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Safety Advisory Group

If you are holding a large event, you may be invited to attend a Safety Advisory Group meeting before your event gets a licence to go ahead.

Safety Advisory Groups (SAGs) are set up for major public events such as outdoor concerts, gatherings, festivals and shows. 

One of the important roles of a SAG is to bring all relevant partners together to plan and prepare for the event in a co-ordinated way. This may include emergency services, emergency planning and other key local authority officers such as environmental health, health and safety, highways, building control, licensing and waste management.

The responsibility for the management of the event still remains with the event organiser and therefore the SAG needs to be working closely with the event management team.

  1. Planning Small-scale Events during the current Coronavirus Pandemic

    During recent weeks the South Somerset Safety Advisory Group (SAG) have received a number of 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 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    It goes without saying you should maintain a close eye on the Government’s Coronavirus webpages to ensure you have the latest information on any new restrictions and how they may affect the development or delivery of your event. Latest notifications can be found on the government website. 

     At this time your focus may, quite rightly, sit with developing your event with Covid security primarily in mind. Whilst these new considerations are of utmost importance, the SAG are reminding event organisers not to forget the basics of event management planning. 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. It is recommended your Covid-19 safe measures risk assessment is developed as a distinct, standalone document.
    • Staffing and Stewarding – plans for social distancing, provision of PPE
    • 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, social distancing, 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, but prevent unintended spread of Covid-19 through audience needing to raise voices
    • Medical and first aid management
    • Communications

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

    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.

  2. What does the Safety Advisory Group do?

    • 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

  3. What should I do if I am holding a large event?

    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.

  4. Useful links

    South Somerset SAG Terms of Reference

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

    Events Industry Forum – Keeping Workers and Audiences Safe During Covid-19

    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.

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