New Purple Guide to promote safer events launches at House of Commons

18 Mar 2014

The Purple Guide to Health, Safety and Welfare at music and other events relaunched this week, offering an in-depth guide to running safer music events. First published in 1992 by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) in consultation with the industry, the guide is an invaluable guide to Health and Safety for large scale events organisers from the UK and further afield. The new guide was put together by the Events Industry Forum in consultation with various industry trade groups and organisations including AIF and its members.

Following a launch event at Portcullis House last night (Tuesday 18th March), it is available to access online now for a fee of £25 from The Purple Guide Website, with plans in the pipeline to also publish the guide as an app and ebook. The areas of special effects and noise are still open for consultation and the guide will be an evolving document, with the one-off fee covering all future updates. The new guide has been designed to sign-post event organisers and suppliers to the practices and issues that need to be considered when events are being planned and is designed as a supplement to the legal requirements and guidance outlined by HSE.

“The guide aims to help those who organise music or similar events, so that the events can run safely. As an employer, the event organiser – whether an individual, collective or local authority – has a general duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees,” reads the website.
“They also have a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that others including volunteers and spectators are not exposed to risks to their health and safety arising from the operation of the event.”

Other contributors include Bucks Uni, EPC (Emergency Planning College) and many other leading event organisers and associations. Financial supporters of the guide include The Concert Promoters Association.

Read about The Purple Guide and how you can access it here.