Risk Management Plan

To help achieve a successful and safe event, spending time completing a thorough risk assessment will be a key planning tool in your event management preparation. Applying a systematic approach to this task will order your thinking, to ensure that unwanted risks are identified and controls put in place to reduce or mitigate the risks. As the event organiser you have a duty of care for the safety of everyone involved. 
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The best time to commence this process is in your concept stage. You may start with identifying the event location, financial support, people resources and other fundamental elements to demonstrate how to achieve the key event objective. As you progress through to the planning stage you will be engaging with a number of stakeholders and with their input, you will be able to map out operational risk detail. 

The completed Risk Management Plan will require submission and approval by the authorising Council as part of the application process. Each event has unique attributes and considerations, requiring an individual effort to the development of a risk assessment. Large events will demand a greater level of rigour to the Risk Management Plan. i.e. engagement of an independent Event Safety Officer etc. In these instances, Council will work with the event organiser to provide specific instruction and guidance.

What is Risk?

“Risk is the chance of something happening that will have an impact upon objectives”

What is Risk management?

It is the systematic application of a process to step you though the planning and delivering your event, to achieve the great success you and the public expect.

Risk Management Process

Examples of Unwanted Risks that impede a successful event 

• Insufficient funding 
• Lack of volunteers in event organising or on the day 
• Advertising (late, not targeted etc) does not generate enough interest 
• Size of venue/location too small for event 
• Volunteers not inducted and do their own thing 
• Loss of crowd control 
• Food poisoning 
• Dangerous temporary structures 
• Serious incident 

Benefits of good Risk Management 

• High quality and successful event 
• Patron satisfaction and heightened community wellbeing 
• Demonstrates planning competence 
• Attracts funding 
• Satisfies regulatory compliance (ie.WorkSafe, Food Act) 
• Ensures emergency management planning 
• Identified roles and responsibilities 
• Mitigation of incidents 
• A safe event for patrons 
• Positive public image 

How to Conduct a Risk Assessment

1. Brainstorm, use resources, discuss with others to consider, recognize and describe risks for the entire event. 


2. Consider the risk context, nature, potential consequences and the likelihood to determine the level of risk. 


3. What can be done to eliminate the risk or put in place actions to reduce the risk to an acceptable level 


4. Requires ongoing checking and supervising to ensure treatment solutions are working and responding to change 

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The following pages information provides the necessary tools to step you through the Risk Assessment process. 

Considerable attention will need to be given to “treating” the risk. That is working out what can be done to eliminate or reduce it to an acceptable level of low or medium risk rating.

Risk Analysis - Step 1 Likelihood 
The likelihood of an event happening can range from A to E. ‘Likelihood’ is a general description of probability or frequency. Choose

A	Certain	The event is expected to occur in more circumstances
B	Likely	The event will probably occur in most circumstances
C	Possible	The vent should occur at some time
D	Unlikely	The event could occur at some time
E	Rare	The event may occur only in exceptional circumstances

Risk Analysis - Step 2 Consequences 
The consequence if an event happens can range from 5 to 1. ‘Consequence’ refers to the outcome or impact of an event.

5	Catastrophic	Multiple fatalities, national or international media attention, event cancelled, long term reputational damage, potential class action.
4	Major	Major injury/ies requiring hospitalisation, single fatality, reported in national media, major impact to event, reputational damage, litigation involving court action
3	Moderate	Major injury or multiple minor injuries from one incident requiring medical treatment by doctor, reported in media, disruption to event, legal issues/litigation
2	Minor	Injury requiring first aid or medical treatment, breaches of regulation, local media, criticism but no permanent damage
1	Insignificant	Minor injury, no negative media attention, non-compliance, issues resolved within normal event management process.

Risk Analysis - Step 3 Risk Matrix 
The aim of risk analysis is to assess the likelihood of it occurring and the consequences should it happen. Combining these two provides a Risk Rating.

Risk Examples

Example of Risk assessment