Safety Advisory Group

Safety Advisory Group (SAG) exists to support event organisers to ensure that, as far as is reasonably possible, events in the Royal Borough take place safely and successfully.

Safety advisory group Constitution

The Council recognises that, while public events can enhance community life in the Royal Borough, such events can pose potential risks to public safety and cause adverse environmental impacts unless proper planning and management is put in place by the event organisers.

A Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Safety Advisory Group (RBWM SAG) has been established to bring together relevant RBWM services, the emergency services and other stakeholders to provide support and advice for event organisers.

This is to ensure that, as far as is reasonably possible, events in the Royal Borough take place safely and successfully.

Events

The RBWM SAG will consider all events taking place within the Royal Borough to which the public have access, whether the venue is public or private; the arrangements are ticketed or unticketed; free or for payment; traditional or innovative; annual, monthly or exceptional; for profit, voluntary or charitable.

Membership

The RBWM SAG will have a core membership as below. Other stakeholders will be included as necessary depending on the nature of the event.

  • Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
    • Emergency Planning;
    • Highways;
    • Licensing;
    • Environmental Protection;
    • Environmental Health / Health and Safety;
    • Town Centre Management.
  • Thames Valley Police (TVP).
  • Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS).
  • South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) NHS Trust.

Representatives

Representatives of each of the above organisations must:

  • be suitably positioned within the organisation to make decisions on behalf of the organisation they represent.
  • have suitable local knowledge and experience in their field for event management purposes.
  • be consistently available to attend scheduled RBWM SAG meetings

The Chair of the RBWM SAG may require evidence of such criteria from any representative.

Chair and Secretariat

The Chair of the RBWM SAG will be the RBWM Trading Standards and Licensing Manager or an RBWM officer of equivalent level.

The role of the Chair will be;

  • ensuring that the group discharges its responsibilities fairly, effectively, efficiently and proportionately;
  • ensuring, where practicable, appropriate representation on the group;
  • ensuring that all members have the opportunity to participate;
  • ensuring that an audit trail of group processes is maintained.

It is important to be able to demonstrate transparency in the work of the RBWM SAG. If the RBWM SAG is considering the arrangements for a RBWM event it may be appropriate to avoid suggestions of bias by having the Chair declare a possible conflict of interest and make alternative chairing arrangements for discussions about the event in question.

Secretarial and administrative support will be provided by RBWM.

Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference for the RBWM SAG are;

  • To establish high standards of general public safety at events held in the Royal Borough, including crowd safety, fire safety and food safety.
  • To ensure any detrimental effect of events on the wider environment are minimised.
  • To ensure a consistent approach to public events by officers and representatives of the Council, the emergency services and other partners.
  • To establish clear timelines for the provision of documentation (such as event plans, traffic management plans, emergency plans etc) by event organisers to the SAG, and to agree the attendance of event organisers, when appropriate, at meetings.
  • To consider event plans presented by the organisers of events and offer guidance on the contents, structure and usability of the plans.
  • To promote the principles of sensible risk management and good practice in safety and welfare planning.
  • To advise the event organiser in respect of the formulation of appropriate contingency and emergency arrangements.
  • To advise the event organiser in respect of relevant legislation and guidance.
  • To encourage arrangements to be made to minimise disruption to local communities.
  • To carry out on-site visits and/or inspections of the venue or event if appropriate.
  • To consider emerging threats to events, such as terrorism methodologies and disease outbreaks.
  • To consider the implications of significant incidents and events relevant to the surrounding areas and facilities.
  • To receive debriefs of events so that appropriate review can take place.

It should be noted that;

  • The SAG is an advisory body only and has no power to “approve”, ‘authorise’ or ‘ban’ events;
  • It is not the role of the SAG to participate in the planning of events or the writing of event plans;
  • The SAG is not responsible for reviewing safe systems of work of the event organisation or crew.

Mode of Operation

The RBWM SAG shall meet at least four times per year and before any large pubic event in the Royal Borough to ensure effective liaison and public safety.

The meetings will be held to discuss upcoming events, debrief on past events and to discuss wider issues relating to event safety, good practice and local intelligence.

Event organisers will be invited to attend a SAG meeting in person if that is felt necessary and appropriate.

Meetings may be in person or held remotely.

The SAG may request a site visit of the event. A table top exercise may be organised by the event organiser to test emergency and contingency plans.

If the SAG is satisfied with the plans for an event the event organiser will be advised of this and no further action will be required of the SAG.

If the SAG is not fully satisfied with the plans for an event, the event organiser will be advised of this and the steps that the SAG feels are required to be taken to bring the plans up to a satisfactory standard.

The event organiser will be asked to update the SAG once these steps have been taken and the event plans can then be reviewed to ensure they are satisfactory.

Event organisers will be asked to provide a debrief of their event. It is recognised that events with plans which the SAG is not fully satisfied with may still go ahead. Under such circumstances individual SAG members may have the power to act, but in any case, a notification to the event organiser and the owner of the land on which the event is due to take place will be sent by the SAG Chair;

  • setting out why the plans are unsatisfactory;
  • the steps that the event organiser should take to ensure that the plans are satisfactory;
  • the effect that failure to act may have on the insurance cover for the event and the subsequent liability that the event organisers may have should there be accidents, incidents, injuries, damage to land or property or fatalities.

Established Events

Where events become established over time, demonstrating a history of competent event management and safely and successfully held events, there will be less need for them to undergo a full SAG process.

Newer events, and those which may have given cause for concern to the SAG in the past, will still need to undergo a full SAG process.

Once the SAG considers an event to be an “Established Event”, ie one that has a proven record of complying with the SAG process, the SAG Chair will notify the event organiser.

From that time forward the event organiser for such an Established Event will only be required to inform the SAG of the event dates, expected capacity, confirmation that full event management plans are in place as for previous events, and that SAG guidance and advice is being followed. The event plans must, however, be available for review by the SAG on request.

Should an Established Event change in a material way, for example by venue, activity or capacity, or be the cause of any concerns, then it may have to go through a full SAG process.

Liability

The advice and guidance provided by the RBWM SAG and its members are not in any way an assumption of the rights of ownership or responsibility for the event plans submitted by the event organisers. The purpose of the SAG is to offer
guidance in order to help event organisers discharge their responsibilities.

Liability for the maintenance of an event plan and the adherence to it during the course of an event remains with the event organisers.

The advice and guidance provided by the SAG and its members does not detract from the statutory responsibility of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead with regards to the enforcement of legislation that falls within its remit.

Review

This Constitution will be reviewed every two years from when it is formally adopted by the RBWM SAG. 

Appendix 1 – The Role of Core SAG Members

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

  • The Royal Borough will lead the Safety Advisory Group in its considerations of the applicants' plans for events.
  • They will advise on all matters relating to premises licensing, including the supply of alcohol and the provision of regulated entertainment.
  • They will advise on all matters relating to food safety and hygiene, water provision and sanitation and health and safety.
  • They will advise on all matters relating to noise control and other environmental impacts.
  • They will advise on the impact of the event on The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead highways and transport infrastructure and the provision of services to the event.
  • Where appropriate, they will liaise with the Police for issues affecting the highway.
  • The Emergency Planning Officer (EPO) will advise on the impact of the failure of the event plan and give guidance to planners on the standard operating procedures of an emergency response. The Emergency Planning Officer will also assess the impact of the event upon The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead as a whole and the additional risks the event may impose upon Royal Borough Councils' statutory service provision in relation to the community as a whole.

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS)

  • Will provide advice on suggested medical provision.
  • Will provide input where required relating to the Emergency Plan / Major Incidents contingencies (where SCAS would be deployed to the site and take command of medical providers / facilities).
  • Will ensure the event has minimal / no impact on SCAS and the wider NHS normal operations.
  • Will obtain information and an EMP including medical plan from the designated providers.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBF&RS) 

  • Will provide advice on fire related matters in regard to operations, fire and community safety.
  • Will enforce fire safety legislation in accordance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
  • Will respond to Enforcing Authorities on fire related matters where legislation requires the fire authority to be consulted.

Thames Valley Police

  • Will provide support and advice to event organisers to help them fulfil their responsibilities for the prevention of crime and disorder, crowd management and public safety.
  • Where appropriate in liaison with the local authority, will provide support and advice on traffic management on the highway.
  • Will co-ordinate and manage the effects of any emergency or major incident.
  • Will provide advice and support in relation to any other identified Policing issues.

Appendix 2 – Acknowledgements

This Constitution was written based on guidance provided by The UK Good Practice Guide to Working in Safety Advisory Groups Part 1 Revision 2019.