One of the main aims of the Carmarthenshire Meadows Group (CMG) since it was set up in 2015, has been to enable its members to share experience and knowledge so that they are not all separately looking for answers to the same problems. We have a website and Facebook Group, but we consider the best way of sharing experience and exchanging information is to attend site visits which is why, every year, some members kindly volunteer to host visits by other members to their land. 

If CMG organizes an activity that could be hazardous (e.g., using hand tools with sharp cutting blades such as training in using scythes), it is up to the trainers to provide advice and guidance on how to avoid accidents, and to provide insurance cover for the training. However, site visits are not inherently hazardous, as they should only involve walking round a field or plot, looking at what’s there, and discussing its features and how it’s being managed.  When such visits take place, those hosting the visit (because they are the host, not CMG) should take whatever H&S measures they deem necessary to identify any hazards and minimise the associated risks.

We have therefore written a generalised risk assessment that anyone organising a site visit by CMG members is welcome to use.  You’re not required to do this, it’s entirely up to you, but if you think you would like to take extra precautions, please download from the link below the CMG risk assessment for Site Visits, use it as guidance, and share information about what to do in an emergency with the visitors. For ease of use, it is downloadable in pdf or Word format.