Next weekend, we celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. She’ll be the first British Monarch to celebrate this amazing milestone after 70 years of service.
The weekend is bound to involve lots of celebrating at events, street parties and, of course, the local – the key to running a successful event is preparation. Read on to discover our top 10 tips in creating a great, safe event.
- Check, check and double check! Make sure all equipment is working in plenty of time before the event. If you’re using electrical equipment, think – has it been portable appliance tested recently?
- Have you got enough food for a Royal banquet? Make sure you have enough food storage – this is set to be a bumper weekend for hospitality businesses. Have you got enough storage space for the ingredients you need? Remember, there must be enough space to prevent cross contamination ensuring fridges and freezers are not overloaded, whilst ensuring they work properly.
- Remember to communicate allergen information. If you’re planning to run a BBQ or cook up something different than the norm, make sure you have all the allergen information readily available for guests.
- Bouncing into the weekend. Remember – bouncy castles are popular attractions at garden parties but are also known to be a significant safety risk. Ensure that the bouncy castle complies with the relevant British Standard or if you’re hiring one, that it has a safety inspection tag or certificate with it. An extra top tip – follow the safety instructions that come with the inflatable; paying particular attention to wind speeds, and ensuring the inflatable is sufficiently anchored.
- Light the night sky. Is your party carrying on into the evening? Check all your external lighting is working correctly. Pay particular attention to the areas that you may not normally use and ensure that they are sufficiently lit.
- Shelter from the British weather. Remember to provide shelter – gazebos are a popular way to shelter guests if the weather suddenly turns! If gazebos are not properly secured, they can quickly turn into a giant kite. So, ensure you secure your gazebo is following the manufacturer’s instructions. So far so good, the weather is looking kind but, keep an eye on the forecast and make sure to take down gazebos if wind speed is forecasted to be greater than what the structure is rated to. And, don’t forget to check that the gazebo doesn’t block fire escape routes from the property too!
- Watch your step. Ensure space is free from trip hazards – extra structures, cables for lights, and gas lines for barbecues all present trip hazards. Make sure that guy ropes and cables are routed, covered or highlighted so they do not create a hazard.
- Be BBQ safe. Who doesn’t love a BBQ at a garden party? Make sure the BBQ is positioned so that it does not present a risk of burning guests.
- Eat safely. Use high levels of food safety, always – the normal food safety standards for a kitchen must be maintained when cooking and serving outside. This means controlling cross contamination, cooking food thoroughly and making sure good handwashing practices are being followed.
- Keep an eye on the forecast. Wet weather? Surely not! Ensure electrics are suitable for use outside or are protected from rain.
