GCC event industry urged to up the ante on safety

Considerable annual spending must be factored into the budgets of event production companies in order to stay up-to-date with international health and safety standards, according to UAE event production specialist, Dave Emery.

Emery, who is responsible for health and safety practices at Gearhouse Staging Connections, said that while its impact on budgets can be severe, safety compliance is becoming a necessary expenditure, despite a lack of federally enforceable standards across much of the region’s event production industry.

“It’s a cost that companies must factor into the business model, and although it can become very expensive, it’s an absolute necessity,” he declared.

“Nowadays, venues in the region are requesting to see public liability insurance, certificates for lifting gear and the like, and they are pushing these standards on other production companies.”

He said Gearhouse Staging Connections currently allocates more than US $100,000 annually to attain its own self-imposed safety standard. This funding is used to cover the costs associated with staff first aid training, attaining specialised skill-based qualifications and annual safety checks for loading equipment.

As health and safety standards have improved throughout the local event production industry during recent years, various companies have adopted policies based on the national standards of foreign countries.

While companies such as Gearhouse adhere to British safety standards, other local event specialists, such as Ajman-based Even2 have opted to use German standards as a guideline.

Both German and British safety regulations are viewed as benchmarks throughout the global event production industry.

Emery said while the adoption of an industry-wide set of enforceable safety regulations in many GCC countries would be an important step forward, new legislation should be stringent, yet avoid unnecessary administration for the event businesses.

“While the UK and Europe have some very good health and safety standards for the event production industry, there is quite a lot of bureaucracy which can become a hindrance to actually getting on with the job,” he said.

Tags: Dave Emery, Event Health & Saftey, event production companies, Gearhouse Staging Connections, international health and safety standards, public liability insurance, UAE event production specialist

Category: General Event Industry News