Top Tips for Audio-Visual Safety at Events

If you’re hosting an event, then it’s part of your job to ensure that your guests are safe. When we consider safety at events, we think about the security staff, crowd control and venue vulnerabilities. What we sometimes overlook is safety from an audio-visual perspective. And yet, we’re talking about extremely heavy and complex equipment that needs to be professionally and securely set up. A lot can go wrong when AV equipment isn’t maintained or erected correctly and this can put your guests at risk.

To make sure you’re safe from an AV perspective, we would recommend hiring AV experts. Red Occasions take health and safety very seriously. Providing event production for award shows, festivals, concerts, corporate and conference production in Cambridge and beyond, here at Red Occasions, we always adhere to safe practices. By partnering with us, we will ensure your guests are safe from an AV standpoint.

As well as event production, we also provide staging, audio, video and lighting hire in Cambridge and the surrounding region. Whether you’re just hiring one piece of equipment or employing us for complete event production, we will ensure nothing is overlooked. Contact us to discuss your next event.

Event audio-visual safety tips:

In this blog, we will outline some of the key safety tips to consider when it comes to audio-visual equipment at events and why it is best left to AV professionals.

Trip hazards

With AV kit comes cables, and lots of them! They all need to be secure and out of the way to avoid becoming trip hazards. Whether you place them above the head or under carpet, ground or cable ramps, you need to ensure there are no loose cables and that they’re not tangled. It’s wise to do a walk-through before the event to check for any other trip hazards and add warning signs if necessary. A professional AV team will ensure all cables are secure and tidied away to give you peace of mind that your guests can move about the event safely.

Heavy equipment

Some AV equipment is extremely heavy. You need a team of people that are trained in manual handling to carry the kit. They will then know the correct way to deal with the equipment, transport and install it without hurting themselves. Weighty equipment hung up high can also potentially fall. A trained AV professional will know how to safely rig it without the risk of it dropping.

Lighting

In terms of event safety, lighting is integral. It not only illuminates walkways and exits but can highlight any hazards to attendees. The last thing you want is for guests to fall over a hazard because the venue was too dark to navigate. Lighting also allows you to survey the crowd and keep an eye out for emergencies, whether that’s a medical issue at an award show or crowd-pushing at a concert. An AV specialist will be trained in hanging lights, dealing with high-voltage electricity and working at heights, so you’ll have the peace of mind that everything will run smoothly – and safely.

Safe noise and volume levels

Noise exposure poses the risk of hearing damage and even hearing loss. It’s particularly important to consider volume levels at concerts, festivals and fairs. You need to ensure that you monitor the levels, set up a quiet area, provide staff with regular breaks and ensure that attendees are at least 10 feet away from any speakers. You can also provide staff with noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs to protect their hearing. An AV expert will know how to put on an event at a safe noise level that will protect not only the guests but the staff too. They will carry out risk assessments to identify any noise exposure threats and ensure that everyone is well taken care of.

Working at height

AV equipment sometimes needs to be hung up high. This creates the potential risk of structural collapses, a person falling from high or the kit dropping from the ceiling. You need a team that is trained in working at height and have all the correct safety equipment including harnesses and helmets. A professional AV team will have the relevant knowledge, experience and kit to do the job.

Inspection and maintenance of equipment

The AV equipment you use needs to be regularly tested and checked to avoid potential electrical malfunctions. Here at Red Occasions, all of our equipment is tested and checked before every hire to ensure optimal operational condition for your event. It’s vital that you check out the credentials of the AV company you hire from or ensure that your own kit is safe to use.

Why should you hire an AV company to ensure your audio-visual equipment is health and safety compliant?

Hiring a highly professional AV team is a great investment. They know the safe practices, understand the dangers and know how to avoid them. A specialist team can properly set up and take down structures and equipment, know how to rig lights and secure and manage heavy equipment. To make sure you’re safe from an AV perspective, you need experienced and trained specialists.

Offering safe event production including conference production in Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Northampton, Red Occasions are ready to assist you with your next event. As well as event production, we also provide audio, staging, video and lighting hire in Cambridge and the surrounding areas. We’d love to hear from you!