EVENT PLANNING AND STATIC ATTENDANCE

SAFETY AT OUTDOOR EVENTS

When staging an event the organisers will have to consider the following in order to demonstrate their duties to the care of employees, contractors and visitors.

A Hazard and Risk Assessment should be carried out.
All Statutory Requirements should be met.
Identification, registration, marking of safe working loads and capacities in accordance with construction and lifting operation regulations.
Materials and components used on site should comply with current Building Standards, where they exist.
The number of people likely to attend the event, along with plans for their arrival, departure and emergency evacuation should be in place.
Adequate provisions of services to the site should be available, e.g. water, electricity, gas, toilet facilities, waste disposal, hygiene facilities for catering areas.
Plans for provision of Fire Fighting Equipment and on site, access for Emergency Service Vehicles should be drawn up.
Sufficient First Aid cover and treatment facilities should be arranged.
Food hygiene controls should comply with the code of practice issued by the Mobile Outside Caterers Association.
No temporary structures should be used unless it is if a ‘type’ having a certificate of approval from the relevant government department.
All electrical wiring, fittings and appliances should be installed in compliance with Electricity at Work Regulations 1991.
Stages and platforms, lighting - towers and temporary grandstands should be inspected by an independent structural engineering and a certificate of stability obtained.
Lasers, strobes or other high intensity lighting to be used must be authorised by the licensing authority.
Marquees, tents and tented structures should be safely erected in accordance with manufactures recommendations in a safe position, all marquees and drapes should comply with BS for fire retardation.
The provision of the noise at work regulations must be met with regards to sound systems and the environmental issue with regard to the travel distance of sound must be considered.
Records should be kept of all inspections carried out and of all visitors to the site during build up and breakdown. All certificates issued for structures and documentation referring to build up, or break down should be retained and be available for inspection.
Any accident occurring (no mater how small) should be recorded and investigated by a competent person immediately.
An Event Control Point should be established and manned throughout the duration of the build up, event and break down.
A final check list should be compiled and a pre-event inspection carried out of all areas before the public are permitted on to the site.
A specialist firm should be appointed to arrange and establish security.
Adequate provisions for insurance must be arranged.
The statutory Emergency Services should be contacted at the early planning stage of an event and their guidance should be sought and complied with.
Organisers should bear in mind that the Health and Safety of an event is of paramount importance and should be carried out in a professional manner.

Other information can be obtained from:

Health and Safety Commission (HSC)

1 Chepstow Place, Westbourne Grove, London, W2 4TF. 0171-2436000- fax 071-727 1202. Chairman.- Sir John Cullen, FEng, PhD, (until 30/9/93). Secretary; T A Gates

Set up in October 1974, under provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Part 1, Section 10.

The Act provides that the Commission shall consist of a chairman appointed by the Secretary of State for Employment, and not less than 6 no, mare than 9 other members appointed by the Secretary of State after consultation with such organisations representing employers. local authorities and other interests as he thinks appropriate.

Health and Safety Agency for Northern Ireland

22 North St, Belfast, BT1 1 NW. 01232 243 249 / 509 Secretary; Edwin Getty Set up on February 1979 under provisions of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978, Sl 1978 / 1039 (Nl 9). The Order provides that the Agency is to consist of a chairman and not less than 6 nor more than 9 other members. The chairman is appointed by the Head of the Department of Economic Development; other members are similarly appointed after consultation with organisations representing employers, employees and any other organisations the Head of the Department considers appropriate.

To review. and where appropriate to make recommendations to government departments concerned on, the advancement of the general purposes of the Order and the provision of information and advisory services;
To make recommendations to government departments concerned with enforcement policies. on special investigations and inquiries on the making of health and safety regulations;
To arrange for, and encourage others in, research and the provision of training and information;
To prepare and issue codes of practice and approve codes prepared by others;

generally to promote health and safety at work.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) 1916

Cannon House, Priory Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6BS, 0121 200 2461

The National Outdoor Events Association

Code of Practice for Outdoor Events

Home Office / Scottish Office

Guide to Health Safety and Welfare of pop concerts and similar events.

At an international symposium on outdoor events held in 1991, Dr Linda Derrick of the Health and Safety Executive Liaison Unit, made the following comments with regard to the UK position on monitoring event safety standards.

The cornerstone of event Health and Safety in the UK is the Health and Safety at work act (HSW Act). Passed in 1974, it is a revolutionary approach to Health and Safety, not least in the way in which it put wide ranging new duties on employers and event organisers to protect the public, this is a facet of our law which is still relatively alien to some parts of Europe law, and it can be among the trend-setters.

The 1974 Act was also impartial in that it established the Health and Safety Commission, which was set up on the 1st October 1974.

I am sure that the way in which we organise ourselves in the UK has helped contribute to our good record compered with other countries our fatal accident record is amongst the lowest in Europe.

My impression is that we have gone further down this road than many other countries in the European Commission and that our Health and Safety system is more unified than in continental European countries.

It is not just about enforcement, we pride ourselves in the volume and quality of guidance we produce for various industries including the leisure industry.

Those who are in charge need to manage the health and safety of workers and others who may be affected principally in this area of course, patrons of events the guiding principle is to help raise the standards of safety right across the leisure industry, and we welcome the support of other bodies who work towards that goal.