tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27265838795648561802024-03-12T16:11:15.536-07:00Simon Garrett X-VentureSimon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-51259676401800807232017-02-10T00:38:00.001-08:002017-02-10T00:38:08.302-08:00Following the recent terrorist outrages to what extent are our staff at risk when travelling?
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<span style="margin: 0px;">The security issues faced by global event
companies have never been as serious or complex.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Global jihad appears to be able to attack
public spaces, hotels, airports and planes with impunity and whilst the
statistical risk to any individual may be little changed, event companies,
especially those with international interests, have a clear responsibility to
staff and key stakeholders to assess and mitigate the threat this poses.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;">With regard to venues at risk a very clear pattern
of terrorist targets emerges as follows:</span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Places
visited by foreigners (British nationals and British interests in particular)</span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Airport
check in areas</span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Railway
stations and trains</span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Open
air markets and shopping malls</span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Hotels</span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beach
resorts</span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bars,
nightclubs and restaurants</span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Places
of Christian worship</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;">Exhibition,
convention and conference centres and other such venues do not themselves feature
though this cannot be ruled out. <span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This may be because all of the above can be targeted and attacked
without having to buy a ticket or pass through any kind of controlled entrance (except
perhaps for some hotels and shopping malls). <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>To some extent therefore, the risk can be
greatly reduced by simple avoidance and restricting movement to these places
for business or leisure.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Risks of
passing through airports are probably no greater than any other public place
but can be mitigated, for example, by booking in on line and travelling with
hand luggage only to reduce the time spent in the public areas before passing
through security.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Corporately companies
need to think more holistically about all of the travel arrangements including
the selection of approved airlines and hotels.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Staff need to be briefed on the threat and personal avoidance measures
as well as the ‘Stay Safe’ attack drills promoted by the UK National Counter
Terrorism Security Office.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; margin: 0px;">In
collaboration with the International SOS Foundation, IOSH has published a new
guide, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Managing the safety, health and
security of mobile workers</i>.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It </span><span style="margin: 0px;">covers
a wide range of personal health, safety and security issues when travelling</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;"> </span></u></span></span><span style="color: #252525; margin: 0px;">can be downloaded at </span><a href="http://www.iosh.co.uk/mobileworkers"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.iosh.co.uk/mobileworkers</span></span></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;"> </span></u></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span lang="EN" style="margin: 0px;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">.</span></u><span style="margin: 0px;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;"> </span></u></span></span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-4531335882033944872017-02-10T00:37:00.001-08:002017-02-10T00:37:14.730-08:00CDM – What difference does it actually make?
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Most event companies appear to
have got to grips with the new legislation.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Our view has always been that the intricacies of CDM matter far less
than the fact that it gives the HSE a direct mandate to regulate and enforce
criminal law in event construction and so it has come to pass.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thus far, they have taken a light touch
approach but that may be about to change.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The HSE have been making pre-announced inspections of the build-up and
break down of events.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Whilst they have
taken no official enforcement action, it is very clear that they view certain
common practices and certainly work at height as being unacceptable.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After one visit the HSE inspector cited 70%
of what he saw as being ‘actionable misuse’.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>At the moment, we appear to be in a phase of dialogue between the HSE
and the events and exhibitions industry whilst they formulate an approach.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We may be given some time to bring about
improvements but it is probably only a matter of time before they take legal
action against poor practice that they regard as actionable.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Work at height will definitely be a key issue
for 2017 and a separate discussion paper is attached.</div>
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It is not clear at this stage
whether the HSE will take action against offending contractors, exhibitors or
the Client in the form of the organiser.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Organisers should take note, however, there is a limit to the extent to
which the HSE will tolerate endemic health and safety violations by contractors
and exhibitors before they take issue with, the organiser.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>CDM places clear responsibility for overall
site management on the organiser and senior management within the organiser’s
structure.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Heavy punitive action against
event organisers will hurt everyone’s business including venues.</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-9501640129406658692017-02-10T00:36:00.003-08:002017-02-10T00:38:46.619-08:00New sentencing guidelines applicable from 2016<br />
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Five event companies have been
prosecuted and fined in the previous year one of the most high profile of which
was the £1.6 million fine meted out to Foodles Production when Harrison Ford
broke his leg on the Star Wars set.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;">The new
guidelines* apply to health and safety offences committed by individuals or
companies including corporate manslaughter.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The devil is in the detail, they can be downloaded at<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.sentancingcouncil.org.uk/"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial";">www.sentancingcouncil.org.uk</span></span></a><span style="margin: 0px;"> and should be
required reading for company secretaries, health and safety managers and
directors.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In all cases fines are
potentially unlimited but prison sentences are limited to 2 years (although
there is a potential whole life tariff for manslaughter by gross negligence).</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;">The new guidelines
set out tables for calculating the sentence based on company turnover (or
individual’s ability to pay), actual or potential for harm including how many
people were or could have been affected and the degree of culpability.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This produces a ‘start point’ within a
suggested range.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The fine can then be
mitigated by cooperation with the authorities and/or an early guilty plea.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is perfectly sensible and reasonable in
concept but there are some very clear issues for the events and venues
business.</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;">A ‘large’ company
is deemed to be one with a turnover of more than £50 million for whom the
starting point for a medium harm and medium culpability incident is £600,000
but ranges up to £10 million for the most serious (non-fatal) incident.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Where it involves a charge of corporate
manslaughter the start point for a low culpability incident is £500,000 ranging
up to £20 million for the most serious offence.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The start points are scaled down for smaller companies but the point is
that the fines for larger companies are many multiples of what they would have
been before.</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;">The next issue is
the <u>potential</u> for harm and the potential numbers of people involved i.e.
there does not have to have been an incident or any injury.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here the events industry is very
vulnerable.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The HSE has already stated
that it regards the whole industry as ‘high risk’ and has issues with crowded
construction areas.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A moving forklift
quite clearly has a very high potential for harm.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A worker standing on a live edge at 3 metres
could fall and be killed or suffer life changing injuries.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Fire hazards would be classed as potentially
very harmful to many workers or occupants.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>In essence, most of the industry’s activities are likely to be in the
highest harm category.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>For example, if a
worker were injured by a moving forklift and the offending company had a
turnover of more than £50 million, assuming a ‘medium’ level of culpability
(which means a lapse in what was otherwise a good set up) the start point for the
fine would be £1.3 million but could be up to £3.25 million.</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;">We have got to the
point where in business terms the type of financial loss that would be
associated with the total loss of an event or the loss of a venue for an
extended period could now result from a lapse in an otherwise sound health and
safety management system.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;">*</span>
<span style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;">Health and Safety Offences, Corporate
Manslaughter and Food Safety and Hygiene Offences Definitive Guideline</span></div>
</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-4055851185179756492017-02-10T00:35:00.000-08:002017-02-10T00:35:10.067-08:00Never have we faced a more complicated range of risks than those we face in 2017
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;">We have got to the point where in business terms
the type of financial loss that would be associated with the total loss of an event
or the loss of a venue for an extended period could now result from a lapse in
an otherwise sound health and safety management system.</span></i></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Five event companies have been prosecuted in 2016 none of which
involved CDM regulations but all of which resulted in record breaking fines ten
times higher than they would have been this time last year.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Company directors should note that it is
possible to be fined over half a million pounds or more for a relatively low
fault incident even if it did not involve an injury.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>At the upper end, </span>in September 2016, a
warehouse operator was fined £2.2 million after a worker was killed falling
2.5m from the unguarded edge of a loading bay in circumstances which are
replicated at event builds every day.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Where CDM does make a difference is that previously health and safety in
event construction would be dealt with by the local authority who would take a
pragmatic approach whereas now it falls to the HSE who are on record as stating
that they regard event construction practices as poor and a problem that needs
fixing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Added to this is a very specific
and far reaching terrorist threat to the public places which are vital to our
industry both in the UK and overseas.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Event companies need to recognise the pressure this places on operations
team who have to deal with these realities on a day to day basis.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The next series of blogs will look at these
in more detail.</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-29742696598824647122016-07-07T03:39:00.000-07:002016-07-07T03:39:29.360-07:00What does Brexit mean for health and safety law in the events industry?
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">‘it seems unlikely that any politician in future will fundamentally
downgrade our health and safety laws or the manner in which they are enforced’.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">If you were a
‘Brexitier’ hoping for a wholesale repeal of health and safety legislation,
then the simple answer is that it is not going to happen; even if it did we
would have to wait for 2 years under Article 50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you were a ‘Remainer’ fearing that that
Brexit would lead to a return to Dickensian working conditions, that is also
not going to happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the
hyperbole on both sides of the argument neither were ever a likely scenario.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, all the current indicators are that
regulation of event construction is likely to get tougher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> UK was ahead of
European countries when it introduced the Health and Safety at Work Act
(HASAWA) in 1974 which is still the basis of our law and most
prosecutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The existence of the HSE
and the legal basis for enforcement is all part of HASAWA outside of EU
diktat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as one famous
Eurosceptic once put it ’the devil will be in the detail’.</span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Those that
paid attention during their IOSH or NEBOSH training may know that there are two
types of EU law; that which applies directly under the European Communities Act
(ECA), such as much of the chemicals regulations and that which needs to be
enacted by the UK into subsidiary regulations such as the machinery and lifting
regulations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Legal opinion is that
repealing the former would be unlikely owing the legal and commercial chaos
that would ensue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The UK has more leeway
with subsidiary regulations which can be amended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the situation is more complicated
than it first seems since the centre piece of the subsidiary framework is the
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (originally 1992)
which was made under both HASAWA and ECA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This, somewhat over simplified explanation adds up to the fact that
extracting ourselves from the morass of EU health and safety legislation would
take a very long time if it happens at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In 2011 this government commissioned
the </span><span class="A3"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Löfstedt</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> review into health and safety legislation
which concluded that it was broadly fit for purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does not seem likely, therefore, that any
future government, however Eurosceptic, would waste time and resources on
repealing current EU based health and safety legislation and even if it did the
fundamental duties of employers in criminal law would still exist under
HASAWA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When all is said and done we
will still need to trade with the EU and to do that business we will still have
to comply with EU legislation to a large extent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">A Brexit does, however, mean that new EU Directives will not be
incorporated into UK law and we will be able to amend existing EU based law if
it does not compromise any trade agreements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First on the list could be the Construction (Design and Management)
Regulations 2015 (CDM) and its unnecessary application to the events industry
which the HSE imposed citing an EU ruling as its rationale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be warned, however, that even if this
decision were reversed the HSE would still be the enforcing authority for event
construction, a change which preceded CDM 15.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It is not clear whether new EU directives will be brought into UK law whilst
the UK remains in the EU pending exit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seems unlikely however, that any UK government would rush to enact new
EU based health and safety legislation whether or not it was technically
obliged to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The remain campaign raised the spectre of a government with
‘unconstrained freedom of action in relation to those areas currently governed
by EU social law’ resulting in exploitative working conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was of course hyperbole but it does mean
that some of the legislation regarding working hours could be amended or repealed.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It might be more instructive to focus less on the law itself than how it
is applied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If recent experience is
anything to go by, the HSE have found a problem that they believe needs to be
fixed in event construction and notwithstanding CDM, HASAWA gives them all they
need to pursue that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE has
recently visited a number of events and have made it clear that they intend to
drive improvement with increased unannounced visits, enforcement action and
prosecution where they feel it is warranted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>None of this would be affected by a Brexit or otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As recent updates have shown, sentencing guidelines for UK courts
changed last year, considerably increasing the penalty tariff and they have not
been slow to act imposing four £ million-plus fines for serious accidents in
January this year alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This had
nothing to do with the EU.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Much of our environmental law comes from Europe and it is probably fair
to say that given the current financial uncertainties many companies may row
back on the expense of sustainability programs, especially as those companies
that have them tend to have large operations outside the EU where the concepts
of sustainability are not so well established.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Ultimately the law both reflects and drives social attitudes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 1974 Act ushered in an era of change
where unnecessary dangerous practices in the workplace became unacceptable to a
point where workplace safety is accepted as the desirable norm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Society’s attitudes ultimately transcend law
and just as there is never likely to be a demand for a return to smoking in
public places or driving cars without seatbelts, it seems unlikely that any politician
in future will fundamentally downgrade our health and safety laws or the manner
in which they are enforced.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-62028648076164173592016-02-09T04:17:00.002-08:002016-02-09T04:17:14.536-08:00Post for EventHuddle - the Threat to Events from global jihad<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">……we have grown used
to looking out for unattended packages which almost always turn out to be just
that but now we need to be on the lookout for assault teams of marauding gunmen
who do not take prisoners.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Amongst the mayhem in Paris on Friday 13<sup>th</sup> of November
the armed assault on the Bataclan Theatre and the murder of 89 occupants brings
home the reality of just how vulnerable public events are to attacks of this
nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the UK, shielded by our
borders, we have been more fortunate but the frequency and ferocity of these
attacks means that we need to examine the nature of this threat to our events
both at home and overseas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The post-cold war conflicts in the Balkans, Chechnya, Middle
East, Afghanistan and to a certain extent sub Saharan Africa created a supply
of redundant arms, explosives and skilled insurgent fighters. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
and other jihadist groups gave some of those fighters a new focus and put their
fighting skills, weapons and explosives to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ISIL’s subsequent rapid taking of territory in Iraq and Syria have also
gained them unparalleled resources in terms of money and military
hardware.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The effect in a borderless
Europe was plain to see in the attacks in Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This of course is a gross over simplification
to a highly complex global problem and the cause of and the long term solution
to this problem is for historians and politicians respectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The global events and exhibitions business meanwhile
needs to deal with the current reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Threat is a combination of intent to harm and capability to
do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Terrorist outrages are not new
and in previous decades we have had the Red Brigade, Baader-Meinhof, the IRA
and others who bombed public places and fought gun battles on our city
streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were however constrained
by relatively narrow political aims and limits to their appetite for killing
and destruction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the IRA never
bombed a tube train, although they were certainly capable of doing so, and
focused on their efforts in fighting the security forces that ultimately
defeated them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The jihadists’ intent in
pursuance of establishing a caliphate fuels an unrestrained appetite for
slaughter and destruction aimed at soft targets, mostly public gatherings which
is why the events industry is now so vulnerable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if the aligned powers take a ground
force war to them, it will take some time to defeat them so it is reasonable to
assume that these attacks will continue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The capability of ISIL in particular cannot be doubted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last autumn they destroyed a Russian
passenger jet, bombed a street in Beirut, and carried out six simultaneous
assaults on targets in Paris amounting to three attacks of mass murder in three
different countries inside a fortnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No terrorist group in modern history, including Al-Qaeda, have
demonstrated such operational breadth and direct reach in terms of destructive
capability or the ability to inspire other terrorist groups to commit similar
atrocities such as the recent attacks in Jakarta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In summary we face a terrorist threat in
terms of intent and capability which is more destructive and far reaching than
ever before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We cannot know for sure the extent to which the security
services are containing the threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the UK they have certainly defeated many planned attacks assisted by the UK’s
far tighter controls on weapons and explosives and the fact that we control our
borders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The capability of insurgent
groups is thus mitigated and so far in the last 10 years the threat has been contained,
in relative terms at least, to the murder of Drummer Rigby in Woolwich in 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Most European countries have well trained counter insurgency
police and troops that can respond quickly to an attack and contain it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notwithstanding, since the attackers do not
usually fear death or capture they are prepared to mount bold assaults in
public places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bataclan Theatre is a
case in point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even against the famously
aggressive and well-trained French anti- terrorist police three ISIL gunmen
armed with assault rifles held them off for<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> two hours and forty minutes whilst inside the building, firing into the
tightly-packed audience of 1,500.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
begs the question as to how effectively any event venue or organiser can plan
or prepare for such an eventuality.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In sub Saharan Africa the threat from groups like Boko Haram
in Nigeria and Al Shaabab in Kenya is typified by the latter’s activities
killing </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">67 in Nairobi’s upmarket Westgate shopping mall
which Kenyan security forces took four days to control</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In April four members held hostage
over 500 students for ten hours at Garissa University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took seven hours for a response to be
deployed, long after the media had already arrived, and another three hours to
mount a rescue by which time 148 students had been killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The growing threat in African states is
exacerbated by the apparent weakness of their anti-terrorist security forces
and their failures in intelligence and response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not certain that a group like Al
Shaabab would be capable of attacking an international airport but it is
reasonable to assume that they could successfully attack a more lightly
defended convention centre or an executive hotel in the style of the attack on
the Taj Hotel in Mumbai in 2008 and now in Mali and Jakarta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Event managers spend a great deal of their time
in these places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the UK event
organisers are used to dealing with the terrorist threat by liaising with the
security services and professional venue security managers but they would not
get that access in many other countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Event companies should ask themselves whether they even fully understand
the true nature of the threat in some of the countries in which they operate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Whilst it is still
statistically very unlikely that any given event will be a direct target, there
is no avoiding the fact that in Paris ISIL chose to attack two events, a
football match and a concert in a capital city. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any event, therefore, including trade events
like exhibitions and conferences, which tend to be held in major cities, can be
considered a potential target.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is far
more likely that an event will be caught up in an attack sequence just because
it is in tenancy at a venue in the same city or country during an attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beyond the threat to life, the long term consequences
for a venue or an event organiser affected directly or indirectly by an attack
such as the one on the Bataclan Theatre could be far greater than those
traditionally conceived as a ‘major incident’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">At board level and for key investors the essential question
is whether the analysis of the threat changes the viability of any event in
terms of whether the commercial benefits are worth the risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other key stakeholders such as key exhibitors
and insurers could also influence this analysis. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More likely the problem will be passed down
to an operational level to review risk assessment, planning processes and
security arrangements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Traditionally our worst case scenario planning envisages a
serious fire or an explosive device causing multiple loss of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In either case the drill is to use the fire
exits to get away from the hazard with the assumption that the emergency
services would be quickly on the scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
now face the problem that the drill of making one’s way quickly and calmly to
the nearest fire exit may be the very opposite of the best course of action in
the face of, for example, marauding gunmen with assault rifles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question is how we nuance our emergency
drills to take account of the change in threat without over complicating them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We mostly consider these threats to arise when the event
team is established in the venue but what is the response if, as seems more
likely, employees are caught up in an attack on their hotel or multiple attacks
close by in the city in which they happen to be staying?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In conclusion, in simple terms we have grown used to looking
out for unattended packages which almost always turn out to be just that but
now we need to be on the lookout for assault teams of marauding gunmen who do
not take prisoners or hostages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
however important not to lose our sense of perspective or indeed become fixated
with the events in Paris since ours is a global business exposed to a range of
threats and other risks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Event companies
need to look at their operational footprint and profile and assess their
exposure to risk generally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
companies already have robust plans and planning processes in place and train
staff to deal with a crisis. These arrangements need to be reviewed to ensure
they remain fit for purpose. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps the
key issue here is that the scale and the nature of the threat has fundamentally
changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even in the worst case
scenarios for which we train, the emergency and security services are quickly
on hand to take control and yet we have seen that, depending on where you are
in the world, that can take hours or even days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The unpalatable conclusion is that following the events in Paris our
worst case scenarios for planning and training just got worse by some measure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">©X-Venture Ltd 2015<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-73740008963953335702016-02-09T01:10:00.004-08:002016-02-09T01:10:26.084-08:00Update January 2016
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</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Looking back on 2015 – has the much promised reduction in regulatory
burden had an effect on the events industry?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The short answer is no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 2011 L<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">ö</span>fstedt report recommended a range of changes to reduce the
health and safety regulatory burden on business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Few in our industry appreciate that CDM 2015
was one of those changes and it has reduced the burden on the construction
industry but it was also newly applied to events as is commented on below and
extensively in previous updates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
events it has had the exact opposite effect of that intended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, we are facing a considerable
increase in potential fines on all businesses and a greater risk of custodial
sentences for individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Companies
could be fined 100% of their pre-tax profits which could be in excess of £100
million for very large companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anecdotally the introduction of FFI appears to have encouraged the HSE
to issue more enforcement notices in the events industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The removal of liabilities under HASAWA for
the self-employed does not apply to event construction activities and could
actually encourage unsafe working which may prove to be a headache especially
for less well managed events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could
be argued that boards of directors of event companies are actually facing a
perfect storm of increased liabilities in 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">CDM Update<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">The HSE guidance for the events
industry was due out by the end of 2015 and is likely to be web based.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE have scheduled 40 proactive
inspections of events for 2016 which are likely to be the largest most complex
events. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was some enforcement action
in 2015 with Prohibition Notices issued to participants for work at height
violations and similar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE have
prosecuted a principal contractor working in the construction industry for
their failure to provide adequate welfare under CDM 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst generally the provision of welfare
facilities is considered one of the less challenging requirements of the CDM
Regulations for the events industry, this case serves as a reminder not to
overlook it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The AEO CDM Resource pack
is currently being reviewed and updated in line with recent consultation with
event industry health and safety professionals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Received wisdom is that provided
we take a sensible and practical approach, the HSE are very unlikely to take
enforcement action based on compliance with CDM per se.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will take (and have taken) enforcement
action for obvious breaches of key legislation such as Work at Height Regs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the focus on the Client, CDM might
increase the focus on senior management of organising companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is less obvious is whether large complex
stands will now have to be more directly accountable in law for their actions
rather than the organiser which was more or less the default before CDM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time will tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Increase in Penalties for Health and Safety Offences could reach £100
million<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">New tougher sentencing guidelines<sup>1</sup>
outlined in the previous update, have been challenged in the courts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thames Water appealed a £250,000 fine on the
grounds that it was too severe but the appeal was rejected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ruling stated that sanctions ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">needed to bring home the appropriate message
to the directors and shareholders of the company’</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ruling acknowledged that fines could well
equal up to 100% of the company’s pre-taxed net profits for the year even if
that amounted to fines in excess of £100 million.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The case follows appeals by Sellafield and
Network Rail last year which were also rejected clearly indicating that the
judiciary are taking a tougher line with corporate offenders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Self-Employed Exempt from Health and Safety Law from 1 October 2015<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">From 1<sup>st</sup> October a new
law<sup>2</sup> means that health and safety law no longer applies to 1.7
million self-employed people in the UK and, potentially, some of those working
in the events and exhibitions industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This has caused a great deal of concern in the health and safety
industry generally and some confusion with regard to self-employed service
suppliers at events including self-employed workers sub contracted to larger
companies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;">There is a caveat that the new
provision does not apply to those working in a situation which gives rise to
duties under CDM which means any event construction activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case professional event organisers and
venues require all service suppliers, self-employed or otherwise, to comply
with the rules of the site as a condition of entry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst the new provision does mean that, for
example, a self-employed contractor working from home no longer has to comply
with health and safety law in that environment, for all practical purposes this
new law does not alter the status of self-employed staff and contractors when
working on site at events. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">ISO 45001 to Replace BS OHSAS 18001<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">ISO 45001 is due to replace BS
OHSAS 18001 with a planned publication date of October 2016.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Companies reviewing their professional
accreditations should follow the progress of this new health and safety
standard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>X-Venture will advise clients
on any policy amendments necessary to reflect best practice and IOSH courses
will reflect the new standard when it is published.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">£500 million loss following Alton Towers accident<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Investors like certainty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they perceive risk they pull out and so
it has transpired following the tragic events in Alton Towers in June when a
rollercoaster crashed causing 16 causalities including two who suffered
amputations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alton Towers could lose as
much as £47 million in 2015 and as a result the share price of its parent
company Merlin Entertainments has lost £500 million in shareholder value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These losses are before the inevitable law
suits for compensation and possible prosecution by the HSE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some might argue that no sanction can make up
for a life changing injury but this case serves to illustrate that in the
events and entertainments industry financial and reputational losses following
an accident can be out of all proportion to the actual offence comparable with
other industries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is due to a
combination of higher profile and higher public expectations of the exercise of
duty of care to visitors to any venue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Guidance for Drones at Events<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The HSE and the Civil Aviation
Authority have accepted new guidance for the use of drones at events to be
included in the NAA A-Guide and considered for the AEV eGuide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A drone is a Small Unmanned Aircraft with an
operating mass of 20 Kg or less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over 20
Kg they are subject to the same regulation as manned aircraft and an exemption
needs to be sought from the Civil Aviation Authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This applies to drones flown externally and
the eGuide committee is now considering the wording regarding their use inside
venues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></b><br />
<h1 style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #202020;">New
Welfare Guide Published<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<br />
<span style="color: #202020; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Events Industry Forum (EIF) has announced the
publication of a new guide to Welfare at Events, which will be published on the
</span></span><a href="http://featco.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=5c53fdef26d237a703cc5b4f8&id=9ab38d3556&e=9e746e7d54" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b200b2; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Purple
Guide website</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #202020; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This largely applies to outdoor
entertainment events.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Lasers in Exhibitions and
Entertainment<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Revision of The Radiation Safety of Lasers Used for Display
Purposes HS(G)95 has now been completed and the draft guidance document public
consultation phase closed on 11<sup>th</sup> December 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new document, now simply titled<span class="apple-converted-space"> ‘</span><i>Safety of Display Lasers</i><span class="apple-converted-space">’ </span>has been produced by PLASA in association
with the HSE and others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Pyrotechnics and Other (non-laser) Special Effects<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="Body" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The changes in
European and UN legislation on the governance and management of explosives has
led to a significant amount of delay in completing the </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Code of
Practice for Pyrotechnics, consequently the development of appropriate training
has been affected too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a
project running to create a safety rules document that will identify the core
of the information required to support the safe installation and use of
pyrotechnics in venues which will be produced by the ABTT.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Body" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fibrous and
Plaster Ceilings<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="Body" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Following the Apollo Theatre ceiling
collapse<sup>3</sup></span>, <span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The ABTT</span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">has
developed a scheme for induction, inspection (both structural and hands on by
the plaster specialist) and reporting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
theatres with fibrous and ornate plaster ceilings are due to have been
inspected fully under the new guidance by August of 2016. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Changes to Chemical Labelling<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">From June 2015 the law regarding
the packaging and labelling of hazardous chemical substances changed which
brings Europe in line with UN globally harmonised systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suppliers are to allowed exhaust existing
stocks until 2017 although many have anticipated the change already.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new system, which also affects safety
data sheets, retains many of the pictograms of the old black and orange labels,
and now uses a red diamond with black pictograms on a white background.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The events industry routinely involves the
handling of potentially hazardous substances from cleaning products and glues
to pyrotechnics and other special effects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Full details of the new pictograms can be found in the European
Commission guide ‘Chemicals at Work’ available at </span><a href="http://www.lexisurl.com/hsw93534"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.lexisurl.com/hsw93534</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Company director jailed for manslaughter<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The boss of a fruit farm has been
jailed for two and half years for the death of two workers who suffocated
trying to retrieve apples from a nitrogen filled container.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The company was fined £75,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst the context has little to do with an
event environment the case illustrates the increasing propensity of courts to
hand out jail terms to directors whose negligence leads to death or serious
injury.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Prosecution Following the Death of a Trainee Electrician.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Grundfos Pumps has been prosecuted
and fined £415,000 including costs following the death of a trainee
electrician.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 19-year-old trainee was
killed during the electrical testing of a control panel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The company did not have a risk assessment or
safe system of work for the procedure and the victim was not properly
supervised.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In the events industry the
electrical risks are magnified by the requirement for temporary installations
including 3 phase supply, time pressures and multiple contractual
arrangements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The risk is managed by strict
adherence to agreed guidance such as the e-Guide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notwithstanding this incident illustrates the
need for constant vigilance to ensure that standards are maintained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Grundfos only avoided more
serious sanctions with an early guilty plea which is not much of a strategy for
risk management.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">£45,000 fine for a Blocked Fire Exit<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A south Wales recycling firm has
just been fined £45,000 for blocked fire exits and other fire safety breaches
at their depot (£5,000 for each breach) plus £3,207 costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fire authorities are increasingly making
proactive visits to inspect premises which includes event venues within their
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the standards fall below an
acceptable level when the fire authorities visit they can be expected to use
their powers to prosecute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under CDM the
main duty holder for a tenanted area would be the organiser.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">£90,000 fine for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Legionella</i>
Death<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A hospital has just been
penalised £90,000 in fines and costs for failing to control <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Legionella</i> risk in the water systems
which led to a death of a patient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
risk from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Legionella</i> bacteria in a
building’s water systems is a very serious potential risk particularly in a
public building such as an exhibition centre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The hospital relied on water treatment systems but these were not sufficient
to control the risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hospital trust
has since spent £1.7 million on improving the water system to control the risk
at source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some events involve water
features which can present a risk and employ a contractor to ensure that it is
properly controlled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further guidance
can be obtained from </span><a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Notes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Legal Aid,
Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Health and
Safety at Work Etc Act 1974 (General Duties of Self-Employed Persons)
(Prescribed Undertaking Regulations) 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Seventy-six
people were injured when part of the roof came down during a performance of The
Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time at the Apollo Theatre London in
December 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was caused by the
deterioration in the hessian wadding embedded in the ceiling originally
installed in 1901.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-16403171207378441872016-02-09T01:05:00.003-08:002016-02-09T01:05:40.854-08:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The nature of the threat from global
jihad to the event and exhibitions industry<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">……we have grown used
to looking out for unattended packages which almost always turn out to be just
that but now we need to be on the lookout for assault teams of marauding gunmen
who do not take prisoners.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Amongst the mayhem in Paris on Friday 13<sup>th</sup> of November
the armed assault on the Bataclan Theatre and the murder of 89 occupants brings
home the reality of just how vulnerable public events are to attacks of this
nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the UK, shielded by our
borders, we have been more fortunate but the frequency and ferocity of these
attacks means that we need to examine the nature of this threat to our events
both at home and overseas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The post-cold war conflicts in the Balkans, Chechnya, Middle
East, Afghanistan and to a certain extent sub Saharan Africa created a supply
of redundant arms, explosives and skilled insurgent fighters. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
and other jihadist groups gave some of those fighters a new focus and put their
fighting skills, weapons and explosives to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ISIL’s subsequent rapid taking of territory
in Iraq and Syria have also gained them unparalleled resources in terms of
money and military hardware.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The effect
in a borderless Europe was plain to see in the attacks in Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This of course is a gross over simplification
to a highly complex global problem and the cause of and the long term solution
to this problem is for historians and politicians respectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The global events and exhibitions business meanwhile
needs to deal with the current reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Threat is a combination of intent to harm and capability to
do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Terrorist outrages are not new
and in previous decades we have had the Red Brigade, Baader-Meinhof, the IRA
and others who bombed public places and fought gun battles on our city
streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were however constrained
by relatively narrow political aims and limits to their appetite for killing
and destruction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the IRA never
bombed a tube train, although they were certainly capable of doing so, and
focused on their efforts in fighting the security forces that ultimately
defeated them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The jihadists’ intent in
pursuance of establishing a caliphate fuels an unrestrained appetite for
slaughter and destruction aimed at soft targets, mostly public gatherings which
is why the events industry is now so vulnerable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if the aligned powers take a ground
force war to them, it will take some time to defeat them so it is reasonable to
assume that these attacks will continue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The capability of ISIL in particular cannot be doubted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since October 31<sup>st</sup> they have
destroyed a Russian passenger jet, bombed a street in Beirut, and carried out
six simultaneous assaults on targets in Paris amounting to three attacks of
mass murder in three different countries inside a fortnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No terrorist group in modern history,
including Al-Qaeda, have demonstrated such operational breadth and direct reach
in terms of destructive capability or the ability to inspire other terrorist
groups to commit similar atrocities such as the recent attacks in Jakarta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In summary we face a terrorist threat in
terms of intent and capability which is more destructive and far reaching than
ever before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We cannot know for sure the extent to which the security
services are containing the threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the UK they have certainly defeated many planned attacks assisted by the UK’s
far tighter controls on weapons and explosives and the fact that we control our
borders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The capability of insurgent
groups is thus mitigated and so far in the last 10 years the threat has been contained,
in relative terms at least, to the murder of Drummer Rigby in Woolwich in 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Most European countries have well trained counter insurgency
police and troops that can respond quickly to an attack and contain it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notwithstanding, since the attackers do not
usually fear death or capture they are prepared to mount bold assaults in
public places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bataclan Theatre is a
case in point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even against the famously
aggressive and well-trained French anti- terrorist police three ISIL gunmen
armed with assault rifles held them off for<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> two hours and forty minutes whilst inside the building, firing into the
tightly-packed audience of 1,500.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
begs the question as to how effectively any event venue or organiser can plan
or prepare for such an eventuality.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In sub Saharan Africa the threat from groups like Boko Haram
in Nigeria and Al Shaabab in Kenya is typified by the latter’s activities
killing </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">67 in Nairobi’s upmarket Westgate shopping mall
which Kenyan security forces took four days to control</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In April four members held hostage
over 500 students for ten hours at Garissa University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took seven hours for a response to be
deployed, long after the media had already arrived, and another three hours to
mount a rescue by which time 148 students had been killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The growing threat in African states is
exacerbated by the apparent weakness of their anti-terrorist security forces
and their failures in intelligence and response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not certain that a group like Al
Shaabab would be capable of attacking an international airport but it is
reasonable to assume that they could successfully attack a more lightly
defended convention centre or an executive hotel in the style of the attack on
the Taj Hotel in Mumbai in 2008 and now in Mali.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Event managers spend a great deal of their time
in these places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the UK event
organisers are used to dealing with the terrorist threat by liaising with the
security services and professional venue security managers but they would not
get that access in many other countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Event companies should ask themselves whether they even fully understand
the true nature of the threat in some of the countries in which they operate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Whilst it is still
statistically very unlikely that any given event will be a direct target, there
is no avoiding the fact that in Paris ISIL chose to attack two events, a
football match and a concert in a capital city. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any event, therefore, including trade events
like exhibitions and conferences, which tend to be held in major cities, can be
considered a potential target.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is far
more likely that an event will be caught up in an attack sequence just because
it is in tenancy at a venue in the same city or country during an attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beyond the threat to life, the long term consequences
for a venue or an event organiser affected directly or indirectly by an attack
such as the one on the Bataclan Theatre could be far greater than those
traditionally conceived as a ‘major incident’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">At board level and for key investors the essential question
is whether the analysis of the threat changes the viability of any event in
terms of whether the commercial benefits are worth the risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other key stakeholders such as key exhibitors
and insurers could also influence this analysis. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More likely the problem will be passed down
to an operational level to review risk assessment, planning processes and
security arrangements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Traditionally our worst case scenario planning envisages a
serious fire or an explosive device causing multiple loss of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In either case the drill is to use the fire
exits to get away from the hazard with the assumption that the emergency
services would be quickly on the scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
now face the problem that the drill of making one’s way quickly and calmly to
the nearest fire exit may be the very opposite of the best course of action in
the face of, for example, marauding gunmen with assault rifles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question is how we nuance our emergency
drills to take account of the change in threat without over complicating them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We mostly consider these threats to arise when the event
team is established in the venue but what is the response if, as seems more
likely, employees are caught up in an attack on their hotel or multiple attacks
close by in the city in which they happen to be staying?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In conclusion, in simple terms we have grown used to looking
out for unattended packages which almost always turn out to be just that but
now we need to be on the lookout for assault teams of marauding gunmen who do
not take prisoners or hostages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
however important not to lose our sense of perspective or indeed become fixated
with the events in Paris since ours is a global business exposed to a range of
threats and other risks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Event companies
need to look at their operational footprint and profile and assess their
exposure to risk generally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
companies already have robust plans and planning processes in place and train
staff to deal with a crisis. These arrangements need to be reviewed to ensure
they remain fit for purpose. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps the
key issue here is that the scale and the nature of the threat has fundamentally
changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even in the worst case
scenarios for which we train, the emergency and security services are quickly
on hand to take control and yet we have seen that, depending on where you are
in the world, that can take hours or even days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The unpalatable conclusion is that following the events in Paris our
worst case scenarios for planning and training just got worse by some measure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">©X-Venture Ltd 2015<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-38379060105594007372015-06-11T02:13:00.006-07:002015-06-11T02:15:15.112-07:00X-Venture Legal Update June 15
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">CDM 2015<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Whilst we awaited final publication of the HSE’s guidance to CDM<sup>1 </sup>many
event organisers have quietly got on with applying the regulations as far as it
is practical to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are right to
do so for what is perhaps least well understood or appreciated is the simple
principle that the ‘Client’, which in events is the organiser, under CDM is the
owner of the project and the liability that goes with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Venues in the UK have traditionally taken a
proactive role in managing health and safety on the very simple premise that
they and not the organisers are a more obvious target for enforcement action by
the authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CDM in the long term
will shift the balance of risk ownership in a legal context onto the
organiser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst operations teams will
continue to manage risk on a day to day basis organisers also recognise that
there is a clear implication that the most senior managers within the
organisation represent the CDM Client function and therefore have greater
personal accountability for compliance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
merely aligns health and safety with the natural grain of risk management in
its widest sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arguably, in financial
terms at least, the business risks of running an event are far greater than day
to day health and safety concerns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps now CDM will mean that health and safety will take its proper
place as a line management function rather than an esoteric activity for a few
specialists.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">ISO 45001<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">ISO 45001 is due to replace BS
OHSAS 18001 with a planned publication date of October 2016.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Companies reviewing their professional accreditations
should follow the progress of this new health and safety standard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>X-Venture will advise clients on any policy
amendments necessary to reflect best practice and IOSH courses will reflect the
new standard when it is published.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Increase in Penalties
for Health and Safety Offences<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">New tougher sentencing guidelines
have been proposed which will mean significantly higher penalties possibly
quadrupling previous sanctions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new
proposal takes into account the seriousness of the offence and the company’s
ability to pay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For larger companies
fines for a fatality could run into the tens of millions of pounds with fines
exceeding a million pounds even for some non-fatal accidents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guidelines also increase fines and lower
thresholds for custodial sentences for individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The definitive guide is expected in
September.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">New legistlation<sup>2 </sup>has
also abolished the cap on fines (previously £20k) for health and safety
offences dealt with by a Magistrates’ Court.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Very serious accidents are
fortunately rare in the event and exhibitions industry but managing boards and
key stakeholders need to weigh up the significance of these uninsurable
liabilities against expenditure on safety risk management at corporate level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Exemption of Self
Employed from Health and Safety at Work Act<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Deregulation Act 2015, which will
exempt some self-employed workers from duties under the Health and Safety at
Work Act, has become law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all those
working in the events industry will be exempt however, as it is probable that
guidance to the regulations will contain a list of activities not covered by
the Act which will include event construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In any case organisers and venues now have tighter duties under CDM
regulations to manage and monitor the activities of contractors on site
self-employed or otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This bill
has been controversial as critics fear that it will encourage unsafe working by
the self-employed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are large
numbers of self-employed service providers in the events business and it needs
to be made clear by all parties that as far as event construction activities
are concerned the rules have not been relaxed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This Bill may still be amended and will be covered in future updates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jail Term and Fines
for Hoteliers’ Failure to Comply with Fire Regulations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A London hotelier has been handed
a £200k fine and a four month jail term (suspended) for breaching <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fire safety law<sup>3</sup>, including failing
to conduct a fire risk assessment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a
subsequent case the owner of a hotel in Hull was sentenced to nine months’ in
jail (suspended) and fined £50k for similar failings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both cases arose from a routine inspection
rather than a fire incident and highlight the increasing propensity for the
authorities to take action against high footfall venues where visitors are put
at risk. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It should also be noted that a
fire risk assessment is required for all business premises including offices even
if the employer is a tenant within a multi-tenanted building.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Contract Cleaner
Fined for Accident with Ride-On Cleaning Machine<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A major contractor which services
event venues has been prosecuted following an accident in the public area of an
airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the incident did not
cause injury, the company was prosecuted and fined £30k plus £5.4k costs under
the Health and Safety at Work Act and other legislation for failing to maintain
the machine’s brakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its maintenance
contractor was also prosecuted and fined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Such machines are a feature of events and exhibitions and could pose a
serious hazard if they are not properly maintained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Mobile Access Towers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Not on your life! </i>is an on going PASMA campaign backed by the HSE to
promote safe use of mobile access towers in compliance with European tower
standard EN 1004 and the draft British Standard, PAS 250 which can be obtained
from PASMA at </span><a href="http://www.pasma.co.uk/"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.pasma.co.uk</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should be noted that one of the areas
singled out by the HSE for scrutiny under CDM at events is work at height.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">New Guidance for
Display Lasers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">New PLASA Guidance for Display
Lasers is now entering the public consultation phase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Display lasers (typically class 3) have the
potential to cause skin burns, eye damage and can pose a fire risk so this is
an import revision to guidance for the events industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new guidance will be available from the
PLASA website </span><a href="http://www.plasa.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.plasa.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Pyrotechnics for Indoor Venues<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Association of British
Theatre Technicians (ABTT) is revising and reissuing the code of practice for
pyrotechnics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new guide should be
available in June from ABTT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whist the
ABTT guide itself only applies to fixed seat auditoria, this new guidance is
expected to be accepted as best practice by other event industry bodies such as
the eGuide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">New Guidance on Skin
Cancer from Exposure to the Sun<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Many event companies with
overseas operations require employees to travel to hot countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In such circumstances the risk of skin cancer
from exposure to the sun is as much a work place hazard as working at heights
and in the UK work related skin cancer kills one person per week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IOSH’s ‘No Time to Lose’ campaign offers free
advice for employers to issue their staff which can be obtained from </span><a href="http://www.notimetolose.org.uk/"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.notimetolose.org.uk</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">‘Heroism Act’ Comes into Force<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Social Action, Responsibility
and Heroism Act (SARAH) has now become law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The idea is that those providing assistance in good faith, such as first
aiders, do not find themselves open to legal action brought against them by the
victim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In future courts will be
required to consider whether the individual was ‘acting for the benefit of
society’, ‘demonstrated a predominantly responsible approach’ or ‘were acting
heroically by intervening in an emergency to assist and individual in danger’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where this is the case they will be protected
from legal action against them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has
clear implications for first aid and security providers but also applies to
anyone taking action in response to an emergency or major incident.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Is it Legal to Smoke
e-cigarettes at Work?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Technically yes, since the Health
Act 2006 only bans the smoking of tobacco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This issue has long vexed theatres and similar venues when smoking is
required as part of the performance but a recent case<sup>4</sup> has
highlighted compliance requirements in the office when an employee took her
employer to a tribunal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tribunal
ruled that since the employer did not specially ban e-cigarettes the decision
to take disciplinary action against her was unfair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HR managers may wish to review the relevant
policy in this regard.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Notes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">HSE has now published
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>legal guidance (L153)<sup> </sup>(</span></span><a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l153.htm"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l153.htm</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Legal Aid,
Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Regulatory Reform
(Fire Safety) Order<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Insley v Accent
Catering<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-32611840170853201722015-05-13T06:23:00.002-07:002015-05-13T06:24:04.915-07:00A Short Guide to CDM Regulations for Event Operations Managers May 2015
<br />
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<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt 21.55pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">1</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The
Legal Position<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Construction (Design
and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) came into force on 6<sup>th</sup> April
2015 and apply to all ‘construction’ which now includes all event build up and
break down activities including shell scheme erection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It only applies in the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It should be noted
that at the time of publishing this document the HSE had only published event
industry guidance in draft and aeo organisers have yet to formalise a common
industry approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This should therefore
be regarded as interim guidance subject to review as common practices develop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">CDM is an important piece of criminal law and so it needs to
be taken seriously, however the HSE have been clear that they will not
prosecute or take enforcement action against event companies which are
compliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) and other relevant
legislation and are manifestly discharging their existing duties of care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The vulnerability for organisers here is
where contractors and exhibitors working on site are not compliant with HASAWA
and related law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt 21.55pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">2</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Roles
and Responsibilities<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The HSE guidance to
CDM is L153 which can be obtained from the HSE website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE has in addition published guidance
with organograms for the events industry which show how the various duties apply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time of writing these documents were
still in draft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For most practical purposes at exhibition and
conferences the organiser assumes the key roles which are as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The
‘Client’ – the party on whose behalf the event is being run although this could
be an external body like a trade body who commissions a professional organiser
to run the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essentially it is the
owner of the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These duties will
normally rest with the head of the event portfolio such as the MD or portfolio
MD.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">‘The
‘Principal Designer’ (PD) – is the party responsible for the overall
concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essentially this is the event
director/manager or equivalent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The
‘Principal Contractor’ (PC) - is the party responsible for delivering the
construction phase and this is the operations team.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">For small events it
could be that one person takes on more than one role or even all of them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It is fundamental to
CDM that the Client takes overall responsibility for health and safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It indicates that senior management will have
to take a more proactive role in health and safety to ensure that they can have
complete faith in the PC (operations team) to deliver on health and safety and
that they have the necessary resources to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Venues within tenanted areas under CDM become
a ‘Contractor’ supplying services to the Client so CDM may also mean that the
operations team receives less proactive support from the venues on health and
safety issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It will have to be
determined on an event by event basis the extent to which either venues or
organisers have the primary duties under CDM for external roads and common
areas which may be shared with other users not related to the event. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Exhibitors with
large or complex stands are seen as essentially having their own mini CDM site
within the context of the whole site with their own Client, PD and PC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For practical purposes, unless there is
specific guidance on this, most organisers should continue to manage and check
stands as they currently do.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt 21.55pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">3</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Application
of CDM During Build Up and Break Down<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt 28.9pt; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">3.1</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">HSE’s
Key Principles<o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The draft HSE’s guidance states that the key principles to
managing construction safety are as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">eliminate or control risks so far as is
reasonably practicable<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">ensure work is effectively planned<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">appointing the right people and organisations at
the right time<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">making sure that everyone has the right
information, instruction, training and supervision to carry out their work
safely and without risks to health<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">have systems in place to help parties cooperate
and communicate with each other and coordinate their work<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">consult workers with a view to securing effective
heath safety and welfare measures<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">any actions required should always be sensible
and proportionate to the risk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">None of the above is in addition to exiting duties under
HASAWA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE have emphasised that
they will take a proportionate approach to enforcement and will not seek
compliance for its own sake where the key principles have been applied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt 28.9pt; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">3.2</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Notification
to HSE<o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
<br />
<div class="N1" style="margin: 8pt 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A project is notifiable if the construction
work on a construction site is scheduled to:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Default" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="Default" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.65pt 36pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">(a) last longer
than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at
any point in the project; or </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Default" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">(b) exceed 500 person days </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There will be a form for notifying the HSE published in the
guidance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The vast majority of events will probably not be notifiable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even so the HSE has stated that notification
is not an issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be left to the
Client to decide whether or not an event is notifiable and whether or not to
combine the build and break down to trigger the threshold or to treat each
separately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE will not take action
for failure to notify.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the short term
unless the event is quite obviously notifiable it is reasonable to wait for the
events industry to develop a position on this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt 28.9pt; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">3.3</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Construction
Phase & Construction Phase Safety Plan<o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The construction phase need not necessarily overlap exactly
the build up and break down phase where CDM site conditions apply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most obvious example is where on the
final day of build, construction type controls such as the wearing of Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) can be relaxed as construction activities make way
for non-construction work such as cleaning and stand dressing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Operations teams should think about
formalising this into the Construction Phase Safety Plan (CSP).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The CSP is a specific legal requirement under CDM and
operations teams should prepare a CSP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
suggested outline format is as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: currentColor; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 203.85pt;" valign="top" width="272">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Name of Event and Venue <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(88, 88, 88); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 258.25pt;" valign="top" width="344">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 203.85pt;" valign="top" width="272">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Principal Contractor
details<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext rgb(88, 88, 88); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 258.25pt;" valign="top" width="344">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This would normally the legal entity which is the organiser – not
individuals<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 203.85pt;" valign="top" width="272">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Client Details<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext rgb(88, 88, 88); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 258.25pt;" valign="top" width="344">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This would normally be the legal entity which is the organiser – not
individuals or the ultimate client if the event is not owned by the organiser<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 203.85pt;" valign="top" width="272">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Principal Designer Details
<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext rgb(88, 88, 88); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 258.25pt;" valign="top" width="344">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This would normally be the legal entity which is the organiser – not
individuals<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 203.85pt;" valign="top" width="272">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Description of Work/Event<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext rgb(88, 88, 88); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 258.25pt;" valign="top" width="344">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Brief overview<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 203.85pt;" valign="top" width="272">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Key dates
(start/finish/other)<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext rgb(88, 88, 88); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 258.25pt;" valign="top" width="344">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Build, Breakdown and indication if the construction phases are
different e.g. the construction phase ending on the last day of build.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 203.85pt;" valign="top" width="272">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Key roles in the
Event/Operations team<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext rgb(88, 88, 88); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 258.25pt;" valign="top" width="344">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A organogram should suffice<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 203.85pt;" valign="top" width="272">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">How the work will be
managed safely<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(88, 88, 88) windowtext windowtext rgb(88, 88, 88); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 258.25pt;" valign="top" width="344">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Include details of the site rules, arrangements for daily
briefing/update/coordination meetings, site inductions, welfare facilities,
fire and emergency procedures and, <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">arrangements for the control of specific risk (such as falls from
height, collapse of structures, crane operations, heavy lifting etc) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The CSP is not the Event Safety File per se but would be
included within it (see below).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt 28.9pt; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">3.4</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Health
and Safety File<o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">This is a specific legal
requirement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The health and safety file
as defined by L153 is ‘a file appropriate to the characteristics of the project,
containing relevant health and safety information to be taken into account
during any subsequent project’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless
further guidance or direction is given this may be deemed to be the Event
Safety File which is normal event best practice and would now include the CSP
as above.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt 28.9pt; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">3.5</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Site
Access Control and Site Induction<o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The aim of CDM is to ensure that only persons who are deemed
to be competent (i.e having the necessary skills, knowledge and experience)
with regard to working on a construction site are permitted to gain access
during the construction phase.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Operations teams need to ensure that all potential occupants
during the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">construction phase</i> (i.e.
not necessarily during late build and opening morning if construction activity
ends prior to the end of build up) have received the site safety rules and that
site access during the construction phase is restricted to the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Organiser’s staff<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Venue staff assigned to the event<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Accredited contractors’ staff (note this
includes venue contractors)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Exhibitors and Exhibitors’ Contractors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt 28.9pt; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo1;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">3.6</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Key
Risks and Site Rules<o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">At present the eGuide should be regarded as the template for
general site rules at exhibitions and similar events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over time it is likely that the guide will be
amended by the AEV to reflect new best practice compliant with CDM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are three areas which the HSE has
identified as warranting special attention which are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Work at heights and in particular working on
live edges<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Control of moving vehicles and in particular the
separation of pedestrians from close proximity with moving vehicles<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Wearing of PPE<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">These areas should be targeted for improvement until
specific industry guidance is produced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It should be anticipated that the wearing of high visibility vests and
safety shoes during the construction phase is likely to become a standard
industry requirement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-44784323615033366852015-03-22T07:51:00.003-07:002015-03-22T07:53:05.858-07:00We are now only a few weeks away from CDM coming into force and when it does it will also now apply to the events industry. It application raises important questions.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></o:p> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Are the HSE using CDM
as a Trojan horse to reinforce a regulatory hold over the events industry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Whereas their actions to date have at
times suggested this, I do not believe on balance this is the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notwithstanding, whilst this reflects current
intentions we cannot predict how this will influence the actions of individual
inspectors at events many years from now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How do you reconcile
the HSE’s stated intention for a proportionate approach with the fact that CDM
is none the less criminal law requiring compliance by even the smallest event?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>At a recent meeting I asked the HSE
whether a couple planning an extravagant wedding with a live band on stage had
Client duties under CDM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not a
flippant question as a heavy handed approach will drive away this
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer is that under CDM
as it stands they do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE maintain
that they will take a proportionate approach but they have also been clear that
they will not exempt any event or event related activity, however small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my view the draft guidance misses the
opportunity to clarify what is meant by proportionality so it is left to the
duty holder to figure out to what extent this law applies to their event.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How is it possible to
draft and agree guidance which is fit for purpose before the 6<sup>th</sup>
April with only a few weeks to go?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>The
HSE acknowledge that it is very unlikely that guidance will be published before
CDM comes into force on 6<sup>th</sup> April 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst they have undertaken to consult widely,
the events industry will have to live with (and pay for) the consequences of
this guidance for the foreseeable future so it will be important to get it
right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Will it cost more?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Much of the debate has been around role mapping and
administrative issues that in themselves would not significantly increase costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are possibly areas where HSE scrutiny
in a CDM context would challenge current practices thus requiring a change in
approach and increased costs or risk of prosecution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It is possible that
an increased regulatory burden will be self-inflicted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Post 6<sup>th</sup> April there will be no
shortage of persuasive health and safety consultants willing to sell CDM
solutions to the uninformed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not
want a wedding couple having to discuss the CDM plan alongside menu options! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Venues may also be tempted to create a CDM
buffer by tightening the rules unnecessarily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whilst this is only likely to significantly affect smaller events these
things have a habit of taking root.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Ultimately I have
never encountered a situation of new regulations costing less so it would be
sensible to budget for increased costs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">What are the non-issues?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Notification and technical compliance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE say that they will leave it to the Client
to determine whether or not an event is notifiable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were clear that they would not pursue an
employer merely for failure to notify (or any similar technical breaches of CDM)
if the substance of the health and safety arrangements were satisfactory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Transition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
no transition period so CDM applies from 6<sup>th</sup> April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE acknowledge that it will take some
time for the events industry to be able to demonstrate compliance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having gone to such lengths to persuade the
events industry of their benign intentions they are unlikely to mount a
regulatory raid on the industry before we could be reasonably expected to
prepare ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Will individual
managers be more liable for prosecution under CDM?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Managers at all levels may have increased duties to perform
on behalf of their employer but would be no more personally liable in criminal
law than they would be for any other health and safety regulation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those at event director level and above
however should review their responsibilities and should be cognisant of the
provisions of Section 37 of HASAWA for failings as a director which could have
contributed to significant breaches of relevant health and safety law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Conclusions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The HSE’s assurances of proportionality cannot be guaranteed
and it must always be remembered that CDM is criminal law and places very
specific duties on specific organisations which, in the context of events, will
be on easily identifiable individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It may not, in the end, significantly increase the regulatory burden but
it will shift the emphasis on whom corporately or individually (as an employee)
that burden falls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-55797479798225517762015-02-26T07:39:00.002-08:002015-02-26T07:40:21.770-08:00X-Venture Legal Update January 2015
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">CDM and regulatory reform<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Subject to Parliamentary approval, new Construction (Design and
Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) will come into force on 6<sup>th</sup> April
2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HSE has published draft legal
guidance (L153)<sup>1 </sup>(</span></span><a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l153.htm"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l153.htm</span></span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">) before the Regulations come into to help
anyone who has duties under the Regulations to prepare in advance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be no transitional period allowed
for the events industry although the HSE has said that it will only proactively
target events involving higher risk erection and dismantling of temporary and
demountable structures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE has
identified four strands for what it calls the entertainment sector which are TV
and Film, Outdoor, Theatres, and Venues. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have acknowledged that exhibitions will
need separate consideration and the industry has been invited to send a
representative to JACE<sup>2</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is not clear whether exhibitions will constitute a separate strand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE intends to publish guidance for each
strand and have stated that they will do so by April 6<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not clear whether exhibitions will have
its own guidance or still fall within the Venues strand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The key issue is that with 10 weeks to go before implementation and
with no published guidance we are left with no clear idea of the full impact of
these regulations legally, operationally and financially.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">X-Venture has published a more detailed analysis of L153 to accompany
this brief although those with direct interests in the outcome of the
implementation of CDM are advised to read widely on the subject and canvass
other views until the HSE can provide us with more certainty.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Those found innocent may still incur defence costs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Many will recall the tragic event
in 2011 when drifting smoke from a rugby club firework display caused a
multiple pile up on the M5 and 7 fatalities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The organiser was originally charged with 7 counts of gross negligence
manslaughter and later acquitted of health and safety offences<sup>3</sup> on
the grounds of foreseeability (see below).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Until recently defendants found innocent and not in receipt of legal aid
could recover most of their costs but this changed in 2012 with the Legal Aid,
Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the judge has some discretion if
there is thought to be improper conduct by the prosecution this was not the
case and so the defendant was liable for the full costs of his defence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Winning a case could turn out to be a pyrrhic
victory underlying the value of preventative strategies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Reasonably foreseeable risk<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A number of recent cases have
contributed to the definition as to what might be deemed as reasonably
foreseeable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is particularly
pertinent in the event world where we often have to assess risks which are
difficult to foresee and quantify given that the very nature of an event is
that its context in terms of location, content and visitor profile will always
be unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the above case of the M5
crash Geoffrey Counsell’s defence hinged on whether the accident was foreseeable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The judge held that even if it could be
established that smoke had contributed to the poor visibility caused by the fog
already present on the motorway, this could not have been reasonably foreseen
and therefore was not material.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In the case of Mr Counsell it
might be reasonably assumed, given that the accident was judged to be not
reasonably foreseeable, that he acted with reasonable care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what if employees behave foolishly?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Recent case which went to appleal<sup>4 </sup>sets
a new precedent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The employee whilst
attempting to clear a jammed conveyor ignored the established controls causing
his arm to be dragged in resulting in a fracture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The engineer admitted that he had taken a foolish
risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite this and the fact that the
company had proper controls, risk assessment and a permit to work system in
place they lost the case and incurred fines and costs totalling £41,500.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The company did not foresee that the employee
would behave foolishly in the risk assessment and it is a reminder to duty
holders to factor this in when conducting risk assessments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Fee-for-intervention (FFI)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The HSE’s much maligned FFI
scheme, which has been a regular feature of these updates, is still attracting
comment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE commissioned an
independent review which has found that FFI has been applied fairly and
properly although this has not stopped the criticism by many commentators who
point out that HSE inspections have risen by 6%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently HSE chair Judith Hackitt issued an
unequivocal statement that the FFI scheme would remain unchanged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My view is that it encourages to the HSE to
enforce the letter of the law for a material breach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It remains to be seen how this device to
charge for their services comes into play when event construction becomes
subject to CDM regulations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A recent ruling by HMRC has
determined that since charges imposed on offenders are technically a charge for
the HSE’s services they are deductible against corporate tax which may be a
small compensation for those who end up paying out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Forklift and telehandler fatalites<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A wholesaler has been fined
£175,000 plus £18,450 costs after an assistant at one of its branches was hit
and killed by a forklift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The case
hinged around the company’s failure to adequately protect pedestrians from forklifts
with designated routes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In a separate case Costain paid
out £615,000 in fines and costs following the death of a telehandler driver
when it overturned on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE found
that the safety of the vehicle was compromised by the limited space and other
obstructions where he was required to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Whilst neither case is related to
the events industry the circumstances are easily comparable to event
construction work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vehicle movement and
in particular the safety of pedestrians will be an HSE focus under CDM and
those that have actually delved into L153 will have spotted that regulations 27
and 28 specifically address these issues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Notes<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">L series guidance provides advice to help dutyholders
comply with the law but does not have the same legal status as an approved code
of practice (ACoP) and includes a clause by clause examination of the
regulations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Joint Advisory Committee on
Entertainment</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">R v Counsell</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Polyflor v HSE</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-65011201443577693162015-01-21T12:18:00.001-08:002015-01-21T12:20:03.980-08:00CDM 2015 Comment
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Subject to
Parliamentary approval, new Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
2015 (CDM) will come into force on 6 April 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HSE has published draft legal guidance (L153)<sup>
</sup>before the Regulations come into to help anyone who has duties under the
Regulations to prepare in advance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
HSE have also issued a letter to the entertainments (and events) industry
through the HSE chair of JACE, Cameron Adam, which can be found via this link: </span></span><a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/entertainment/theatre-tv/cdm-update-letter-161214.pdf" title="PDF"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">update letter </span><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75"
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><span style="mso-ignore: vglayout;"><img alt="PDF" border="0" height="13" src="file:///C:/Users/SIMONG~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1" width="12" /></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
will produce a more detailed review of L153 shortly which will be published on
this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">CDM places new
onerous criminal law duties on very specific and clearly identifiable companies
and individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE’s assurances
that nothing much has changed glosses over the fact that the legal status and
the relationship between various parties in the industry will alter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In most cases an event director or other
senior director will take on the Client duties and will be much more liable for
the actions of others further down the procurement chain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also unclear as to how an event
organiser, particularly in exhibitions, is supposed to exercise Client duties
over 3<sup>rd</sup> party contractors who are not part of the procurement chain
many of whom will be foreign contractors (and for practical purposes beyond the
reach of the HSE) with no prior knowledge of CDM requirements.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The HSE are saying
that they will only target proactively a few high risk events but they do not
stipulate what they mean by that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are
also reliant on the HSE’s interpretation of what a ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sensible and proportionate approach to both regulation and compliance</i>’
looks like and it is their interpretation that will count.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To all intents and purposes, therefore the
events and entertainments industry is currently in regulatory limbo. The HSE’s
assurances regarding proportionality are at best equivocal leaving event
organisers with the dilemma of having to decide whether to direct resources
towards compliance or simply ignore CDM and proceed at risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Given this situation
and from a wider perspective, how are health and safety professionals and
operations staff supposed to articulate a business case for preparation for
compliance when the HSE appear to be implying that it is ok for large swathes
of the industry to ignore this law?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Key event
stakeholders and the HSE do agree that key to this will be event specific guidance
which the HSE is planning to publish on April 6<sup>th</sup> in tandem with the
implementation of the regulations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
HSE has rejected the notion of a transitory period for the events industry (which
has been afforded to the construction industry).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With less than 10 weeks to go the danger is
the process will be rushed and the final product consequently flawed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The business impact assessment has been
paused while the guidance is drafted and will only be completed <u>after</u>
the law comes into force so its findings will presumably be nugatory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The irony is that CDM 2015 is an extension of
the Government’s better regulation initiative.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In the interests of
positive engagement, my colleagues in the industry have urged caution in taking
the HSE to task on this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However since
our legitimate concerns were rejected without consideration during the
consultation process the HSE is in no position to complain if industry
commentators seek to generate a more public discourse through IOSH and similar
institutions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Any event
professional would acknowledge the health and safety challenges in the events industry
and the need to drive improvements, the frustration is that no one, least of
all the HSE, has produced a cogent argument to support the notion that CDM 2015
is the solution to those challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-87649747592903726792015-01-09T08:36:00.003-08:002015-01-09T08:38:42.803-08:00CDM 2015 comes into force in April 2015; where does the events and entertainments industry stand?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">CDM 2015 comes into
force in April 2015; where does the events and entertainments industry stand?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If we do not
proactively engage at every stage but especially in the drafting of new
guidance we could be saddled with costly and restrictive legislation which is
entirely unsuitable for our businesses.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The HSE’s Position<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
HSE’s current official position was provided in a written statement to the
Joint Advisory Committee in Entertainment (JACE) which is the body that the HSE
recognises as representing the entertainments sector.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE has 5 strands for the entertainment
sector (which includes B2B exhibitions and conferences) which are TV and Film,
Outdoor, Theatres, Voluntary and Charities (including churches) and Venues. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exhibitions and conferences fall into the
latter alongside indoor music and entertainment events. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main thrust of the HSE’s statement was as
follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">HSE has had a policy of not actively enforcing the current CDM Regulations in the entertainment industry, but has been advised that a blanket policy of not enforcing regulations in a particular sector is unlawful therefore it will be applied.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The HSE recognises that risk systems differ in entertainment as opposed to conventional construction work.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CDM will be applied on a risk based ‘proportionate’ basis.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Companies that already have risk based management systems will need to do little more than they already do.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">Development of this regulatory approach and practical guidance for duty-holders is not time bound by the implementation date of the CDM 2015 Regulations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Events and entertainment
industry’s position<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
exhibitions and conference view point expressed at the aeo<sup>1</sup> meeting
was that objections to CDM notwithstanding, it was a reality that was just
going to have to be dealt with and the focus should be on preparing for
compliance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the SAGE<sup>2</sup>
meeting it was clear that other sectors, notably TV and Theatre, are still
heavily engaged in attempting to block this legislation at DCMS<sup>3</sup>
level with arguments centred around economic impact. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The PSA<sup>4</sup> is collating some very
persuasive arguments to counter its application.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The minutes of the last JACE meeting show
that the HSE have agreed to a specific TV and film subcommittee on CDM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">How will CDM be
applied?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
it comes to application, the devil will be in the detail and it is clear that
the process is currently skewed with the HSE still viewing the industry through
the prism of entertainment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Application
may also highlight flaws in the HSE’s arbitrary strand allocations. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ‘Venues’ guidance will have to
manage/rationalise the differing needs of the eGuide<sup>5</sup> community of
exhibitions and conferences, alongside the A-Guide<sup>6</sup> community of
music and entertainment in arenas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can
one guidance document cover a One Direction concert at the ACCL and a defence
exports (military hardware) exhibition in ExCel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a good reason why the eGuide and
then the A-Guide were written as separate health and safety guidance documents
to cover those types of events respectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All parts of the events and entertainments industry are going to have to
ensure that they are sufficiently engaged to be able to influence the drafting
of guidance to suit their own sector.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If not in April 15
then when will it apply? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
net result of industry efforts is that the HSE has paused the review of the
economic impact statements until they can be reviewed in the light of the final
draft of the regulations, the ‘mini ACOP’<sup>7</sup> and the guidance which
will be written for the 5 sector specific strands. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
have offered no view on this but having been heavily involved personally in
bringing two industry guidance documents into being, at the very least I can
see this taking 24 months and we have not even started yet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The danger is that it will be rushed and
poorly consulted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE chose to
formally reject and ignore the event and entertainment industry responses to
the consultation process which does not auger well for the consultation on the
drafting of guidance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Legally where do
event companies stand on 1 April 2015?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
is criminal law which comes into force, as far as we know, from April
2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE’s line appears to be – do
not worry we are not going to enforce it in the entertainments industry
yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE’s statement was issued to
JACE as an unheaded and unsigned pdf document and we should at least demand something
more credible as the basis on which to ignore new criminal law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
HSE has sought to allay industry fears by espousing the concept of
proportionality by which we may infer that they will not be turning up at the set-up
of a WI jam and bake sale demanding to see a CDM file.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The term, however, is subjective and it will
be the HSE’s interpretation which counts so we need a lot more clarity on the
HSE’s precise meaning of proportionality when it comes to large complex events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">From
a practical point of view, the HSE has 140 construction inspectors only 30 of
whom have been trained for ‘entertainment’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In my view the chance that CDM will be proactively enforced is virtually
nil in the current circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
problem comes when the HSE follows up an accident which is why I think we
should seek a signed off legal position rather than subjective assurances in an
unheaded pdf hand out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So what do we do now?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Doing
nothing is not an option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
criminal law which places onerous responsibilities on designated duty holders
who could be named individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we do
not proactively engage at every stage, but especially in the drafting of new
guidance, we could be saddled with costly and restrictive legislation which is
entirely unsuitable for our businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
are some useful work strands which could be pursued as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 38.45pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The HSE should be pressed for an official statement with a lot more clarity on the legal position regarding the application of CDM to the events and entertainments industry post 1 April 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Th</span>e HSE should be pressed for clarity regarding how all elements of the events and entertainments industry (not just TV and film) will be properly represented when it comes to drafting guidance.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CDM creates differing and potentially divergent issues for venues and event organisers/promoters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should look at how that will play out in practical terms under CDM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will venues become the day to day enforcers? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Unique to the exhibitions industry is the issue of whether an exhibition will be one big CDM site or lots of little ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The exhibitions industry needs to develop a decided position on which is more suitable and influence the drafting of guidance accordingly. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The economic impact work has been paused and we should use the time to build a compelling case to ensure that the HSE is held to account with regard to the assertion that those that already have risk based systems</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">‘will need to do little more to comply with the CDM 2015’.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
is an important revision to a major piece of health and safety legislation
which is due to be applied from April 2015 on a multibillion pound industry
with significant international interests in terms of overseas visitors to
events and venues for business, entertainment and tourism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE ignored the significant (28%) number of
respondents from the events industry to the consultation process, dismissing the
numerous and well-articulated arguments on the challenges we face as an
irrelevant campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we stand we have
no recognisably official communication from the HSE on when this law will be
applied or how.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The economic impact
statements have yet to be completed and we have not even started drafting the
guidance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE is a publically funded
government body whose role is to advise as well as enforce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This does not inspire confidence and those
with business interests in events and entertainment have every reason to demand
more clarity from the HSE.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Notes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Association
of Event Organisers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Safety
Advisory Group in Entertainment -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
network of safety professionals in the events and entertainments industry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Department
of Culture Media and Sport<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="st1"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Production Services
Association - <span class="st1">represents companies and individuals that provide
technical infrastructure for live events<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="st1"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="st1"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">eGuide
– Association of Event Venues health and safety guidance for events in UK
Venues<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">A-Guide
– National Arenas Association health and safety guidance for Arena Events<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Approved
Code of Practice – not law per se but could be used by courts to determine compliance
with the law<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Simon Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981766115585878713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-75100480361461029722013-11-14T07:47:00.002-08:002013-11-14T07:47:51.125-08:00A review of IOSH forum on implentation of CDM 14 in the events industry
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
IOSH Sports Grounds and Events Group networking event to discuss CDM took place
on 12<sup>th</sup> November and attracted participation from the event safety
community across the spectrum from festivals to theatres and a significant
element from the exhibition world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
event was opened by the Chief Executive of IOSH, Jan Chmiel followed by a
keynote presentation by Gavin Bull, the HM Inspector at the HSE responsible for
implementing CDM 14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The meat of the
event comprised presentations by the eGuide (exhibitions and conferences), A
Guide (Arenas), Purple Guide (festivals and outdoor events) and the ABTT
(theatres).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
implementation of CDM 14 is behind its original timetable so the HSE did not
actually have anything new to say and did not present a case for change or
highlight any benefits beyond compliance for its own sake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The various industry guides agreed to
incorporate the changes as and when they come into effect without raising any
of the issues that might arise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fairness, since the consultation has not taken place it was difficult to get
into specifics but it would have been helpful to get a view of some of the
challenges perceived by the various event sector bodies at industry level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a prevailing view that we are all
compliant anyway and all we need to do is role map across to the various CDM
functions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
view did not go unchallenged and there was some spirited questioning from the
floor which highlighted that the HSE’s presentation raised more questions than
it actually answered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gavin Bull
dismissed a question regarding Safety Advisory Groups (SAG’s) as ‘just
licensing’ and gave a very opaque answer on who exactly the enforcing authority
would be on site, thus ignoring the very significant potential conflict of
regulatory oversight that could arise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The attendance list was a veritable who’s who of the big players but
there was no consideration of the challenges faced by small events from
conferences to country fairs that do not have the resources to conduct ‘role
mapping’ exercises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simplification is
nominally positive but removing the ACOP does mean that a lot will be down to
interpretation and that will pose challenges for all and disadvantage smaller
concerns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There
were some significant absences from the debate. The aeo was not represented and
with one notable exception (Reed Exhibitions) neither were any of the large exhibition
organisers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also absent were any of the
larger players from the exhibition general contracting sector who will have a
significant part to play in complying with these regulations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These voices need to be heard and must
participate in the consultation when it is launched.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There
was much discussion around the CDM roles of Client, Designer, Principal
Contractor and the CDM Coordinator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
accepted view was that the event organiser could be all of these things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then again so could a company building a
large complex stand within an event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
glaring omission was the recognition that CDM was designed to be applied to
building sites which could be in place for many months or years. An event transforms
from construction to finished produce and back to construction activity in a
matter of days and is in reality a collection of lots of different building
sites with a plethora of clients and designers not just one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE kept returning to the mantra of the
definition of construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reality
is, however, that whilst conceptually similar, the context at events is
entirely different.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">IOSH
should be congratulated in in pulling together this forum and such a diverse
group of serious event safety professionals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whilst we may not have got the clarity of answers we wanted, it is to
the HSE’s credit that they have engaged with the events industry across the
spectrum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many attending not hitherto
familiar with this issue will have learned a great deal and there is no doubt
that the 12 week consultation when it comes will be more robust for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-65354985291918257952013-11-13T02:43:00.001-08:002013-11-13T02:43:09.461-08:00October Update 2013
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We face a perfect
storm of a new regulator in the form of the HSE, armed with new and potentially
quite prescriptive regulations with a financial incentive to apply the letter
of the law in an industry where safety is often a matter of judgement.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Duty of Care<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I often begin training by pointing out that few industries
other than those involved in public transport have the scale of duty of care
that we regularly take on in the events industry; often placed on relatively
junior shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daily we deal with
exposure of large numbers of people to significant risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our key control is to train those with such
responsibilities to assess and manage those risks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am often asked about how to manage the risk
of those who seem to wilfully expose themselves and others to serious harm and
the extent to which we are liable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
recent tragic case of Georgia Varley is case in point and appears to set a
worrying precedent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In 2011 Georgia was killed when she fell between the train
and the platform as it was leaving the station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She had a blood-alcohol level nearly 3 times the drink-drive limit, had
taken the drug mephedrone, was wearing high-heeled shoes and having alighted
from the train leaned back against it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The guard, Christopher McGee, failed to fully appreciate the situation
and allowed the train to depart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
prosecuted for gross negligence manslaughter and sentenced to 5 years’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Only the jury knows why they convicted him but on the face
of it Mr McGee paid a terrible price for what appears to be a momentary lapse
in concentration rather than an act of wickedness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It serves to remind us just how high the
stakes can be in an industry where we constantly battle against, and yet are
held responsible for, mindless acts of recklessness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">HSE enforcement of
event construction and the application of Construction Design Management
Regulations (CDM) at Events <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I delayed the ‘summer update’ in the hope of getting
something concrete on CDM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a
series of meetings with event professionals in the spring, the project went
quiet over the summer while the HSE considered their options and to my
knowledge there have been no new developments although some news has come
following an HSE meeting with the National Theatre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The draft proposal will shortly be available for
consultation although no date has been set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The release of the document has been delayed because the HSE are
debating some key points centring on how the key roles in CDM Regulations such
as directors’ duties will be assigned to event management functions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also recognition that removing the
Approved Code of Practice which interpreted the regulations, could be
problematic for small companies who lack the resources to do this for
themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">One prevailing view is that this is simply a tidying up of
an anomaly whereby construction regulations did not previously apply to event
construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My concern is that the HSE
have not articulated a business case on the basis of risk versus cost as to why
this is necessary for the events industry much less the exhibitions and
conferences sector.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key driver is to
fall in with Europe although I have yet to see any evidence of any kind of CDM
type regulation applying to European events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Facilitated by the AEV, the major exhibition organisers,
plus some of the smaller event companies who have picked up on this, have been
engaged with the HSE consultative process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Notwithstanding I have been dismayed by how many companies particularly
the larger contracting companies appear to be totally ignorant of this import
potential change to the way we are regulated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is vital that when the consultative document is released it is
reviewed and commented upon by all event companies with a significant exposure
to event construction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Fee-for-intervention
(FFI)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">To recap, new regulations put a duty on the HSE to recover its costs for
carrying out its regulatory functions from those found to be ‘in material
breach<sup>1 </sup>of health and safety law’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The fee is an hourly rate of £124 and applies not only to time on site
but any follow up work associated with the visit including investigations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that the HSE have taken over
responsibility for enforcement of event construction it opens up a new avenue
of enforcement action by the HSE at build up and break down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE have issued a list of 9 key areas on
which they will focus and three of these, use of ladders, work at height, and
workplace transport – particularly the separation of work vehicles and
pedestrians – should give us cause for concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As well as unannounced visits, RIDDOR reports are being used as the cue
for the HSE to intervene often accompanied by a request to see the company’s
own internal investigation report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
IOSH courses we continually stress the need for careful handling and wording of
these documents and in response to demand X-Venture now runs a one day course
in dealing with serious accidents.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A freedom of information request reported by UBM’s Safety
and Health Practitioner<sup>2</sup> has revealed a yield of £857,000 to the HSE
in the first round up to January 2013, up £100,000 on the previous round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The average invoice was £474. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although an unwelcome unbudgeted item, it is
unlikely that the costs per se will be an issue for event companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However it is easy to see how, armed with new
CDM Regulations the HSE could come to regard the events industry as a lucrative
source of income and thus FFI will encourage HSE enforcement in the event
sector.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anecdotal evidence from the
summer festival season, which saw significant increase in HSE’s activity and
the issuing of some Prohibition notices as a result, should give us cause for
concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contractors appear to have
borne the brunt of this, in one case being issued a notice for failure to put a
mid-rail on a scaffold that was not even being used for access.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Corporate
Manslaughter<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There has been much comment in safety journals that following the
introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act the
expected dozen or so cases per year simply did not materialise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since its introduction in 2008 only 3 cases
have been concluded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prosecuting
authorities, however, are getting the measure of this relatively new law and 63
new cases were being investigated in 2012 up from 45 in 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the law specifically targets
companies and not individuals, a number of individuals, particularly directors,
have been prosecuted under the related charge of Gross Negligence Manslaughter
or under S.37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act<sup>3</sup>. This has been
covered extensively in previous updates (still available on our blog site,
xventureblog.blogspot.co.uk).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lesson
as always is to ensure that senior managers involve themselves personally in
ensuring that proper controls are in place and ensuring these arrangements, and
their involvement is accurately documented.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Overall comment<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As noted in the last update, one of the early promises of this
government was a bonfire of overly restrictive and burdensome regulations on
business in general yet in the events industry precisely the reverse seems to
be happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We face a perfect storm of
a new regulator in the form of the HSE, armed with new and potentially quite
prescriptive regulations with a financial incentive to apply the letter of the
law in an industry where safety is often a matter of judgement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evidence from the summer festival season
seems to bear this out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notwithstanding
there is still much to play for and informed and robust engagement in the consultation
period for the new CDM regulations will influence the outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we fail to grasp the nettle we will only
have ourselves to blame if the resulting regulation does not suit us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">According to the HSE’s FFI guidelines, a material breach is defined as a
contravention of health and safety law that requires an inspector to issue a
written notice to the duty-holder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
may be a notification of a contravention, an Improvement or Prohibition Notice
or a prosecution, and must include the law to which the inspector’s opinion
relates; the reasons for that opinion; and the notification that a fee is
payable to the HSE.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">‘Readiness to query FFI
costs, but fairness doubts remain’ – </span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">July 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Section 37 provides for the personal prosecution of members of
management with director level responsibilities where they can be charged as
well as, or instead of, the employer if the offence in question was due to
their <b>consent, connivance or neglect</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-57065051558933140572013-11-13T02:42:00.003-08:002013-11-13T02:42:57.694-08:00October Update 2013
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We face a perfect
storm of a new regulator in the form of the HSE, armed with new and potentially
quite prescriptive regulations with a financial incentive to apply the letter
of the law in an industry where safety is often a matter of judgement.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Duty of Care<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I often begin training by pointing out that few industries
other than those involved in public transport have the scale of duty of care
that we regularly take on in the events industry; often placed on relatively
junior shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daily we deal with
exposure of large numbers of people to significant risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our key control is to train those with such
responsibilities to assess and manage those risks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am often asked about how to manage the risk
of those who seem to wilfully expose themselves and others to serious harm and
the extent to which we are liable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
recent tragic case of Georgia Varley is case in point and appears to set a
worrying precedent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In 2011 Georgia was killed when she fell between the train
and the platform as it was leaving the station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She had a blood-alcohol level nearly 3 times the drink-drive limit, had
taken the drug mephedrone, was wearing high-heeled shoes and having alighted
from the train leaned back against it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The guard, Christopher McGee, failed to fully appreciate the situation
and allowed the train to depart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
prosecuted for gross negligence manslaughter and sentenced to 5 years’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Only the jury knows why they convicted him but on the face
of it Mr McGee paid a terrible price for what appears to be a momentary lapse
in concentration rather than an act of wickedness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It serves to remind us just how high the
stakes can be in an industry where we constantly battle against, and yet are
held responsible for, mindless acts of recklessness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">HSE enforcement of
event construction and the application of Construction Design Management
Regulations (CDM) at Events <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I delayed the ‘summer update’ in the hope of getting
something concrete on CDM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a
series of meetings with event professionals in the spring, the project went
quiet over the summer while the HSE considered their options and to my
knowledge there have been no new developments although some news has come
following an HSE meeting with the National Theatre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The draft proposal will shortly be available for
consultation although no date has been set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The release of the document has been delayed because the HSE are
debating some key points centring on how the key roles in CDM Regulations such
as directors’ duties will be assigned to event management functions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also recognition that removing the
Approved Code of Practice which interpreted the regulations, could be
problematic for small companies who lack the resources to do this for
themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">One prevailing view is that this is simply a tidying up of
an anomaly whereby construction regulations did not previously apply to event
construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My concern is that the HSE
have not articulated a business case on the basis of risk versus cost as to why
this is necessary for the events industry much less the exhibitions and
conferences sector.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key driver is to
fall in with Europe although I have yet to see any evidence of any kind of CDM
type regulation applying to European events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Facilitated by the AEV, the major exhibition organisers,
plus some of the smaller event companies who have picked up on this, have been
engaged with the HSE consultative process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Notwithstanding I have been dismayed by how many companies particularly
the larger contracting companies appear to be totally ignorant of this import
potential change to the way we are regulated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is vital that when the consultative document is released it is
reviewed and commented upon by all event companies with a significant exposure
to event construction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Fee-for-intervention
(FFI)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">To recap, new regulations put a duty on the HSE to recover its costs for
carrying out its regulatory functions from those found to be ‘in material
breach<sup>1 </sup>of health and safety law’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The fee is an hourly rate of £124 and applies not only to time on site
but any follow up work associated with the visit including investigations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that the HSE have taken over
responsibility for enforcement of event construction it opens up a new avenue
of enforcement action by the HSE at build up and break down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE have issued a list of 9 key areas on
which they will focus and three of these, use of ladders, work at height, and
workplace transport – particularly the separation of work vehicles and
pedestrians – should give us cause for concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As well as unannounced visits, RIDDOR reports are being used as the cue
for the HSE to intervene often accompanied by a request to see the company’s
own internal investigation report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
IOSH courses we continually stress the need for careful handling and wording of
these documents and in response to demand X-Venture now runs a one day course
in dealing with serious accidents.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A freedom of information request reported by UBM’s Safety
and Health Practitioner<sup>2</sup> has revealed a yield of £857,000 to the HSE
in the first round up to January 2013, up £100,000 on the previous round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The average invoice was £474. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although an unwelcome unbudgeted item, it is
unlikely that the costs per se will be an issue for event companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However it is easy to see how, armed with new
CDM Regulations the HSE could come to regard the events industry as a lucrative
source of income and thus FFI will encourage HSE enforcement in the event
sector.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anecdotal evidence from the
summer festival season, which saw significant increase in HSE’s activity and
the issuing of some Prohibition notices as a result, should give us cause for
concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contractors appear to have
borne the brunt of this, in one case being issued a notice for failure to put a
mid-rail on a scaffold that was not even being used for access.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Corporate
Manslaughter<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There has been much comment in safety journals that following the
introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act the
expected dozen or so cases per year simply did not materialise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since its introduction in 2008 only 3 cases
have been concluded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prosecuting
authorities, however, are getting the measure of this relatively new law and 63
new cases were being investigated in 2012 up from 45 in 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the law specifically targets
companies and not individuals, a number of individuals, particularly directors,
have been prosecuted under the related charge of Gross Negligence Manslaughter
or under S.37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act<sup>3</sup>. This has been
covered extensively in previous updates (still available on our blog site,
xventureblog.blogspot.co.uk).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lesson
as always is to ensure that senior managers involve themselves personally in
ensuring that proper controls are in place and ensuring these arrangements, and
their involvement is accurately documented.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Overall comment<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As noted in the last update, one of the early promises of this
government was a bonfire of overly restrictive and burdensome regulations on
business in general yet in the events industry precisely the reverse seems to
be happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We face a perfect storm of
a new regulator in the form of the HSE, armed with new and potentially quite
prescriptive regulations with a financial incentive to apply the letter of the
law in an industry where safety is often a matter of judgement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evidence from the summer festival season
seems to bear this out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notwithstanding
there is still much to play for and informed and robust engagement in the consultation
period for the new CDM regulations will influence the outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we fail to grasp the nettle we will only
have ourselves to blame if the resulting regulation does not suit us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">According to the HSE’s FFI guidelines, a material breach is defined as a
contravention of health and safety law that requires an inspector to issue a
written notice to the duty-holder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
may be a notification of a contravention, an Improvement or Prohibition Notice
or a prosecution, and must include the law to which the inspector’s opinion
relates; the reasons for that opinion; and the notification that a fee is
payable to the HSE.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">‘Readiness to query FFI
costs, but fairness doubts remain’ – </span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">July 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Section 37 provides for the personal prosecution of members of
management with director level responsibilities where they can be charged as
well as, or instead of, the employer if the offence in question was due to
their <b>consent, connivance or neglect</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-1368776982414085262013-04-22T06:52:00.004-07:002013-04-22T06:52:55.730-07:00Dealing with serious accidents<div align="LEFT">
<br /></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">In the events industry the risk of a serious accident can never be discounted. 2013 will bring unprecedented changes in the way events are regulated by enforcement agencies so responsible boards should be scrutinising their arrangements to deal with the legal consequences of a crisis of this nature</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">. This update revisits the key essentials for preparing to handle such a situation. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">An organisation’s response to a serious accident in the first few hours can often determine how well an organisation or those individuals implicated come out of it. What is done cannot be undone, but failing to manage the aftermath professionally can make the difference between a controlled crisis and an uncontrolled disaster. <br />
<br />
Due to the nature of the events business, event managers on a day to day basis deal with compensation claims for relatively minor injuries and the mistake that is often made is to gear up to deal with a civil law suit. Civil claims, however large, are by definition, limited by insurance cover and will almost certainly come down to an agreed out of court settlement which could include a confidentiality clause to limit reputational damage. In the event of a serious accident the potential claimant is in no position to begin legal proceedings, so other than a timely call to the insurance company, that issue can be dealt with later. Crisis managers would be better to focus on the prospect of the potential for unlimited fines and, in very serious situations, prosecution of individuals accompanied by unfavourable exposure in the media and on social media platforms. <br />
<br />
The authorities may respond quickly and will often, in a matter of only hours, decide whether or not to pursue criminal proceedings. In the event of a fatality (or sometimes a serious injury) the police will send a scene of crime officer to determine whether or not the death was an accident or a crime in the sense that it involved foul play. Having established that it is a genuine work related accident (though not the cause) this still leaves the option of a police prosecution for manslaughter against an individual or the corporation</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1</span><span style="font-size: small;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Recent updates have covered the HSE’s intention to involve itself directly in event construction and so they could be the lead enforcement agency as well as the local authority in whose jurisdiction the event falls. It must be remembered that the fire <br />
<br />
authorities have enforcement powers and would be involved in an incident that was related to fire safety. <br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">First Response <br />
</span><br /></span><br /></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It goes without saying that the welfare of the injured party and those directly involved must be catered for. Harsh as it may seem however, someone has to take a step back and begin to assess and prepare for the legal and reputational consequences that may follow. <br />
<br />
The powers of the authorities when it comes to accident investigation are broadly similar so I will cover them together. It is worth noting however that the involvement of the police in a manslaughter investigation is likely to be very intrusive and disruptive and could lead to arrests (a power that the ‘civilian’ agencies do not have). <br />
<br />
The first order of business is for duty staff to recognise that this is a major incident that cannot be handled by the event team alone and requires a company level response which must include obtaining professional legal advice. <br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">The investigation <br />
</span><br /></span><br /></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It is vital that those involved carry out their own investigation as soon as it is practical to do so. Events are by their nature transient and key witnesses may be hard to trace later so obtaining their details must begin immediately. The first priority is to establish the facts of the accident. <br />
<br />
Happily first aiders have little to do on a day to day basis but when they are confronted with a serious accident they are sometimes prone to speculation; thus a very painful leg twisted out of position becomes ‘a break’. Medical details need to be confirmed by medical professionals at the point of treatment not by first aiders who lack facilities such as X-Ray scanners. A ‘fall from 3m’ may actually have been 2m so someone needs to measure it to confirm. After a delay, data protection concerns may get in the way of establishing the facts so the company needs to act fast to obtain this data. Record the scene with video and stills, take measurements and make comprehensive notes or use a digital voice recorder. <br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">The interview process <br />
</span><br /></span><br /></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The authorities are likely to want to interview individuals and can do so either as ‘witnesses’ or ‘suspects’. The first task is to find out who they wish to interview and if possible in which category. Before a witness interview you are allowed to brief the individual about the likely format and reassure them that the questions they will be asked are just intended to help detail the events in question. You are not allowed to coach them in how to answer the questions. A colleague can sit with them if it makes <br />
<br />
them less apprehensive. The interviewee is allowed to ask for a written copy of their statement at the end of the interview although it will be their property not the employer’s. During such an interview they cannot incriminate themselves but can incriminate others including the employer. <br />
<br />
If during an interview the authorities form the view that the interviewee is now a suspect or they have decided that an individual is a suspect from the outset they will be cautioned. If anyone is interviewed under caution they will be formerly ‘cautioned’ to advise them of their rights</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span><span style="font-size: small;">. They are entitled to legal representation at the interview which should be separate to the legal representation for the employer because of the potential for conflict of interest. Be under no illusions. Health and safety law is criminal law and anyone interviewed under caution in these circumstances is a suspect in a criminal investigation with all that this portends. The interviewer will be trying to secure a conviction and will be well trained in the art of getting interviewees to reveal evidence that will incriminate them or others. It is vital that they have legal representation. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">If it is the company itself that is the suspect then the authorities will ask to interview an individual, probably a senior manager to represent the organisation. They will be cautioned but in these circumstances it is the company that is the suspect rather than the individual. <br />
<br />
It follows that major incident plans must include the ability to obtain relevant legal advice quickly. <br />
<br />
Organisations often make the mistake of leaving the interviews to the authorities. It will be an important part of the response for an organisation to conduct its own interviews of staff and witnesses to assist with its investigation. An employer has no powers to compel employees and others to be interviewed however employees have a legal duty to cooperate with reasonable requests made by an employer on health and safety issues. <br />
<br />
There is a detailed article on the techniques police may use to gain information in interviews under caution at www.healthandsafetyatwork.com/hsw/content/talking-out-turn. <br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">The paper trail <br />
</span><br /></span><br /></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The police and other enforcement authorities have powers to demand documents as evidence and this could be extended to computers and hard drives on which they are stored. When dealing with these requests; <br />
<br />
filter all requests for documentation to a single point of contact <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
make sure that the agency has the power to take the documents requested and that documents/information requested is not protected by legal privilege (see below) <br />
<br />
provide only what is requested, do not simply hand over everything <br />
<br />
keep copies and make a record of all requests. <br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">Legal Privilege <br />
</span><br /></span><br /></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A organisation’s own lawyers will request to see documentation to assess the best way to defend against criminal proceedings. Communications between a lawyer and client are legally privileged and need not be disclosed. Organisations should anticipate which documents may fall into this category and make sure that they are protected before they are seized by the authorities. <br />
<br />
This was the subject of an earlier update and a detailed explanation is still available on the X-Venture blog site. <br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">Conflicts of interest <br />
</span><br /></span><br /></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Event management is about teamwork and as event managers we are naturally disposed towards cooperation which is essential for good risk management. It must be recognised however, that in the instance of a serious accident with the potential for prosecution, the venue, organiser, exhibitors contractors and individual employees involved will have competing and conflicting interests not least a strong desire for the outcome of the investigation by the authorities to find that other parties were culpable. It stands to reason that a legal defence will be a lot stronger if all parties involved cooperate, however in the febrile atmosphere of a criminal investigation it is quite likely that this cooperation will break apart. If individuals are being interviewed under caution they will rightly prioritise their own defence over that of their employer or any other individual or company. Organisations must recognise this. There is no simple way of dealing with this however ownership of information, establishing the facts of the case and keeping up to date with the progress of the official investigation is a key element of managing the company’s defence. <br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;">How to prepare <br />
</span><br /></span><br /></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It stands to reason that an organisation with a robust health and safety policy and event planning processes centred on risk assessment, which is diligently followed by competent event managers who have received health and safety training is less likely to find itself compromised. A health and safety file should be compiled for every event with key health and safety documentation which will be crucial to a legal defence. <br />
<br />
Being on the receiving end of a criminal investigation is likely to be unnerving. In preparing to deal with it there is no substitute for scenario based training even to the point of conducting mock interviews under caution. <br />
<br />
These circumstances are fortunately rare but in the events industry the risk of a serious accident can never be discounted. 2013 will bring unprecedented changes in the way events are regulated by enforcement agencies so responsible boards should be scrutinising their arrangements to deal with a crisis of this nature. <br />
<br />
Notes <br />
</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1. The UK Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act facilitates the prosecution of a company following a fatality. (the Corporate Homicide Act is the Scottish law) <br />
<br />
A new offence will have been committed if the way in which the company’s activities are managed; <br />
<br />
causes a person’s death and <br />
<br />
amounts to a gross breach of negligence of a relevant duty owed by the organisation to the individual <br />
<br />
It does not define what is meant by ‘management failure’ but can be broadly interpreted as systemic failures in the system where standards have fallen far below what can reasonably be expected of an organisation in the circumstances. <br />
<br />
Gross Negligence Manslaughter is brought against individuals for a breach of duty which causes death <br />
<br />
2. Caution wording in England and Wales is as follows</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: x-small;">: "You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence." </span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">It is not the same in Scotland where an adverse inference cannot be drawn from a suspects failure to answer a question as it can in England and Wales </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-62967125188791960702013-01-09T10:20:00.001-08:002013-01-09T10:20:27.786-08:00Corporate Manslaughter - the Lion Steel Case. Are there implications for event directors?
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Many would argue that legal
action against a company and its directors following a death at work was fully
justified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The case however does raise
important concerns regarding the prosecution of individual company directors.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><strong> </strong></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In 2008 a maintenance worker for
Lion Steel fell from the roof to his death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The company was charged with Corporate Manslaughter and offences under
section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three company directors where charged with
Gross Negligence Manslaughter and offences under section 37 of the Health and
Safety at Work Act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In July the company,
which has a turnover of £10 million, pleaded guilty and was fined over £480,000
plus £84,000 in costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The directors who
went to trial were acquitted in a plea bargain arrangement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The CPS presented evidence of a lack of
training, no risk assessment, no safe system of work and lack of supervision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The facts which lie behind this case should
be of concern to all directors and event company directors in particular for a
number of reasons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Firstly the Crown Prosecution
Service (CPS) tried to establish a de facto ‘carte blanche’ duty of care for
all directors to all employees by virtue of their office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The judge ruled against it on this occasion,
but it does not mean that the CPS will not do this again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Previous attempts to establish a specific
Director’s Duty in law have not come to pass but it could come into place by
way of case law in a future case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part
of the reason that it failed in this instance was that it was hard to establish
a direct link between the actions of the directors charged, one of whom was the
finance director, and the operative on the roof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The case against the directors
did not fail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They entered a plea
bargain arrangement whereby they allowed a guilty plea of corporate
manslaughter against the company, in return for the charges against individual
directors to be dropped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not hard
to see why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Directors were facing a
range of punishments including, custodial sentences of 2 years to life
imprisonment, fines and disqualification from holding a directorship for up to
15 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their trials and the threat of
a heavy custodial sentence could have been drawn out over four years possibly
resulting in professional and financial ruin even if they were found not
guilty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It raises the disturbing question
as to whether the CPS deliberately brought these charges against the
individuals in order to leverage a corporate plea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this is the case we could see more cases
of directors automatically potentially facing life imprisonment following a
death at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what of these
directors’ fiduciary duties to the company and its shareholders?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely there was a conflict of interest in
sacrificing the company to defend their own cases.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lastly the CPS did not rely on
witnesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead it used documentation
and e-mails dating back to 2002 to support its case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This underscores the need for careful
attention to archiving of key documents to prove that directors are routinely
discharging their duty of care, from issuing and implementing a proper health
and safety policy to ensuring that there are safety files for each event.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The law of corporate manslaughter
was brought in to target companies and not individuals and yet it appears to be
having the perverse effect of encouraging the targeting of individual directors
in order to secure a conviction against the company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lion Steel was not a corporate
behemoth, its pre-taxed profits ranged from £187,000 to £317,000 and its
highest paid directors received £88,000 per year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It now faces a struggle to survive
commercially with such a hefty fine which they must pay within three years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So what lessons can we derive in
the events industry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Firstly the events business
has had its fair share of fatalities; work at height and event construction
activity place us at the higher end of the risk scale as an industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is for this reason that the HSE have
decided to enforce safety at the construction of events (see previous
updates).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The safety industry commentary
was critical of the CPS in targeting individuals in this way<sup>1</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the events industry it would be a lot
easier to establish a link between the actions of individual directors and the
activities on the event floor particularly with the portfolio structure of most
organising companies where senior directors are clearly responsible for
specific events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any director who is
part of the structure of a venue management team would also have clear links
with operational activities which would be easy to establish in court.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Responsible organisers and venues
already proactively manage risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
case should prompt a shakedown of policy and procedures in those companies that
do not have robust risk management processes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All companies should look carefully at their major incident handling
plans in terms of processes in place to defend the companies and its directors
against charges of corporate or individual gross negligence manslaughter
respectively.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Note.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Safety and Health Practitioner
August and September Issue, Health and Safety at Work October issue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-14945027691453631902013-01-02T09:08:00.001-08:002013-01-02T09:08:14.784-08:00HSE enforcement at events and the application of Construction Design Management Regulations (CDM) to the events industry.
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The HSE has taken over
responsibility for enforcement of event construction and is now arming itself
with a new set of regulations to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That can only mean more regulation</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In this update the wider events and exhibitions industry is challenged
to find its voice in the consultative process in response.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This is the single biggest regulatory change to affect the
events industry in health and safety terms in recent years and needs to be
taken seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The essential issue is
that the HSE, having taken responsibility for enforcement of event
construction, are now seeking to amend the CDM Regulations and apply them to events
and exhibitions by 2014. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
consultation phase is underway. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>E-mails are now flying around with a mixture of
concern and comment (some of it ill-informed). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was flagged up in earlier X-venture
updates (see blog site) but my earlier comment has now been overtaken by
developments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Industry opinion on this ranges from being happy to let the
AEV et al negotiate a deal with the HSE, to grave concern about what all this
portends in the long run, particularly with regards to potential costs on the industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are concerned that that challenging the
HSE will provoke a negative outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I have been fairly vocal in my concerns and notwithstanding
soothing noises from the HSE have not seen anything recently that gives me any
comfort. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My essential concern is
that we are about to get ourselves saddled with prescriptive, costly and
unnecessary regulations which will be enforced by the HSE who have little or no
knowledge or understanding of our business. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their initial research was very narrow and superficial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">They reviewed six
accidents and made six site visits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These were all related to entertainment, festival or sporting type
activities, one dating back to 1994.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is not one mention of exhibitions except a reference to ‘other
events’<sup>1</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A lot of confusion has been created because these
regulations are in theory being pared back to make them less prescriptive which
will benefit the construction industry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The proposal, however, is to widen the scope
to include the events industry which is not good for us because if the
intention is not to impose more regulation on us then why do it at all? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever has been said, the CDM Regulations
have never, since they were first introduced in 1994, been applied to event
construction, so applying them now is not ‘just a simple tidying up of the
rules’ as it has been portrayed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">One of the arguments in favour of revision is that the
introduction of the 1994 regulations had the unintended consequence of spawning
a whole new industry of professionals required to interpret and apply these
regulations for the construction industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Are we not therefore at risk of the same costly unintended consequences
when these regulations are applied to an industry for which they were never
originally intended?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There has also been a lot of confusion between regulation of
temporary and demountable structures (TDS) and event construction
generally. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Responsible organisers
and venues ensure that complex structures are properly checked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CDM however has never been just about
structural safety per se but the whole construction activity including all
working at height, vehicle movement, site access, PPE etc. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So there are two things going on here. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE is interested in enforcement of TDS guidance
and they also want to apply revised CDM regulations to event construction in
general. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To illustrate how
intrusive that could be, we are potentially talking about every event
construction project having to be registered with the HSE in advance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The term ‘construction’ at present means any
build up or break down activity which would also include conferences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The HSE, when pressed further on this have said
that ‘construction’ is legally defined in the regulations. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The definition currently specifically excludes
erection of ‘exhibition panels’ – so presumably shell scheme , however in my
view the definition is not sufficiently clear as to whether this applies to
exhibitions and conferences generally and could be taken either way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My point is that since the regulations are
being reviewed, presumably the definition can also be <u><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">redefined<b> </b></span></u>to specifically
exclude exhibitions and conferences. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The potential issue here is one which risk managers call
theoretical legal jeopardy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regulations
are brought in to target a specific problem such as use of temporary stage sets
but are widely applicable to smaller events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So for example conferences and small exhibitions are not targeted but
find themselves caught up in the regulations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Venues with no desire to tangle with the HSE ramp up tenancy
requirements to counter a theoretical legal risk and before long we have
conferences required to employ a NEBOSH qualified floor manager.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of this would have been intended but is
analogous to what happened to the construction industry and took 19 years to
review.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In the UK risk control is based on what is reasonably
practical relative to cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus far the
argument has been based on micro issues in terms of the detail of CDM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to step back and take a look at the
macro issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my view exhibition
organisers and venues in particular should think about the wider economic
impact – ultimately it will be exhibitors who will pay for this as they usually
do. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE has taken over
responsibility for enforcement of event construction and is now arming itself
with a new set of regulations to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That can only mean more regulation and by extension more cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a number of well-designed, state of
the art and well-run venues around the world that would be only too happy to
offer a more business friendly approach to events than the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The solution is simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>‘Construction’ as it applies to temporary structures should be defined
so as to focus on the intended targets in the entertainment business such as
large stage sets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example the
trigger for CDM could be structures designed to be up for more than four days,
over 6m high and over 50 m<sup>2 </sup>thus all other structures would revert
to the status quo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We need some loud and powerful voices to make the argument
for not damaging a successful and profitable industry with unnecessary
regulation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Notes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">HSE report, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Identification of safety good practice in
the event construction and deconstruction of temporary and demountable
structures’</i></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-26343379466133747222012-09-28T02:45:00.002-07:002012-09-28T02:45:16.145-07:00What would be the impact on an event if the country in which it was held left the Euro during the tenancy or close to it?
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Whether or not you
believe in the whole European project and the Euro, we have reached a point
where there must be at least an even bet that one of the Eurozone countries
will leave the Euro in the next 12 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
question, therefore, is not why or whether it will happen, but how to prepare
for such an eventuality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Responsible
event companies plan and train to deal with ‘major incidents’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many focus on the topical risks such as fire
or a bomb threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Companies with more
advanced risk management programs include a wide range of possible scenarios
such as political and civil unrest or serious disruptions to travel
infrastructure such as occurred when flights were suspended over much of Europe
after the </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Eyjafjallajoekull</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> volcano erupted in Iceland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we, however, missing one of the most
obvious scenarios?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would be the
impact on an event if the country in which it was held left the Euro during the
tenancy or close to it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
problem is that, for many, the whole EU project is an emotive issue which tends
to cloud our judgement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no
place, however, for emotive subjectivity when it comes to risk analysis. To add
to the confusion, if you put any two economic experts in the room, each will
argue convincingly a completely contradictory position and this is especially
true with matters concerning Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet
through all the clamour one clear message is emerging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether or not you believe in the whole
European project and the Euro, we have reached a point where there must be at
least an even bet that one of the Eurozone countries will leave the Euro in the
next 12 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
have no particular claim to economic competence so these views are based on the
output from what I regard as the more serious and objective comment from the
Economist and other similar journals<sup>1</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In particular Roger Bootle has produced a
paper ‘Leaving the Euro:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A practical
guide’ that gives an insight as to how it might occur<sup>2</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Warning Signs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
one thing that is certain is that if it does occur, everyone will say that they
knew it was going to happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be
less easy to explain why it was not planned for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most economists seem to agree that the ‘Armageddon
scenario’ is a country ‘crashing out’ in a disorderly default.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However if a country signals its intention,
it would very likely precipitate the disorderly default that would be caused by
the markets’ reaction to the news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An
exit therefore would need to be planned in secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In essence we can expect no early
warning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some expect that it would still
be necessary to impose capital controls in advance to ensure that if the news
leaked out, it did not cause a run on the banks and a flight of capital from
the country. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This might provide an
indication that a country was preparing for an exit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Event companies should consider whether
capital controls would have an impact particularly with regard to moving
freight across an international border.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Timing<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Managing
an exit during normal trading would be impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ideal scenario would be to make the
announcement on a Friday after trading preferably before a bank holiday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This at least gives us a clue as to when it
might happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easter is a good bet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using this prediction it does at least give
us some guide regarding the potential vulnerability of events particularly
those that open on a Monday or a day after a bank holiday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
there were no convenient bank holiday, the country could announce one which
opens the prospect of the additional problem of an event finding itself trying
to open on an unplanned bank holiday in the middle of its tenancy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Transition<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
next working day, trading would begin in the new currency probably at 1:1
parity but with expectations of falls of between 30% and 50% in the new
currency depending on the currency in question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">On
the bank holiday days cash points would be closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There would be no new currency in notes and
coin form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have, however, moved a
long way towards a cashless society and planners would rely on the fact that
many transactions could take place electronically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would also be probable that the Euro in
note and coin form would be allowed for small transactions at the new market
rate much as it is accepted in Switzerland alongside the Swiss Franc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
raises some practical issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very
likely that cash would quickly be in short supply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is more likely to be a nuisance rather
than a serious problem and organising teams can easily mitigate this risk by
ensuring that everyone has a healthy supply of Euros and perhaps an emergency
fund held centrally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Reaction<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
we are in uncharted territory and one certainty is that this would create a
great deal of uncertainty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exhibitors
and visitors would be pushing the organiser or venue for information regarding
the viability of the event or travel to it, and the practical issues such as
the lack of currency in note or coin form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Communicating with key stakeholders and visitors would be vital in regaining
the initiative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One
of the chief concerns of exhibitors and visitors would be personal
security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There would almost certainly
be significant civil unrest with colourful media images of riot and disorder in
the country and the destination city particularly if it were a capital
city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may well be exacerbated by
high profile calls for industrial action and the resignation of the government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Many
of the businesses, exhibitors or visitors may anticipate financial difficulties
or take a view that the venue would be unsafe or very poorly attended and opt
to pull out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Every
event relies heavily on hourly paid workers for a range of tasks such as forklifting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faced with industrial and civil unrest,
transport problems or a more emotive desire to remain with the family, many may
stay away from work creating operational problems due to labour shortages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Legal Question<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Some
event companies are already opting for business transactions expressed in US dollars
in anticipation of this kind of issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An event may well be faced with cancellation and this would raise the
issue of cancellation insurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
policies are written to expressly exclude cancellation due to variations in the
rate of exchange, rate of interest or stability of any currency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is certainly worth checking the position
with insurers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More seriously could
contracts agreed in Euros be settled in the new devalued currency?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">How to Prepare<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
breakup of a monetary union is not without precedent, e.g. following the breakup
of Czechoslovakia in 1993 but in most cases the political and economic contexts
are not comparable so researching previous examples will not necessarily help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first step is to accept that it could
happen and is at the higher end of the risk scale based on probability and
potential consequence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Whilst
the context may be unprecedented the likely consequences in operational terms,
such as disruption to infrastructure are not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Companies with well-practiced major incident handling processes will
find that they are well prepared because the following principles will still
apply:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Monitor
the risk and identify the tipping point when it becomes a major incident for
the company<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Respond
quickly and simultaneously at strategic and operational level<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ensure
well-timed and effective communication with key stakeholders <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Monitor
developments and cross-reference sources of information to sort fact from
inaccurate speculation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Event
teams should look at simple practical issues such as an emergency fund of
additional currency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, other
key parties such as contractors or host venues should affirm that they have
plans in place to cope with such an eventuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Setting up a hosting scheme for exhibitors
and visitors at the airport with a help desk may help to allay the fears of
those concerned about travel to the host country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
Euro ‘crisis’ has run for over 2 years and we have become used to the high
drama of political brinkmanship and summits where financial chaos is imminent
and then narrowly avoided until the next peak in the crisis arises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is up to professional event companies to
ignore the hype and objectively assess and prepare for this entirely
foreseeable risk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Notes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Economist
– August 2012 ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Breaking up the euro area’</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Capital
Economics – ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Leaving the Euro: A
practical guide’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Roger Bootle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-40891899650161221122012-08-31T04:33:00.003-07:002012-08-31T04:33:25.958-07:00X-Venture Update - Summer 2012
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The London Olympics has focused the
attention on event safety as never before against a background of a government
sponsored review on health and safely law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is also uncertainty with regards to the approach that the HSE will
take with their new remit to enforce construction safety at events and powers
to charge businesses for their time in attending and investigating a breach of
regulations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taken together these
changes represent a significant change in the regulatory environment for the
events industry.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">HSE Enforcement of Construction Safety
at Events<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
enforcement of safety in construction activities has now been taken up by the
HSE directly and will no longer, in theory, be enforced by the Local Authority
(LA).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was previously assumed by event
safety professionals that this move prefaced the application of the
Construction Design Management Regulations (CDM) to events, however, this is
not the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE has set up a
working group to deal with event construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
HSE is responsible for the enforcement of health and safety law in the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For events this is usually delegated to the
local authorities who have largely the same powers of enforcement as the HSE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The London Olympics were the catalyst for a
review by the HSE into event construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The HSE have decided that they will take on enforcement with regards to
construction at events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The HSE report, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Identification of safety good practice in the event construction and
deconstruction of temporary and demountable structures’ </i>gives us an
important window into their mind-set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They reviewed six accidents and made six site visits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were all related to entertainment,
festival or sporting type activities, one dating back to 1994.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is not one mention of exhibitions
except a reference to ‘other events’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Drilling down into the report it is clear that some generalisations have
been made concerning the events industry as a whole based on a very narrow
focus of research.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Whilst the application of CDM is not
envisaged, it is quite clear that a central theme of the report is a dislike of
the perceived varied and ad hoc approach to management of events and a desire
to impose some form of template in this regard which is worrying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On the other hand the HSE have a valid point
as the events industry has not covered itself in glory with regards to health
and safety in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also the
findings of this report may be tempered with the findings of the working group
over time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
HSE have visited a lot of venues but as yet we have not seen any active
enforcement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">HSE Fee for Intervention<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
HSE proposes to introduce a Fee for Intervention (FFI).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was due to come into force in April but
this has now been postponed until October subject to parliamentary
approval.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The regulations put a duty on
the HSE to recover its costs for carrying out its regulatory functions from
those found to be ‘in material breach of health and safety law’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A ‘material breach’ is where in the opinion
of the HSE inspector there has been a contravention of health and safety law
that is serious enough to require them to notify the person in writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The proposed fee is an hourly rate of £124
chargeable to companies and not individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It applies not only to time on site but any follow up work associated
with the visit including investigations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
idea behind it is that the government believes that businesses and
organisations that break health and safety laws should pay for the HSE’s time
in putting right, investigating and taking enforcement action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hope is that it will encourage
compliance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
principle of paying for law enforcement agencies to investigate a breach of law
is not replicated in general law enforcement and a cynic would point to the 35%
budget cut imposed on the HSE as the true rationale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following is an extract from the HSE
guidance with regards to material breach:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Pa141" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Falls from height</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="Pa01" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11pt 36pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Falls from height are a
frequent and well-known cause of death, or serious injury such as broken bones
and partial or total paralysis.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="Pa01" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11pt 36pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Some examples of failures
might include:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="Pa111" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">not adequately planning
and/or supervising work at height;</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="Pa111" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">not ensuring workers are competent for work at height;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="Pa111" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">not choosing appropriate access equipment where falling from a
height is possible;</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="Pa111" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">not inspecting and maintaining access equipment, such as
scaffolding, harnesses or ladders, to ensure it remains effective at preventing
or reducing injury;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="Pa11" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">using forks or a pallet on the forks of a fork-lift truck for a
person to work at height, instead of a suitable working platform; and<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">using damaged/defective
ladders/stepladders, eg splits in timber ladders, cracked welds at rung/stile
connections on metallic ladders, missing rungs or steps and missing anti-slip
devices.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
full guidance can be found on the HSE website at<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/fee-for-intervention/index.htm"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.hse.gov.uk/fee-for-intervention/index.htm</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It
is still possible that the exhibitions industry will not notice a difference
because, with or without FFI, the HSE’s reach cannot currently encompass the
whole events and exhibitions industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That said, the larger events with heavy construction could well receive
a visit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
HSE’s view will be heavily influenced by the Olympics and they could make
unfair comparisons given LOCOG’s unparalleled access to resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a danger that the Olympics will
raise the bar on event safety to levels which are not sustainable particularly
in competition with other events business internationally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working at heights and general site management
in terms of controlled access and site safety discipline will be issues which
the HSE could target and many exhibitions would be vulnerable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
factor will be the reaction of venues and the role of the eGuide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The eGuide may serve to assuage HSE concerns
regarding the exhibitions industry’s ability to regulate itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conversely the venues will not want trouble
with the HSE and this will create a pressure for tighter controls. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Higher standards are desirable but they must
be sustainable from a business perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Recent
governments have a poor record of producing legislation with unintended and
unproductive consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FFI may prove
to be yet another example with the HSE using it to generate revenue to fill a
funding gap and unfairly targeting industries such as exhibitions and
events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Directors’ Liabilities<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Previous
updates have commented upon the apparent developing trend to hold company
directors personally and legally accountable for health and safety
failings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE have now revealed that
the prosecution of directors under s.37 of HASAWA has increased by 400% in the
last 5 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE denies that this a
targeted campaign but point to wider changes in the legal framework under which
directors operate such as the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act
and the Health and Safety Offences Act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Both of these were covered in previous updates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conversely prosecution of employees under s.7
has dropped sharply indicating a definite shift, deliberate or otherwise, to
focus legal sanction against company directors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Löfstedt Review<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Professor
Löfstedt was tasked by the Government to review UK health and safety
legislation and formerly reported at the end of 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He concluded that there is no need for a
radical overhaul of health and safety legislation which he found to be broadly
fit for purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did, however,
propose a review of ‘strict liability’ offences giving rise to civil
compensation even where the employer has done all that is reasonably
practicable to prevent harm<sup>1</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Overall
the government’s desire for a common sense approach to health and safety is to
be welcomed; however this is not likely to make any significant difference to
the events industry currently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Fire Safety Prosecution<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Following
a fire in 2008, the first case of a trial by jury under the Regulatory Reform
(Fire Safety) Order has seen a hotel and its director prosecuted and fined for
a failure to conduct a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and a
number of other offences under the order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The director was ordered to pay fines and costs of £230,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The case is important because it is yet
another example of the fire authorities taking enforcement action and
prosecuting a venue for public endangerment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fire legislation is regularly breached, particularly on the build up of
exhibitions and venues and organisers are vulnerable to enforcement action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">eGuide<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
latest eGuide has just been republished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This rotation has seen some significant revisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ACC Liverpool, AECC and HIC Harrogate have
adopted the guide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has meant that
variations in Scottish law have had to be included to accommodate the AECC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The eGuide committee has been restructured
with the formation of a technical committee to review and implement updates and
revisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will speed up the process
of responding to end user requests for revisions and incorporating legislative
changes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Note<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Stark
v Post Office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Post Office was found
liable for the injuries sustained by a postman after he fell off his bike even
though the defect which caused the fall was undetectable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The court ruled that the duty to maintain
work equipment in a safe condition was absolute and as the bike was broken that
duty had been breached.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-33164230257342303992012-04-26T01:57:00.001-07:002012-04-26T01:57:19.065-07:00Speaker Session at Safety and Health Expo<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have been invited to represent the IOSH Sports Grounds and
Events in a speaker session at Safety and Health Expo on 16<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> May at
the NEC (1330 – 1530). I would be delighted to see a few friendly faces
in the crowd. I have two slots; one on disaster handling and recovery for
events and one on the HSE’s involvement in event construction. The link
to the IOSH page is below. I have written a couple of articles on this
and posted them on this blog site As with all of these type of sessions they are made by the intelligent
and informed questioning that follows which is why I am hoping that some of you
lot will show up! Of course you will also be able to drop in and see
Mirabelle and the UBM organising team at the same time.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><a href="http://www.iosh.co.uk/news_and_events/events/networking_zone_at_she.aspx"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.iosh.co.uk/news_and_events/events/networking_zone_at_she.aspx</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-86056142043595812452012-04-18T06:07:00.000-07:002012-04-18T06:22:08.913-07:00What lies behind the HSE’s decision to get involved with enforcement of event construction?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">IOSH Sports Grounds and Events Group - Safety and Health Expo 2012 </span><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">16 May</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As a preface to the IOSH speaker session which will provide ‘<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">An update on the HSE’s new initiative to enforce construction safety at events</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’ the speaker, Simon Garrett, looks at the background to this.</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The HSE is responsible for the enforcement of health and safety law in the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For events this is usually delegated to the local authorities who have laregly the same powers of enforcement as the HSE. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The London Olympics were the catalyst for a review by the HSE into event construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE have decided that they will take on enforcement with regards to construction at events. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">The HSE report, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Identification of safety good practice in the event construction and deconstruction of temporary and demountable structures’ </i>was based on a review of six accidents and six site visits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were all related to entertainment, festival or sporting type activities and there is a concern among event safety professionals that this was a very narrow focus on which to base some of the generalisations stated as fact in the report.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CDM 2007 applies to all construction projects and essentially is about the management of those projects in a safe manner and the design of structures so that they are safe to use and maintain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE’s stated position is that although legally this legislation does technically apply to events, they will ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not enforce CDM provisions at events’</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was always a bit of grey area but we now have a definitive position. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE’s view is that duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations the Working at Height Regulations and other construction activity related regulations are perfectly sufficient for the enforcement of event construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The HSE’s focus will be on construction by which they mean ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any structure being constructed</i>’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may reasonably be assumed that they intend to focus on the larger more complex structures though in theory it applies to all structures from shell scheme up to complex structures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE have been somewhat opaque in regards to the extent that this covers rigging<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></sup>though it is reasonable to assume that there will at least be overlap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Where does this leave local authorities?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is difficult to gauge because it will depend on individual authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The HSE has limited resources and some industry commentators believe that it may not have fully appreciated the extent of activities covered by their new remit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notwithstanding there is a clear HSE agenda here and they would not be doing it if they did not feel that there was a problem to be addressed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing is clear, the events industry is going to have to ensure that it has its house in order with regards to event construction if it is going to be put under renewed scrutiny by the HSE.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Simon Garrett is the MD of X-Venture Global Risk Solutions and a Chartered Practitioner<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.x-venture.co.uk/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">www.x-venture.co.uk</span></span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2726583879564856180.post-21515284165190907032012-04-18T06:02:00.002-07:002012-04-18T06:02:33.975-07:00Do we really live in a more uncertain world?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">IOSH Sports Grounds and Events Group - Safety and Health Expo 2012 16<sup>th</sup> May<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As a preface to the IOSH speaker session which will consider ‘<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Essentials of Contingency Planning and Major Incident Handling</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">’ the speaker, Simon Garrett, considers whether the rising interest in this subject stems from the fact that we really do live in an uncertain world.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Who would have thought that the actions of a Tunisian fruit seller would trigger a series of events in the Middle East in 2011 that would lead in the space of a year of the toppling of dictators in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya that hitherto had had an iron grip on power for decades?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many argue that the pace of these events was fuelled by media exposure and the ability of the masses to use social media to organise themselves in a way that would not have been possible a few years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Closer to home, those living in Western economies have for decades enjoyed the proceeds of growth, prosperity, longevity and free access to education and health care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next few years will bring with it the need to share austerity, accept falling living standards and stricter rationing of social infrastructure such as education and health care long considered a basic right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rationing of university education in the UK through pricing is just one example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The riots in London and other UK cities in 2011 is testament to the ability of relatively small numbers of people organising themselves using social media to wreak havoc to the extent that city centres became no go areas and thus subject to mob rule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have seen riots before of course but these were largely contained to specific areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we now seeing the beginnings of a new and less containable social phenomenon? <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Whilst risk prediction even a few months out is usually a mug’s game it is hard not to conceive that the latter half of 2012 will see the dénouement of the Euro and the whole EU project in some form or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The backlash from the dispossessed victims of austerity measures who feel that they have little to lose and much to gain from mass civil disobedience against leaders seen to have long ago exceeded their political mandate is likely to be violent, massively disruptive and unpredictable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Economic opinion appears to be divided between those that think that the collapse of the Euro is unthinkable and those that believe it to be inevitable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the events industry we are uniquely vulnerable the sudden changes and disruption to civil infrastructure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our business is expeditionary conducted at a distance from our base location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An event organising team can leave its London office to set up an event in Birmingham, Barcelona or Beijing. The greater the distance, the greater the dislocation from our normal environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are highly dependent on meeting tight deadlines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A factory may lose production for a morning and catch up using overtime. We have no such ability to catch up. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are thus highly reliant on the civil infrastructure and in particular transport links to function normally and efficiently. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The uncertainties of the world around us and our unique vulnerability to unforeseen changes in local conditions, presents both a challenge and an opportunity to event organisers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a challenge to the unprepared and an opportunity for event organisers to expand into new markets where others fear to tread.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We cannot know what the next unthinkable or unforeseeable crisis will be, but we can prepare knowing that the only certainty in our business is the need to plan, prepare and train to deal with uncertainty.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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</div><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Simon Garrett is the MD of X-Venture Global Risk Solutions </span></i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.x-venture.co.uk/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">www.x-venture.co.uk</span></span></i></a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0