Risk Assessment
Risk Assessments are a legal requirement, and will be the first thing your insurance provider will ask for should something occur. If you cannot provide one, it is unlikely that you will be covered.
You have a duty to ensure the health and safety of yourself and others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do. This includes people who:- Work for you, including casual workers, part timers, trainees, contractors and their sub-contractors
- Use the workplace you provide - whilst on-site this becomes the exhibition hall and in particular your exhibition stand
- Are allowed to use the equipment on your stand
- Visitors to your exhibition stand
- May be affected by your work e.g. neighbouring exhibition stands
A Risk Assessment covers you from the moment you arrive on-site during build, details your activities during open days, and sees you out through breakdown, and shows that you have considered risks not just to yourself, but to your staff, your contractors, visitors - anyone that will interact with your stand in any way.
The aim of a Risk Assessment is to demonstrate that you have taken due consideration to minimize all risks to your time on-site. a Risk assessment should:
1) Identify the tasks and what the hazards maybe
2) Decide who might be harmed and how
3) Evaluate the risks and decide on control measures
4) Record your findings and implement them
5) Review your assessment and update if necessary
Tasks - This could be related to activity or treatments conducted on your stand, e.g. setting up your stand; use of electrical appliances; theft and security, etc..
Hazards - A hazard is something with the potential to cause harm, i.e. allergic reaction to a product, tripping over trailing cables, lifting heavy objects.
Think about who might be affected by the hazard - you; your staff; visitors; contractors; other exhibitors. What is the likelihood of the hazard; and finally, what controls are in place to minimize the risk.