By Ed Burgie
Keys to Making a Summer Event Safe & Fun.
Hindsight is 20/20.
As true as that may be, it is little consolation to an event organizer who just review an event gone wrong. It’s bad enough when an event sours because of minor glitches, never mind those that go down in the corporate history books because they compromised the reputation of the company, or worse, the health and safety of employees and patrons.
Personal injuries that occur at events in public facilities can result in numerous problems for a business. An occupational injury not only has a financial impact on the organization, but can also result in reduced staff morale and corrective directions from both the WSIB and the Ministry of Labour. A third party injury can result in potential litigation against the facility and, if the accident receives a lot of media attention, it can tarnish the safety reputation of the facility.
Of the 81,000 registered service sector firms in Ontario, many are publicly accessible facilities, which are designed to be event-based (e.g. arenas, major attractions, nightclubs, stadiums, live performance theatres, banquet and convention centres) while others host special events to complement their existing services (e.g. shopping malls, retail outlets, car dealerships and golf courses). Regardless of the size of the venue or the nature of the event to be held, an effective safety plan should always be in place to ensure that it is successful and safe.
DEVELOPING AN EVENT SAFETY PLAN
The Recognize, Assess and Control (RAC) hazard management system, a key building block of a health and safety program, can assist with the assessment of event plan details. The RAC system helps identify the significant issues and provides a decision matrix for risk mitigation. By employing the RAC system, you will control potential hazards and you will increase your event team’s safety awareness.
Here are some general guidelines for event safety planning, based on the RAC system, which are flexible enough to accommodate the different types of events:
RECOGNIZE
First, review the nature of the event to be held, as well as the capacity of the facility and its personnel to provide acceptable, and safe, levels of service. Break the event down both chronologically (from pre-event preparations, to event operation, to post-event wrap up) and by service function (e.g. admissions, catering, food service, security, housekeeping, first aid). This will assist in making the event a success, and will provide a realistic perspective of resource requirements.
This component of your review should consider the following:
What type of event is it and are there any inherent risks (e.g. concert or sales promotions with crowd management concerns; a liquor-licensed event with alcohol management concerns). Other considerations that present unique risks include the use of pyrotechnics, motorized vehicles or stunt displays.
What is the expected size of the crowd and what are the demographics of the audience. This information provides an excellent “snapshot” or event profile, which will assist all departments in planning their respective operations to ensure provision of essential services.
Crowd management is a critical aspect of hazard identification. Make sure that you address the “surge capacity” for your entrances, exits and pedestrian routes.
It is important to prepare a variety of “what if ” scenarios (e.g. last-minute cancellations, late shipments of promotional products) that can be included as part of the planning stages.
Review previous experience with this event or similar events (either at your facility or at other venues). For example, this type of information is routinely shared between venues within the concert industry when a concert is on tour.
ASSESS
The next step in the RAC process involves assessing or measuring the event plan to industry standards (or “best practices”), legislated requirements (e.g. The Occupational Health & Safety Act, The Fire Code) and pre-established standards within your organization. In many respects this is a “gap analysis” whereby a list of deficiencies is produced, which can then be ranked in terms of likelihood and severity. The list of deficiencies can then be prioritized as action items to be addressed.
CONTROL
A typical risk management model depicts risks being controlled through one of four strategies:
Risk Avoidance (don’t do it)—When the risk is too great and would threaten the livelihood of the business or the safety and well being of its staff and visitors.
Risk Acceptance (marginal to no risk)—The risk is very marginal or does not present loss potential (e.g. physical assaults at a religious convention).
Risk Transference (risk still high and cannot be completely reduced)— When the risk cannot be avoided (e.g. skiing accidents at a ski resort) since it is an inherent part of doing business. Typical tactics for transferring risk include contractual agreements (waivers or ticket purchase stipulations) or purchasing insurance.
Risk Reduction (mitigating the risk)— what controls can be introduced to eliminate or effectively reduce potential hazards or risks (e.g. changing work practices).
After a very thorough review using the RAC system, you should be able to enhance your safety program to specifically address event-related issues. Key components of your comprehensive plan should include the following points:
Ensure that your organizational safety policy includes both workplace health and safety as well as guest/visitor safety.
Train employees in non-violent conflict resolution—“smart serve training” for alcohol management and, if necessary, proper restraint techniques.
Develop a preventative maintenance program that documents routine inspections or repair of facility equipment— seating, handrails, guards, door openers, escalators, elevators, etc., as well as cleaning or housekeeping routines—before, during and after the event
Just prior to the event, conduct a comprehensive safety inspection of the facility, looking for potential hazards, and undertake necessary corrective actions immediately. The inspection should be conducted by a person in authority, such as a duty manager.
Provide professional response to accidents— staff must be sufficiently equipped to provide effective first aid, incident containment and investigation, and crisis management protocols.
Perform risk analysis surveys to identify and eliminate/mitigate potential hazards.
Provide safe operating procedures for tasks with significant hazard potential.
Provide a staff training program that includes safety awareness.
Communicate protocols and mechanisms to ensure that staff can immediately request assistance during emergency situations. Emergency procedures are critical and it is essential that all staff are trained in their respective responsibilities should an emergency situation arise.
There is no question that it takes an enormous amount of time and energy to run a successful event. It may feel like developing a safety plan is a lot of extra work. However, no other details are as important as the safety and security of your participants. A little foresight and planning can go a long way toward protecting your employees, your customers and your business.
Excerpted from Safety Mosaic, Summer 2006, Vol. 9, No. 2
