Risk assessment guidelines

Risk management

Managing risk is an essential part of running your event and applying for an event permit. It is extremely important that you think through the ways your event or activity could pose risk and look at how to manage this by using the guidelines and templates below.

Definitions of different types of risk

1. Risk: the chance of something happening that will have a detrimental impact on objectives.
2. Risk assessment: the overall process of risk identification, risk analysis and risk evaluation.
3. Risk management: the processes and structures that are put into place to achieve objectives whilst managing any adverse side effects.
4. Risk identification: is a matter of identifying the hazards/risks, which may occur during the event.

List of risks

Here is a list that can be used as a prompt to assess the risks or hazards that are either present, or may occur during the event.

Health, injury or disease

• Drug affected people
• Alcohol affected people
• Fire caused by electrical installations
• Fire risk caused by gas bottles
• Marque collapse
• Broken glass on reserve
• Food poisoning
• Power failure
• Water failure
• Manual handling
• Working at heights
• Exposure to chemicals

Criminal activity

• Disorderly conduct
• Consumption of alcohol

Environmental risk

• Noise nuisance caused to neighbours
• Excessive litter left at the event

Legal or contractual

• Unclean toilets
• Loss of key contractors

Operational or crowd safety

• Overcrowding or crowd control
• Lighting failure
• Trip hazards
• Extreme weather conditions
• Inadequate toilet facilities
• Communications failure
• Rides and amusements – jumping castles
• Fireworks malfunctions

Traffic management

• Lack of parking
• Inadequate access for emergency vehicles
• Inadequate pedestrian safety

Promotion

• Inadequate funding
• Loss of key personnel

Risk analysis

Once risks are identified they should be evaluated on a chart which rates the likelihood of the hazard and the scale of the possible consequences. By undergoing this process it is possible to analyse the seriousness of the risk that in turn assists to determine which risks need to be treated and which risks are considered to be acceptable.

Table 1: Consequence matrix

Table 2: Likelihood matrix

Risk evaluation

By using the above tables the risk can be assessed as either low, medium, high or extreme. This can be demonstrated in Table 3 below.

Table 3: Consequence table

All risks need to be eliminated where possible. However, this is not always possible therefore other measures need to be taken to reduce the risk and create a safer environment. Use of the hierarchy of controls will assist this process.

Hierarchy of controls

1. Eliminate the hazard: e.g. ban the use of jumping castles on days where winds exceed 30km/per hour
2. Substitute the hazard: e.g. replace ladder with a scissor lift or step platform, use weights instead of pegs for securing structures and marquees.
3. Engineering controls: e.g. glass shields in front of food preparation and serving areas, barriers to prevent pedestrian access
4. Administrative controls: e.g. training and induction for all event staff, emergency plans, worksite inspections
5. Personal protective equipment (PPE): e.g. sunhats, sunscreen, long sleeve clothing, high visibility vests, enclosed footwear.

The next steps

Before developing the Risk Control Plan, it is useful to record the information on a Risk Register. Please refer to Appendix 6 Risk Register template (DOC 37Kb).

Developing the Risk Control Plan

After completion of the Risk Register, the Risk Control plan can then be developed. Please refer to Appendix 7 Risk Control Plan template (DOC 31Kb).

High risk works

Should any high risk works be carried out during the set up, operation or dismantling of the event i.e. working at heights of more than two metres, then a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) should be completed. This assists to ensure that all staff involved in this task are trained, properly licensed and are using registered plant and equipment.

Where the Contractor is performing the task the Contractor must provide the Event Organiser with the SWMS. Please refer to Appendix 8 Safe Work Method Statement (DOC 52Kb).

Prior to the event

All staff, contractors, casual workers and volunteers who are to work at the site or event are to be inducted before commencing any work. Even current staff, contractors, casual works and volunteers must be re-inducted if they have not worked at that site or event for greater than 12 months.

The Event Manager is responsible for ensuring that site safety inductions are completed. Please refer to Appendix 9 Site Safety Induction checklist (DOC 42Kb).

During the event

The Event Manager should conduct an event/festival audit at some point during the festival. Staff from Merri-bek City Council may also complete this function. This audit will ensure that procedures are being followed and risks are being controlled according to the Risk Management Plan in place. It also provides the opportunity for corrective action to be taken immediately where required.

Please refer to Appendix 10 Event and Festival Audit checklist (DOC 118Kb).

Appendixes 6 - 10

• Appendix 6 Risk Register template (DOC 37Kb)
• Appendix 7 Risk Control Plan template (DOC 31Kb)
• Appendix 8 Safe Work Method Statement (DOC 52Kb)
• Appendix 9 Site Safety Induction checklist (DOC 42Kb)
• Appendix 10 Event and Festival Audit checklist (DOC 118Kb)