The recent lockdown in the UK has left many buildings vacant and unused for months if not an entire year.  For some, such as churches, that could have been even longer. If your leadership team, diaconate or parish councils are nervous about what to do and when to do it, here is a quick checklist of things to do.

It would be wise to think about the common system aspects of your church that may have been deferred during lockdown.  Typically things like annual servicing comes to mind for fire alarms, security systems, fire extinguishers, boilers and emergency lighting.  From the risk perspective this is probably a good place to start.  

·       Fire – at a basic level you will be looking to ensure you can detect fire, alert those inside to the fire, exit occupier's safely, suppress the spread where possible and ensure marshalling and procedures for people’s awareness is at the right level.

o  Check the pressures in your cylinders and renew or replace where needed

o  Test your call points.  You may rotate these on a weekly basis but we advise you test all of them in your building if its been vacant for over a month.

o  If your building has been unoccupied for longer than 3 months we advise you get all detectors, sound bases, main control panel and call points serviced.

o  Clear the escape routes and make sure they are all clearly marked for exit.

o  Ensure your fire doors close properly and adjust accordingly.

o  Carryout an emergency lighting drain down test to ensure all the emergency lights fitted with a battery, can last up to 3 hours. This is the minimum requirement legally.

·      Heating and ventilation

o  Bleed the radiators to remove air locks

o  Check the thermostatic regulator valve (TRV) fitted to the radiators provides full temperature change.  This impacts energy use where a TRV is failing.  They can stick in one position from time to time. They are fairly cheap to replace.

o  Ensure your boiler is serviced if necessary.

o  If you operate a semi-commercial kitchen for community meals and Soup Kitchens et al you may have some form of extraction system. Clean the filters and where necessary get it serviced.

·      Electrical Safety

o   As mentioned in the fire section, check you battery power on emergency lighting

o   Undertake a visual check of internal lighting and change where necessary.

o   Any security lighting should also be functioning, typically on a dusk to dawn setting.

o   PAT testing – ensure that, during lockdown, your electrical appliances havent expired their annual PAT test date.  Its easy to get this done and should cost no more than 90p per item to check.  Typically many fires are started with electrical device faults.  Your cooker, fridge, freezer, kettles, water heater, sound system devices, computers, photocopiers, printers and other such equipment should be PAT tested annually. This may void your insurance if not done so.

·      General –You need your building to function safely and also optimally.  Therefore pay attention to some other common and often missed routine checks you might need to consider.

o  Guttering and drains – we usually advise a spring and autumn clean of these and as we enter spring more fully, now is the time to ensure these are clear and working.  Replace any broken or failed guttering systems where necessary.

o  Windows and doors – make sure these are not stiff and are easy to open and close.  Its usually someone you have leased or hired space to that suddenly can’t open the store room door.

o  Break/Fix –has anything that was broken or failed just before lockdown been addressed?  Its easy to say that you will leave these little jobs till your open again, but here you are.  Wanting to open but needing to paint those niggling scuffs of paintwork, change that ‘dodgy’ lock, glue down that piece of vinyl in the kitchen that is a trip hazard. Make a list and prioritize.

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