If you’re running a meeting or event—be prepared and stay safe. The WHS Policy and procedures and forms are here.

Activity leader

Your role as leader is to ensure duty of care for everyone at the meeting or event, including yourself. Duty of care means making certain that all reasonable steps are undertaken to ensure the safety, health and well-being of participants and others likely to be affected by the activity. This includes any visitors. 

Given this duty of care:

• If you are holding a meeting or event at a facility owned by another organisation, such as a council, you need to follow all the safety and emergency procedures of that council. You need to familiarise yourself with them and operate consistently with them. 
• Even with this, you need to ensure that you brief participants on the hazards and how to manage them during the meeting or event

Plan your meeting or event

• Once you are clear on the purpose of the meeting and what will take place, along with expected numbers of participants, ensure that the facility where you are meeting can accommodate your needs safely
• Understand any hazards of the facility - crooked stairs, boggy areas etc - check the APS NSW Risk Register and adjust for your situation
• Understand the emergency and evacuation procedures
• If it is a new location, pre-test the location prior to the event
• If required, check social distancing requirements
• Ensure you bring masking tape or equipment to cover electric cords
• Ensure food handling is done safely
• Determine if a first aider is required at the meeting, given expected attendance

As the meeting starts

• Introduce yourself to participants and describe any potential hazards. Outline the emergency and evacuation procedures of the location

• Ensure all participants complete sign¬on sheet.
• Ensure a first aid kit, plus any other appropriate equipment are brought to the activity.
• Ask all participants to report any incidents no matter how minor they seem at the time.
• Be very careful around water sources and waterfalls

If someone is hurt, or there is an incident or near miss

• Immediately take care of the person using first aid
• Contact Emergency services if serious or local medical facility
• After the meeting, contact the District Group President and APS NSW President about the injury
• After the meeting, complete the Injury Form
• If there is an incident or near miss, complete the Incident Form and submit to the District Group President and APS NSW President as soon as possible

Meeting participant

Role

Your role is to attend the meeting or event and operate under the direction of the leader of the event.

• Sign the attendance form
• Understand the risks
• Inform the leader at any time if you feel unwell.