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ISES UK is a proud member of the BVEP, the Business Visits and Events Partnership, who seek to provide a cohesive and independent industry voice through the collaboration with other industry associations including the Event Industry Forum. The BVEP acts as a central focus for lobbying and speaking up collectively for business visits and events, independently of government departments and agencies as well as promoting best practice. To this order, the Event Industry Forum and the BVEP have championed the Purple Guide.
Agreement has been reached between the event industry and the Health & Safety Executive(HSE) to revise and republish the much used Purple Guide (“The Event Safety Guide - A Guide to Health, Safety & Welfare at Music and Similar Events”).
A Steering Group is being set up and work is expected to start shortly on redrafting the guide to take account of the changes in practices and legislation since the original was published in 1993.
The new revised guide will have a greater focus on risk assessment and management of health and safety. It will clearly set out the health & safety duties of all those involved in putting on events to ensure the wellbeing of employees, contractors and the public. The revision will also provide an opportunity to improve the existing format by the addition of case studies, practical information on risk management. Changes to the structure of the guide will make it even easier to use. It will be cross referenced to other sources of information and the Event Industry Forum (EIF), which has been negotiating on behalf of the industry, has made a commitment to provide guidance on non health and safety issues which are nonetheless important to consider. The intention is that these, together with the new Guide, will be available from a central website as a complete ‘virtual’ guide.
The EIF has developed an on-line consultation system which will allow everyone in the industry to contribute to the process of developing the Event Safety Guide.
Based around an internet site, which will be available through the EIF site, click here, the process will involve a series of working groups taking responsibility for writing and consulting on different areas of the Guide. Each Working Group will be managed by a trade body from the industry and other relevant stakeholders. Each will have its own chair.
While the Working Groups will take responsibility for assessing the content, and drafting each section of the Guide, the whole process is intended to be as transparent as possible with each up-date being posted to the website as it is written. This open approach will enable everyone in the industry to keep up with progress and comment on the contents of each section as it evolves.
People in the industry can register their interest in each section on line and will then receive email alerts whenever updates are posted on the site.
While the HSE will be leading and publishing the new ‘purple guide’ the EIF is aiming to to develop guidelines for events organisers on non-health and safety issues. These will all be brought together on a website to create a one-stop ‘virtual’ guide which everyone in the industry will be able to access and which the EIF, HSE and others can keep updated.
“We really want to make this process as open and all-bracing as possible,” says Jim Winship, Director of TESA and Secretary of the EIF. “While we have been lobbying for one comprehensive event guide, the HSE’s remit precludes them from leading funding and publishing guidance which does not exclusively focus on health and safety issues.. However, we are confident that by cross referencing the Guide with other event guidance and the creation of a virtual one-stop shop for events organisers and others in the industry this will ensure the delivery of high quality sustainable guidance.
”The immediate priority is for everyone to register their interests on our website – we can then make sure they receive progress reports and notification of work plans as they evolve.”
Anyone interested can register on the EIF website. Click here
The aim is to get work underway on drafting the new Guide this Spring and before the summer season. It is hoped to have it ready in 2011 prior to the Olympics the following year.
Although the Event Industry Forum is not itself an industry body, it brings together most of the event sector trade bodies to provide a means for them to work together for the joint good of the industry. Click here for more details.
Further information can be obtained by contacting Jim Winship 01291 636331. | 
