Typically church safety teams focus on safety during normal weekly services and On – Going scheduled activities like bible studies, youth groups, adult help groups and so on. However every church has some form of special events which pose obvious safety issues specific to the special event. This article will explore some of the issues safety teams face when protecting special events.

 

WHAT CONSTITUTES A “SPECIAL EVENT”

 

A special event is any activity that is not routine to the day to day activities of the church. These events usually involving a large number of participants, temporary modification of church grounds and facilities, and of course advanced planning.

 

ASSESSING RISK WHAT ARE TYPICAL SAFETY ISSUES

 

Typical safety risks are those risks that can present at almost any activity. These include medical emergencies, fire alarms, disruptive person, severe weather, and so on.

 

ASSESSING RISK WHAT ARE SAFETY ISSUES SPECIFIC TO THE EVENT

 

What is the event? Will there be physical activity i.e. child play area, fun run for adults, lifting or moving items (food drives, Church clean up, room configuration, etc.).

 

WHAT'S THE ENVIRONMENT?

 

Inside; gym area, sanctuary, meeting rooms, hallways, otherOutside; off site, parking areas, yard areas, parkway, otherWeather conditions; inside generally not an issue, outside cold or hot conditions, potential bad weather.

 

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN ATTENDANCE? WHAT AGE GROUPS?

 

The number of people attending will effect how many safety team personnel are needed to provide adequate coverage for the event. Age groups i.e. seniors and children pose a little different risk potential than adult groups. For instance seniors have a higher incidents of medical emergencies and children need supervision so they don’t unknowingly get into unsafe situations.

 

PLANNING FOR SAFETY TEAM COVERAGE

 

In order for planning to take place you first need to know what event, when it’s scheduled and how many people are expected. For churches with a safety coordinator on staff this sounds like a given but if there isn’t a procedure to inform the safety team (especially those with volunteer coordinators) about events in planning it will complicate the planning process or worst yet an event will take place without safety coverage. Due to safety team size and availability all church special events and activities simply cannot be covered. Many churches have numerous events going on at any given time. With this in mind a policy that helps determine what events require a safety presence is a good idea. For instance a policy might look like this, Safety Team coverage shall be provided for events in which there is: 100 or more people in attendance, a group with special needs in attendance, the activity may be considered controversial, or other special consideration. The number of safety team personnel on duty will vary with the specifics of different events. For instance an event with 300 people in attendance in the church sanctuary may require a minimum of 2 or 3 safety team members, but a fun run or activities using different floors of the church with 300 in attendance may require 3 to 5 safety team personnel to cover the area of the event. A minimum of 2 safety team personnel is always a good policy for any event.

 

Mitigating potential risks consider possibilities for inside and outside events what if it rains……, what if severe weather presents....., heat effects during hot and sunny weather……, any trip or fall hazards….., cold effects during winter….., traffic control….., what if we get over capacity……, any potential controversial issues at the event….., are there enough exits….., is there a need for a protect in place SOP……, any special needs of the participants…., and so on. Non routine safety equipment that may be needed?First aid stations, entry and exit point controls, cooling / warming areas, water stations, other

 

SPECIAL EVENT SAFETY PLAN

 

A safety plan for the event is a good idea. The plan provides an outline for safety issues for that particular event and gives guidance to non-safety personnel (staff and volunteers).Here is an example of a safety plan: