Home Bargains: Conference 2024

Welcome to the onsite induction for the Home Bargains Conference 2024 event, at Liverpool ACC.

This safety induction will outline the key safety information relevant to working on site including site rules, emergency contact information, and personal protective equipment, some of which is Mandatory .

At the end of this induction you will be required to confirm you have read, understood and will comply with all the information detailed within the induction.

You will only be permitted on site once you have completed this induction. 

During the construction and derig phases, all contractors are responsible for the safety management of their team and activity. In addition, the site activity will also be monitored by the Event Safety Advisors and Event Manager.

The Event Manager is Rachael Aron.

If you intend to operate plant, MEWPS or trailers, you must ensure you are adhering to the site rules.

• If you are operating plant, you must hold the relevant license and have it with you. A copy must be shown to the Event Safety Advisor, before any plant can be used.

• All vehicles entering the venue, including trailers and plant MUST have a banksman supervising all movements.

• The speed limit is restricted to 5mph on site (walking speed). Where warning lights are installed on vehicles (flashing beacons), these must be in operation. DO NOT use your hazard lights whilst moving.

• Any person using MEWPS or work requiring the use of a harness, must provide task specific RAMS, together with a detailed rescue plan.

• Be aware of moving vehicles at all times.

• Keys must not be left in unattended plant at any time.

• Everyone on site as a minimum must wear high visibility vests / clothing during the build and derig.

• Hard hats are mandatory during the construction and de rig phases of the stage and truss area whilst work at height takes place and must be worn until production confirm hard hats can be removed. Hard hats must also be worn whenever directed by your own risk assessment.

• No open toed shoes are permitted on site during build up / breakdown. Steel toe caps must be worn according to your own risk assessment.

• All other PPE must be worn that has been identified in your risk assessment.

• It is important that you only conduct the work activity that you have been contracted to perform on site

• We operate a strict no alcohol or intoxicating drugs policy onsite at all times. Any person found to be intoxicated will be removed from site.

• Watch out for trip hazards, running cables, hanging cables and general equipment during the build / derig periods. Please report any spillages on hard surfaces or slip hazards to a member of the production or safety staff.

• Please follow the site rules and comply with all health and safety information to keep both you and others safe and on schedule.

• Any set or construction activity that includes  bench saws (or cutting activity producing dust), must be done in a suitable area, with correct PPE including eye protection and correctly fitting face mask. A risk assessment and method statement must be provided to production, with suitable area used for such work.

Working at Height

• All work at height must be planned and included within your RAMS.

• Ladders must be suitable for the activity being undertaken and should only be used for short duration tasks.

• Ladders must be placed on a firm stable surface and must be footed. Ladders should extend to the correct height for the work being undertaken. You must NOT work on the top two rungs of any ladder.

• Access Towers must be built correctly with handrails, toe boards and outriggers. Handrails must be the correct height

• Harnesses MUST be worn and secured (clipped on) for anyone working on trusses or at height. Your risk assessment must confirm whether you are using fall restraint or fall arrest as part of your working at height safety.

• Any fall arrest arrangements MUST have a specific and suitable rescue plan in place.

• DO NOT use flight cases as access equipment.

• Any live or leading edges must have adequate protection from falls. This should be detailed within your RAMS

• Persons needing access to the gantry level of the venue must complete a separate induction. This is facilitated by the venue. Please contact the Production Manager if you require gantry level access. You will not be permitted access until you have competed the venue induction.

Use of mobile phones is prohibited when:

• Working at Height

• Driving

• Operating Plant

• Using work equipment or machinery

Do not walk around the site whilst using a mobile phone. If you need to receive or make a phone call sit down!

• The venue operates a no smoking policy. This includes the use of e cigarettes. Smoking is only permitted in designated smoking areas. Please extinguish smoking materials correctly.  Sand buckets are available in key areas.

• Hot works are subject to an additional permit. If you think you will need to conduct works (including, but not limited to; grinding, welding, soldering), then you must contact the Event Safety Advisor or Event Manager. Relevant firefighting equipment must be available, with an allocated fire watch. At the end of the hot works procedure please advise Venue Manager or the Event Safety Advisor

• In the event of a fire onsite your safety is paramount. Fire Extinguishers will be present and positioned at key points across the site. Do not attempt to fight a fire unless it is safe to do so and only if you have the appropriate training to use the fire extinguishers onsite.

Your priority should be:

• Raise the alarm by shouting “FIRE!” and alerting the nearest person carrying a radio to inform Site Control.

• Leave the area immediately congregating at the assembly point which is at the front of the venue, by the big wheel. See below:

Please follow the instructions of the Security staff / Safety Advisor who are onsite to assist you.

• For the construction and de-rig phases, all contractors must provide their own first aid trained member of staff. The Event Safety Advisor will also be on site as an additional first aid support. During the live event, a medical team will be deployed to provide medical cover.

• Venue First Aiders can be accessed via radio. Please make yourself familiar with the location, prior to the event going live.

• All accidents, incidents or near misses must be reported to the Event Safety Advisor or Event Manager immediately or following treatment.

• Good housekeeping is to be practised at all times, ensuring all work areas are kept clean and tidy so far as is reasonably practicable and must be tidied up at the end of day with all tools and equipment stored away safe and securely. Please ensure all waste / rubbish is disposed of into the bins provided.

• Toilets are provided for the use of production staff and contractors onsite throughout the build and derig periods.

• Crew catering is available backstage. Your supervisor will liaise with the Organisers regarding access arrangements.

• Drinking water will be available throughout the build / event and derig.

• All structures MUST be signed off by a competent person before the event is live, including (but not limited to); stages, rigging, space only exhibition builds and shell scheme. Please ensure you contact the Event Safety Advisor once your structure has been completed, so a walk around and "sign off" can be conducted, with your completion certificate.

• All lifting / slinging of trusses and operating of motor controls must only be carried out by competent persons.

• Areas below moving trusses must remain clear at all times

• All structures must have appropriate supports, handrails and access arrangements.

• There are fire alarms and call points onsite within the venue. In the event of finding a fire or smoke please activate a fire call point or alert security staff via radio. As detailed earlier, only utilise the fire extinguishers in your area if you are trained, it is safe to do so and you feel confident. It is more important that you raise the alarm and evacuate the area making the people around you aware of the issue.

• If you notice anything suspicious or out of place within your working area please notify the security staff, Production Manager or Safety Advisor immediately.

• In the event of an evacuation please ensure you report to your Head of Department or Manager to alert them that you are safely at the assembly point (as shown in the fire section of this induction) and / or in a place of ultimate safety. Heads of Departments / Managers must in turn advise the Production Manager or Event Safety Advisor that their team is safely at the assembly point.

In the event of an evacuation during the event, instructions will be broadcast over the public address system. On hearing the evacuation message, you must leave by the safest available route and report to the assembly point.

Code Words

There are no code words in use for this event; if you need to pass an emergency message on the radio system, or in any public area, please do this sensitively

BUT YOUR PRIORITY IS TO SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE.

For example, for a suspect package your message could be: I have an AMBER alert, suspect package.

If you notice anything suspicious or out of place within your working area please notify the security staff, Production Manager or Safety Advisor immediately.

In the event of an evacuation, please ensure you report to your Manager / Supervisor to alert them that you are safely at the assembly point which is at the front of the big wheel. Heads of Departments / Managers must in turn advise the venue or Event Safety Advisor that their team is safely at the assembly point.

Please recognise that we are all experts in our workplace and we are ideally placed to spot when something is amiss

In this period of heightened alert following recent events in Afghanistan, it is vital to remain vigilant, trust our instincts and report any suspicious behaviour to the Site Manager immediately.

The ‘Stay Safe’ principles (Run, Hide, Tell) give some simple actions to consider at an incident and the information that the local police may need in the event of a firearms and weapons attack.

•    To a place of safety.

•    This is a far better option than to surrender or negotiate.

•    If there’s nowhere to go, then…

•    It’s better to hide than to confront.

•    Remember to turn your phone to silent and turn off vibrate.

•    Barricade yourself in if you can.

•    Then finally and only when it is safe to do so…

What do the local police need to know?

 Location – Where are the suspects?

Direction – Where did you last see the suspects

If after applying the HOT protocols you still believe the item to be suspicious, advise venue security IMMEDIATELY (though do not use a radio or mobile phone in the immediate vicinity).