Risk assessment on Martlet Lodge

Martlet lodge has a lot of risks that will need to be checked out before filming can take place.

Martlet Lodge

The first risk is getting across the fence, this involves climbing through a hole without getting any splinters, long trousers and jumpers will need to be worn. These clothing items are essential as we will be around a lot of stinging nettles before we make it to the back of the house. At the back of the house we will need to climb through a window without glass. Loose glass could be sticking out of the window and therefore we need to be very careful, and defiantly with looking after an 11 year old while in the building. Wearing a pair of gloves may be an idea.

There is glass on the floor on the ground floor due to smashed windows which have now been boarded up, safe shoes need to be worn so that glass can't go through the bottom of them, leather shoes would be most advisable.

The ceiling has many holes in where the boards have fallen down, there is a very low chance of any more boards falling out but we'd need to be wary about where the ceiling looks worse as if some ceiling came down on our heads it could be very damaging. This is a risk concerning both floors of the building however the first floor ceiling seems much more secure than the lower floor ceiling.

The floor is very uneven in certain places so we need to be careful where we are treading as not to trip over anything. The floorboards are all in place however the ground floor is full of old loose wooden panels that scatter the floor. Also, as the building hasn't been cleared out since it's closure in 2007 many old tables and chaires are starting to rot away and broken pieces of furniture fill quite a lot of the spaces. In the kitchen and the old clinic the floor has no floorboards and is very muddy underneath which is quite sticky mud so we need to be careful where we are treading when around these areas.

The old clinic is still full of medical equipment like syringes and needles so we need to be careful not to touch these in the unlikely case of contracting any illness or diseases. 

Some parts of the building are very dark due to wood being used to board up some windows that are broken so we need to make sure we bring torches and also have the right lighting equipment for our film so it won't be in complete darkness. 

Stairs

There is a 'caution steep stairs' sign so we need to be careful when walking up and down these however the stairs are completely stable and secure compared to the floor everywhere else. These stairs can be a bit slippery when rain gets in through the broken windows so we need to be walk up them slowly rather than any running which could cause injury.

Even though the electricity has been turned off in the building we need to be careful around the mains electricity box and around loose wires that have been cut to stop electricity passing through as they can be dangerous if there is any high voltage around any open wires. However, in an outside workshop room the electricity has been rewired so the lights and heating now works in there, this may have been a room that the builders used while they were closing down the building. 

Seeing as we are entering the building, people before and after us will have too so it'll be advisable for us to walk around in groups of 2 in the unlikely event there is someone else in there as it's a perfect place for squatters to go due to the beds and is quite warm. However, I've been in there many times and I have come across no one else in there before. 

We need to be careful when transporting our camera, tripod and lighting equipment into the building and around it so it doesn't get broken. We will need to find a spot to place the tripod where the floor is flat and there's no worry that it'll fall over at any point.

As a lot of patients old documents are still in there we need to be careful to get none of there personal information in shots by accident as it is a breach of their privacy as we have no permission. 

We can't take anything from the building as it's not ours and is illegal to do so, everything should be kept where we found it or if moved, placed back as soon as we are done. 

-Megan