Power is more often than not required to run an event. The options for power are either established mains power or temporary power i.e. Generators. Some of Council’s parks and reserves have mains power. With the use of power for events comes an increase of risk and you will need to consider this when you are undertaking your Risk Management Plan. The following suggestions need to be taken into consideration to maintain a safe and successful event site. 
Power considerations for all events (indoor and outdoor): 

• Ensure you have a qualified electrician on stand by on the day of your event. 
• Know your exact requirements for your event and the type of power that you will require i.e. 3-phase power, single-phase power. 
• For an event with multiple power requirements, consider a contingency of providing 10% additional power resources to allow for incidentals. 
• If site holders or external parties require power, ask them to nominate their requirements including what needs power and ensure that all electrical items at the event (including coffee machines, PA systems and rides) are tagged and tested. In your confirmation letter to site holders make it clear that they are only to power up what they have been given prior permission for and that all cords are in good functioning order and have been tagged and tested. 
• Do not use power boards or double adaptors as you can overload the points depending on what is plugged in. 
• All extension leads, appliances and anything to be powered must be tagged and tested by an accredited electrician. 
• Don’t assume all power points are in working order. Test them prior to your event. 
• Place the powered items in close proximity to the power source. Power leads are a trip hazard and need to be considered in your Risk Management Plan. Where possible all leads should be taped down or covered by cable matting. If this is not possible you need to place a barrier over the leads so that it is clearly not an access path. 
• Do not join extension leads together to make a long lead as this can overload the cable and can cause fire hazards. Source the one lead for the required length. 
• At any stage of your event, if you or appropriate event staff are not satisfied with the power set up, equipment or leads provided then you must act on it. As the events organiser you have the right to cut access to power based on the safety requirements of your event. 

Power considerations for outdoor events: 

• If you are using mains power either through an established power box or a pavilion you will need to seek permission from Leisure Services. All power boxes and pavilions are locked and you will need to request keys from the Community Events Officer on 9294 5561. 
• If you require generators use a reputable service provider. 
• Prior to placing your order with the generator company know your power requirements. Make sure you discuss the requirement for leads, distribution boards and cable matting (to be placed over leads on the ground). Over estimate your requirements for cable matting. 
• Under no circumstances are leads to be threaded through trees as this can cause fire hazards. Approved equipment for overhead leads needs to be supplied by the Generator Company and installed/set up by an accredited electrician. 
• All electrical work is to be undertaken and checked by an accredited electrician. 

Consider your programming in regards to your power requirements. Generators can be expensive and sometimes noisy to operate. For smaller events, question the value of the powered item as an enhancement to your program weighted against the additional planning and costs associated with your event. 
The three main generators of greenhouse gas emissions at events are patrons’ cars; food kilometres traveled by non-local products; and power used by event equipment including but not limited to lighting, sound systems, power generators. 
It may be possible to reduce direct consumption of power by people providing goods and services at the event by addressing the following:

• Is it possible to switch electricity available on site to ‘green power’? 
• Can one or more generators be powered by biodiesel? Can one by trialled? 
• Consider inviting ‘Future Spark’ to your event for fun, fitness and education. Future Spark provides a facility with bikes which, when pedalled, generate power to the electricity grid and thus provide a green power offset for your event. For instance, 16 bikes pedalled for 1 week raised the power for a 2.5 hour Earth Hour concert 
• Consider inviting the ‘Big Red Bus’ for a sustainably powered music event. 
• Offsetting greenhouse gas emissions 

Once you have considered all possibilities available to avoid and reduce power consumption can the remaining emissions be offset to reduce the environment impact of the event.

If you are considering organising amusement rides as part of your event program then you need to first gain approval from the venue and/or local council before confirming the booking. If approved consider the associated risks and ensure that adequate controls are in place to provide safe amusement rides. 
The following excerpt has been taken from the WorkSafe document ‘Advice for Managing Major Events Safely’ 1st edition, April 2006

Hazards 

• Specific hazards may include: 
• Clearance between rides, fixed structures and vegetation; 
• Stability of the ride – firmness and slope of the ground and adequate blocking of the ride need to be considered 
• Identification of poor maintenance; 
• Poor training and operational procedures; 
• Inadequate set-up; 
• Missing labels or warning signs; and 
• Inadequate or inappropriate location of fencing or barricades. 

Risk Controls 
While the formal approach to controlling risk involves applying the hierarchy of controls, some standard controls normally considered include:

• Ensuring the ride has been maintained and set-up in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions; 
• Check areas not readily visible to ensure proper maintenance has been undertaken; 
• Issues identified in the engineering assessment have been addressed; and 
• All operators and supervisors have been trained and attendance has been planned to ensure that adequate levels are available at all times. 

Inflatable Rides 
Specifically related to inflatable amusement rides the following are requirements: 

• Ensure that written hire agreements are completed 
• Prior to hiring the inflatable device, request evidence from the hirer/operator that the Operator has current public liability cover, preferably $20mil+ but a minimum of $10 million. 
• Also request evidence from the hirer/operator that the inflatable amusement ride meets current Australian Standards. 
• Ensure that the operator provides written instructions in relation to the following control and supervision issues: 
  • Environmental conditions that may impact patrons use of the device 
  • The maximum safe wind speed when the device is in use 
  • The maximum number of patrons that can use the device at one time based on their height, weight or age 
  • The maximum height, weight or age limits that apply for patrons to use the device 
  • Patron dress code, including foot wear 
  • The minimum number of operators/attendants required to supervise the device and any age restrictions that apply. 
• Throughout the period of hire, routine inspections should be carried out and recorded by a competent person (+18 years) to ensure that the device continues to be suitable for use. Such inspections should include but not limited to checks of anchors and ropes, that the fabric of the device does not contain any holes or tears, that the air pressure is sufficient for the walls of the device to remain firm and upright. 
• A competent person should ensure that any maintenance required, as determined through routine inspections, is performed, for example, removal of debris, securing of anchors and ropes. This information should also be recorded. 

Depending on the scale of the event, planning might occur from 2 months to 6 months out from the event date. Detailed below is a guideline on various aspects of an event. Each event’s timelines will be different and will have differing requirements you will need to fulfil. It is strongly recommended once you have determined your event date work backwards, detailing the tasks required. This will generally determine if you have enough time and resources to undertake a safe and successful event.

The Risk Management Plan will detail all associated risks that may impact on your event including the Emergency Response Plan (covered in a other posts, search Risk management Plan in Categories)

Remember as you prepare your application and event plan, if anything is unclear or you would like assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Weslo Events for support

The Event Plan includes two main sections: the Event Detail and the Risk Management Plan. The Event Detail will include all event management information that is listed in the check list below. This will assist you to create your key document throughout the entire event process and act as a planning tool, a working document and a constant point of reference. Event Title, dates, duration 

• Date
  • When setting a date for the event consider:
    
    •  Venue availability
      
    • Availability of key speakers
      
    • External factors/key dates – e.g. public holidays, parliamentary sittings, other events and time of year (towards the end of the year, people’s diaries can get full). 
      
• Location including accessibility 
• Program Overview – aims, objectives/purpose and audience 
• Event Team
  • Based on the event brief, consider who you need in the event team to make your event a success. Consider: 
    
    • Your Team
    • Key Stakeholders
    • Event Management companies such as Weslo Events
    • External suppliers
    • Arrange a team meeting and discuss how the event should be run and each individual team members’ role.
• Timetable/running sheet 
• Event Timelines 
• Contractors – Event Managers such as Weslo Events caterers, rides etc 
• Budget
  • Key considerations when forming a budget include: 
    • Advertising /invitations 
    • Event guest gifts/promotional items 
    • Distributing invitations 
    • Catering 
    • Event signage – e.g. banners, directional signage 
    • Theming 
    • Videography 
    • Photography 
    • Speaker fees 
    • Entertainment. 
• Layout & site map including additional infrastructure 
• Toilets – including accessibility 
• Water 
• Power 
• Signage 
• Traffic Management -transport and car parking 
• Insurance 
• Security 
• Weather 
• Permits (if applicable) 
• Liquor License Permit 
• Provision of Food and/or Temporary Food Event Permit 
• Australasian Performing Rights Association Permits (APRA) 
• Roadside Promotional Boards Permit 
• Temporary Banning of Dogs, Alcohol and other items 
• Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Displays