Event Safety - First Year of the BA/BSc in Events and Promotion Management

Assessment Criteria

Criterion 1:  Apply relevant legislation and procedures to ensure the safe planning and delivery of an event 

• Analyse the legal duties and responsibilities of key event personnel with regard to safety

• Apply a range of appropriate health and safety legislation to an event

• Evaluate insurance cover requirements for a given event

Criterion 2: Identify and categorise potential risks at an event 

• Evaluate the concept of risk and how to identify it in the planning phase of an event

• Assess and categorise associated risks based on the event type, location and audience profile

• Apply appropriate management tools in the development of an event risk assessment

Criterion 3: Prepare strategies to mitigate potential health & safety concerns at an event

• Plan suitable provision of facilities to ensure the welfare of employees and the public

• Propose realistic and well-justified solutions to event safety concerns

• Demonstrate a critical approach to problem-solving health & safety issues at a live event

Assessment Brief

Devise a safety plan for an event (word count: 2.000 words); either hypothetical or real-world.  Based on the type of event, location and audience profile, evaluate the key risks and areas for safety concern, proposing justified strategies to mitigate these.

You must include:

•  Analysis of the roles & responsibilities involved in safety planning

• Risk evaluation, management, matrix & a corresponding risk assessment in the Appendices

• An evaluation of appropriate insurance coverage & licensing requirements

You should also include 2-3 of the following:

• Medical provision

• Welfare facilities

• Emergency /contingency planning

• Safeguarding

• Access requirements and inclusivity

• Food hygiene 

Application of relevant legislation and industry guidance should anchor your plan throughout. Students should ensure the scope and scale of their event allows for relevant discussions under each sub-heading in order to meet the learning outcomes. Include appropriate appendices and documentation material as necessary.

Student's Reflections - Learnings from the unit (300 words)

During the event safety unit, I have gained a solid understanding of the processes that go into making an event as safe as it can be, as well as a good grounding of the legal process an event manager must see through before they can run the event. I have personally found this series of lectures incredibly interesting and extremely useful, and now I feel as though I have the right skills to start planning and creating events. 

One thing in particular that has been very insightful is the different legal aspects that surround event management. The creation of a risk assessment is something that I have actually found quite enjoyable. Through this unit, I have been encouraged to think about events from a different perspective in order to locate, identify and mitigate any hazards that pose a risk. Moreover, I have learnt that this is not only essential to ensure everyone’s safety, but also essential as any incidents that do occur could leave you liable as an event manager. To sum up my learning on this topic, I realise that it is important to be cautious and keep a thorough record of everything that is done as this will limit the risks at an event while ensuring you have proof that you are doing everything possible for this. 

I have also really enjoyed learning about event control, in particular in the context of a festival. Seeing photos of real-life control rooms from various events inspired me to want to learn more about event control and emergency planning. These are now two things I am particularly interested in pursuing in my career. Before this unit, I didn’t realise how much planning and activity there is during an event, and how important these roles are in running the event. Overall, I have gained a new appreciation for all of the roles in events as well as a better understanding of how to design, create and run an event from the initial concept through to the end of it. 

Feedback Provided

Fraser,

From your comments, it seems you took quite a lot from this unit and from this exercise. Well done on doing the risk assessment.

Please see my general comments below on the group project.

Well done on completing this group work - which was an exercise in itself.

You have provided a blueprint of an Event Safety Management Plan which ticks a number of boxes.

The rationale of the exercise - apart from having you coordinate your work as a group - was to have you consider all aspects of health and safety at an event. As this is your very first Event Safety Management Plan, there are, understandingly a number of gaps I have pointed to. This is normal and to be expected. What I would like you to do is to notice and consider what you have not considered - and there will always be more.

For instance, you did not identify your main interlocutor, Epsom & Ewell Safety Advisory Group (SAG).

The SAG comprises representatives from:

• Epsom & Ewell Borough Council

• Surrey Police

• South East Coast Ambulance Service

• Surrey Fire and Rescue

• Surrey County Council

• other key stakeholders as appropriate depending on the nature of the event.

It would have been good to include in Section 1 the date and timeline of the event, including bump-in/bump-out. Question have you checked the Epsom events calendar?

It is good that you have provided the detailed responsibilities of the team however you want the Council to be able to retrieve the information quickly. Please use a table with name/ function/responsibilities /contact.

There are additional permissions to fly a tethered hot air balloon:

– In the unlikely event that the top of a tethered balloon is to be more than 60 metres above ground level, permission in writing must be obtained in good time from the CAA’s Flight Operations Inspectorate (General Aviation)* (ANO 2009 Article 163(3)(b)). 

– Permission must be obtained from the person in charge of any vessel, vehicle or structure within 60 metres of a tethered balloon (ANO 2009 Article 163(2)). 

– You must obtain the landowner’s permission. 

– The local Police Authority should be notified of any intended tethered flight.

On 8 July 2022, the sun will be setting at 21:17, which means that there are additional requirements for night flying. Please see below:

Night Flying Free balloons, and tethered balloons above a height of 60 metres, must display the lights specified in the Rules of the Air Regulations (Rules of the Air Regulations 2007 Rules 51 and 52) when flying between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise. Particular regard must be paid to the ‘endangering’ Articles of the ANO (ANO 2009 Articles 137 and 138) when contemplating a night flight in a balloon, and the pilot’s licence privileges and insurance must include night flying.

Source: Civil Aviation Authority (https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/20110217SSL16.pdf)

Making alcohol free and available in unlimited supply seems a recipe for disaster. Please consider alternative ways such as giving your guests coupons to limit excessive alcohol consumption and associated potential incidents.

As there is a pond in Rosebery Park you have to include drowning as a possible risk in your assessment - particularly on a Summer night when students have been drinking.

The purpose of this type of document is to be able to demonstrate that you have considered all aspects of the safety at your events and are able to react appropriately should an incident occur.

To be fair I was not expecting a perfect Event Safety Management Plan and that's perfectly normal. In its current state, I am not certain that your plan would be accepted by the Council.

What you have successfully managed to do with this exercise is to lay down the foundations of a solid first draft on which you can improve. As you do more of these, you will become more familiar with the format and the requirements of an Event Safety Plan.

As the SAG requires a minimum of 6 months' notice for events involving more than 500 people, you would need to liaise way ahead of time with them to be certain that you fulfil their requirements.

In any case - good teamwork!