Years ago, our Safe Church Teams were commonly referred to as Abuse Prevention Committees or Abuse Response Teams. Those names accurately reflected the very important, but somewhat narrow mandate of these committees. The three primary goals of a Safe Church Team should always be to minimize the chances of abuse occurring, to educate the members of the congregation about abuse issues and to deal with abuse situations as they arise. But, when I first read the name of my church’s “Safety & Well-being Policy” and its mandate, which included the line “to ensure that our church and its programs remain a haven of safety for all who attend”, I wondered how widely the term “safety and wellbeing” could be interpreted.

Should a Safe Church committee be restricted solely to the three primary goals of awareness, prevention and healing of abuse? If the mandate is to keep the church safe, can we expand the role of the Safe Church Team? Of course, it all depends on how busy your Safe Church team is with those primary goals. But, even if the Safe Church Team doesn’t have the resources to deal with an expanded role, I believe that it is still incumbent on other church committees, or the Council itself, to make sure all aspects of the church are safe.

Churches should be performing a comprehensive safety audit of their buildings, and that could include a review of the following:

How safe is the exterior of the building?

• Are the sidewalks safe? Are they clear of snow & ice?

• Does the exterior lighting minimize undesirable activity? Does it provide a safe environment for members and visitors?

How safe is the interior of the building?

• Does the flooring have defects that may cause a shuffling senior (or a parent carrying their baby) to slip or trip?

• Are the staircases safe? Are hand-railings secure and does the balcony railing meet current building code safety requirements (regarding height and spindle spacing)?

Are proper fire prevention and/or escape measures in place?

• When were the fire extinguishers last inspected and who schedules the regular inspection?\

• Are flammable materials/liquids properly stored?

• When was the last fire drill conducted? Is there a plan to ensure the safe evacuation of all members (seniors, infants, mobility-challenged, etc.)?

Is the kitchen and/or coffee room safe?

• Is it “child-proof”? Are cleaning chemicals safely marked and stored?

• Have the appliances been inspected lately? How’s the gas line? 

• Are the food preparation practices and facilities healthy?

Do you have proper health care equipment?

• Are the first-aid kits restocked and up-to-date? Do people know where they are?
   
• Should an A.E.D. be placed on site with proper training for its use?

Whether the role of your Safe Church team is expanded to include such an audit or whether it’s becomes a revived role for your Building/Maintenance Committees, the church administrators should conduct a regular review of all Safe Church Issues. That review could save lives, let alone reduce injuries.

P.S. What’s an A.E.D.? I didn’t know until last week when local news pointed out that a man in his 50’s is alive today because the local soccer centre invested in an Automated External Defibrillator that diagnoses certain types of cardiac problems and treats via defibrillation (the heartbeat is re-established). They provide the user with clear, verbal instructions. My wife says that even a middle-aged, mechanically challenged techno-phobe (she’s hinting) would know how to use the machine in an emergency situation.