EVENTS › Recognise and control hazards › Create awareness (you can use this for training) › Set risk management standards based on acceptable safe practices and legal requirements › Reduce incidents › Save costs by being proactive instead of reactive. Hazards can include noise, machinery, work at height, lifting (flying) large items of equipment, electricity, plant operations, hazardous substances, fire, work equipment, vehicles, low levels of light, manual handling, pyrotechnics, special effects etc. There may be several hazards associated with any given work activity. More often than not, people think that incidents occur due to negligence or mistakes, but in fact most incidents occur due to insufficient controls. Your proactive effort to implement risk management systems can prevent the majority of incidents that may occur. The following are examples of systems to put into place in your workplace or at your event to reduce the likelihood of a health and safety incident: › training › inspections › work procedures › employee fitness › planned maintenance of equipment and structures; and › ensuring sufficient and competent supervision. A hazard identification and risk assessment process is a proactive one. It is more cost effective to complete this process and implement a risk management system than to have an incident on site and then create the risk management systems retrospectively. As we have already stated, risk assessments are legally required; your insurance may not be valid if you fail to meet minimum legal requirements, and there are also ethical, reputational and financial benefits. LIKELIHOOD 1 Extremely unlikely 2 Possible but unlikely 3 Conceivable 4 Probably would happen at some time 5 Almost certain to happen SEVERITY 1 No or minimum injury - No equipment or property damage 2 First aid treatment on site - Minimum equipment or property damage 3 First aid treatment off site - Equipment and property damage 4 Major injury or hospitalisation - Localised equipment or property damage 5 Fatality - Extensive property or equipment damage LIKELIHOOD X SEVERITY = RISK RATING 1-6 LOW RISK Action is required to lower the risk. Time effort and money must be proportionate to the risk HIERARCHY OF RISK CONTROL The hierarchy of risk control is a system of control measures used to eliminate or reduce exposure to hazards, which has five levels of control measures. It is used when undertaking a risk assessment, to decide on which precautions are needed to control the risks posed by the hazards. Elimination Substitution Engineering controls Administrative controls Personal protective equipment › Elimination – First try and see if the hazard can be removed eg. working on the ground instead of working at height. › Substitution – Examples of this could be substituting a hazardous substance for a safer alternative, or a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) to replace a ladder etc. › Engineering Controls – These could include use of work equipment or other measures to prevent falls where you cannot avoid working at height, or the installation 7-15 MEDIUM RISK Action is required to control the risk. Immediate short term measures may be required 16-25 HIGH RISK Action is required urgently to control the risk. Further resources are almost inevitable Severity Likelihood 5 5 10 15 20 25 4 4 8 12 16 20 3 3 6 9 12 15 2 2 4 6 8 10 1 1 2 1 2 or use of additional machinery such as local exhaust ventilation to control risks from dust or fume. Separate the hazard from operators by methods such as enclosing or guarding dangerous items of machinery/equipment, and give priority to measures that protect collectively over individual measures. › Administrative Controls – These are all about implementing the procedures you need to work safely. For example, reducing the time workers are exposed to hazards (eg. by job rotation), prohibiting use of mobile phones in hazardous areas, increasing safety signage, and performing risk assessments. › Personal Protection Equipment – We only use personal protection equipment (PPE) as the last resort, after all other methods of controlling the risk have been considered. The reason is PPE is only protective, it is not preventative. If chosen, PPE should be selected and fitted by the person who uses it. Workers must be trained in the function and limitation of each item of PPE. Finally, we review our risk assessments on a regular basis or when operations, people, equipment and materials change to ensure they are current and up to date. So there it is, a simple process; are you doing enough for your event or business? 3 3 4 4 5 5 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chris Hannam runs Stagesafe, offering health and safety consultancy and training for the live music and event production industries. With over 35 years’ experience he advises event organisers, production and tour managers, promoters, freelancers, service companies and businesses at every level on all H&S documentation, site planning, crowd management, CDM compliance, steward safety training, contractor safety management and more. www.stagesafe.co.uk 54 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
26 & 27 September <strong>2018</strong> Sandown Park Surrey HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of business signed on site at Festout 2017 BE PART OF THIS IN <strong>2018</strong> Contact James Linin to discuss the exhibiting opportunities available 020 8481 1122 | jlinin@mashmedia.net @festoutshow festivalandoutdoorshow.co.uk