1. Purpose
Waitākere Cricket Club (WCC) is committed to providing a safe, healthy and enjoyable environment for all players, coaches, volunteers, officials, spectators and visitors.
The Club recognises that everyone has a responsibility to contribute to a safe environment and is committed to taking all reasonably practicable steps to prevent injury and illness while participating in Club activities.
This policy establishes the Club’s approach to managing health and safety across all cricket, training, coaching, community and club activities.
2. Scope
This policy applies to:
- Committee members
- Employees
- Contractors
- Coaches
- Managers
- Team officials
- Volunteers
- Players
- Parents and caregivers
- Spectators while participating in Club organised activities
This includes activities conducted at:
- Te Atatū Park
- Indoor training venues
- Schools
- Community events
- Representative tournaments
- Any venue where Waitākere Cricket Club is conducting official activities.
3. Our Commitment
Waitākere Cricket Club will:
- Provide a safe environment for participation.
- Identify and manage foreseeable risks.
- Promote a positive safety culture.
- Encourage everyone to report hazards and incidents.
- Comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
- Continually improve our health and safety practices.
Safety is everyone’s responsibility.
4. Responsibilities
Committee
The Committee will:
- maintain this policy
- monitor health and safety performance
- ensure adequate resources are available
- review incidents and significant risks
- ensure compliance with relevant legislation.
Club Manager
The Club Manager is responsible for:
- implementing this policy
- coordinating incident reporting
- maintaining accident records
- ensuring facilities are safe before use
- communicating safety information
- escalating serious incidents to the Committee.
Coaches and Team Managers
Coaches and managers must:
- provide safe activities appropriate to participants
- supervise players appropriately
- inspect equipment before use
- stop activities where unsafe conditions exist
- report hazards and incidents
- ensure emergency contact information is available.
Players
Players are expected to:
- follow instructions
- use equipment correctly
- report hazards
- report injuries immediately
- respect safety rules
- avoid behaviour that places others at risk.
Parents and Caregivers
Parents should:
- provide relevant medical information
- ensure children are collected promptly
- advise coaches of injuries or medical conditions
- support safe behaviour.
5. Risk Management
Waitākere Cricket Club adopts a practical approach to risk management by:
- identifying hazards
- assessing risk
- implementing controls
- monitoring effectiveness
- reviewing after incidents.
Common cricket hazards include:
Playing surfaces
- uneven outfields
- wet surfaces
- holes
- sprinkler heads
- boundary obstacles
Cricket equipment
- hard cricket balls
- bats
- bowling machines
- nets
- portable wickets
- boundary ropes
Weather
- lightning
- excessive heat
- heavy rain
- high winds
- poor visibility
Facilities
- slips and trips
- car parks
- changing rooms
- storage sheds
- electrical equipment
6. Training Sessions
Before every training session coaches should ensure:
- playing area is safe
- nets are secure
- equipment is in good condition
- sufficient supervision is available
- first aid kit is accessible
- emergency contacts are available.
7. Match Days
Team officials should ensure:
- hazards are identified before play
- unsafe conditions are addressed
- weather conditions are monitored
- players have access to drinking water
- sun protection is encouraged
- injuries are managed appropriately.
8. Weather
Play or training should be suspended where conditions create an unreasonable risk including:
- lightning
- severe weather
- unsafe playing surfaces
- dangerous visibility.
The safety of participants always takes precedence over completing play.
9. Injury Management
All injuries should be:
- treated promptly
- recorded where appropriate
- monitored
- referred for medical attention where necessary.
Serious injuries must be reported to the Club Manager as soon as practicable.
10. Incident Reporting
Any participant may report:
- injuries
- near misses
- hazards
- unsafe behaviour
- property damage.
Reports should be made to:
- Coach
- Team Manager
- Club Manager
The Committee will review significant incidents to identify opportunities for improvement.
11. Emergency Procedures
In an emergency:
- Ensure personal safety.
- Call 111 if emergency assistance is required.
- Administer first aid if trained.
- Notify the Club Manager.
- Contact parents or emergency contacts where appropriate.
- Complete an incident report.
12. First Aid
The Club will endeavour to ensure:
- first aid kits are available
- kits are checked regularly
- coaches know where kits are located
- emergency contact details are accessible.
13. Junior Player Supervision
The Club recognises its responsibility to provide a safe environment for children.
Accordingly:
- juniors must be appropriately supervised
- coaches should avoid being alone with a child where possible
- parents remain responsible outside organised activities
- concerns relating to child welfare must be reported in accordance with the Club’s Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy.
14. Visitors and Contractors
Contractors and visitors undertaking work on behalf of the Club are expected to:
- comply with site safety requirements
- report hazards
- avoid creating unnecessary risks.
15. Alcohol and Drugs
No person may participate in coaching, officiating or supervising activities while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Alcohol consumption must comply with Club policies and licensing requirements.
16. Continuous Improvement
The Club will review:
- incidents
- hazards
- participant feedback
- changing legislation
- emerging risks
to improve health and safety practices.
17. Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed:
- annually
- following a serious incident
- following legislative change
- where improvements are identified.
Appendix A – Examples of Cricket Hazards
Examples include:
- Hard cricket balls
- Bowling machines
- Nets not correctly secured
- Wet synthetic surfaces
- Damaged practice wickets
- Unsecured boundary markers
- Uneven outfields
- Lightning
- Heat exhaustion
- Dehydration
- Sunburn
- Vehicle movements around grounds
- Slips in changing rooms
- Manual lifting of sights, covers and equipment
Health & Safety Commitment
Waitākere Cricket Club believes everyone has the right to participate in cricket in an environment that is safe, welcoming and enjoyable.
Health and safety is a shared responsibility, and every member is encouraged to contribute to creating a positive safety culture.
