Event safety

If you are organising an event in the Lancaster district ESAG can provide advice, support and guidance to help ensure the safety and welfare of visitors, workers and contractors at the event.

Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG)

Lancaster and district Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG) is a multi-agency group, chaired by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, which provides advice and guidance to event organisers, particularly for events that have the potential to pose a significant risk to the safety and wellbeing of participants, spectators and/or the general public.

The ESAG membership includes representatives from:

• Lancashire Fire and Rescue (Chair)
• Lancashire Constabulary (Vice-Chair)
• North West Ambulance Service
• Lancaster City Council (Secretariat)
• Lancashire County Council Highways
• HM Coastguard (for coastal events)

ESAG can give you independent safety advice for your event, but please note that it is the event organiser who has legal responsibility for ensuring a safe event.

Guidance and event planning template

• ESAG Guidance for event organisers (DOC, 75KB)

This downloadable document provides advice on planning an event, and a template for organisers. The template acts as a checklist ensuring areas of safety are covered adequately leading to an event plan that can be used by those running the event and circulated to outside agencies who may need to attend.

Events on council land

Depending on the nature and scale of your event when booking on council land, it may be a condition to attend an ESAG meeting prior to your event. Refusal to attend an ESAG meeting may result in your event application being denied.

Advice and guidance

The following links and downloads will help you plan and organise a safe event:

• HSE Guidance on running events safely
• Free HSE guides for event organisers
• Apply for a temporary road closure
• Apply for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN)

Last updated: 11 February 2020