MAN6049 | Corporate Social Responsibility and Safety in the Events Industry CW Assignment Sample

MAN6049 Introduction

The health and safety management is an ingredient of a successful event planning experience in the events industry. Occurrences often require a huge number of people to be gathered in a limited or temporary area, which creates risks of large scale crowd management, the safety of infrastructure, security and emergencies. Unless these risks are well planned, they may lead to severe accidents that are likely to injure, kill and damage the image of the organisation that organizes the event. Thus, it is important that a holistic health and safety plan is implemented to make sure that the events are safely delivered and in accordance with the law.

The focus of health and safety strategies is to identify the hazards, the risks and measure control measures that can be undertaken to reduce the possibility of injuries as much as possible. Bowdin et al. (2017) believe that the safe management of events needs to be organized and based on the legal compliance with the risk assessment and the operational monitoring in the entire event lifecycle. The event managers should also make sure that there are communication systems, emergency procedures and security arrangements that will be in place to respond favorably to unplanned incidents.

This part provides an assessment of the principles that are entailed in the process of developing a health and safety plan in the events sector. It looks at the legislative demands, risk assessment aspects, crowd management, and crisis management models, besides offering suggestions on how the safety performance at event venues can be enhanced.

Principles of Health and Safety in the Events Industry

The main idea in health and safety management of the events industry is the principle of duty of care, which obligates the event organisers and venue operators to take reasonable precautions in order to avoid foreseeable injuries to the people. Planners of any event should be aware of the risks and possible dangers that may arise during the event and put in place measures that will alleviate the occurrence of accidents or injuries.

Proactive risk prevention is one of the principles of safety management. Event managers instead of dealing with incidences after the fact ought to know the hazards beforehand and put in control measures that reduce the chances of the harm happening. Silvers (2012) repeats that safety planning must be incorporated in all the phases of events management such as planning, preparation, implementation and post-event evaluation.

The other significant principle is systematic risk management that entails the identification of hazards, the probability and consequences of hazards and taking measures to mitigate risk. Risk management frameworks assist event organisers in establishing coordinated safety strategies that will overcome the dangers to the event attendants, employees and facilities. Tarlow (2014) states that large-scale events require the risk management more than smaller ones because the density of the crowd and environmental factors can cause the safety risk.

Other stakeholder coordination is also an important aspect of event safety. Organisers of the event have to cooperate with the venue managers, security staff, local authorities and emergency services. Proper communication is one of the ways through which safety responsibilities are articulated and the resources to control emergencies are made available.

Health and Safety Legislation Relevant to Events

The health and safety plans should meet the legal regulations on the safety of the people and the standards at the work place. In the United Kingdom, there are a number of legislations that are specifically applicable to the event management.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 obliges organisations to practice the health, safety, and well-being of employees and members of the population who might be influenced by the operations of organisations (Health and Safety Executive, 2020). Organisers of such events are thus required to institute proper safety precautions to safeguard the people who are attending the event, employees and subcontractors.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 also stresses the need to carry out risk assessments. According to these regulations, organisations should be able to either identify any hazard, assess risks and control measures in order to minimise accidents.

The other notable regulation is the Licensing Act 2003 that regulates the entertainment, alcohol or late-night venues. This act stipulates that venues must deliver within the purposes of licensing that include assuring the safety of the people, avoiding crimes and endangering children (Home Office, 2023).

Moreover, the Occupiers Liability act of 1957 holds a legal obligation on the operators of the venues to ensure that the visitors are reasonably safe on the venue. This involves having safe infrastructure as well as mitigating hazards that may be dangerous to the attendees.

These legislative requirements need to be followed to ensure the protection of people and that event organisers are not liable to the law.

Risk Assessment and Safety Planning

Risk assessment Health and safety management of the events industry requires an important element of risk assessment. Risk assessment is the process of identifying hazards, assessing risks and applying control measures to counter the risks to a manageable level.

The Health and Safety Executive (2020) outlines five central steps in successful risk assessments, which include identifying hazards, deciding who can be harmed, estimating risks, adopting control measures and reviewing safety measures. This will make sure that problems encountered before the event occur.

The dangers that are usually associated with events could refer to overcrowding, structural collapse, fire-incidents, electrical and poor weather conditions. Organisers of events should thus make proper site inspection and planning of operations to determine these hazards.

Event Risk Management Framework offers the systematic means of controlling the risks that are related to events and it focuses on the ongoing control of safety protocols. According to Bowdin et al. (2017), strategic planning needs risk management because safety considerations should be present in operational decisions.

The other applicable model is the ISO 31000, which is an international risk management standard and which offers guidelines of identifying and addressing organisational risks. This system advances a proactive strategy to safety management and continuous enhancement.

Crowd Management and Security

One of the most important issues of event safety is crowd management. High concentrations may pose safety hazards when the movements of the crowds are not regulated. Crowd crushes are some of the dangerous situations that may arise due to overcrowding, bottlenecks and poor exit routes.

Tarlow (2014) notes that proper strategies of managing the crowd should take into account the venue capacity, density, and movement patterns of the crowd. The event organisers should also make sure that the venues will be in a good position to handle the attendees in a safe and secure manner and that entry and exit paths are well identified.

Crowd control is also related to queue management. Uncontrolled queues may cause wastage and annoyance to the visitors. Appropriate measures such as waiting zones, proper signage and personnel, can be taken.

Security staff are also important in the tracking of crowds and the reaction to the incidences. The recent incidences are employing more modern technologies in managing security like the use of CCTV and electronic surveillance systems.

Crisis Management in Events

Even after having a plan, unexpected events can still transpire within events. The management strategies on crisis management are thus critical in the response of emergencies.

Crisis Management Cycle offers a paradigm comprising of prevention, preparation, response and recovery. Coombs (2015) notes that when organisations are ready to deal with crisis in the form of developed crisis management plans, they are able to react faster and minimise the effects of an emergency.

There should be the evacuation procedures, the communication with the emergency services, and coordination with the emergency services in emergency planning. The employees should be trained to react positively during emergencies and advise the visitors safely.

Crisis communication is specially crucial in case of emergency because it will assist in avoiding panic and giving correct instructions to the attendants.

Recommendations for Enhancing Safety Performance

Venues are advised to be proactive in terms of safety management in order to improve on the performance aspect of safety.

• To begin with, the venues must invest in sophisticated crowd monitoring technologies like real-time crowd density systems capable of detecting the risk of crowds being overcrowded at an earlier stage.
• Second, staff training programmes must be designed in such a way that event staff would be ready to deal with incidents and emergencies.
• Third, the venues are to perform regular safety audits to check the efficiency of safety measures and see the points where they need to improve.
• Lastly, there can be enhanced stakeholder cooperation between organisers, venue operators and emergency services that would promote safety outcomes.

Conclusion

Health and safety management is a very pertinent issue of event planning and provision. The events pose peculiar challenges because of large audience, intricate infrastructure and the possible security threat. Best safety measures ought to include risk evaluation, legislation and institutionalized crisis management protocols.

Laws like the Health and Safety at work Act 1974 and the management of health and safety at work regulations 1999 are the legal basis of event safety management. Nonetheless, the event organisers need to proactively embrace effective risk management measures and crowd management systems.

Through combination of theoretical models, technology and stakeholder cooperation, venues will have the opportunity to improve safety performance and make sure that the events are being conducted in a responsible manner.

References

• Bowdin, G., Allen, J., O’Toole, W., Harris, R. and McDonnell, I. (2017) Events Management. 4th edn. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
• Coombs, W. (2015) Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing and Responding. London: Sage.
• Health and Safety Executive (2020) Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: Guidance. London: HSE.
• Home Office (2023) Licensing Act 2003: Guidance. London: HMSO.
• Silvers, J. (2012) Risk Management for Meetings and Events. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
• Tarlow, P. (2014) Event Risk Management and Safety. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

PART A - Crisis Simulation

Designing a Health and Safety Strategy and Risk Assessment in the Events Industry.

MAN6049 Introduction

The events industry is one of the areas where health and safety management is a key element of effective event planning. The events are usually characterized by huge masses of people who come to watch them in closed areas or informal ones, forming threats in terms of crowd management, infrastructure, security and emergency management. These risks are likely to be escalated into incidents that can lead to injuries, deaths and loss of reputation of the organisation that has the event without a proper safety planning. Thus, health and safety initiative is a complex plan that is needed to provide safe tributes and meet the legal standards.

Health and safety plans aim at identifying the hazards, evaluating the risks and putting up control measures that can be used to reduce the harm. Bowdin et al. (2017) suggest that event safety management is a structured process that must address legal compliance, risk assessment and monitoring of operations across the event lifecycle. Event managers should also make sure that there are communication channels, emergency and security measures that would ensure they react well in case of an unforeseen event.

Here, the section appraises the concepts that are considered in the development of a health and safety strategy in the events industry. It considers legislative requirements, risk assessment procedures, crowd management plans and crisis management systems as well as offers suggestions on how to enhance safety performance in terms of theoretical models and industry best practice.

Principles of Health and Safety in the Events Industry

The event industry is grounded on the concept of duty of care when it comes to health and safety management; that is, event organisers and venue operators must exercise reasonable efforts to ensure that a person is not faced with foreseeable harm. The organisers of events must foresee any hazards and put some preventive measures to minimise occurrence of accidents during an event.

Proactive risk prevention is one of the major tenets of safety management. Event managers must not react to the incidents that happen but instead, they need to recognise the hazards prior to the event and employ control measures that reduce the possibility to the lowest. Silvers (2012) underlines that safety planning must be incorporated in all of the event management processes such as planning, preparation, implementation and evaluation.

The other concept is systematic risk management; this consists of defining the hazards, evaluating the risks and their probabilities and applying the mitigation measures. Risk management systems assist event planners to come up with organised safety management plans to mitigate the threats to the attendees, staff and the facilities. Tarlow (2014) says that risk management is critical in major events where large crowds are involved, and when the temporary buildings and the environment are potentially unsafe.

The coordination of stakeholders is also a significant issue in the safety of events. The organisers of the event have to liaise with the venue managers, security, emergency services, and local authorities to align the role of safety and to have resources in place that will take care of any emergency.

Another significant aspect of event safety management is communication. Effective communication between the event staff, security units and emergency response teams fosters safety measures that may be easily adopted and any trivial matter will not develop into major crises.

Health and Safety Legislation Relevant to Events

The health and safety plans should be in accordance with legal requirements that apply to the safety of the people or level of safety at the work place. In the United Kingdom, there are some legislatures that are specifically applicable in event management.

According to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers are obliged to take all reasonable care to ascertain the health, safety and welfare of the workers and other people impacted by their operations (Health and Safety Executive, 2020). The event organisers should therefore undertake the necessary safety precautions in order to safeguard the attendees, staff and contractors.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 put more stress on risk assessment. These regulations compel organisations to discover hazards, assess risks and put control measures in an attempt to minimize accidents.

The licensing act 2003 is another significant act that governs entertainment, alcohol or late night operations in the form of a venue. The Act mandates venues to meet licensing goals including a prevention of crime and disorder, and safety of the population and children (Home Office, 2023). Organisers of such events have to make sure that the venue capacity restraints and the crowd management protocols meet these standards.

At the same time, the Occupiers Liability Act 1957 imposes a responsibility on the venue operators to guarantee that visitors are relatively safe during their stay in the premises. This involves having safe infrastructure and dealing with hazards which may be dangerous to the attendees.

These legislative requirements are to ensure that the lives of people are not endangered and event organisers are not liable to any legal claims.

Risk Assessment and Safety Planning

Health and safety management in events involve risk assessment as one of its key components. It entails recognizing hazards, assessing risks and put in place control measures in order to mitigate the risks to a manageable level.

As stated by the Health and Safety executive (2020), the risk assessments generally follow five processes such as identifying the hazards, identifying the individuals who might be injured, assessing the risks, introducing control measures and revising safety measures.

The most common risks in events are overcrowding, structural risks, fire risks, electrical risks and bad weather conditions. These are the risks that have to be identified and mitigated by site inspections and operational planning by the organisers of the events.

Event Risk Management Framework gives a systematic way of dealing with risks during the event life cycle. Bowdin et al. (2017) propose that risk management become a part of strategic planning so that the safety considerations could be reflected in the operational decisions.

The other popular model is the ISO 31000, a global risk management standard, which offers principles of identification and management of organisational risks as well as promoting continuous improvement.

Crowd Management and Security

Event safety is a very important issue that requires attention on crowd management. Massive crowds may pose a danger when the movement of crowds is not managed. The dangerous conditions that can arise due to overcrowding, bottlenecks and poor exit routes include crowd crushes.

Tarlow (2014) writes that the key to successful crowd management initiatives should take into account the venue capacity, the density, and patterns of movement in the crowd. The organisers of these events should make sure that there is adequate space in the venue and exit and entry points are clearly marked.

It is also important to queue manage. Unchecked queues may cause congestions and frustration to the attendees, which escalates the chances of a fight. Good queue management can entail waiting zones, well defined signage and trained personnel.

Security personnel can be involved in guarding the crowd behaviour, risk detection and reaction to the incidents. CCTV and digital crowd monitoring are some of the technologies adopted to enhance security management at many events.

Crisis Management in Events

Even after these meticulous planning infectious occurrences can take place. Strategies on crisis management are therefore necessary to assist organisations to be responsive in case of emergencies.

The Crisis Management Cycle consists of four processes, namely prevention, preparation, response and recovery. Coombs (2015) explains that organisations that have successful crisis management plans are able to react fast and limit the effects of the emergencies.

Emergency planning ought to involve the evacuation facilities, communication networks and liaison with the emergency services. Employees should be educated on how to react and visitors should be educated about safety measures.

It is specifically the area where the communication during the crisis is the most important due to the prevention of panic and ensuring the attendance has taken the proper instructions.

Recommendations for Enhancing Safety Performance

Venues must take a proactive safety management approach in order to enhance safety performance.

• To begin with, whatever venue should invest in crowd monitoring technology including real-time crowd density system to detect overcrowding at an early stage.
• Second, the staff training programmes are supposed to equip event staffs with the ability to deal with safety incidents efficiently such as emergency response and crowd management.
• Third, venues are to perform a safety audit regularly to assess the safety strategies and determine areas to improve them.

Lastly, more robust stakeholder partnership among the event organisers, venue operators and the emergency services would play a big role in improving the safety outcomes.

Conclusion

To plan an event successfully, health and safety management is required. Challenges of events are associated with high attendance, complicated infrastructure and the threat of security. Safety strategies need to be effective and involve risk assessment, adherence to legal systems and systematic approach to crisis management.

The legal basis of event safety management is found in legislation like the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of health and safety at work Regulations of 1999. Nevertheless, being compliant is not enough. Proactive risk management approaches need to be embraced by organisers of events, effective crowd management systems and crisis response plans should be established.

References

• Bowdin, G., Allen, J., O’Toole, W., Harris, R. and McDonnell, I. (2017) Events Management. 4th edn. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
• Coombs, W. (2015) Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing and Responding. London: Sage.
• Health and Safety Executive (2020) Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: Guidance. London: HSE.
• Home Office (2023) Licensing Act 2003: Guidance. London: HMSO.
• Silvers, J. (2012) Risk Management for Meetings and Events. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
• Tarlow, P. (2014) Event Risk Management and Safety. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.