John Robson, MD of Aztec Event Services, Alexandra Bailey MD of Creative8 and Mark Clayton, MD of InEvexco discuss tops tips for tackling health and safety issues in this month's issue of Hospitality & Events North magazine.
Health and safety at events remains top of the agenda. Everyone – organisers, venues, suppliers and contactors - is under a spotlight when it comes to ensuring that the correct procedures are followed at all times.
The fact that every venue and event is different makes implementing health and safety measures that much more challenging, but not impossible. The core focus of Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA), which represents the best suppliers of goods and services to the events industry, is to drive excellence across the industry through sharing best practice and providing a platform for education and training to maintain high health and safety standards in the events sector.
ESSA board members share their insights on key health and safety essentials to prioritise:
Risk assessment and management
Identify potential hazards, assess associated risks and implement measures to eliminate or control those risks. Compliance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) is crucial in effectively carrying out risk assessments and management processes.
Potential risks to consider include height limitations, checking stands and equipment are secure, for loose carpets to avoid trips, for loose electrical wires, bending and lifting for heavy items and spillages for slips and trips. It’s also important to consider how time pressures can impact contractors being able to complete jobs safely.
Communication is key
Effective cooperation, communication and coordination between all parties involved in projects pre-, on-site and post-event is paramount for ensuring that work can be done safely and without risks to health. Establish communication channels, share important information, ensure teams are fully briefed and have read and understood the risk assessment, address concerns and maintain a proactive approach to health and safety throughout. Crucially, ensure that emergency procedures are disseminated to all workers.
Competence and training
Contractors are responsible for ensuring that they and their workers possess the necessary skills, knowledge, training and experience to carry out work safely and without risks to health which means providing clear instructions, staying up to date with industry guidance and regulations, attending relevant training and continuously developing.
Published in the September issue of Hospitality & Events North
