How to Write a Risk Assessment for Your Event

A risk assessment is a legal requirement for most event organisers and a practical necessity for all of them. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers and the self-employed must carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees and anyone else affected by their activities. If you employ five or more people, the significant findings must be recorded in writing.

Disclaimer: This guide provides a general framework for event risk assessments. The level of detail and complexity required will vary depending on the nature, scale, and risk profile of your event. For larger or higher-risk events, consider engaging a professional health and safety consultant. Always refer to the HSE guidance document INDG163 (Five Steps to Risk Assessment) for the authoritative approach.

The five-step approach

The Health and Safety Executive recommends a five-step approach to risk assessment, which works well for events of all sizes:

Step 1: Identify the hazards

A hazard is anything that has the potential to cause harm. Walk through your event mentally, from the moment the first contractor arrives for the build, through to the last vehicle leaving after the breakdown. At each stage, ask: what could go wrong? Common event hazards include:

• Slips, trips, and falls -- trailing cables, uneven ground, wet surfaces, temporary ramps, changes in floor level.
• Crowd-related hazards -- overcrowding, crowd crush, surges, restricted exits, poor wayfinding.
• Structural hazards -- stage collapse, barrier failure, marquee instability in wind, scaffolding defects.
• Electrical hazards -- exposed wiring, overloaded circuits, use of electrical equipment outdoors, contact with overhead power lines.
• Fire -- cooking equipment, pyrotechnics, generators, flammable decorations, blocked exits.
• Manual handling -- loading and unloading equipment, setting up furniture, moving barriers.
• Working at height -- rigging, lighting installations, banner hanging, stage construction.
• Vehicle movements -- delivery vehicles, emergency access, pedestrian and vehicle conflicts.
• Weather -- wind, rain, heat, cold, lightning.
• Noise -- hearing damage to staff from prolonged exposure to amplified sound.

Do not try to list every conceivable hazard. Focus on the significant ones: those that could cause serious harm or affect many people.

Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how

For each hazard, identify who is at risk. This might include attendees, staff, contractors, volunteers, performers, local residents, children, disabled people, or emergency services personnel. Be specific: "attendees may trip on trailing cables in low-light conditions and suffer sprains, fractures, or head injuries."

Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on control measures

A risk is the likelihood that a hazard will cause harm, combined with the severity of that harm. You need to evaluate each risk and decide what control measures to implement. The hierarchy of control measures is:

1. Eliminate -- remove the hazard entirely. Can you route cables under cable ramps instead of across walkways?
2. Substitute -- replace a high-risk activity with a lower-risk one. Can you use battery-powered equipment instead of mains electricity in wet areas?
3. Engineering controls -- use physical measures to reduce risk. Barriers, cable ramps, lighting, non-slip surfaces.
4. Administrative controls -- procedures, training, signage, supervision. Brief staff on the cable route, put up warning signs.
5. Personal protective equipment (PPE) -- the last resort. Provide ear protection for staff near speakers, safety boots for the build crew.

Step 4: Record your findings and implement them

Write down the significant findings: the hazards, who is at risk, the existing control measures, and any additional measures needed. Use a simple table format. A typical risk assessment table has columns for: hazard, who is at risk, existing controls, risk rating (before controls), additional controls needed, risk rating (after controls), person responsible, and completion date.

Step 5: Review and update

Your risk assessment is a living document. Review it if circumstances change: if the venue layout changes, if the weather forecast is significantly different from what you planned for, if you add a new activity, or if an incident or near-miss reveals a hazard you had not considered. After the event, review the assessment against what actually happened and update it for future events.

Risk scoring

Many event organisers use a numerical scoring system to prioritise risks. A common approach is to rate the likelihood of harm on a scale of 1 to 5 (very unlikely to very likely) and the severity of harm on a scale of 1 to 5 (minor injury to fatality). The risk score is likelihood multiplied by severity, giving a range of 1 to 25. Risks scoring 15 or above typically require immediate action, while those scoring below 5 may be acceptable with existing controls.

Scoring systems are useful but should not replace professional judgement. A low-probability, high-severity risk (such as stage collapse) may need significant control measures even if the overall score appears moderate.

Common mistakes in event risk assessments

• Being too generic -- a risk assessment that reads "ensure health and safety" is worthless. Be specific about the hazards at your event, in your venue, with your audience.
• Ignoring the build and breakdown -- many of the highest risks at events occur during setup and teardown, not during the event itself. Include these phases in your assessment.
• Failing to involve the right people -- your sound company, your caterer, your venue manager, and your security provider all have relevant knowledge. Consult them when preparing the assessment.
• Writing it and forgetting it -- the risk assessment only works if the control measures are actually implemented. Communicate the relevant parts to every person responsible for delivering them.
• Not updating for conditions on the day -- if the weather changes, the ground conditions deteriorate, or the crowd is larger than expected, your risk assessment needs to reflect that.

Dynamic risk assessment

Alongside your written risk assessment, your team should be trained in dynamic risk assessment: the ability to assess and respond to risks in real time during the event. This is particularly important for outdoor events where conditions can change rapidly. Empower your team to make decisions on the ground, such as closing an area, adjusting barriers, or reducing capacity in a space that is becoming overcrowded.

A thorough risk assessment is the foundation of safe event management. It demonstrates compliance with the law, satisfies the requirements of insurers, licensing authorities, and the Safety Advisory Group, and most importantly, it helps you protect the people at your event. Pair it with good capacity planning and effective event management systems, and you will be well placed to deliver safe, successful events.