When Sandhurst clergy were presented with a hypothetical scenario in which a parishioner required urgent medical assistance, a priest poignantly joked: “I wouldn’t know how to resuscitate them, but I could give them the Last Rites.”
It got a laugh, but, as we all know, safety is no joke, and Sandhurst priests and the Diocese are acutely aware of the need to strengthen a culture of care and responsibility in our parish communities to protect parishioners, parish assets and parish finances.
“Managing safety and risk is something we all have a part in,” says Andrew Johnson, Diocesan Safety, Risk and Compliance Officer. “When was the last time the fire extinguisher in your parish was checked? Has anyone checked the ladder? Is the first aid kit complete and in date? Do volunteers know what to do if something goes wrong?”
These may seem like small questions, but for Andrew, who started work at the Chancery late last year, they are part of a much bigger responsibility: ensuring that parishioners are safe, parish assets are safeguarded and parishes comply with statutory and insurance requirements. Rather than identifying problems, Andrew aims for parishes to see safety, risk and compliance as an important and integral part of parish life.
“Parishes have a responsibility to identify hazards, put appropriate controls in place and ensure people understand their responsibilities,” says Andrew. “We can’t address a risk after an incident; we have to be proactive, and this requires everyone in a parish to be vigilant.”
How many parishioners does it take to change a church light bulb? Andrew likes to use this to illustrate the changes in the way we view risk and safety in Australia today. It used to take just one handy volunteer, a ladder brought from home, and a “she’ll be right” and a prayer. However, a once “quick fix” is much more complicated today.
This scenario reflects a shift across Australian culture defined by strict compliance, heavy legal penalties, and high community expectations for safety. In this new climate, if a volunteer falls off a ladder, it’s no longer just “bad luck” or “klutzy”. Instead, it is treated as a systemic institutional failure. Informal help from parishioners has been replaced by rigid regulations and paperwork changing how parishes are required to operate to protect, not only a parishioner’s safety, but Parish Leaders (parish priests and administrators) from legal liability.
Priests may not necessarily see themselves as managers, particularly when their primary focus is pastoral and sacramental ministry. Yet as parish administrators, they have important legal responsibilities for the safety of people working and volunteering in their parishes.
There’s a whole other level of complexity in parishes where many people gather in community-managed buildings and where much of the work is carried out by volunteers.
The burden of compliance can feel overwhelming,” says Andrew. “We need to make managing risk and safety practical and accessible and avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.”
“It’s about supporting parishes,” Andrew says. “We want to give people the information, training and systems they need to understand their responsibilities and manage risks before something goes wrong.”
Andrew helps parishes identify and manage risk across all areas of parish life – from the obvious practical requirements of building and safety compliance to areas such as IT, finances, volunteers, staffing and emergency planning. Much of his work is assisting parishes to identify risks, especially those that can easily be overlooked, and suggests implementable measures for the parish to mitigate the risk.
In his first months with the Chancery, Andrew started a program of Parish Safety Audits designed to identify practical improvements, from checking fire extinguishers and electrical equipment to looking at building conditions, restricted areas and emergency preparedness.
“The audits so far have already revealed some significant gaps,” said Andrew. “Nearly all of the parishes had missing or out-of-date First Aid Kits and many relied on a defibrillator in the school.” As a result, the Diocese has purchased eighty new first aid kits to distribute to parishes and is acquiring thirty defibrillators for medium to larger congregations, prioritising locations where a public defibrillator is not readily accessible.
For the Diocese, this work takes on particular significance given the age of many of its church buildings.
Many Sandhurst churches are more than 100 years old, with some dating back more than 150 years. Their heritage, construction and ongoing use can present particular safety challenges that require regular attention.
The recent fire at St Kilian’s, Bendigo has also reinforced the importance of vigilance around fire prevention and the protection of the Diocese’s historic buildings.
Andrew’s audit of fifteen parish buildings revealed that smoke alarms and electrical safety require attention. With high ceilings and the use of incense, many conventional smoke alarm systems are problematic.
Electrical safety is another focus. Andrew is trained to test and tag electrical equipment and the Diocese is now assisting parishes to conduct thermographic testing of switchboards, which will reduce risk and also decrease insurance premiums.
There are 38 parishes across the Diocese and many more buildings, so it is not possible for Andrew to personally audit every building. So, he aims to help priests and parish leaders to understand their safety, risk and compliance obligations and for parishioners to learn to see hazards.
Andrew is developing simple, two-page Standard Operating Procedures for common activities, using clear graphics and straightforward instructions. Training will also be an important part of the new approach, including safety inductions for new staff and volunteers.
Andrew has joined a network of dioceses to share information and learn from one another, helping build greater consistency in safety practices across the Church.
The goal is straightforward: safer churches, better-informed volunteers and clergy, and a culture where risks are identified and addressed before they become incidents.
For parishes, Andrew’s message is simple: you don't have to navigate safety, risk and compliance alone.