HSE has launched a new event safety micro site providing up to date health and safety guidance aimed at helping organisers run events safely. The site contains information on health and safety management as well as specific topics including venue and site design, crowd management and temporary demountable structures. The site will also act as a portal for information about other event related matters including event licensing and environmental protection.

The new event safety micro site can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/event-safety/index.htm

Summer is a time for people to get outside and enjoy themselves. Large scale public events, such as music and arts festivals; sports events; and national celebrations are held up and down the country every summer providing enjoyment to millions of people.

However, especially in this year of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and, of course, the Olympics and Paralympics Games, England and the rest of the UK will be hosting especially large numbers of outdoor events (‘mass gatherings’).
The Met Office has advised that based on analysis of climate statistics, there has been, on average, a 20 per cent incidence of a Heatwave occurring during the time of year that the Olympics will take place.

Local agencies are generally well equipped to plan and deal with such events.
There is well-tried and tested guidance, especially from the Health and Safety Executive ‘Events Safety Guide’ .
The Olympics, in particular, has been subject to extensive testing, planning and preparation involving close working across Government and its agencies and between the NHS, Department of Health and LOCOG (London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games).

However, the effects of excessive heat and sun exposure are sometimes not highlighted enough for such events.
Mass gatherings increase exposure to heat and direct sunlight and can make organisational responses more difficult. Individual behaviours often change (for example, people may be reluctant to use the toilet facilities due to the long queues and so purposely reduce fluid intake). At many large events, people get into a good position to see the event and then reduce fluid intake and heat avoidance behaviours so as not to lose their spot. This can lead to heat-related illness, dehydration and/or collapse.

View a simple checklist (PDF 125KB) which authorities can use to help guide them when planning large events in relation to heat.

Central Bedfordshire Council, in partnership with representatives from each of the Emergency Services, has established the Central Bedfordshire Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to consider public safety and event safety management arrangements at significant public events across the area. The SAG brings together relevant services within the Council, such as Environmental Health, Highways and Building Control, together with representatives from each of the Emergency Services. They will meet initially on a bi-monthly basis in order to provide specialist advice to Central Bedfordshire Council  and other Core Members to help them discharge their functions under sports grounds and public events legislation, and to provide advice to event organisers for significant public events in the area. 

In view of the large number of events that run throughout the year within Central Bedfordshire, the SAG have established some event selection criteria to enable them to focus on the most significant events in terms of public safety considerations. The event selection criteria are: 

The SAG have set up a dedicated email box for public correspondence with the SAG. The email address is SAG@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.  If you are involved with planning or organising any event in Central Bedfordshire that may fall within the criteria set out above, then you should be contacting the Safety Advisory group at the earliest opportunity. However, Event Organisers are reminded that responsibility for ensuring the safety of the public attending their event is entirely their responsibility. Landowners or responsible Public Authorities who make land available for events should be aware that they may also have responsibilities in this respect, particularly where public safety hazards may arise due to the condition or nature of the land that they are providing for the event. They are also advised to ensure that they make suitable enquiries into the public safety and other organisational arrangements for any public events run on their land.

For an informal discussion regarding your event please contact Guy Quint - SAG@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Event Safety Guidance (PDF 232KB)

The Licensing Act 2003 brought together nine separate outdated licensing related regimes, and created instead a single Act that controlled alcohol supply and sale, late night refreshment, and "regulated entertainment". In tidying up the old licensing regimes new problems were created for many wishing to host entertainment events.

The Government is therefore proposing a reform of activities currently classed as "regulated entertainment" in Schedule One of the 2003 Act. The consultation seeks views on the removal in certain circumstances of the requirement for a licence in England and Wales to host a performance of a play, an exhibition of a film, an indoor sporting event, a performance of live music, any playing of recorded music, or a performance of dance.

http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/8408.aspx

• Guidance on public safety in relation to fireworks
• Visit the Health and Safety Executive's website for general health and safety guidance on organising fireworks displays
• View the health and safety guidance book that is for competent display operators and organisers. It does not cover displays where the fireworks are to be fired by people without specialist knowledge or training
• View the guidance book that is for people running fireworks displays that set off the fireworks themselves but have no specialist knowledge. It is not suitable for displays involving category 4 fireworks (i.e. fireworks that are not available for sale to the general public)

This guidance defines acceptable food safety and health and safety requirements for catering at outdoor events. It sets consistent standards for local authority enforcement, gives guidance on implementation and highlights good practice.

View more information and guidance on outdoor mobile catering

Events which are well organised can be great fun and can be enjoyed by many people, both on a local and national level. However, the noise from these events can be disturbing and this advice note and checklist is designed to assist those planning events which are likely to generate noise.

View the guidance and checklist for noise from events (PDF 75KB)

It is important that the organisers of any parade, procession or other event taking place on the public highway, make their own suitable arrangements for the management of the event to ensure the safety of the participants and spectators attending the event. Further information and advice on planning and organising parades, processions or other events, including sporting events, on the public highway or other roads and public places can be found in the Home Office Publication.The Good Practice Safety Guide for Small and Sporting Events taking place on the Highway, Roads and Public Places. 

An Alert on Temporary stage structures has been published by SCOSS. The Alert is aimed at those who may commission or procure or licence temporary stages and other temporary structures, for example large outdoor TV screens, which offer potential risks to the public, These may include owners of sites and venues, promoters, contractors and their designers