These ideas work for events and parties from bush doofs to nightclubs to parties at home.
Whether you are a promoter, event organiser or just someone having a party, you need to consider the safety of the punters. The British Home Office has identified five key criteria for ensuring environments are safe. |
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Things to do before the event
- Noise (Legal stuff) - What are the local laws on noise? Have you checked with your local Council?
- Noise (Safety stuff) - Have you thought about providing earplugs to anyone working close to speakers?
- Venue - What is the legal capacity of the venue? Are there enough fire exits? Are you sure how many people will be coming and that the capacity of the venue won't be exceeded? Do you have a strategy for turning people away?
- Liquor Licensing - Have you applied for a temporary Liquor License? Have you completed an Event Management Plan? You can obtain these from your local Liquor Licensing Office.
- Traffic and Parking - Is the venue accessible by public transport? Where will everyone park?
- Insurance - Do you have insurance to cover you for the duration of the event?
- Signage - You will need to have signs directing people to various areas. Restrict access to dangerous areas such as tops of buildings, balconies, areas where there are lots of electrical wires etc
- Bins - Got enough? Who is emptying them?
- Toilets - Got enough? How will people know where the toilets are? Who is cleaning and maintaining the toilets during and after the event?
Food and Water
- Punters should be able to access clean drinking water at all times. It is preferable that the water is cool however room temperature is OK if necessary.
- Alcohol should be served with responsibility. Are you selling alcohol? Have the bar staff completed Responsible Service of Alcohol Training (RSA) available through the Queensland Government Division of Liquor Licensing?
- What food are you providing? How will the food be kept adequately hot or cold to comply with food hygiene regulations? You can check these regulations with Queensland Health. The Queensland Health website has a number of fact sheets providing information on industry standards for food and beverage outlets. Go to http://www.health.qld.gov.au
- What kind of containers are food and drink served in?
Temperature and Ventilation
- Is there sufficient airflow to keep the temperature cool enough?
- How well does the air con system work with maximum crowd in the venue? It is not enough to switch on the air-conditioning when the venue is already hot. Not only is it more cost effective if the air-con is operating at maximum efficiency, but it needs to accommodate the gradual increase in temperature as the venue fills.
- The removal of some clothing whilst dancing assists with cooling. Is there a locker area or other secure area where people can store clothing safely?
- Does the area comply with the Queensland Government’s Tobacco Legislation? For further information on this go to http://www.health.qld.gov.au
Safety and Security
- Are there adequate numbers of first aid trained personnel to assist? This can include RaveSafe teams, Queensland Ambulance Services and St John’s Ambulance.
- Is there a designated recovery area?
- Are the security staff registered and trained?
- If your event is in a large outdoor area, do you have good radio communication?
- Do you have a documented evacuation plan?
