Blog Post
A safety officer course is prudent for those working in recreational planning and management. When organising large-scale events there are many uncertainties and unpredictable outcomes. Not only are there unpredictable outcomes, but the setup and construction of the events stages, light and vendors all need to adhere to safety stipulations. With safety officer training, you are better prepared to respond to any emergency and ensure you are meeting safety protocols.
There are many examples of concerts and festivals that harmed guests because they did not adhere to safety stipulations. Consequently, a trained safety officer at these events avoids the worst-case outcome seen in famous cases like Woodstock and Astroworld. In this article, we discuss the safety protocols, the role of a safety officer and the safety officer course we offer at EMCARE.
South Africa composed a "Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act" in 2009. At the time, the minister of sports and recreation consulted with the South African Police services and other key individuals to manage health and safety in events.
Some of the things included in this act are ensuring there is a security plan and safety measures are in place, medical staff are present - and relevant personnel are trained and accredited. The act itself also specifically states a venue safety officer is responsible for ensuring an event is compliant with the provisions for this act. This makes a safety officer course crucial as it better equips safety officers for their role.
A safety officer manages dozens of roles for an event. Everything from crowd management, event set-up, safety planning and enforcement of rules falls under the role of a safety officer. They ensure events are both a safe working environment, but also safe to attend. With proper training and accreditation - crew, performers, technicians, and guests among others are safer with the event management under a safety officer.
Additionally, a safety officer must be well-versed in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), to ensure the OHS Act and its regulations are being thoroughly followed. Moreover, a safety officer ensures that events are compliant with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) requirements. Essentially, a safety officer requires both theoretical and practical knowledge and skills otherwise events can have dire consequences.
The two Woodstock events in 1969 and 19999 are some of the most notorious events where attendees suffered at the hands of poor health and safety conditions. Many safety protocols were not considered, an important one that was not well planned for was fire. Candlelight vigils spread dangerous fires across the festival grounds in '69.
In Woodstock '99 poor sanitation, rioting, looting and sexual violence all marked some of the most dangerous aspects of events without safety officers. Over the festival weekend, 5,162 medical cases were reported, and three deaths occurred. Everything from the safety of the grounds to the lack of medical staff to the enforcement of rules meant the loss and injury of people's lives.
A more recent event that caused the death of ten people was Travis Scott's music festival "Astroworld" in 2021. The concert additionally had thousands of injuries. These deaths and injuries were predominantly from the over-capacity of the crowd. Safety protocols were discarded, and medical staff were slow to react to combat how many injuries were happening. Events organised are speculated to have been warned that people could die, but not enough was done to ensure the event followed procedures and protected attendees.
The consequences of not only not following safety protocols, but also having personnel in charge who are not well-equipped to deal with and combat emergencies are detrimental. A safety officer course ensures that personnel are properly trained and aware of the consequences and risks when planning recreational events. This also guarantees that the relevant laws and OHS Acts are being followed to protect the event organisers and employees as well as attendees.
EMCARE's safety officer course provides an in-depth programme to provide safety officers with extensive practical and theoretical knowledge. The course consists of ten modules taught over two weeks. The modules include:
Additionally, the safety officer course includes all three levels of first aid training combined. Moreover, basic firefighting and legal liability are also included in training. The price of the course itself includes an accredited A4 certificate that can be registered with the South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (SAIOSH). Learner manuals, training and presentation equipment are also included.
The only prerequisite for our course is a grade 10 and proficiency in reading and writing in English. The course itself is taught by qualified facilitators with over 1000 hours of hands-on experience. The course can be instructed in local languages if requested for groups larger than 10. The safety officer course is available at all EMCARE branches.
This is an all-inclusive and thorough safety officer course that offers you accreditation, training, theoretical and practical expertise as well as accessibility. Get in touch with us if you would like to be equipped for your role in event management.
Having professional, experienced, and knowledgeable safety officers makes the difference between a safe and disastrous event. With EMCARE's safety officer course, you can trust personnel to have the appropriate skills to organise, manage, act and account for recreational events. To learn more about our safety officer course, visit our website. Alternatively, to make a booking, get in touch with us by filling out a form.
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