St.Helens CouncilEvent Planning 2014

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Welcome / Introduction

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St.Helens Council

Strategic Events Team

Safe and Successful Events• St.Helens Council aims to help you plan and deliver

safe and successful events

• Events within St.Helens help to promote and encourage use of parks and community spaces

• Events can help build stronger communities, showcase your local area and add to the economic prosperity of the borough

Safe and Successful Events• St.Helens Council has produced guidance to help you

plan and operate your event

• However, it must be remembered that events can be extremely diverse, and therefore this guidance cannot be considered exhaustive. It is likely that additional guidance will be required for specialist events and larger scale activities

• In addition to this guidance document, St.Helens Council operates an Events Planning Group

An Introduction to Event Management

• Event Management encompasses many different disciplines

• Event management includes the responsibility to maintain health and safety

• Event management is directly related to the success of the event

Planning Your EventWhy?• What is the purpose of your event? Where - Is your venue Suitable?• Space / Capacity / Layout of Area• Access / Egress• Parking• Emergency Routes When?• The time of year – weather / lighting• Day and time – event participants, visitors, visitors• Other events Who?• Organisers• Participants• Staff• Visitors What?• Type of activities - will there be any specific hazards

Planning Your EventCode of practice / Guidance• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974• The Event Safety Guide (purple guide) – HSE• Security Industry Act 2001

Specialist equipment• Barriers• Generators / lighting / emergency lighting• PA System• Funfair Rides Welfare arrangements - Visitors / Participants / Staff• First Aid• Toilets• Drinking Water• Lost Children / Missing Persons• Baby Changing• Lost Property• Catering – Hygiene Certificates and Facilities / Pricing 

Planning Your EventLicenses• Alcohol• Food• Entertainment• PRS License

 

Traffic Plan / Transport• Closures / Traffic Management• On-Site Traffic• Offsite Traffic• Parking• Public Transport

Waste Disposal• How will you tidy up after the event• How will your dispose / recycle any waste

Planning Your EventSignage• Emergency exits• First aid• Information and lost children• Toilets and drinking water• Directional

 

Equality and Diversity Assessment - Is your event accessible to all?• Families with babies and small children• People who do not speak English• Disabled people (physical disabilities, deaf and hard of hearing, visual

impairment, learning difficulties)• People with limited mobility • Elderly People

Planning Your EventCrowd Management and Security• Volunteer / Professional - Suitability• Stewarding – Directions / Event Information• Security• Searching• Cash Transport / Handling• Numbers of Staff

Temporary Structures (including Marquees / Gazebos / Stages / Podiums)

Safety Documentation includes:• Risk Assessment• Method Statement• Current Public Liability Insurance• Company Health and Safety Policy• Certificate of Work Completion

Planning Your EventContingency plans

  Consider the implications on the event of extreme weather conditions. Will the event be cancelled? Could specialist matting be hired in at short notice? Or could the event be moved to an alternative inside venue. This will involve a lot of planning and may be too complex for anything other than the smallest of events.

 

There could also be other scenarios, which should be planned for, such as dealing with a disappointed crowd if the main attraction has not turned up.

Emergency plan

A formal plan should be established to deal with any emergency situation which may arise during the event. The complexity of this will depend upon the size and nature of the event itself. A simple, easy to follow plan will be acceptable for a small event.

You may have to liaise with the emergency services, local hospitals and the council’s emergency planning officer and create a planning team to consider all potential major incidents and how you would deal with them. Organisers of larger events may wish to contact the council for further information.

Risk AssessmentOrganisers of events have a legal responsibility to ensure the Health, Safety and Welfare of any employees, volunteer helpers or contractors involved in arranging the event and to the public and participants attending. Carrying out a detailed risk assessment should ensure this.

(1) Hazard 

(2) People Affected

Slips, trips & falls •Members of the Public•Staff•Participants Members of the Public

(3) Controls in Place or Further Work Required to Control Risk •Visual pre event check of event area to identify trip hazards. •All cables covered with matting and where possible kept away from the performing area. 

DocumentationYou must produce documentation to record the plans for your event:

Event Plan• Event Planning Application• Park and Open Spaces - Application Form

Insurance• Public Liability Insurance• Employers Liability Insurance• Levels of Insurance

Site plans• Attractions and facilities • Entrance and Exit points• Circulation routes• Emergency evacuation routes• Vehicle / Emergency Vehicle access

Events Planning GroupSt.Helens Council operates an Events Planning Group, which is made up of Local Emergency Services and key Council departments. The group meets monthly to offer advice and guidance to any organisation planning to hold an event in St.Helens. The group is an advisory service and does not plan events.

To enable detailed consideration of your proposal, you should give the following periods of notice to the Events Planning Group:

   2-3 months’ notice

Small / Medium events (e.g. fun runs, road races, galas, fun days, circus, funfairs, parades and any event involving road closures).

 Minimum of 3-4 months’ noticeLarge events (e.g. open-air concert, music festivals, firework display, any event requiring a licence).

 Once you have decided on the fundamental objectives behind the activities, you can then start to organise the event in detail and complete your event planning application. Remember to write things down as you go and to keep the event plan up to date.

Amendments required.

Submit your event planning application or Parks and Open Spaces planning application at least two months prior to your event.

If your event is taking place in one of the Councils Parks or Opens Spaces, we suggest you contact the events team to check the availability of the park prior to submitting your application.

Accepted

Declined

Advice provided prior to re-submission.

Application sent to Events Planning Group for comments.

Any comments will be sent back to the organiser within 14 working days.

No amendments required.

Written approval from St.Helens Council for the event to proceed.

Advice provided prior to re-submission within 2 weeks.

Events Planning Group

Any Questions?

Useful Links

http://www.whatsoninsthelens.com/planning-an-event

http://www.hse.gov.uk/event-safety

If you require advice on planning an event within the borough please contact the St.Helens Council Strategic Events Team.