RISK ASSESSMENT / METHOD STATEMENT (RAMS)

EVENTS RISK ASSESSMENT AND METHOD STATEMENT

This document is prepared as a template / starting point to help you administrate your event.

You should complete page 1 by overtyping all italicised areas with details for your event.

Pages 2-8 have pre-prepared evaluations of hazards and assessments of risk that are common to events; and the control measures that we expect to be
applied to manage them. You will find it helpful to read them and delete any that aren’t appropriate, for example, if you are not having catering at your
event, there is no need to include it in your risk assessment, so delete the row. This gives you a good starting point. Tailor what remains to reflect how you
will manage the hazards at your event and, if appropriate, review the assessment of risk in accordance with the matrix on page 9.

If there are additional hazards, for example, if you are planning to stage a swordfight as part of your entertainment, add a row and complete it to show
what hazards have been identified and how you will manage them. You may want to adopt a similar writing style to the other rows that remain, identifying
who will do what and when.

Page 10 is the authorisation page. If you have conducted the risk assessment, you will complete the first line seeking authority to proceed. Your manager
should complete the second line to record that they support your assessment and to authorise you to proceed, from a departmental / course perspective.
They will also sign the third line to confirm that they have sent the document to the Health & Safety Adviser. The Health & Safety Adviser will note the form
with advice or agreement.

The RAMS must be sent to the Assistant Facilities Managers and to the Events Organiser.

The RAMS must be retained by your department for three years, from the date of submission.

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 RISK ASSESSMENT / METHOD STATEMENT (RAMS)

THE PROJECT AND METHOD STATEMENT

Section 1: The Method Statement

Department What Department is managing the Date of RAMS What date has this RAMS been
event / activity? completed?
Date of Review If the event is a one-off, no review date is
needed. If an activity is regular, the review date
should be no more than one year ahead.
CSM Event Manager Which Academic or Member of Staff is managing the event / activity

Event / activity Title What is the event / activity called? Where will the event / Which building and whereabouts (room
activity take place? number or location) in that building will the
event / activity happen?
Event / activity start What date and time will you be Event / activity end What date and time will it end?
date and time coming in to set up? date and time When will the last person leave the
area after taking down your event?
Description of event / What’s going to happen?
activity

Method Statement What steps will be taken to make it happen – bullet point format with timings is fine here. When will your
staff or contractors be on the premises? When do you expect deliveries? Where will they be arriving?
Etc.
Contact telephone The CSM EVENT MANAGER
numbers and e-mail Complete with details

The CSM ASSISTANT FACILITIES MANAGERS

Rachel Fisher / Emlyn Foody / Matthew Chesney 020 7514 8000

The CSM HEALTH & SAFETY ADVISER

Niall Campbell 020 7514 8791; n.d.campbell@csm.arts.ac.uk

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 RISK ASSESSMENT / METHOD STATEMENT (RAMS)

THE RISK ASSESSMENT

Section 2: hazards to be included in all Risk Assessments

HAZARD RISK CONTROL MEASURES MANAGED MANAGEMENT

RISK CHECK
Capacity High The Event Manager will find out the capacity of Medium Event Manager to
Death by crushing, injury by over crowding or their space and take steps to ensure that the liaise with Security
inability to evacuate/egress, and damage to capacity is not exceeded. regularly to ensure
premises. that capacity is not
Where necessary, the Event Manager will arrange exceeded.
security to manage the event and capacity.

Competency of Events Team and High The Event Manager will ensure that only suitably Medium Facilities Managers
Contractors trained; experienced and competent staff or will satisfy
Injury, death or damage to premises contractors are deployed to undertake duties. themselves of
competency before
The Event Manager will ensure that ALL authorising entry
contractors attend an induction BEFORE they start and permission to
work. work.

Contractors bringing electrical equipment on Facilities Manager

campus must have valid PAT test certificate for will check PAT
each piece of equipment. certificates and
authorise use of
Contractors must ensure that any equipment equipment on CSM
brought on has been properly tested and premises.
maintained in compliance with the relevant
legislation.

The Event Manager will conduct hourly walk

rounds to satisfy themselves that work is being
carried out in compliance with RAMS.

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 RISK ASSESSMENT / METHOD STATEMENT (RAMS)

HAZARD RISK CONTROL MEASURES MANAGED MANAGEMENT

RISK CHECK
Fire High The Event Manager will ensure that there is a Fire Medium Event Manager to
Risk of injury, death, damage to CSM premises Marshal on duty at all times during the event and ensure that there is
or damage to personal belongings. set up. The Fire Marshal will be a dedicated role a Fire Marshal on
with no other duties in the event of a fire alarm duty during the
sounding and their duty is to evacuate within 3 event and set up.
minutes and report to the Senior Fire Marshal
whether anyone remains in the area they have Event Manager to
vacated. perform an hourly
check to ensure
The Event Manager will ensure that naked flames that no naked
are managed safely and only used with the express flames are in use.
permission of the Assistant Facilities Manager

The Event Manager will, so far as reasonably

practicable, ensure that sources of ignition are
protected at all times and separated from sources
of fuel.

The College has a strict no smoking policy that the

Hirer will adhere to.

Emergency Evacuation Medium The Event Manager will ensure that signage Medium Event Manager to
Possibility of injury or death if guests and hirer indicating emergency evacuation routes is posted do an hourly check
do not know how to evacuate safely throughout the space ahead of the event and will to ensure all fire
remain in place throughout the event. exits are kept clear.

The Event Manager must take steps to identify any

guests or staff who need help with emergency
evacuation in order to have measures in place to
support.
First Aid High The Event Manager will ensure that all staff Low
Injury or death if there is not adequate provision understand how to contact first aiders and call for
of first aid. an emergency response, if necessary, during the
event.

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 RISK ASSESSMENT / METHOD STATEMENT (RAMS)

HAZARD RISK CONTROL MEASURES MANAGED MANAGEMENT

RISK CHECK
Manual Handling High The Event Manager will make sure only suitably Medium
Injury, death or damage to premises trained, experienced and competent staff are
deployed to undertake these manual-handling
duties.

The Event Manager will assess all significant risk

from manual handling and manage appropriately.

Slips, trips and falls
Injury, death or damage to premises from falling
from a height or tripping over a hazard.
High The Event Manager must ensure cables are Medium
secured effectively and safely.
The Event Manager must ensure that furniture is
laid in a manner that doesn’t impair egress or
evacuation.

The Event Manager must have an effective plan for

clearing spillages.

Access/Egress
Delegates or hirer entering restricted areas
might cause delay or injury to themselves if
accessing unauthorised areas.
Medium The Event Manager will provide delegates with ID Low
so they may enter the building that is approved by
Estates Management.
Should the event take place in multiple spaces
around the campus, the Event Manager must
provide ushers to direct delegates to the location of
the events.

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 RISK ASSESSMENT / METHOD STATEMENT (RAMS)

Section 3: to be considered in all Risk Assessments

If hazards indentified in this section do not apply the risk assessor should delete the row from the risk assessment.

HAZARD RISK CONTROL MEASURES MANAGED MANAGEMENT

RISK CHECK
Builds High The Contractor must submit RAMS specific to build Medium Event Manager and
Risk of injury, death or damage to premises. 2 weeks prior to the event to be approved by facilities staff to
Facilities Management. undertake
management
The Event Manager must ensure that any structure checks every
erected as part of a build is flame retardant, and 1hr/3hrs – as
has appropriate certification demonstrating this appropriate
treatment.

The Event Manager will, in partnership with

facilities, undertake management checks hourly to
ensure RAMS are being adhered to.

Catering High The Event Manager will ensure that only a Medium
Injury, death or damage to premises. competent catering company will be used and that
the caterers use suitable and sufficient waste
disposal methods.

The Event Manager will seek authority from

Facilities Management for caterers to use a
temporary kitchen.

The Event Manager will ensure that alcohol is

served in accordance with licence restrictions.

COSHH High The Event Manager must identify all substances Medium
Injury, death or damage to premises. that may be hazardous to health and ensure that
any such substances are handled and stored in
accordance with COSHH regulations.

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 RISK ASSESSMENT / METHOD STATEMENT (RAMS)

HAZARD RISK CONTROL MEASURES MANAGED MANAGEMENT

RISK CHECK
Working at Height High The The Event Manager will make sure only Medium
Injury, death or damage to premises by falling or suitably trained, experienced and competent staff
dropping objects. are deployed to work at height.

The competent person will assess all significant

risk from working at height and manage
appropriately. The competent person will also
ensure that all equipment is properly maintained
and fit for purpose before use.

The Event Manager will ensure all activities

working at height will have a clearly marked
exclusion zone underneath the area of work, where
it is appropriate.

Electrical Installations High The Event Manager will ensure that only competent Medium Event Manager to
Risk of electrocution, damage to property, professionals are deployed to make electrical arrange for Mitie
damage to premise. installations. electrician to check
electrical
Where appropriate, the Facilities Manager will installations before
deploy an electrician to conduct a safety check on they are allowed to
installations before they are allowed to be used. be used.

The Event Manager will ensure that use of

extension cables will be kept to a minimum and
only professional standard extension cables will be
used. The Event Manager will ensure that
extension cables will not, under any circumstances,
be daisy chained.

The Event Manager will ensure that at the end of

the working day, when no one is in attendance, the
electrical circuits will be turned off, unless the
Events Manager is convinced that there is a
justifiable reason not to, and which does not
compromise safety.

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 RISK ASSESSMENT / METHOD STATEMENT (RAMS)

HAZARD RISK CONTROL MEASURES MANAGED MANAGEMENT

RISK CHECK
Events on balconies / bridges / the Terrace High For events taking place on the balconies, the Event Medium
Falls or drops Manager will take appropriate measures to manage
attendees, e.g. hiring reputable security for crowd
control.

Security of building and assets Medium The Event Manager will consider the potential for Medium
building security to be compromised and make
necessary arrangements with the Facilities
Manager or Headline Security to attend.

The Events Manager will advise hirer of security

arrangements and relevant costs for inclusion in
the contract of hire.

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 RISK ASSESSMENT / METHOD STATEMENT (RAMS)

RISK ASSESSMENT MATRIX

Multiple deaths; or Single death; or Major injury; or Minor injury; or Lost time; or over Delay
over £1m in over £100,000 in over £10,000 in over £1000 in £1000 in damage
damage damage damage damage
Certain VERY HIGH VERY HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH

Very likely VERY HIGH VERY HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH MEDIUM

Likely VERY HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH MEDIUM

May happen HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH LOW LOW

Unlikely HIGH MEDIUM MEDIUM LOW LOW LOW

Very unlikely MEDIUM MEDIUM LOW LOW LOW LOW

Action prioritisation table following a risk assessment (taken from Croner’s risk assessment)

Risk Level Action and timescale

Work should not be started or continued until the risk level
Very has been reduced. While the control measure selected
high should be cost-effective, legally there is an absolute duty to
reduce the risk. This means that if it is not possible to
reduce the risk even with unlimited resources, then the
work must not begin or must remain prohibited.
High Work should not be started until the risk has been
reduced. Considerable resources may have to be
allocated to reduce the risk. Where the risk involves
critical work in progress, the problem should normally be
remedied as soon as reasonably practicable but within
one to three months, depending on the number of people
exposed to the hazard.

Medium Efforts should be made to reduce the risk, but the cost of
prevention should be carefully measured and limited. Risk
reduction measures should normally be implemented within
three to six months, depending on the number of people
exposed to the hazard
Low No further preventive action is necessary, but
consideration should be given to more cost-effective
solutions, or improvements that impose no additional cost
burden. Monitoring is required to ensure that controls are
maintained.

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 RISK ASSESSMENT / METHOD STATEMENT (RAMS)

AUTHORITY TO PROCEED
The Risk Assessor, “insert name here”,
applies for authority to proceed with this
event / activity, using this RAMS to
manage Health & Safety.
“Project Manager signature” “date”
The Project Manager should complete the
RAMS a minimum of 2 weeks ahead of
the event / activity.

The Tutor / Head of Department agrees
that the RAMS addresses the significant
risks posed by the event and authorises
the event to go ahead.
The Tutor / Head of Department confirms
that a copy of the RAMS has been
forwarded to the College Health & Safety
Adviser for review and advice.
“Tutor / Head of Department signature”
“Tutor / Head of Department signature”
“date”
The Tutor / Head of Department should read and
either confirm that they believe the RA addresses
all significant risks; offer guidance to the Project
Manager; or seek guidance from the Health &
Safety Adviser.
“date”
The Tutor / Head of Department should ensure
that the RA is forwarded to the Health & Safety
Adviser at least a week before the event / activity.

The Health & Safety Adviser has reviewed “Health & Safety Adviser signature” “date”
the RAMS.

Health & Safety Advice / Action

The Health & Safety Adviser should formally record advice or action taken.

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