring. Fuses and circuit breakers require frequent replacement or restoration. The best practice is to have the church electrical system inspected by a competent licensed electrician at least once a year. Any non-standard electrical condition should be corrected to conform with provisions of the National Electrical churches are imposing in stature and many are built on the highest ground in a town or city. Even given an average location, statistics demonstrate that a 50 foot tower or steeple has a one in four chance of disaster, and the risk is even greater if the building structure contains steel or other metal, since it is the most efficient material in attracting and conducting electricity. Lightning is the most frequent natural disaster, far surpassing tornadoes, hurricanes, floods or area and isolation are other factors.

10 An average thunderstorm area of 16 acres receives one lightning strike per year. Thus, a one story church situated on four acres of land can expect to be struck once every four years. The building features most likely to be struck by lightning are those which project above surrounding structures, chimneys, ventilators, towers, steeples, domes, cupolas, roof ridges, gables, parapets, fire escapes, flagpoles, and air conditioning equipment. These and similar objects should be covered by a lightning protection system. Interior electrical equipment such as lighting, public address systems and organs are also vulnerable to voltage surges resulting from lightning and therefore requires separate systems have been developed to intercept and dissipate lightning bolts into the air or through wires and rods into the ground. Systems approved by the Lightning Protection Institute or Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.