• Advise on minimising any inconvenience to local residents, businesses and the general public
• Promote wellbeing (Local Government Act 2000 Health and welfare of community)
• Focus resources using risk assessment and facilitating proportionate advice and regulation
• Enable effective planning to facilitate less intensive monitoring and inspection
• Promote safer events as contributing to safer and stronger communities
• Support businesses and organisers through having a single point of contact for the Event and consistent professional advice and support
• Increase good publicity and encourage more business and visitor engagement through safer events
• Share good practice

South Somerset Safety Advisory Group (SAG) receive enquiries from local organisations and individuals looking for advice on how to develop small-scale events for the benefit of their local communities. To assist you in developing your proposals we have brought together the following notes and web links to signpost you to relevant advice and resources to help keep your employees, volunteers and audience safe.

As an event organiser you will have prime responsibility for protecting the health, safety and welfare of everyone working at or attending the event. Key aspects for consideration during development of your plan may include, but not limited to;

• Drawing up an event management plan and associated risk assessments. 
• Staffing and Stewarding – provision of PPE etc.
• Fire safety – developing your fire risk assessment and associated plans
• Incident planning – steps to take in the event of an emergency
• Transport management – consider safe entrance and exit of vehicles and pedestrians, safe travel routes, parking management
• Crowd management – access & egress, one way systems, emergency evacuation
• Electrical installations – safe infrastructure, designed and installed by a competent person
• Food, drink and water – confirm your suppliers
• Sanitary facilities – provision of hygiene and hand wash stations
• Waste management – consider recycling opportunities
• Sound - limit noise levels to not only prevent disturbance to the neighbourhood
• Medical and first aid management
• Communications

Helpful online resources to support you during your event planning cycle may include:

• The ‘Purple Guide’ – The primary ‘go to’ guide for the event industry 
• The Event Industry Forum 
• Devon & Somerset Fire Service 
• Avon & Somerset Police 
• National Counter Terrorism Security Advice 
• Devon & Somerset Trading Standards
• Heart of the South West Growth Hub 

We do hope this provides a good starting point to assist your planning proposals.

Remember, if in doubt get advice. In order to know whether something is right or wrong you need to know what is right in the first place.  It is therefore important to consider seeking help and advice from specialists from time to time e.g. stage suppliers, first aiders, security companies, waste contractors etc.

It’s more than likely we already know about your event through our Locality Officers or Environmental and Licensing Specialists. If, however, you believe we are not aware of your large event, contact us so we can make the necessary arrangements to discuss the requirement of your event with you.

Reviewed January 2023

Although restrictions have been lifted, COVID-19 is still a risk and as with other infectious diseases it’s important to bear in mind the hazards associated with these and put in place appropriate measures for your venue or activity and plan accordingly. We can all play a part in understanding the situations where risks of COVID-19 infection and transmission are likely to be higher and take action to reduce these to help keep us all safer.

While no situation is risk free, as we learn to live safely with COVID-19, there are actions we can all take to help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others. These actions will also help to reduce the spread of other respiratory infections, such as flu, which can spread easily and may cause serious illness in some people.

Mitigation measures that should be considered include:

1. Get vaccinated. - COVID-19 vaccination: guide for employers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
2. Let fresh air in if meeting others indoors. There is further advice on what you can do to improve ventilation.
3. Practise good hygiene:

1. wash your hands
2. cover your coughs and sneezes

• clean your surroundings frequently

1. Wear a face covering or a face mask and encourage tolerance and respect for members of the community that chose to continue to wear them.
2. Ensure that staff and customers who are unwell do not attend the workplace or venue - There is guidance on steps you can take to protect other people if you are unwell with symptoms of a respiratory infection, including COVID-19.

If a member of staff is unwell with symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, they should follow the People with symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

While there is no longer a requirement for all employers to explicitly consider COVID-19 in their statutory health and safety risk assessments, it is important for businesses, organisations and employers to continue to consider risks from infectious illnesses in workplace policies and procedures to comply with their legal obligations relating to health and safety, employment and equality duties. As well as ensuring that there are suitable contingency and business continuity plans in places as well as reviewing cancellation policies should the need arise.

Please see links below to the latest Public Health Guidance that provides practical considerations on how to apply different measures within different settings and in the workplace.

Living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Advice for workplaces (hse.gov.uk)

 

South Somerset SAG Terms of Reference

The Purple Guide - written by The Events Industry Forum to help event organisers

Events Industry Forum

Health and Safety Executive - Event Safety webpages.

Health and Safety Executive (2012) - A guide to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurences Regulations 1995.

Health and Safety Executive (2007) - The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (amended).

Health and Safety Executive (2007) - Gas Safety in Catering and Hospitality.

Health and Safety Executive - Catering and Hospitality Sector Information and Guidance.

Health and Safety Executive (1998) - Electrical Safety for Entertainers.

Health and Safety Executive (2007) - Fairgrounds and Amusement Parks guidance on safe practice.

The National Traction Engine Trust