IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ AND ACTION
Latch Events Ltd takes their responsibility, as laid out in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974 (HSWA), very seriously and it is vital that exhibitors and contractors do the same. The HSWA embraces exhibition and conference venues as places of work and as an Exhibitor it is therefore essential that you are aware of your legal obligations under the Act. Exhibitors and their Contractors should refer to www.hse.gov.uk for all relevant guidance on HSWA.
As a guide only, these responsibilities are to ensure, so far as it is reasonably practical, the health, safety, and welfare of all your employees, and any plant, article, substance or system of work which may be used, is safe and without risk to health. This includes that all employees, contractors and visitors employed, instructed, invited or entertained by you are provided with suitable and sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure their health and safety, as well as that of others working on or near your stand, or affected by your work actions or inactions during the show's tenancy.
The principal areas, which need to be brought to your attention and any contractor, include the following:
1. It is a legal requirement that you carry out a suitable and sufficient Risk Assessment outlining the control measures you will implement to eliminate or reduce to an acceptable level any major hazards or risks posed by your work activities.
2. Ensure all persons understand the Fire & Emergency Procedures and the location of the First Aid Centre. All your staff and contractors must be notified of these procedures, and it is recommended that at least one member of your team has undertaken a basic first aid course.
3. It is imperative that emergency exits and specific gangways are kept clear at all times.
4. Working at height must be done in a safe manner, using suitable equipment in the approved way i.e. steps, scaffold towers, powered access equipment etc. Any unsafe work will be stopped by the organisers, the venue or their health and safety representatives until a safe method of work has been established. Contractors and or exhibitors working at height must wear hard hats and ensure that the area is cordoned off so as to avoid injuring other parties.
5. Operatives must wear suitable protective clothing relevant to their job, which may include fall arrestors as well as head, eye, hearing, foot and hand protection.
6. All powered access equipment, i.e. forklift trucks, cranes etc. are only to be operated by the appointed contractors who are fully trained, competent and licensed. All such equipment has been recently inspected in accordance with the Lifting Equipment & Lifting Operations Regulations 1998. Where restraining devices are fitted, they must be worn.
7. Only acceptable substances are allowed on-site and full compliance with the COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulation is required. Safety Data Sheets must be available for all such substances and brought to the attention of the Organisers.
8. All portable, mains powered electrical equipment must carry a current Portable Appliance Test (PAT) certificate and the device must not have been modified in any way. Ensure portable power equipment is only used for the purpose for which it is designed, with safety guards and other safety devices fitted and used. Power leads must be kept to a minimum and only cross gangways if properly taped down. Power requirements must not overload the systems order. Such equipment must never be left unattended with power supplied to it. Please do not create a trip hazard at any time.
9. It is the Exhibitor's responsibility to ensure that all their staff and contractors are fully trained to ensure safe working practices at all times. Good housekeeping and tidiness in all work areas minimises hazards and aids security.
10. Please ensure all persons employed by yourself or your company or affected by your work actions are aware of these Health & Safety responsibilities. Exhibitors must obtain their contractors Health & Safety Policy and Risk Assessment detailing specific safety procedures, hazards and their associated control measures, competence and training of staff, and a named individual safety officer responsible for their work activities throughout the show's tenancy.
11. It is the exhibitor's and contractor’s responsibility to ensure that they and their staff are not working excessively long hours. Staff should be permitted suitable rest periods and if late working is undertaken, staff should be rotated in line with a work schedule.
RISK ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES
As exhibitions and events are deemed as hazardous environments, it is a requirement under Regulation 3 of Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, that every employer and all self-employed carry out a risk assessment. This regulation requires exhibitors to assess the risks to workers and others, who may be affected by their work business. This will enable them to identify the safety control measures they need to take to comply with health and safety law. All exhibitors are required to undertake a suitable and sufficient Risk Assessment which should include all work practices, hazardous exhibits and the risks to be found on site.
Space Only exhibitors must also ensure that they or the company responsible for building and dismantling their stand send a copy of their Risk Assessment and Method Statement when submitting stand plans.
By Law, your Risk Assessment must be 'suitable and sufficient'.
A suitable and sufficient risk assessment is one that:
Below are some guidelines to assist you with writing a Risk Assessment.
Step 1. Look for the hazards: What equipment, materials and chemicals will be used? How much noise and dirt will there be? What are the ground conditions? What vehicle movements and lifting operations have to be considered? Do you need to schedule a 'Late Working Rota' to avoid tiredness and accidents? How will you be disposing of waste? Are there any electrical installations? What hazardous vehicles/exhibits do you have? Can visitors fall from a height? Can visitors harm themselves on any of your exhibits/stand fitting? What fire prevention measures will be put in place? Will anyone be undertaking any heavy lifting? Is there any working at height taking place? Are any power/hand tools being used? Will there be catering on the stand that will result in food waste? Will there be any hot surfaces? Are you having any live displays on the stand that will require additional safety measures? Is there anything that could pose a slip/trip hazard?
Step 2. Decide who could be harmed and how: Who will be affected by your work and most at risk? Think of your employees, contractors or Exhibitors on or near your stand, through to the visitors themselves. Safe working depends on co-operation and exchange of information between firms onsite, so take this into account and consider necessary precautions on every aspect of the work being carried out, which may include training and the provision of relevant information.
Step 3. Evaluate the risks and write down Control Measures: Once you have done this adequately, you can then decide on the appropriate action you are going to take to eliminate them. Ask yourself (a) can the hazard or risk be removed completely or done in a different way; (b) if the risk cannot be eliminated, can it be isolated, controlled or reduced (and detail how); (c) can protective measures be taken that will protect the entire workforce/visitors onsite? Protective work wear should be considered as the last step to take and may not be the only solution.
Step 4. Record and notify the findings: Write down the findings of your Risk Assessment. Pass on information about significant risks to those people identified in Step 2 and record what measures you have taken to control those risks. Write it all down, then do it on site and remember to keep it simple.
Step 5. Review your findings: This allows you to learn by experience and take account of any unusual conditions or changes that occur onsite. The Stand Manager and/or Principal Contractor should draw up the Risk Assessment as well as a specific Method Statement and go through it with all relevant parties in advance of the Show. Update the Risk Assessment as and when required, such as if new work practices are brought in or new staff employed or the working environment changes in any way. Ordinary hand-written changes are quite acceptable, but remember to implement the changes required for next time.
Remember that you must communicate any changes to your Risk Assessment to all those that are involved, otherwise you will have wasted your time and potentially put your colleagues at risk.
METHOD STATEMENT GUIDELINES
Below are some guidelines to assist you with writing a Method Statement:
Responsible Person(s): The employee who will be responsible for the construction and breakdown of your stand): eg: 'Mr ............' is in charge on-site, and can be contacted on (mobile) in an emergency out of hours.
Details of the Stand: The loadings, dimensions, location, unusual stand features eg: To be erected in Hall Number "......"; on stand number "......"; surface total "......"; upper deck m² "......"; structural calculations for a design load of "......" kg/m²;
Access: Details of the entry point into the halls and the route to the final position: eg: There will be no abnormal deliveries - the estimated number of vehicles on-site will be "......".
Erection and Timetable: The sequence and schedule in which all the stand elements will be built, including alignment, electrical connections etc eg: We will erect the stand in "......" teams - one team for the upper deck and one team for the back wall, partition walls, displays etc (forklift trucks see lifting);The estimated number of hours to erect the stand is "......" which will fit in with the Organisers timetable; there will be/will be no late working for this exhibition; the number of personnel needed (within the time allowed) to safely complete the stand is "......".
Stability: Methods of ensuring adequate structural support of any stand element that requires cross bracing, with calculations and inspection certificate from an independent structural engineer: eg: Stability will be ensured at all times. Procedures as follows: upper deck structure consists of pillars and beams (heavy-duty steel beams of square section (20 x 20cm consisting of IPB 200 steel). Steps of Erection First frame assembled on floor, truck lifted into the vertical, held by temporary props. Second frame will be likewise truck lifted to vertical and connected to first frame using beams. Props will then be removed as this rectangular structure can stand for itself. It will be positioned and aligned as appropriate. Any pillars and beams will then be connected to the basic structure one after the other (in sequence) until the upper deck is completed. Wooden beams will be inserted into the steel beams to provide support for the platform floor boards (screwed to wooden beams). Stairs will be assembled and attached to upper deck. Before proceeding to other work on the upper deck the balustrades/railings will be fitted.
Lifting: Outline the equipment that will be used, theircapacities, weight, locations and floor loadings. Check the operative's currentlicence or Certificate of Competence; check machine's inspection certificate ormaintenance record: eg: Forklift truck required for erection - 2 tonnes liftingcapacity to be sourced by the appointed lifting company and provided locally.
Scaffolding: Include details of temporary and mobilescaffolds, access towers and other work at height which you intend to carryout: eg: A 3m mobile scaffold tower will be sourced locally, with allsafeguards properly employed on-site. Operatives will be trained andexperienced in scaffold systems.
COSHH: (Any proposed use of hazardous and toxicsubstances must be advised to the Organisers and Venue. Outline the protectionprovided for employees and workers on adjacent stands): eg: There will be nohazardous or toxic substances used on-site.
Environment: Consider any abnormal noise that may bepresent, or work which may create dust or fumes. What ventilation and othercontrol measures will be provided?: eg: No abnormal noise, dust or fumes willbe present. Current hall ventilation is adequate.
Services: Note where electrical work will be carriedout, welding, gases, compressed air, water or waste services will be broughtonto site: eg: Electrical work will be carried out by the appointedContractors. There will be no welding, gases, compressed air, water or waste;
Safety features: Identify the safety equipment andprecautions that you will be providing on-site, including protective measuresthat you will be implementing for all of the above, and areas of risk ashighlighted by your Risk Assessment: eg: Hard hats will be supplied to allstaff in the vicinity of overhead work; a banks man will be employed whenreversing our vehicles.
Exhibits: Provide the Organisers with any/all detailson exhibits which may present a risk to the public and/or the operator. Howwill this exhibit be delivered onto your stand? What machine guarding or otherspecial requirements are there? What hazardous waste will be produced?: eg: Themachine will be roped off and strong transparent guards used as detailed in ourRisk Assessment. It will be delivered onto the stand by the appointed liftingcompany. The waste will be collected after the show shuts each day and removedsafely by ................ Ltd. Access for this company will be arranged withthe Organisers prior to the show by ........................
