Risk assessments
A risk assessment asks you to identify specific hazard and risk factors that have the potential to cause harm, and to triage them by evaluating both their likelihood and the extent of damage they could cause.
If you haven’t ever conducted a thorough risk assessment, consider starting with the Risk Prioritization Worksheet from the Risk Evaluation and Planning Program (REPP) to assess general vulnerabilities, and a site walk-through to identify facility-related hazards or risks. This might involve your staff taking several tours, adopting a different safety lens each time: for example focusing on risks and mitigation measures specific to fire, crowd management, or disease mitigation with each walk-through. Consider both physical and sensory accessibility across all assessments.
Here are a variety of specific walk-through assessments:
General safety plan
A general safety plan contains safety information and protocols during normal operations. It also should have information that is broadly applicable across different kinds of emergencies, for example an evacuation plan.
- General safety information – Contact phone numbers, descriptions of safety-related staff responsibilities
- All hazards plan – General procedures for communication, preparedness, response, and recovery that are broadly applicable across different kinds of emergencies. Learn more.
- Evacuation plan – Protocols in case your event needs to be evacuated. Include clearly labeled site maps. Ensure that your plan considers accessibility both in calculating evacuation timing and in establishing a communication protocol.
- Shelter in place plan – Protocols in case an emergency requires that people (staff, performers, and/or audiences) shelter in place during your event. Include template scripts for communicating both to those onsite and externally.
Emergency action plans
An emergency action plan documents the specific protocols that will be followed in the event of a specific kind of emergency. It should include all important contact information of relevant staff, organizations, emergency responders, or vendors.
- Specific severe weather or natural disasters relevant for your area
- Medical emergency
- Fire
- Active harmer incident
- Loss of electricity/data
- Civil unrest