Torridge Safety Advisory Group - SAG

The SAG is a partnership with emergency services and professional bodies who consider health, safety, and welfare issues and offer professional guidance to operators where needed. The SAG's main objectives are:

• To promote high levels of safety and welfare at events by giving advice and guidance
• To promote good practice in safety and welfare planning for events
• To ensure events cause minimal adverse impact to the community

If you are organising a festival within Torridge we would ask you to promote the following resource with your customers to help them and their mates stay safe during the event:  https://www.festivalsafe.com/

The ultimate responsibility for event safety lies with the event organisers and their management teams

Events on Council Land

If your event is on Council (TDC) land, then you will need to get prior approval - Information and application forms. 

The application will be reviewed and if necessary a SAG will be convened to review the details of the event.

Events involving road closures or changes to parking

Devon County Council Highways have guidance on this. Please note that necessary permissions should be secured at least 3 months prior to the event. Failure to get the necessary permissions may lead to the cancellation or significant restriction on your plans. Please see here for more information https://new.devon.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/make-a-request/special-events/

Events involving alcohol, music and dancing or outdoor entertainment

For events with any of the above, you may need a premises licence - Information and application forms.

What sort of events does the SAG consider?

In general, if the event is expected to attract more than 500 attendees, the SAG may be involved. However, smaller events if taking place for the first time, or that involve some unusual hazard or risk may also require the involvement of the SAG.  Events may be held outdoors, indoors or in temporary buildings or structures, anywhere in the Torridge District.

Contacting the Torridge SAG 

To notify the SAG of an event email SAG@torridge.gov.uk or phone 01237 428700

We need the following information in order to provide a full and considered response:

• Event management plan (including risk assessments, fire risk assessments, stewarding, traffic management, first aid arrangements, catering and food safety, and noise management plan as appropriate)
• Location and site map including traffic routing.
• Road closure information
• Public liability insurance (minimum £5 million)

Depending on the type and location of the event, further information may be requested.

What happens next?

The SAG is made up of representatives from the District and County Council (Food Health and Safety Team, Environmental Protection, Licensing, Highway Authority) and emergency services (Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, South West Ambulance Service, Maritime and Coastguard Agency). Further representatives may be involved depending on the nature of the event.

For significant events, organisers will be contacted to invite them to attend the next SAG meeting if any agency believes this will be beneficial.

For other events, information will be circulated to the SAG representatives, and organisers may be contacted directly by the agencies involved.

Public Liability Insurance

It is a legal requirement that appropriate insurance cover is provided for the event by the event organiser.

In the event of an emergency occurring during the course of the event, the Emergency Services should be contacted immediately.

Useful information and guidance

For more information on event health and safety please see the links below. You should note that the Purple Guide is the industry standard for events management and we advise you consult this wherever possible. While this is a subscription website, the cost is minimal and the information provided is invaluable to planning a safe event.

The purple guide to Health, Safety and Welfare at Music and other events https://www.thepurpleguide.co.uk/

Health and Safety Executive - Event Safety Guidance http://www.hse.gov.uk/event-safety/index.htm

Organising a voluntary event: a 'Can do' guide https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/can-do-guide-for-organisers-of-voluntary-events/the-can-do-guide-to-organising-and-running-voluntary-and-community-events