Hybrid Meetings » Meeting Safety

Meeting Safety

Checklist for Meeting Host | Checklist for Meeting Planner | Checklist for Attendees | Printable Safety Guidelines Document

To keep safety at the forefront of your meetings, please use the following Suggested Meeting Safety Guidelines at your next meeting. Click here to access a printable version of this document.

	Item	Role Responsibility
	Item	Host	Meeting Planner	Attendee
1.	Hotel Fire Safety Assessment	Review and ensure assessment is up to date and approved by a certified fire inspector.	Obtain detail and provide to appropriate party
2.	Off-site Facility/Site HSSE Assessment Questionnaire.	Review and ensure assessment is up to date	Obtain detail and provide to appropriate party
3.	Evacuation procedures (fire & bomb)	Review, and ensure attendees have received and understood the information	Obtain detail and provide to appropriate party	Read and understand
4.	Alarms for fire & bomb	Review, and ensure attendees have received and understood the information	Obtain detail and provide to appropriate party	Read and understand
5.	Local contact numbers for emergencies (police/hospital)	Review, and ensure attendees have received and understood the information	Obtain detail and provide to appropriate party	Read and understand
6.	Site Plan	Review, and ensure attendees have received and understood the information	Obtain detail and provide to appropriate party	Read and understand
7.	Check the emergency route	Do the check	Do the check	Do the check
8.	Hotel/venue emergency back-up including first aid availability		Establish availability, test and verify
9.	Evacuation roster – procedure and checking	Ensure updated attendee list is provided to venue to aid roster accuracy	Check suitability of procedure; inform venue of number of attendees
10.	Transport – seat belts, road worthiness of vehicles, drivers competence		Vet and approve	Follow the Road Safety Standard 1
11.	Distance traveled for attendees	Review against Road Safety Standard1 and group standard
12.	Suitability of rooms – size, number of exits		Check and approve
13.	Pre-event site check (for major events)		Check and approve
14.	Equipment – safety, suitability, positioned correctly		Check and approve
15.	Venue insurance		Verify
16.	Contractors – suitability, security and meeting expectations		Verify suitability
17.	Attendees behavior – including communicating travel plans.	Support and encourage group standard2		Follow group standard 2
18.	Meeting Planner’s expectations – realistic programmed content in time allowed.	Be realistic about travel, length of meeting etc and cumulative impact on attendees in terms of mental and physical fatigue
19.	Activities – trained staff, insurance, first aid, equipment to reduce risks		Verify	Follow group standard 2
20.	Personal security			Be aware
21.	Personal property security		Ensure security levels are fit for purpose	Be aware
22.	Provision of safety information to attendees		Gather and provide	Read and take note
23.	Set event requirements at the outset.	Set the requirements

Checklist for Meeting Host

	Action	Yes/No	Comments
1.	Set out your minimum requirements on HSE issues for the host at the start of the project.
2.	Review the evacuation procedures for both fire and bomb emergencies and also the site plan.
3.	Check that the attendees received and understood the fire and bomb evacuation details plus the site plan.
4.	Check that the attendees know the alarms for both fire and bomb evacuations.
5.	Ensure that the attendees have received the information on local emergency services.
6.	Provide a final attendee list to the venue to assist in any emergency evacuation.
7.	Review any distance that the attendees will be traveling against the terms of the Road Safety Standard and take necessary action.
8.	Actively support the group standard whereby everyone has the authority and responsibility to stop any activity if they feel an unsafe act or condition exists.
9.	Consider the cumulative effect of the event on the attendees e.g. mental and physical fatigue, and any immediate onward travel they may be undertaking.

Checklist for Meeting Planner

	Action	Yes/No	Comments
1.	Obtain detail on the following and provide it to the attendees and all those who need to know: Fire and bomb evacuation procedure and alarm call Local contact numbers for emergency services Site Plan
2.	Walk the emergency escape routes so that you know that they are free from obstruction.
3.	Find out what emergency back-up the Venue has, e.g. first aiders, fire marshals. Are they properly trained, have you seen a certificate to this effect?
4.	What is the evacuation procedure for the venue, how do they know that everyone is out of the building, what support will our event be given if an emergency happens?
5.	Give the venue an up to date list of attendees to assist in the case of any evacuation.
6.	If you are using transport check that the vehicle has seat belts, is road worthy, and the drivers trained.
7.	What proof can the transport provider give you that this is the case?
8.	For major events go to the venue to check it out.
9.	Is the room size acceptable for the number of attendees?
10.	How many exits does the room have, are all the exits free from obstructions, where is the nearest emergency exit, what is the second option for an emergency exit?
11.	Is the equipment to be used in good condition? Is it appropriate? Is it positioned so that any risks are reduced as far as possible?
12.	Does the venue have insurance? Have you verified this?
13.	If you are using contractors, e.g. for audio visual equipment Are the contractors suitable? Do they meet our expectations regarding HSE issues? Do they meet our expectations regarding security?
14.	Check the levels of security in the hotel regarding personal property.
15.	Provide the safety information to attendees in a user friendly way.
16.	Ensure all meeting rooms are locked up during breaks and lunch and checked by meeting planner.
17.	Ensure that the Safety Manager of the facility is in attendance for the opening of the meeting to outline all safety procedures of the facility.

Checklist for Attendees

	Action	Yes/No	Comments
1.	Read and understand the information on evacuation, what do the alarms sound like in the event venue?
2.	What is the difference between the procedure for fire emergencies and bomb emergencies?
3.	Have you got the telephone numbers for the local emergency services?
4.	What is the layout of the venue site?
5.	What is the emergency exit nearest to the meeting room? How do you get there?
6.	If you are staying over night where is the nearest exit from your room? How would you get there if you couldn’t see due to smoke restricting your vision?
7.	If you saw an activity which you felt was an unsafe act or activity, what would you do?
8.	Wear a seat belt when provided in a vehicle.
9.	Are you aware of your own security when in a new environment/surrounding?
10.	Take extra care if you are in an unfamiliar location. Be aware of any extra security requirements in your new surrounding.
11.	Know the emergency evacuation procedure for the venue, as contained within your attendee pack.
12.	Ensure that personal laptops are secured at all times.