What is an event risk management plan?
An event risk management plan is the basis for a safe event. It’s the best way for you to identify security risks before, during, and after an event. Performing risk assessments to learn what could go wrong is the best way to make sure nothing does.
The more people involved in preparing for an event, the more likely safety hazards are. That’s why the bigger the event, the more necessary it is to have an event risk management plan.
Essential items to include in your event risk management plan
To minimize event risks as much as possible, it’s important to create a comprehensive security plan. This plan needs to include structural, technical, and organizational security measures.
Before any of that, though, you need to perform an event risk assessment. This should cover:
- Resource management
- Required permits
- Order service
- Sanitary services
- Adequate lighting
- Fire protection incl. escape route guidance
- Lightning protection
- Visitor guidance incl. placement of fences & barriers
- Traffic management
- Communication between organizers and visitors
- Emergency evacuation procedures
The 5 biggest dangers your event risk management plan should address
Event planners are responsible for coordinating with personnel and contractors so that equipment, utilities, venue premises, and consumables are safe and sufficient safety precautions are taken before, during, and after the event.
There are 5 safety hazards which are particularly common at events that you should know how to assess and avoid.
1. Rioting
Event planners must ensure that trained security personnel are on-site and well-distributed throughout the premises to prevent major riots. They need to be able to assess situations quickly in order to take corrective actions.
2. Falling equipment
For indoor and outdoor events, there’s usually a lot of audio-visual equipment. It’s important that you make sure this equipment cannot pose a safety risk to attendees. Speakers and lights should be placed on solid, stable stands and cables must be fixed with adhesive tape so no one trips on them.
3. Lightning strikes
At concerts or other outdoor activities, the risk of lightning needs to be taken seriously. Open fields are very susceptible to lightning strikes, so you need to prepare emergency tents for people to use in case of a storm.
4. Insufficient medical assistance
Even after a detailed risk assessment, you never know when an accident might happen at your event. Make sure that trained first-aid staff are on-site and provided with the appropriate first-aid supplies.
5. Food/beverage safety
Contaminated food or drink is a significant health risk to consumers. Anyone who supplies or caters your event needs to have permits or certification showing that they follow food safety procedures closely. That means preparing, transporting, and serving their goods in a hygienic manner.
Design an event risk management plan with workflow automation software
Using a workflow automation platform like Lumiform helps streamline the creation and implementation of risk management plans. A flexible checklist builder makes it easy to prepare tailor-made checklists for any event. Your staff can carry out risk assessments much faster thanks to the mobile app. Ensuring event security is more reliable with Lumiform thanks to:
- Automatically collected real-time data updating you on task progress
- In-app issue reporting that triggers whenever you record a hazard or safety risk
- Comprehensive, regularly generated analytics that help you continue to improve your safety processes
- A more complete way of conducting risk assessments, including photo evidence and additional comments, which provides as much context as possible