Events safety information for organisers
We advise anyone planning an event to consult with our County Durham Safety Advisory Group (SAG), which offers advice and support to ensure your event is a safe event.
Covid-19 information
Covid-19 health and safety risk assessment
By law, you must protect workers and others you employ (including contractors, volunteers, customers and other users) from risks to their health and safety. This includes risks from Covid-19. Covid-19 transmission is a hazard that can occur in the workplace. You should manage it in the same way as other workplace hazards.
The Health and Safety Executive has produced detailed information that will help you ensure that your event is safe for you, your staff and your customers: Health and Safety Executive (HSE): event safety.
NHS Covid Pass
Venues and events are no longer required by law to check the Covid-19 status of their customers. You can still choose to use the NHS Covid Pass on a voluntary basis. From 1 April 2022 the Government will remove the current guidance on voluntary Covid status certification in domestic settings and no longer recommend that certain venues use the NHS Covid Pass.
Useful links
The following links may help you make sure your event is Covid-19 secure:
- Gov.uk: Government guidance for outdoor events
- HSE: Working safely during the coronavirus outbreak
- Local Government Association
- Events Industry Forum
- Purple Guide
If you have any further questions in relation to Covid-19 and planning your event, please contact us.
Tell us about your event
If you notify us of your proposed event, SAG will provide relevant guidance and feedback. For large events (more than 500 people), please contact us with your event details at least six months before the event takes place. For smaller events (less than 500 people), this should be at least three months before the event takes place.
About SAG
SAG is made up of members from Durham County Council, the police, the fire and rescue service and the ambulance service. SAG's role is to promote and encourage high standards of public safety and wellbeing at events held in County Durham.
SAG has an additional duty on our behalf to ensure that any event which is to be held on our land has all appropriate safety measures and legal certification in place before permission is granted to use the land for the event. A minimum of £5million public liability insurance is required for all events, except for fireworks events which require a minimum of £10million.
Events on council land
If your event is to be held on council land you must contact us at Asset Management - events and we will assist you in gaining permission. A minimum of six weeks advance notice is required to arrange a Licence to Occupy and a minimum fee of £50 will be charged to cover some of the cost in producing this. The Licence to Occupy application can only be processed following Health and Safety approval.
National Counter Terrorism Security Office guidance
As part of organising your event it's important to consider security. To help event/ security managers, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office have issued guidance on increasing the protection of crowded places from a terrorist attack:
- Event safety
- Event safety
- 03000 261016
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Our address is:
- Safety Advisory Group
- Community Protection
- PO Box 617
- Durham
- County Durham
- United Kingdom
- DH1 9HZ
- Asset Management - events
- Asset Management - events
-
Our address is:
- Asset Management - events
- County Hall
- Durham
- County Durham
- United Kingdom
- DH1 5UL
- Association of British Insurers guide to planning an event
- Security Industry Authority: events and security
- Gov.uk: fire safety risk assessment for open-air events and venues
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE): event safety publications
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE): managing crowds safely - a guide for organisers at events and venues
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE): managing crowds safely
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE): health and safety at motor sport events - a guide for employers and organisers
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE): a guide to safety for firework display organisers and operators
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE): how to run a firework display