When you run an event there is a lot to think about. In the thick of it, all you’re likely to be thinking about is the next step, making sure everything is working as it should and that nothing is going wrong. But before, during and after your event there is one very important thing you need to be considering, and that’s the welfare of your team. Because working any event is hard work, and it’s your job to take care of your employees in any environment. To help you out, here are some basic event welfare concerns you should be addressing.
Toilets
All staff must have access to clean, serviceable toilets before and during the event duration, and for however long they are required afterwards for clearing down. While there are recommendations for the number of toilets required at large-scale events for attendees, there is no such recommendation for staff. However, you generally want to operate on a 1:5 ratio, where women require 5 times as many toilets as men. So if you have 3 women and 2 men working at an event, you need to ensure there is access to at least 2 women’s toilets and one men’s.
Regular Check-Ins
Events of any size and duration can be exhausting, so you should be checking in on the welfare of your staff throughout the day. This goes from the general activities of calling or visiting to make sure everyone is OK and no one needs anything (for example a drink or food, which are often skipped during busy events leading to fainting spells), to being available on a radio if a team member needs backup urgently to handle a disgruntled attendee. Keep in contact with your teams regularly to make sure everyone is OK and your staff will be much happier for it.
Sustenance
Depending on when, where and how long the event is, you may be required to provide food for your employees. This is particularly important if the event is very long or is being held far away from home and so bringing their own food isn’t practical. Pre-paying for meals at hotels for away events is a good way to ensure staff are eating, or even for one-day events having a separate ‘staff room’ stocked with food, drinks and chairs can make all the difference.
Medical Access
This one isn’t optional, it’s the law. As an employer, you have an obligation to ensure your staff have access to medical help at events, which means you need to perform a risk assessment and determine what level of medical cover is required. For small events with little risk a qualified first aider may be all you need. But for bigger events with a higher risk profile, having ambulance technicians or paramedics on-site or even set up in a medical tent might be needed. If you aren’t sure what level of medical support you need, get in touch with our team and we can help.
Hydration
We’ve seen so many cases of dehydration at events that we’re including hydration as its own section. Provide staff with easy access to clean, drinkable water at all times. Give them refillable water bottles to keep with them so they can drink in between jobs. Provide free bottled water in a staff area. Do everything in your power to make sure that everyone on your team is staying hydrated during the event. This is especially important for outdoor events or summer events, where heatstroke and sunstroke are very real risks and dehydration can happen quickly.
Debrief
Finally, never underestimate the importance of a debrief. Once the event is finished, gather the staff together and talk about how it went. Praise successes, take note of issues and how you could avoid them next time. Listen to concerns raised by your employees, and then take action on them. If there were any incidents, explain them and what will happen next. This simple thing can be a huge boost for employee morale and means you will run a smoother event next time.
Contact Us
If you want some advice or guidance on how to care for your teams at events, contact the team at Canopy Medical Services. We specialise in keeping your staff and attendees safe and well during your events, and helping you plan out your medical needs beforehand. We can advise you on staff welfare at events, make suggestions and be on hand during the event to make sure everything runs smoothly. If you would like to know more, just get in touch with the team today.