Health and Safety - Legal Responsibilities & General Information

 

HEALTH & SAFETY - Legal Responsibilities & General Information

MONTGOMERY GROUP STATEMENT & EXHIBITOR DUTIES

Montgomery Group Health & Safety Statement

It is the policy of Montgomery Group to endeavour to seek the co-operation of all concerned in order to achieve the highest standards, in all aspects, of health and safety.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 [HASAWA] and it subsidiary legislation is criminal law, a breach of which is a criminal offence.  In general terms HASAWA places a responsibility on companies and individuals to exercise a duty of care for employees and non-employees who may be affected by their acts and omissions.  These duties can be discharged by doing what is “reasonable” to prevent loss or harm where risk is foreseeable.  It applies to all premises used as a place of work, including temporary locations such as Olympia London, and includes build-up, open days and breakdown.

Montgomery Group and Olympia London, within the scope of their own laid down policies, have a responsibility to ensure that safe working practices are maintained at all times, which includes ensuring that provision is made whereby persons, other than Montgomery Group or Olympia London employees, are reminded of their responsibilities whilst working at the exhibition centre.

Exhibitor / Stand Holder Duties

Exhibitors and stand holders have a legal duty of care for the safety of anyone who may be affected by their activities. This includes responsibility for all aspects of safety on the stand during the build-up, the open period of the show and during breakdown.  Where an exhibitor has booked a Space Only stand and the building and finishing of the stand is contracted out, exhibitors and stand holders are still vicariously responsible for the activities of their contractors. It is therefore essential that exhibitors appoint a contractor who is fully aware of their Health and Safety responsibilities including CDM 2015.  The Organisers Official Shell Scheme Contractor is responsible for Health and Safety regarding the build of all shell scheme stands and the Organisers will liaise directly with them to ensure all appropriate information and documentation is provided.

Exhibitor/stand holder duties are to comply with the Organiser’s health and safety requirements as laid out in this manual, including submitting health and safety documentation such as Health & Safety Policy, Health & Safety Declaration and Risk Assessments.

Contractor Duties

A contractor’s legal duty of care is as above, including taking into consideration any sub-contractors that they might employ.

---

HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES

CDM REGULATIONS – SPACE ONLY STANDS

Exhibitors need to ensure that their participation at an event is carried out safely.  The CDM Regulations do not replace any existing law but are intended to provide a framework to help you ensure that your stand is constructed safely and help you understand your obligations.

As organisers we carry out a number of activities as part of our own responsibilities and to help you fulfil your obligations. These are listed at the bottom of the page; please contact bethany.duffield@montgomerygroup.com if you need any further help or information.

Under CDM you are defined as the CLIENT with regards to the build of your stand and your duties are:

1. Make arrangements for managing your project i.e. building your stand. You do need to ensure that someone is named as responsible for ensuring all of the required roles are fulfilled. The majority of your responsibilities can be delegated to your space only stand builder/designer if you use one.
2. Appoint a Principal Designer, Principal Contractor & Contractor. These roles are often the same company or person, you do this anyway when appointing a contractor to build your stand:
   1. The Principal Designer is the person or company in control of the ‘designs’ of your stand and they must:
      • Ensure that all planning and design, pre-construction, is carried out in compliance with the law.
      • Ensure that risks are identified, eliminated and controlled at the design stage.
      • Ensure that a Construction Phase plan is drawn up and a Health & Safety file is prepared.
      • Ensure that pre-construction information is provided to contractors.
   2. The Principal Contractor is the person or company in control of the ‘build’ of your stand.If they employ a 3rd Party to deliver onsite this company would become the Contractor, whether one company or two they must:
      • Plan, manage and monitor the construction phase (build-up & breakdown) and the way the construction work is carried out, ensuring it is safe to construct and remove within an event environment and that it has little or no impact on the neighbouring constructions or contractors.
      • Ensure work is carried out without risks to Health & Safety.
      • Draw up site rules for the stand area (these will often mirror the Event’s rules, but should not be limited to this), ensure suitable inductions and welfare facilities; provide information, instruction and training.
      • Restrict access to your site if required by the work being carried out at the time.
      • Liaise onsite with Event Operations team.
3. Ensure construction work is carried out safely and that welfare requirements are complied with. This would be delegated to your Designer/Contractor.
4. Ensure a Construction Phase Plan is drawn up.Your responsibility here is to ensure that there is one.Your Designer/Contractor will do this for youand will run alongside existing Risk Assessments and Method Statements that they will be doing as part of their obligations under other legislation.
5. As Organisers we will issue Site Rules and Information prior to coming onsite. It is essential that anyone coming onsite during Build Up and Breakdown – this includes your staff, temporary staff, contractors etc. – has a copy of these and has read and understood them.

Organisers Support:

1. We ensure that all Space Only Contractors provide us with, Construction Phase Plans, consisting of Risk Assessments, Method Statements, Stand Plans and Welfare Arrangements.We employ Scott-Baker to provide help and support to Space Only Contractors with CDM queries - johanna@scot-baker.com.  They can provide templates to assist in the completion of these documents.
2. We ensure suitable welfare facilities are available including toilets, seating, access to drinking water and food outlets.
3. We provide Health and Safety Site Rules to all contractors and exhibitors prior to coming onsite and onsite at entrances to the hall.There is no access to the hall during Build Up and Breakdown without having received the Site Rules and passes are issued only on this basis.

---

 

Speciality & Fine Food Fair Site Rules

1.  ACCESS - Authorised access to the halls will only be allowed for personnel who have read and understood these Site Rules.
2. TRAFFIC RULES - The maximum speed limit for vehicles within the exhibition hall is 5mph and pedestrians have right of way at all times. However, all contractors and exhibitors must be vigilant and aware that forklifts will be operating during build-up and breakdown.
3. EMERGENCY GANGWAYS - Emergency gangways will be clearly identified and must be kept clear of all building material, waste and exhibits in order to allow forklift movement and emergency access/egress at all times. Click here to see the Locations Site Plan.
4. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE REQUIREMENTS (PPE) - Contractors & exhibitors are required to wear suitable protective clothing relevant to their job. This includes protection for eyes, ears, hands and feet. Protective footwear should be worn at all times, no open toe footwear permitted. High visibility jackets must be worn in all locations where vehicles operate (loading bays/ lorry ways).
5. HOT WORK RULES - A hot working permit must be obtained from the venue, prior to commencement of hot work e.g. ox -acetylene, cutting/welding, arc welding, gas/ oil blowlamps, grinders, tar boilers, soldering or cutting of LEV metal pipes etc.
6. WORKING AT HEIGHT RULES - Appropriate management and safe methods of working at height are required at all times, checks on suitable equipment will be made onsite.
7. LATE WORKING RULES - Exhibitors and contractors should plan to ensure that working outside the published hours is not necessary. All staff must be made aware of and adhere to the current Working Time Regulations.
8. ACCIDENTS AND ‘NEAR MISSES’ – Any incident that occurs onsite must be reported to the Health & Safety Officer, Floor Manager or the Organisers Office.
9. SMOKING - Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is not allowed in the halls at any time. Smoking is only permitted in designated smoking areas.

Contact Numbers:
Organisers Office	COMING SOON
First Aid Assitance	020 7598 2411
Venue Emergency	020 7598 2666
Locations:
Organisers Office	First Aid
Toilets	Seating
Drinking Water	Cafe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here for the Locations Site Plan.

---

HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES

GENERAL REGULATIONS

General Health & Safety Regulations

Below are some of the principal areas that need to be brought to the attention of contractors and exhibitors.

1. An understanding of the Fire and Emergency Procedures of the venue and the protocol for First Aid assistance. All incidents to be reported to the Organisers or the Health and Safety Officer, including near miss accidents.
2. The emergency gangways, as indicated on the plan, must be kept clear of obstructions, at all times, throughout build-up, open days and breakdown.
3. All work areas must be maintained free from general waste materials that could be a hazard to anyone working on the stand. This also allows for any potential hazards to be clearly visible.
4. Hard hats should be worn when working beneath or near overhead working, or if this is not practical, access to such areas should be restricted.
5. PPE including Hi Visibility Jackets and Steel Toe Capped Footwear must be worn during the Construction phase of Build Up and Breakdown.
6. Other suitable PPE relevant to the job being undertaken must be worn eg hard hats, goggles ear defenders etc. NB PPE is the last line of defence when all other alternatives have been considered. PPE must be suitable and sufficient for the job and employees trained in its uses and limitations.
7. The Health and Safety Representative for either the contractor or the exhibitor (depending on the user) is responsible for ensuring the safe use and storage of flammable liquids and substances, and segregation from waste and other risk areas. Compliance with the COSHH regulations is required.
8. Portable power equipment must only be operated by fully trained and certified personnel for the purpose for which it was designed, safety guards must correctly fitted and used.
9. Portable electrical tools must be used with the minimum length of trailing leads and must not be left unattended with a live power supply to it. Trailing leads and electrical cables must not cross over gangways, doorways or fire exits. Any work using power or hand tools must be restricted to the stand space, i.e. no drilling or sawing in the gangways.
10. All materials used for construction or displays must be to Local Authority Standards and not less than British Class 1 standards of flammability. ( See Materials for Stand Construction on pg 12)
11. A hot working permit must be obtained prior to commencement of hot work (ox-acetylene, cutting/welding, arc welding, gas/oil blowlamps, grinders, tar boilers, soldering).
12. Safe working at height is a priority whether using ladders or scaffold towers. For more information see Working at Height (on pg. 25) and visit www.stop-the-drop.co.uk.
13. All staff working on site (whether from our own company or those of any company contracted by you) are aware and adhere to the current Working Time Regulations (S.I 1998/1883).Guidance regarding these regulations can be obtained by contacting your local HSE office or visit https://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/workingtimedirective.htm
14. All construction materials, ladders, trolleys etc. must be removed from the building prior to any public entering the building. Similarly, no contractors will be permitted access for breakdown until all members of the public have vacated the building.

Any queries with regards to the above please contact bethany.duffield@montgomerygroup.com

On-site any violations or concerns regarding the above points should be reported to the Hall Floor Manager or to the Organiser’s Office.  Internal telephones are located around the hall perimeter to contact Olympia Emergency Services (Fire or Medical) Dial 2666 or dial +44 (0) 20 7598 2666 from an external line.

---

 

HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES

RISK ASSESSMENT – ALL Exhibitors

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessments do not just relate to the building of the stands.  It also needs to cover the activities of ALL exhibitors staff while they are on-site, whether this is lifting boxes during Build Up or a Cooking Demo during the Open Days.  The Risk Assessment must be suitable and sufficient and needs to identify all significant risks to your own staff, other exhibitors, visitors etc that may arise from your activities.

Significant risks are those which are reasonably foreseeable in terms of probability and severe enough in outcome to warrant consideration, i.e. they are more than trivial.

The Risk Assessment is the most effective way of documenting, assessing, and controlling risks and under Health & Safety legislation is an absolute legal requirement.

Completing a Risk Assessment does not mean that you are guaranteeing that there will not be any accidents on your stand. It means you have simply taken the time to think through your actions in advance and on an on-going basis. By filling out a Risk Assessment you will be able to reduce the risks of an accident happening or the severity of the accident if it does.  If you were unfortunate enough to have an accident on the stand, you may need to prove that you took all reasonable steps to prevent it happening; a risk assessment would be part of this proof.  Without it you could be found liable (both personally and corporately).

Click here to find the risk assessment template or for further assistance contact your own company’s Health & Safety Officer or visit the HSE website / http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/.

Exhibitors must submit their Risk Assessment by attaching it to their completed H&S Declaration Form, no later than Friday 22 July 2022. This can be found on the Exhibitor Hub under the Operations Zone > Compulsory Forms.

We are happy to provide help and advice on completing a Risk Assessment please contact bethany.duffield@montgomerygroup.com.

We do not approve your Risk Assessments but require copies in order to add them to the show Health & Safety file.  This file will be made available for inspection by the venue, the HSE or the Local Authority should they request to see it.

A copy must also be available on the stand for presentation to any of the above if requested.  If it is considered that unsafe practices are being undertaken, they have the authority to close down the stand.

Stand Building Risk Assessments

These must not be confused with the Exhibitor Risk Assessment and relate solely to the building of the stands, whether they are a Space Only, a Shell Scheme or an Organiser Build Package.  As an exhibitor if you appoint a contractor to build your stand, they will complete the Stand Building Risk Assessment as part of the CDM Regulations.  If you are building the stand yourself, you will need to complete the Stand Building Risk Assessment as part of the CDM Regulations.  Shell Scheme Stands and Organiser Build Packages are the responsibility of the contractors appointed by the Organisers.

---

 

HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES

WORKING AT HEIGHT

Working At Height

Anyone who will need to work at height when building or decorating a stand at the show (this includes any form of step or ladder) should understand and follow the Working at Height Regulations 2005 (as Amended 2007). Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries.

Before working at height, you must work through these simple steps:

• Avoid working at height wherever possible.
• Use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls where this cannot be avoided.
• If working at height cannot be avoided, use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall should one occur.

Figure 1 below gives further guidance for each of the above steps to help you comply with the law and can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.pdf

You should ensure:

• as much work as possible is done from the ground.
• workers can get safely to and from where they work at height.
• equipment is suitable, stable and strong enough for the job, maintained and checked regularly.
• workers do not overload or overreach when working at height.
• workers take precautions when working on or near fragile surfaces.
• protection is provided from falling objects.
• you know the procedure should any accidents occur – see Emergency Precautions and Procedures.

The Association of Exhibition Organisers (AEO) have developed an online information resource for use in relation to safe working at height.  Please visit www.stop-the-drop.co.uk.

The Working at Height 2005 Regulations can be viewed at: The Work at Height Regulations 2005 .

---

 

 

HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES

EMERGENCY PRECAUTIONS & PROCEDURES

First Aid

If you require non urgent First Aid assistance, the Olympia Control Room can be contacted on +44 (0)20 7598 2411 alternatively internal telephones are located around the hall perimeter dial 2411.  A qualified First Aider will be dispatched directly to any accident area if required.

Medical Emergencies

In cases of a medical emergency call Control +44 (0)20 7598 2666 or internal 2666 via the internal telephones located around the perimeter of the hall, giving exact location of the casualty and details of injuries sustained.  Do not under any circumstances call the ambulance services direct.  By involving Olympia Control, they can co-ordinate the ambulance staff and due to their knowledge of the hall, can direct them to venue and site of accident correctly and quickly.

Fire Precautions

Fire extinguishers will be located as stipulated by the Authorities.  At least two persons on each stand should know how to use these extinguishers and know the position of the nearest fire alarm point in the building.  The extinguishers will be supplied free of charge and will be collected at the end of the exhibition. If a fire extinguisher is missing from a stand where they have been located or damaged after the event, exhibitors will be charged for its replacement.

Exhibitors who, because of the nature of their exhibits, require special arrangements should contact the bethany.duffield@montgomerygroup.com  in the first instance.

Emergency Precautions

Exhibitors should nominate enough staff to ensure the observance of the following Emergency Procedures at all times including the location of the nearest fire alarm points.

Checking the Stand
Stands should be checked regularly to ensure that no unidentifiable packages, cases or bags have been deposited.  If suspicions arise, do not touch the article but call the Control Room on +44 (0)20 7598 2666 or 2666 using the internal telephones located on the perimeter of the hall.  When leaving the stand each night (or in the event of an evacuation) lease ensure that appliances are switched off in particular any potentially dangerous items (e.g. naked flames).

Olympias Emergency Procedures

Please click here to download a copy of Olympias Emergency Procedures below.