Health and Safety

Health and Safety Policy

It is the policy of Roadshow to comply with the terms of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act and associated legislation and to provide and maintain a healthy and safe working environment. Roadshow’s health and safety objective is to minimise the number of instances and occupational accidents and illnesses and ultimately to achieve an accident-free workplace. This policy and associated procedures apply to staff working at Roadshow’s premises and conference / exhibition venues.

All employees and contracted workers will be provided with the necessary equipment, information, training and supervision to implement the policy and achieve the safety objective.

Roadshow recognises and accepts its duty to protect the health and safety of any members of the public affected by our operations. While the management of Roadshow will do everything possible to ensure the health and safety of its employees and contracted staff, it is the duty of each individual to take care of their own and other people’s welfare and to report any situation which may pose a threat to the well being of any other person.

The management of Roadshow will provide every employee and contracted worker with the necessary training to carry out their tasks safely. However, if an employee is unsure how to perform a certain task or feels that it would unsafe or dangerous to perform a specific job then it is the employee’s duty to report this to the Project Manager. It is the worker’s responsibility to report immediately any situation which could jeopardise the well being of themselves or any other person.

All injuries sustained by a person at work must be reported to the Project Manager. When on site, accidents are to be reported to the on-site Medical Centre and thereafter to a representative of Roadshow. This report will be crucial to the effective monitoring and revision of the policy and must therefore be accurate and comprehensive.

Co-operation

All employees and contracted workers are expected to co-operate with Project Managers and to accept their duties under this policy. Disciplinary action may be taken against any person who violates safety rules or who fails to perform his or her duties under this policy.

Employees and contracted workers have a duty to take all reasonable steps to preserve and protect the health and safety of themselves and all other people affected by the operations of the company.

Safety Training

All staff and contracted workers will be trained in safe working practices and procedures prior to being allocated to a project. Training will include advice on the use and maintenance of personal protective equipment appropriate to the task concerned and the formulation of emergency contingency plans. Training will be administered as an on-going process and it remains the responsibility of the employee or contracted worker to advise the Project Manager if adequate training on a specific piece of machinery or equipment has not been satisfactorily completed.

Workplace Inspections

It is the policy of Roadshow to comply with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Project Managers have the responsibility of co-operating with venue management to ensure that procedures are followed. It is assumed that the venue’s Health and Safety staff will conduct regular reviews of the venue and aspects of it that are affected by the work undertaken by Roadshow.

Work Equipment

It is the policy of Roadshow to comply with the law as set out in the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992

Roadshow’s objective is to ensure that all equipment used on-site is safe and suitable for the purpose for which it is being used.

All staff and contracted workers will be provided with adequate information and training to enable them to use work equipment safely.

The use of any work equipment which could present a risk to the well being of persons in or around the workplace will be restricted to authorised persons.

All work equipment will be maintained in good working order and repair.

All staff and contracted workers will be provided with such protection as is adequate to protect them from dangers associated with the use of work equipment.

All work equipment will be clearly marked with health and safety warnings where appropriate.

Personal Safety Equipment

Although Roadshow staff do not normally work in hazardous environments, where appropriate it is the policy of Roadshow to comply with the law as set out in the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992.

Roadshow will endeavour to ensure that all personal protective equipment provided is well maintained and used properly by its employees and contracted staff.

Manual Handling

It is the policy of Roadshow to comply with the law as set out in the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.

Manual handling operations will be avoided as far as is reasonably practicable where there is a risk of injury.

The nature of Roadshow’s operations means that manual handling of conference components is inevitable and unavoidable. Roadshow will endeavour to provide appropriate manual handling equipment. However, all staff are expected to take note of the generally recognised manual handling techniques and should seek advice from the Project Manager if in any doubt about their limitations.

Hazardous Substances

It is the policy of Roadshow to comply with the law as set out in the Control os Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1989.

It is not normal for Roadshow to be involved in the use of any hazardous substances. When using any new material that is considered to be a hazardous substance, a risk assessment will be conducted. The assessment will be based on the manufacturer’s and supplier’s health and safety guidance and our own knowledge or the work process.

Roadshow will ensure that exposure of staff to hazardous substances is minimised and adequately controlled in all cases.

All staff who come into contact with hazardous substances will receive comprehensive and adequate training and information on the health and safety issues relating to that type of work.

Fire Safety and Fire Prevention

Whilst Roadshow does everything to ensure that the risk of fire breaking out is kept to a minimum, the threat cannot be eliminated. For this reason, we have developed the following procedures. They apply to all employees and contracted workers working on site or at Roadshow’s premises.

All staff MUST comply with all No Smoking signs.
All solvent based substances MUST be stored in a separate area from other substances or in a metal cabinet which must remain locked at all times.
Any solvent based substances which are taken from the storage area for use must be returned to the storage cabinet immediately after use.

All staff have a duty to report immediately any fire, smoke or potential fire hazard to the fire service using 999 or the direct number of a local fire station.

All staff have a duty to conduct their operations in such a way as to minimise the risk of fire. This involves taking care when smoking, keeping combustible materials separate from sources of ignition and avoiding unnecessary accumulation of combustible materials.

When on site, the venue has a duty to provide adequate fire fighting and prevention facilities. It is the responsibility of each individual worker to familiarise themselves with the location of fire extinguishers, blankets, hoses and fire exits. Employees are expected to tackle a fire themselves only if it would pose no threat to their own or other people’s safety to do so. If the situation is dangerous or potentially dangerous, the employee should activate the alarm and evacuate the building immediately.

In the event of a fire alarm being activated or in any other emergency situation, all employees must adhere to the venue’s procedures and evacuate the building immediately.

First Aid

When working at a venue, it is the responsibility of all staff and contracted workers to be aware of the location of First Aid posts or Medical Centres.

General Safety Rules

All employees should be aware of, respect and adhere to the rules and procedures contained in this policy statement
All employees shall immediately report any unsafe practices or conditions to the relevant authority
Any person under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating drug which might impair motor skills or judgment, whether prescribed or otherwise, shall not be allowed on the job
Horseplay, practical joking or any other acts which might jeopardise the health and safety of any other person are forbidden
Any person whose levels of alertness or ability are reduced due to illness or fatigue will not be allowed on the job if this might jeopardise the health and safety of that person or any other person
Employees shall not adjust, move or otherwise tamper with any electrical equipment, machinery or air or water lines in a manner not within the scope of their duties, unless instructed to do so be a Project Manager
All waste materials must be disposed of carefully and in such a way that they do not constitute a hazard to other staff.
No worker should undertake a job which appears to be unsafe
No worker should undertake a job until he or she has received adequate safety instruction and is authorised to carry out the task
Work shall be well planned and supervised to avoid injuries in the handling of heavy materials and while using equipment
No employees should use chemicals without the knowledge required to work with those chemicals safely
Suitable clothing and footwear will be worn at all times. Personal protective equipment shall be worn wherever appropriate

Safety Rules – Manual Lifting and Moving

Lifting and Moving of objects should always be done by mechanical devices rather than manual handling wherever reasonably practicable. The equipment used should be appropriate for the task in hand
The load to be lifted or moved must be inspected for sharp edges, slivers and wet or greasy patches
When lifting or moving a load with sharp or splintered edges, gloves must be worn. Gloves should be free from oil, grease or other agents which might impair grip
The route over which the load is to be lifted or moved should be inspected to ensure that it is free of obstructions or spillage which could cause tripping
Employees should not attempt to lift or move a load which is too heavy to manage comfortably
Where team lifting or moving is necessary, one person should act as co-ordinator, giving commands to lift, lower etc.
When lifting an object off the ground, employees should assume the squatting position keeping the back straight. The load should be lifted by straightening the knees, not the back. These steps should be reversed for lowering an object to the ground

Safety Rules – Use of Ladders and Scaffolding

All ladders used for access to elevated positions, work platforms or roofs must:

Be securely fixed near the top of the ladder or, if impracticable, near the bottom and in such a way to prevent undue swaying
Bed erected on a firm and level footing. You must NOT use bricks to ensure a level footing and each stile must be properly supported
Be erected so that at least 1.07m (3’6”) of the ladder extends above the landing place unless some other suitable hand hold is provided
Have sufficient clear space at each rung
Not have a vertical run of more than 9.14. (30’) unless intermediate landing is provided
Have a landing place of adequate dimensions
If a potential fall of more than 1.98m (6’6”) exists, all landing places must be provided with:-

a. A hand rail between 920mm (3’9”) high

b. A toe board at least 155mm (6”) high

c. The space between the toe board and hand rail must not exceed 760mm (30”)

Always be set at the correct angle of 75º one foot away from the resting surface for every four feet of height
Whenever possible be secured to the structure (resting surface) itself with ties or lashings
Should never be lashed to the gutter or soil stack

At all times, Roadshow will attempt to enlist the use of recognised scaffolding companies to erect the scaffold. This may not always be possible. Accordingly, Roadshow employees may be required to erect scaffolding and must adhere to the guidelines and procedures appropriate to the scaffolding supplier

Even if contractors erect the scaffolding, it is the employees responsibility to ensure that it is properly erected before climbing upon it

Safety Rules – Tools & Equipment

Company machinery and tools are only to be used by qualified and authorised personnel. It is the responsibility of the Project Manager to determine who is authorised to use specific tools and equipment
It is the responsibility of all employees to ensure that any tools or equipment they use are in a good and safe condition. Any tools or equipment which are in any way defective must be repaired or replaced
All tools must be properly and safely stored when not in use
No tool should be used without the manufacturer’s recommended shields, guards or attachments
Approved personal protective equipment must be properly used where appropriate
Persons using machine tools must not wear clothing, jewellery or long hair in such a way as might pose a risk to their or anyone else’s safety
Employees are prohibited from using any tool or piece of equipment for any purpose other than it’s intended purpose

Safety Rules – Electrical Installations

All electrical installations must be carried out by a competent and appropriately qualified contractor

Roadshow Risk Assessment

Circumstances	Risk Rating	Action Required
Unloading delivery vehicles	Medium	Only trained operatives to undertake this task using appropriate lifting / moving equipment where possible
Carrying materials through public areas	High	Appropriate use of signage and marshalling. Route is to be inspected for obstructions and cleared prior to any work commencing
Rigging in public areas	High	Appropriate use of signage and marshalling. Only trained operatives to work overhead using the appropriate safety equipment. No excessive noise will be made unless completely necessary for sound checking. Our work on site will not generate any environmental hazards
Use of power tools	Low	Only trained operatives to use power tools and to adhere to specific safety instructions
Keeping aisles and fire exits clear	High	Materials are to be kept clear of all fire exits and public thoroughfares through the load-in and rig
Conference set construction	Medium	The set is to be built by trained personnel using the appropriate tools. Sufficient set props and stage weights are to be used to prevent any danger to the public
Use of ladders	Medium	Correct protocols for the use of ladders and scaffolding must be adhered to
Electrical Installation	Low	If necessary, any electrical re-wiring is to be carried out by a suitably qualified engineer. Roadshow crew should not complete the installation if they suspect that the venue’s provision of mains power appears to be hazardous
Lighting Rig	High	The lighting rig is to be installed by a trained operative using the correct safety procedures and equipment. The use of truss and rigging is to be overseen by the Project Manager and will be subject to an inspection prior to the area being accessed by the public
PA System	Low	The PA is to be installed by a trained operative using the appropriate procedures and safety consideration. Speakers are to securely fixed and any trip hazards clearly marked with a high visibility tape
Wiring	Medium	Where possible, all cabling is to be elevated above fire exits or neatly taped to the floor with high visibility tape.
Projection	Low	The projectors are to be installed by trained operatives and secured using appropriate safety considerations.
Back Stage	Medium	The public will be prohibited from entering the backstage area unless it is unavoidable.
First Aid	High	All Roadshow crew are to have a basic knowledge of first aid and should familiarise themselves with the location of the medical centre or appropriate venue personnel
COSHH	Low	It is not normally necessary to use any hazardous substances
Striking the set and Loading Vehicles	Medium	Just as with the rig, the de-rig will be carried out methodically and carefully whilst adhering to all the safety procedures applicable to the load-in and rig
Risk of electric shock	Low	All cabling and equipment is to be maintained to a high standard and is subject to appropriate PAT testing.
Use of plant	Low	Where appropriate, access equipment will only be operated by trained and qualified crew or contractors. All safety procedures specific to that piece of equipment are to be adhered to.
Employee Safety	Medium	All Roadshow crew and contracted workers will have read and understood the Health and Safety Policy.