UK - The Event Safety Shop once again contributed to a safe and successful Glastonbury Festival. Health and Safety is at the forefront of festival planning, and this year saw important legislative developments - notably the Control of Noise at Work Regulations and the smoking ban; both of which affected the Festival for the first time.

TESS worked closely with Licensee Melvin Benn to develop policy and deliver practical controls to meet the needs of both pieces of legislation. Independent monitoring proved the measures were an outstanding success.

This year, TESS, used a new computerised file sharing system to improve the exchange of health and safety information between the Festival, contractors and service providers. The huge amount of documentation generated by the event - and the need to scrutinise safety information, insurances and so on means the easy sharing and retrieval of documents is crucial.

Well over 90% of the paperwork for Glastonbury Festival was handled electronically through TESS's new FTP server. Not only did this make the sharing of information quick and effective, but it meant it was easier than ever for contractors to upload risk assessments, method statements and insurance certificates. A system of password-protected access levels means various users can interrogate the growing database of documentation and review or download what they need.

Tim Roberts, TESS director and Glastonbury Festival's health and safety coordinator, commented: "TESS is delighted to be a part of the highest profile music event in Europe, and one which brings a number of particularly complex challenges. Glastonbury has set a benchmark for dealing with noise exposure to stage crews and others - and by actively promoting awareness and proactive measures we have moved a significant way ahead in achieving both legal compliance and a safe place for our crew and artistes to work. Our new FTP system has allowed us to avoid drowning in paperwork and maintain a focus on the real-world measures that are needed to keep this fantastic show moving ahead."

(Lee Baldock)


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