Folk festival risk assessments

Subject: RE: Folk festival risk assessments
From: Houston_Diamond
Date: 22 Jun 08 - 10:54 AM

"Handicapped Access????

What an ugly phrase."

That is a term that should never really be used, it is generally considered discriminating.

But disabled access is an issue is one of an important nature. Can Non-ambulatory persons access the event? Do those with hearing defects have a loop system catered for? It's a minefield of correctness and people with disabilities (noticeable or unnoticeable) should have the right to access events as anyone else.

It's appreciated how difficult it is to incorporate things like that and where do you stop? Do you provide facilities for young children? Parental changing rooms? You are stuck making a balance of what the majority of people will need and what could be considered a minority would need!?!?

I accept that this is a necessity in permanent buildings but should you go to the full extent on temporary ones? Perhaps if cost isn't an issue.

Is it a requirement for health and safety? Perhaps if you include these groups to have the correct signage in place, have a suitable plan for evacuation and correct facilities to deal with any situation.

Questions like, do they need a carer? are they equipment assisted?

In these cases it is really recommended to have a consultant which is extra money? How far do you go before the event is no longer viable?

I would hate this issue to be my responsibility and I think that is one thing that puts people off managing events of this nature.

But nice to consider :D

Subject: RE: Folk festival risk assessments
From: Keefy
Date: 22 Jun 08 - 12:33 PM

re: disabled access:

See 'The Event Safety Guide'

Chapter 19 = 'Facilities for people with special needs'

Subject: RE: Folk festival risk assessments
From: danensis
Date: 23 Jun 08 - 09:59 AM

I was at Beverley Folk Festival when the fire alarm went off. The band carried on playing, and eventually the MC wandered on stage and suggested it might be due to the fogger they were using for the lights.

Now where I work, if the fire alarm goes off, hundreds of us have to troop out into the car park, until the fire brigade arrive and confirm that it was caused by someone burning the toast, even though we knew that all along.

Is the MC at an event in a position to make a judgement about whether or not a fire alarm is genuine or not?

I was also surprised how quiet the alarm was at Beverley. Where I work you want to get out to preserve your sanity, the alarm is so loud.

Subject: RE: Folk festival risk assessments
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 23 Jun 08 - 07:24 PM

As some have perhaps implied, you don't do ONE risk assessment for a whole festival, but sub-divide it into different events and venues within your total festival, and do a risk assessment for EACH, as risks may be different in each place, and in the same venue under different conditions of use.
Our Festival director has developed a couple of simple forms which have to be filled in and returned to her before the start of each event, using a scoring system, and addressing any problems elicited in advance of the event. Each event has a nominated person in charge so that it does not all fall on one head, but yet is done in a standardised way: that person will both do the risk assessment and steward the event.
And as someone else has said, sometimes it does mean stating the obvious, so that if there should be any claim against us, we can show (in writing) that we have thought about all the hazards and done our best to minimise them.

Subject: RE: Folk festival risk assessments
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to work
Date: 24 Jun 08 - 08:42 AM

"...when the fire alarm went off. The band carried on playing, and eventually the MC wandered on stage..."

That's appalling.

If a fire officer had been present at that time, the whole place would have been closed down. The band should have been stopped and the MC should have interrupted them if they continued. Those premises should have been evacuated regardless of what the MC thought it was... if he'd been wrong and it was the PA equipment or a stray barbeque or an irresponsible smoker.... the consequences could have been catastrophic.

But first and foremost - someone should have checked out the bands' stage act to make sure it didn't start off the fire alarms or the sprinkler system.

LTS

Subject: RE: Folk festival risk assessments
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 24 Jun 08 - 12:35 PM

We had a fire alarm go off at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh - mid-November, cold and wet outside, during the Fiddle festival.
We were 99% sure it was the caterers burning the toast that set it off, but everyone was evacuated as per orders, reluctantly leaving their precious fiddles to (maybe) burn. (and it took some severe persuasion with some folk to get them out!)
While outside, it was suggested the following tunes should be played on re-entry:
The Burning of the Piper's Hut
Smith's a Gallant Fireman, and
The Peat Fire Flame!

Subject: RE: Folk festival risk assessments
From: danensis
Date: 25 Jun 08 - 08:32 AM

In "the good old days" each town used to have a watch committee, and if you saw breaches of fire regs, you just called the fire officer and he sorted it out.

I visited a pub recently where a piano was parked in front of the fire exit. I mentioned it to the landlord, and he said "if the place was on fire, the lads would shift it". I suggested that if the place was full of smoke, they might not be able to find the piano, let alone be in a fit state to shift it.

Although its fine asking people to do risk assessments and write manuals, but it seems the process lacks the common sense "awkward bugger" just wandering round and spotting hazards. When I worked in the theatre we weren't fond of the fire officer's visits, but he did stop us burning the place down more than once.