Health and safety law applies to every event, from a village hall quiz night to a 50,000-capacity festival. As an event organiser, you have legal duties to your employees, your contractors, your volunteers, and your attendees. This guide explains the key legislation, your obligations, and how to demonstrate compliance.
Disclaimer: Health and safety law is extensive and the penalties for non-compliance can be severe, including imprisonment. This article provides a general overview for England and Wales (and largely applies to Scotland and Northern Ireland, which share the same primary legislation). Always consult the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance for your specific circumstances and seek professional advice.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA) is the primary piece of health and safety legislation in the UK. It imposes duties on employers, the self-employed, and people in control of premises. For event organisers, the key provisions are:
- Section 2 -- a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare at work of all employees.
- Section 3 -- a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that non-employees (including attendees, contractors, and members of the public) are not exposed to risks to their health or safety.
- Section 4 -- a duty on people in control of premises to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the premises and means of access and egress are safe.
The phrase "so far as is reasonably practicable" is crucial. It means you must balance the level of risk against the cost, time, and effort needed to reduce it. You are not required to eliminate all risk, but you must do everything reasonable to reduce risks to an acceptable level.
Key regulations for event organisers
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
These regulations require employers and the self-employed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of their activities. For event organisers, this means conducting a formal risk assessment for every event, identifying hazards, evaluating the risks, and implementing control measures. The risk assessment must be recorded if you employ five or more people.
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM)
CDM regulations apply to the construction, alteration, and dismantling of temporary structures at events, including stages, marquees, grandstands, and barriers. If your event involves any construction work, CDM imposes duties on the client (you as the organiser), the principal designer, the principal contractor, and individual contractors. For many events, the build and breakdown phases are the highest-risk periods.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The "responsible person" (usually the event organiser or the person with control of the premises) must carry out a fire risk assessment, implement appropriate fire precautions, and ensure that people can evacuate safely. This applies to virtually all event premises.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
Certain incidents at events must be reported to the HSE under RIDDOR, including: deaths, specified injuries (fractures, amputations, loss of consciousness, and others listed in the regulations), injuries to non-workers that result in them being taken to hospital, and dangerous occurrences (structural collapses, electrical incidents, explosions). Reports must be made without delay for deaths and specified injuries, and within 10 days for other reportable incidents.
The role of the HSE and local authorities
Enforcement of health and safety law at events is shared between the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities. Generally, the HSE enforces in relation to fairgrounds, construction activities, and certain high-risk activities, while local authorities enforce in relation to events at premises they are responsible for (such as offices, shops, and leisure premises). In practice, enforcement at large events is often coordinated through the Safety Advisory Group.
Enforcement officers have broad powers: they can enter premises, inspect documents, take samples, interview people, issue improvement notices (requiring you to fix a problem within a specified period), issue prohibition notices (stopping an activity immediately), and prosecute for offences. A conviction under the HSWA can result in an unlimited fine, and for certain offences, imprisonment of up to two years.
HSE guidance for events
The HSE publishes several guidance documents specifically relevant to events:
- HSG195 -- The Event Safety Guide (the "Purple Guide") -- widely regarded as the essential reference for event safety, covering crowd management, transport, structures, barriers, electrical safety, food and water, and medical provision. While not legally binding, following its recommendations demonstrates good practice.
- HSG154 -- Managing Crowds Safely -- guidance on crowd management at events.
- INDG163 -- Five Steps to Risk Assessment -- a simple framework for conducting risk assessments.
These publications are available free on the HSE website and should be among the first resources you consult when planning your event.
Competent person requirements
The Management Regulations require you to appoint one or more competent persons to assist you in complying with health and safety law. A competent person is someone with sufficient training, experience, knowledge, and other qualities to help you meet your duties. For larger events, this typically means appointing a professional health and safety adviser or consultant. For smaller events, the organiser themselves may be the competent person if they have appropriate knowledge.
Practical steps for compliance
Start with a thorough venue and capacity assessment. Identify all hazards associated with your event, from the build phase through to the breakdown. Document your risk assessment and share it with all contractors and staff. Ensure that everyone involved in delivering the event understands their role in maintaining safety.
Brief your team before the event opens, covering emergency procedures, the location of first aid points, fire exits, and assembly points. Maintain clear communication channels during the event so that safety issues can be escalated quickly.
After the event, review what happened. Were there any incidents or near-misses? Did your control measures work as planned? What would you change for next time? This cycle of plan, do, check, act is at the heart of effective health and safety management and will serve you well as you build your event management processes. If you are selling tickets online, consider including key safety information in your pre-event communications to attendees.
