Setting your business up for success… Safely!

Mike Gore and Harry Singh in Ward Hadaway’s regulatory and compliance team discuss the procedures and preparation that should be in place to safely set you up for success amid unprecedented demand.

Check your premises licence!

Your licence will have mandatory requirements which you need to ensure are observed, and may have additional conditions for major sporting events, such as:

• Operational and maintained CCTV. Check all cameras and the DVR are working properly in anticipation of very high numbers attending
• SIA licensed door security, sufficient for the size and capacity of the venue
• Use of plastic ware in lieu of glassware during major sporting events

In the event that the Police attend your venue, the conditions and requirements associated with the premises licence would be scrutinised. The Police have powers to order closure of the venue at any time if they are not satisfied that the conditions are being observed.

Ensure you are adequately staffed and resourced

Staffing should be set to ensure safety and maintain quality of service. There should be sufficient staff to ensure:

• Empty Glassware is removed promptly from the trading areas to reduce hazards from glass breakages
• Supervision of the venue and staff, including areas such as toilets – where hazards are likely to be present (such as slippery floors)
• The increased custom can be served in a swift and satisfactory manner –
  • There will be bottlenecks and periods of extremely high demand, such as during half time, and with the addition of the hot weather staff may experience increased discomfort which would be a detriment to productivity and service standards
• The increased custom doesn’t detrimentally impact the workforce’s ability to ensure legal requirements are maintained –
  • eg. service is refused when required by Licensing Act, and ID checks are carried out where required

To moderate the bottlenecks and offload pressure during key periods, additional preparatory steps may be implemented. For example, pre-pouring drinks or erecting a bottle bar to divert customers from crowding the bar.

Emergency procedures

While hoping for the best, we must nonetheless plan for all outcomes. Emergency procedures must be a forethought, and measures should be in place to account for the increased customer volumes:

• Staff must be briefed on evacuation procedures (including in external areas, such as beer gardens), and be confident and able to contact emergency services should they be required
• Door staff and workers should ensure that the maximum capacity of the venue is not exceeded
• While not every pub may have a trained first aider, SIA licenced door staff are first aid trained in the event first aid is required.

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Food safety

If your venue offers food, there are increased risks of cross contamination when in unusually busy service periods. Higher ambient and equipment temperatures increase the risk of foodborne illnesses due to the increased likelihood of food temperature being in the ‘danger zone’. There is also the risk that customer allergies remain unchecked and unnoticed – thus, vigilance and knowledge of allergens present in the food items served should be impressed upon the staff and food handlers.

Plan in advance:

• During periods of foreseeable heightened demand, such as during the FIFA World Cup, a shortened or specialised menu may be adopted to allow for prior preparation of the food offered.
• Additional facilities may be adopted, such as an outdoor barbeque – allowing for a diminishing demand on the kitchen.

Temperature of the venue

The heat wave has managed to subsist, and the day of the upcoming England semi- final fixture promises a temperature as hot as the Argentinian strike force!

While there is currently no legal maximum working temperature regulation in this country, the temperature could seriously impact the productivity, safety and security of the venue:

• The temperature will invariably lead to increased levels of fatigue and dehydration of staff and this would be detrimental to supervision of the venue as well as to expected service quality
• Overcrowding and a lack of supervision paired with a heatwave also poses a safety risk for the attendees of your venue

Thus, further consideration should be given to the potential implications and risks posed by this:

• Utilise outdoor external spaces as much as possible to limit overcrowding indoor spaces
• Heat increases the frequency of workplace accidents due to reduced concentration
• Staff levels should account for and facilitate sufficient breaks and provision of a cool break area and accessible beverages should be made
• Staff may be tempted to prop open fire doors to allow for ventilation, but supervisors should ensure that this practice does not occur

By following the above guidance, and ensuring preparation and provision is made to account for the increased footfall and pressures on your business, record revenues (and hopefully the World Cup coming home) are within reach…safely.