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Responsibility for Health & Safety matters in connection with the Bells and Tower have been delegated to the Twoer Captain (or their designated representrative) who has accepted responsibility for the following policy matters.
- The Tower Captain at all times shall be responsible for authorisation to gain access to the ringing chamber and bell chamber.
- There shall be, at all times, at least two persons present on the church premises when bells are being rung.
- When work is being carried out on the bells or in the bell chamber by the Tower Captain, he shall ensure that a second party is aware that such work is being carried out.
- The Tower Captain shall appraise ringers of an evacuation plan from ringing chamber in the event of a fire or other need to evacuate. The PCC will formulate this plan after consultation with the Tower Captain.
- The Tower Captain shall ensure by regular monthly checks that the emergency lighting in the ringing chamber is functional.
- The Tower Captain shall ensure that they are aware of the whereabouts of appropriate first aid facilities kept within the church.
- The Tower Captain will liase with the Churchwardens to ensure that a regular serviced fire extinguisher is kept within the ringing chamber.
- The Tower Captain will ensure that the following basic safety rules are complied with:
- Feet on the ground whilst ringing is in progress
- Ties, belts, scraves, pendants etc are to be 'tucked in'
- If a box is being used it must be rigid and the ringers feet must not protrude over the front edge.
- That the behaviour of those present is appropriate and does not create a hazard.
- Bells will be left in the 'down' position when not in use during the working week between 07:00 Monday to 18:00 Friday (Public Holiday's excepted) and except when two periods of ringing are sufficiently close together to render the lowering and raising of the bells unreasonable.
- Outside of the periods stipulated in 9 above - if bells are left in the 'up' position, the ringing chamber will be locked until experianced ringers are present.
Notices warning against access to the tower will be displayed at the access to the ringing chamber and at the foot of the staircase.
- The Tower Captain shall be responsible for taking reasonable steps to ensure the competence of visiting bell ringers.
- Where it is necessary to turn the clapper of a bell to the 'right' side, the following procedure will be observed:
- The procedure for turning the clapper will be specified in detail and approved by our insurers. A copy of the specification will be displayed in the ringing chamber.
- Only the Tower Captain (or other competent person specified by the Tower Captain) shall be permitted to carry out the procedure.
- For the avoidance of doubt, the church's Child Protection Policy applies in all respects to bell ringing activities.
Table of Approximate weights of bells
In case it is ever necessary to lift or restrain a bell of unknown weight, an estimate of its weight can be obtained by measuring its diameter and referring to the following table which has been compiled from a number of sources:
| Diameter (mm) |
Approx Weight (kg) |
Diameter (mm) |
Approx Weight (kg) |
| 525 |
115 |
1025 |
690 |
| 550 |
130 |
1050 |
730 |
| 575 |
140 |
1075 |
780 |
| 600 |
155 |
1100 |
825 |
| 625 |
180 |
1125 |
875 |
| 650 |
200 |
1150 |
925 |
| 675 |
225 |
1175 |
1000 |
| 700 |
250 |
1200 |
1055 |
| 725 |
275 |
1225 |
1100 |
| 750 |
300 |
1250 |
1160 |
| 775 |
325 |
1275 |
1220 |
| 800 |
350 |
1300 |
1290 |
| 825 |
380 |
1325 |
1360 |
| 850 |
415 |
1350 |
1430 |
| 875 |
450 |
1375 |
1520 |
| 900 |
490 |
1400 |
1610 |
| 925 |
530 |
1425 |
1710 |
| 950 |
570 |
1450 |
1810 |
| 975 |
610 |
1475 |
1950 |
| 1000 |
650 |
1500 |
2100 |
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