General Guidance

The SPF Website - To find out what's where download the SPF Website Guide below for an overview of what's contained on this website and where, as well as an overview of the SPF.

The 'Admin Area' - Online Entry area of this website is for Club Main Contacts and Competition Secretaries only at this time. Please visit the Competitions Guidance page (click here) for full details and Illustrated Guidance Notes for help in completing your Club's entry online using this area. Please Contact Libby if you require any assistance.

We have been asked by our Member Clubs Do we need Risk Assessments?

Unless your camera club employs staff you do not come under specific Health & Safety Legislation. However, the premises where you hold your meetings and more importantly your club insurers may insist on risk assessments being in place. This makes sense and is good practice. (The PAGB Insurance Brokers Darwin Clayton recommend that you do Risk Assessments and keep records of them having been done) 

Clubs, their members and officials do have a duty of care to look after each other and others they may come into contact with. If there is an accident that results in some form of claim against the club then it is very likely your insurers will look to see what actions you have taken as a club to mitigate any risks that could reasonably be predicted.

How do we complete a Risk Assessment?

There are 5 steps to risk assessments

• Step 1 Identify the Risks
• Step 2 Decide who may be harmed and how
• Step 3 Evaluate the risk and what precautions can be taken
• Step 4 Record your findings and impliment them
• Step 5 Review your risk assessment and update if required

A document produced by one of our SPF Executive Members is available to download below. This outlines the basic process and explains how to go about completing a risk assessment. This document also gives links to more information on this subject, including a template for you to use when completing your own Club Risk Assessment together with an example of a simple risk assessment for A Camera Club

It is important that you carry out your OWN risk assessment that is specific to your Club, premises and outings.

We have also given a few of these links below so that they are easy to access

Health and Safety Executive Brief Guide to Risk Assessment (click here)

Blank Risk Assessment Template (click here)

This section should be read in conjunction with the Data Protection downloads available below ('Data Protection and the SPF Guidance Document' contains all documents in one)

As there was new Data Protection legislation that came in to force in May 2018, the SPF had to put certain things in place to comply with the new legislation. And; following new documentation laid out by the PAGB in Feb 2018 (updated Apr 18), the SPF have put a Data Protection Policy in place and amended our Competition Rules for all events in line with the new requirements. 

This information is advisory and does not set out a policy for anyone to follow. It is intended only as guidelines for Clubs to construct their own policy. Whilst this information has been researched and we believe it to be accurate, the SPF and/or PAGB can accept no responsibility for any errors or incorrect statements and cannot be held liable for any consequent actions which may arise.

Clubs should particularly check the Guidance Summary given by the PAGB in their PAGB Advice Document;

Extract from PAGB Advice – The new legislation adds a requirement for all data controllers to demonstrate their compliance Federations/Clubs need to inform volunteers about the requirements for holding and using personal data. Federations/Clubs do not need explicit consent to collect personal data, but implied consent is only valid within a published policy. The data controllers of Inter-Club and similar events will need to ensure they have consent from individual photographers whose work is entered via a third party.

The main areas where some changes may be required by your Club, in addition to what you already do, are shown in the Summary List of Actions -

• Federations/Clubs will need to prepare and publish a data protection policy containing an adequate description of what personal data will be collected and for what purposes. – This is required so that implied consent is valid for competition secretaries entering member’s work in Inter-Club/SPF/PAGB events (SPF Draft Club Policy available to download above)
• Federations/Clubs will need to review and document their compliance with their own policy.
• Federations/Clubs will need to inform their volunteer officials about maintaining a separation between personal data from different data controllers, and between controlled and domestic use of personal data – i.e. that data can only be used for Club business (inc SPF Directory lists etc..)
• Organisers of inter-Club and similar events will need to review their entry conditions to ensure that any third party entrant confirms explicit consent for the organiser to hold personal data about the photographers entered to the event – e.g. To cover a Club Photographer’s work entered by a Competition Secretary into an Inter-Club/SPF/PAGB competition (and that the SPF may also re –enter into a PAGB/Celtic Challenge event)
• Federations/Clubs must not make their membership contact information available for electronic marketing. Clubs must refuse any request to cascade marketing material to members by electronic messages - For clarification and as an example of what’s allowed; the e-flash, e-news and e-salon contain details about SPF events etc; this is not classed as electronic marketing so you are free to disseminate it to your members, although you are wise to get permission to send any such information to their email address. Extract from PAGB Advice; Marketing material would not include information to members about events directly related to a Federations/Club’s activities.

SPF Additional Note - This Covid-19 Guidance is as supplied by the PAGB, but requires an amended statement by the SPF, for SPF Clubs, to update the supplied Covid Government links to those for the Scottish Government. Please note that the link for Community centres, village halls, and other multi-use community facilities in particular does not currently apply to Scotland.

The PAGB is aware that several Federations and Clubs are considering the possibility of resuming normal meetings and that some form of guidance has been requested.

This document is designed to provide basic information which is essentially that current Government Guidance MUST be followed.

The Covid-19 situation continues to evolve rapidly, and there are varying rules in different parts of the UK, including down to very localised levels when “spikes” of cases occur. Therefore, the PAGB is unable to issue detailed guidance which could rapidly become superseded and outdated.

Due to the current levels of risk posed by the COVID-19 virus, we are actively encouraging the use of video conferencing technology to carry out meetings and club events.

Any Federation or Club considering holding a face to face meeting should produce an adequate Risk Assessment to ensure the protection of their officers and members as well as those who might also use the premises in which the meeting will be held.

Risk Assessment Guidance

• Guidance on producing Risk Assessments is available from the following link: (click Here) **
• Prior to holding a meeting, the organiser must also check the specific Covid-19 precautions required by the venue where the meeting is to be held.

Government Guidance

• Government Guidance for Covid-19 is available from the following links:
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance and support **
• COVID-19: Guidance for the safe use of multi-purpose community facilities **

Insurance

The PAGB is also aware that several questions have been raised about Public Liability and Management Liability Insurance regarding Covid-19. Our brokers, Darwin Clayton, have been requested to liaise with our Insurers to produce information which will be circulated to Federations and Clubs shortly.

A PDF of this article is available to download below.

** SPF Additional Note - Please visit the following Scottish Goverment website for all relevant details for Scotland (click here) 

As there is not yet one area that covers everything, we have highlighted the following areas of this website to get you started but this is ever changing (NB – some updated 21st Aug some not valid until 14th Sept)

• Phase 3 Staying Safe and Protecting Others (click here)
• Guidance on Sport and Leisure Facilities (click here) 
• Covid Risk Assessment Guidance (click here)