There are a large number of public events that take place throughout the year. Many wonderful events are organised by businesses, committed groups and volunteers who put in often huge amounts of time and energy to arrange them and open to the public.
The scope of events can be very large, from an afternoon preschool fund raiser, a firework display, a vintage transport display, to a very complex event such as music festivals with music stages, public displays, retail sales, on-site accommodation and food vendors.
An event organiser has prime responsibility for protecting the health, safety and welfare of everyone working at, or attending an event.
We have an established the Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG) to provide advice and guidance to event planners and organisers of large events in staging their events, and help them understand their individual responsibilities and those of other agencies involved.
Criteria for events that the ESAG will consider
It is important to remember that this group is not owned by any particular agency and thus the criteria is based upon risk.
- Events with a level of risk which causes any agency to have concerns. This level of risk can be from any factors and whilst the list within the UK Good Practice Guide to Working in Safety Advisory Groups is not exhaustive, the figure 5 at paragraph 3.8.2 provides a good example of the types of risks that may be relevant.
- Events which cause an agency to amend their core working practices, This should not be seen as merely an increase in staffing levels, but could include the provision of specialist staff near to the event location, or being moved closer than their default deployment.
- Events of an unusual nature or with a particular profile at a particular time. This could be events which have an activity which has caused concern over an area, e.g. in 2018 there were several issues relating to inflatable play equipment, which may have caused a SAG to consider all events at which this type of equipment was in use. This particular criteria could then be removed once the HSE issues their advice.
- Any event, venue or organiser where there has been previous incident. This is not restrictive; for example, it can relate to disorder, attendance numbers or structural issues.
- Any event, venue or organiser, who requests support/advice/guidance from the PESAG. Dependent on other factors shown above, this may have to be managed as directing them to appropriate guidance documents or sharing information by email rather than directly at a meeting.
If an event is considered by ESAG, it will be relevant for ESAG to request a copy of the debrief from the organisers of the event. Dependent on issues raised by the organisers, venues or ESAG members, it may be that the organisers are invited to a meeting, or that their debrief is kept on file to ensure that matters are considered when planning their next event.
In some circumstances, particularly where an event has required intervention from ESAG agencies, it may be appropriate to invite an organiser or venue to a meeting to discuss the event. In this instance, it should be clear that ESAG is not conducting the debrief on behalf of the organiser or venue, but is working in support of that debrief to provide their own matters.
It is important to remember that this group is not owned by any particular agency and thus the criteria is based upon risk.
Membership of the Event Safety Advisory Group
The following responsible authorities and organisations are the core members of the ESAG:
- Plymouth City Council Public Protection Service - Service Manager (Chair)
- Plymouth City Council Public Protection – Licensing
- Plymouth City Council Public Protection - Environmental Health Department - Food and Occupational Health & Safety, Public Health and Environmental Protection
- Plymouth City Council - Highways Department
- Plymouth City Council - Planning Department
- Plymouth City Council - Civil Protection Service
- Devon and Cornwall Police (including Operations Planning and Police Licensing)
- Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
- South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWAST)
- Derriford Hospital Emergency Planning Department
Other agencies, such as PCC Building Control and the Kings Harbour Master may be invited to provide advice, guidance and/or information dependant on the event.
Legislation
In all cases, the responsibility to comply with all relevant legislation and regulations and to ensure public safety at an event rests with the event organisers.
Event organisers will need to consider safety, security, staffing, risk and insurance arrangements. Please remember that time and detailed planning are the key to organising safe and successful public events.
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, also commonly referred to as Martyn’s Law, will improve protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK by requiring that those responsible for certain events consider how they would respond to a terrorist attack. In addition to this, at certain larger events, appropriate steps to reduce vulnerability to terrorist attacks must also be considered.
Documentation
Organisers, where relevant, will be asked to produce the following documents and submit copies for consideration at least 3 months before any planned ESAG meeting:
- An Event Management Plan (EMP) (incorporating safety management, alcohol management and site plan).
- An Emergency Plan (which could be incorporated into the EMP).
- A Traffic Management Plan, if appropriate (which could be incorporated into the EMP.
- Health and safety risk assessments
- Details of any stewarding arrangements
We have also developed a format for a Event Management Plan to help organisers see what questions need to be specifically addressed in a Event Management Plan. This information provides guidelines for Event Organisers to follow when planning an event. Any public event poses particular risks to the public and requires a high degree of planning and safety control.
Notice required
You should give notice of your event at least three months before the event is taking place. This is to give us time to understand the basic details and areas of planning that may require additional advice. You will be asked to provide an Event Management Plan, Risk Assessment, Emergency Procedures, Traffic Management Plan and a location map as appropriate for your event.
Contact Details
If you are planning to organise an event as an individual or as part of a group then contact [email protected]