Seminar Report

Seminar: Assessing the Risk at your Events: A practical guide Thursday 26 June 2008 1 Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, London
A significant part of an association's activities are the events they organise. But how can you make sure that you are following the right guidelines to minimise risk at your events? The IofAM seminar on 26 June explored the role of risk assessments and how to protect your association and guests. Steve Allen, Managing Director of Risks Contained, has over 17 years of event management experience. He gave a thought provoking presentation about the law regarding risk assessments for events organisers. In the light of the Corporate Manslaughter Act, attention has been focussed on ensuring companies are covered, increasing spending on safety. The new legislation has also highlighted the fact that numerous companies didn't have sufficient health & safety procedures in place. Allen commented that the reaction to health and safety is more positive than in the past; there is now a focus on finding effective practical solutions. After outlining the key legislation that affects events, Allen discussed risk assessments. "A risk assessment is the proactive subjective identification of foreseeable, significant hazards, those persons that may be harmed and the likelihood of such an occurrence." When 5 of more persons are employed one must conduct a risk assessment and be able to demonstrate that a risk assessment has been produced. One size doesn't fit all; in certain situations it may be sufficient just to have a couple of lines, whereas larger events will require detailed evaluation. Organisers also need to show competency; experience is not enough any more, people need training to be competent. If in doubt, seek specialist advice. As well as risk assessments it is important to consider other factors. Fire safety is increasingly important and event organisers need a competent fire risk assessment. All non-domestic premises come under the Fire Safety Order (2005) and this includes marquees. Volunteers must also be competent in the health and safety at work. When holding events in hotels organisers may not be covered by their fire or first aid providers. It is always best to confirm this in writing with the venue prior to your events. Methods to limit risk include having competent safety assistance, training for persons with health and safety responsibilities, making sure that procedures and documents are reviewed up to date. Make sure that you check the documentation from approved contractors. At the end of the day it is important to protect your brand reputation. Matthew Leitch from Internal Controls Design discussed the everyday challenges for uncertainty at work. Risk management can be driven by regulation or intelligent management - using personal skills to solve the problem. Individuals either under-estimate uncertainty or don't know how to deal with it, effectively wearing 'individual cognitive blinkers'. People often judge competence by confidence even though they know this principle is wrong. Leitch cited a number of recent cases where individuals have ignored risks and outcomes by underestimating their uncertainty of a problem. Many people feel better if they haven't been told of the risks rather than knowing of them and not having taken action. This is not uncommon in health and safety situations. Leitch suggested that instead of stating risks use areas of uncertainty as it doesn't just imply the negative and leads to more positive actions driving individuals to explore possibilities and increasing new ideas. When organising events avoid using best guess numbers unless you are confident the error will be too small to matter. When launching new events Leitch recommended thinking about which characteristics of the event are distinctive e.g. the people attending or the time of year. Organisers can refine and test new ideas by 'flexing' these distinctive characteristics. This theory can also be applied to risk assessments by altering key factors. Leitch concluded by saying that "we see the future with blinkers on and it pays to open the mind to future possibilities and invest in developing ever more refined approaches to managing the uncertainty we face."		View presentations made at this event: The Law regarding Risk Assessments for event organisers Everyday challenges of uncertainty at work : the event person Note: These presentations are not refereed publications and IofAM assumes no liability for the information contained within. The opinions expressed are those of the presenting authors and do not necessarily reflect those of IofAM or its representatives.