New events guide backed by IOSH

Safety & Health Practitioner

A new guide to help event organisers understand health and safety legislation and guidelines has been launched today.

 

The Purple Guide, backed by IOSH, has the Events Industry Forum (EIF) behind it and is available online from today (18 March).

 

Originally published in 1992, the EIF describes the guide as “indispensable to regulators at local authorities, emergency service personnel, and the various contractors and sub-contractors who help make events happen”.

 

The guide is aimed to cover everything from venue to design to crowd control and sanitation, offering organisers a single source of references for things that need to be taken into account when organising an event. 

 

Developed through consultation with the industry and government agencies, and with the support of HSE, The Purple Guide to Health, Safety and Welfare at Music  and Other Events’ is initially being published online with 23 chapters, each covering a different aspect of the infrastructure involved in putting on an event. 

 

Each chapter has been developed through working groups made up of specialists from across the industry, local government and services such as fire and police. 

 

Further chapters will be added over the summer and the EIF has put a team of experts in place to review and update the content on a regular basis.

 

Carl Hagemann and Richard Limb, of IOSH’s Sports Grounds and Events Group, contributed to the publication. 

 

“The guidance covers both legislation and good practice and has been designed to signpost event organisers and suppliers to the issues that need to be considered when events are being planned,” said Hagemann, group chair.

 

“The contents are not designed to be prescriptive and those using this guidance should undertake appropriate risk assessments to evaluate the specific requirements of the events they are organising.”

 

EIF chairman, Graham Lake-Grange, said: “This project has involved an immense amount of work by a large number of people, all on a voluntary basis, which just goes to demonstrate the commitment and professionalism of those working across all sectors of our industry.”

 

The EIF publication replaces HSE’s existing HSG 195 guidance document as part of a move towards stronger health and safety leadership and ownership by industry and improves collaboration with regulators. It is available at a cost of £25, which includes full access to contents including notification of updates.

 

For full details, visit: www.thepurpleguide.co.uk