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  you are in: TOADS ON ROADS > RESOURCES > HEALTH & SAFETY 



Toads on Roads

Health and Safety

Toad Patrolling is an immensely rewarding activity with potential to help toads locally and to provide crucial data that can feed into national monitoring initiatives. However, Toad Patrolling is a potentially dangerous volunteer activity and any attempt to Patrol a crossing should be fully risk assessed beforehand and insurance should be sought. If you have any concerns about safety on a road, under no circumstances should you undertake a Toad Patrol. Your local council might be able to help on these roads by providing signs, or occasionally, by installing tunnels or other mitigation measures. Contact us if this is the case.

Important information
O Do not undertake or take part in a Toad Patrol without first undertaking a full Risk Assessment.
O Do not undertake or take part in a Toad Patrol without first taking out insurance for you and your patrollers (see below).
O You are under no obligation to undertake or take part in a Toad Patrol. If you are uncertain or have concerns about undertaking or taking part, under no circumstances should you continue.
O Children under 18 years of age should only take part in a Toad Patrol in the presence of a parent or guardian. Vulnerable persons taking part will also require specialised supervision.
O Reflective clothing should be worn and a torch carried at all times.
O More ideas for safe working.

Make sure you do a Risk Assessment
Before starting a Toad Patrol it is vital that you identify the risks involved by doing a Risk Assessment. If you do not undertake this you might be liable should an accident occur to you, other patrollers or passing traffic. Please download the sample Risk Assessment which outlines some example dangers that might occur at a toad crossing and which you need to control for. You must visit the site and fill in the blank Risk Assessment, evaluating and specifying how you will control for site dangers that might occur there. If you have any further questions please get in touch.
O Sample Risk Assessment.
O
Blank Risk Assessment.

Free insurance available
Froglife can provide you with free insurance to cover you and you Patrollers for Public Liability Insurance and Personal Accident Insurance. It is a simple process, all you need to do is get each patroller to read the appropriate Health and Safety information (above) and the Risk Assessment, and sign a declaration form. ALL Patrollers must sign a form and return it to us otherwise they WILL NOT be covered. Download a declaration form or request one. Toad Patrols who are part of an Amphibian and Reptile Group can also get insurance if they are affiliated to the ARG UK insurance scheme - contact your local ARG representative for more information.
O Volunteer declaration.
O ARG UK.

Free resources available
Thanks to our Tuppence a Toad appeal Patrollers can now receive free resources, such as high-vis vests, head torches and buckets. To request an order form please contact Lucy Benyon on lucy.benyon@froglife.org or 01733 558844.

O Download a PDF of this information: Health and Safety.