SAFE OPERATING PROCEDURE - Events and Social Activity
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SAFE OPERATING PROCEDURE
Events and Social Activity
The University is required to comply with legal obligations to minimise the risk of exposure to and
transmission of coronavirus on their premises or when undertaking university organised activity.
Specifically, the risk of exposure to coronavirus on all premises open to the public and workplaces
must be assessed and “reasonable measures” taken to minimise that risk. “While it is unlikely to be
possible to mitigate the risks completely in all premises, some measures are reasonable to take, so
must be taken”. It is important that organisers of events and social activities, appreciate that the
pandemic is not over, and that mixing could lead to a significant increase in cases of coronavirus.
The Welsh Government will be closely monitoring the way events operate, see the Welsh
Government Event Action Card for more information.
The University is adopting a risk-based approach to all activity, to ensure we keep our community
safe. All events are required to comply with the existing university arrangements.
The person arranging any social activity or event, either on or off campus, is responsible for
completing a thorough risk assessment in accordance with Welsh Government and University
guidance and ensuring that appropriate reasonable measures are in place and understood to
minimise COVID transmission.
A range of existing documents and risk assessments are available on the H&S Staff Intranet page
to assist with specific activity risk assessment. The University Events and H&S teams are available
to provide support as required.
Definition of an Event/ Social Activity
Within the context of the University, an event is defined as:
A planned public or social occasion where colleagues, students, invited guests or members of the
public gather, outside of the scope of everyday teaching, learning and general business. A separate
guidance document has been developed for meetings and is available on the H&S Webpage.
This may include (but is not limited to):
Fairs and exhibitions;
Conferences and Dinners;
Awards ceremonies such as Graduation;
Open days and VIP visits;
Student social activities, including societies;
Political or religious gatherings;
Outdoor activities such as BBQs and marquees;
Sporting activities.
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The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/2021This does not include (in usual circumstances):
Timetabled learning and teaching;
Exams;
Ad-hoc learning activities within a normal classroom environment.
Preventing COVID Exposure and Transmission
The event/ activity organiser is required to manage COVID risks in accordance with the University
risk assessment arrangements and established risk control hierarchy Risk Assessment Information
Sheet. The risk assessment template is available at the end of this document.
The risks related to events will vary significantly depending on the size of the event, the number of
people attending, the location, and the type of activities. Some events will be much higher risk, in
particular, larger events and events where people are indoors in close proximity for long periods of
time.
While risks will vary depending on the event, the following risks will be typical and must be managed
as part of the risk assessment process:
Close physical interaction, including queuing in close proximity to others before entry and
while at the event venue, for example at food and drink outlets, corridors and aisles, toilets
and near stages;
Increased likelihood of mixing and face to face interaction, exacerbated by the influence of
alcohol;
Raising of voices over loud music increasing risk of aerosol transmission;
Increased humidity from physical exertion through dancing or exercise;
Potential for poor ventilation, particularly problematic where people spend prolonged periods
together (indoors) at events.
Where events/ activities are organised at another premises (not owned/ under the control of the
University), the responsibility to risk assess lies both with the owner of the premises and the
organiser of the activity.
The risk assessment must consider staff, volunteers, activity attendees and any others supporting
the event/ activity, including those with an increased risk of COVID. The activity organiser is required
to communicate the risk assessment and all control measures in advance of it taking place.
The following paragraphs identify reasonable measures for preventing COVID transmission.
Reduce the chance of Coronavirus being present
The best way of preventing spread of coronavirus in any premises is to reduce the risk of the virus
being on the premises in the first place.
HSA-10147-56 1.0 Page 2 of 12
The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/20211. Symptomatic individuals, Confirmed Cases, Isolation and Close Contacts
All staff, students, tenants, contractors and visitors who are feeling unwell are required to stay at
home and not attend an event/ activity on or off campus.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include; a high temperature, new or continuous cough or loss of taste or
smell, however, other symptoms can be identified on the NHS website and advice should be sought
before attending University. The coronavirus symptom checker can be accessed on the NHS Wales
website or contact the NHS 111 telephone line.
If you feel unwell whilst attending an event/ activity, either on or off campus, you are required to
follow the advice in the University guidance, Part 1 Reporting COVID Symptomatic Cases (HSA-
10147-42) and on the Welsh Government website Self-isolation | GOV.WALES
Make arrangements to immediately leave the event/ activity and return home. Avoid public
transport, maintain social distance of 2 metres at all times, wear a face covering and do
not touch anything.
Access the test, trace and protect service by contacting the NHS on 119 or the Welsh
Government website.
Immediately inform the University in accordance with the table below;
STAFF STUDENT TENANT CONTRACTOR VISITOR
Contact Security supervisor. Staff Contact Security supervisor. Contact Security supervisor. University
Email: member in Email Email Staff
securitysupervisor@swansea.ac.uk the vicinity securitysupervisor@swansea.ac.uk securitysupervisor@swansea.ac.uk Contact
Telephone: 01792 604271 i.e. event Telephone: 01792 604271 Telephone: 01792 604271
organiser
Line Manager Email University E&FM Contact University Staff Contact
MyUni
Support
Organisation Line Manager Organisation Line Manager
In the unlikely event that the individual is too unwell to leave an on campus event and
requires medical assistance, or the space is contaminated with bodily fluids, evacuate the
room and contact security on 01792 604271 for support.
You are required to provide the following information;
Name
Status (staff, Student, Tenant,
Contractor, Visitor)
Location on campus
Other campus locations visited
Are you leaving the site?
Is additional assistance required?
It is important that the University is made aware of anyone attending an event/ activity who is unwell
with COVID symptoms. On campus, the University will deploy a cleaning team to conduct a
thorough clean of the areas that you have visited whilst symptomatic.
HSA-10147-56 1.0 Page 3 of 12
The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/2021All symptomatic individuals are required to follow Welsh Government guidelines for isolation and get
a test by contacting the NHS 119 telephone line as part of the national test, trace and protect strategy
if they have symptoms. For more information see the Welsh Government website and University
guidance, Part 3 Arrangements for Isolation and Close Contacts (HSA-10147-44).
All COVID confirmed Cases must self-isolate in accordance with Welsh Government guidance and
report to the University in accordance with University Guidance, Part 2 Reporting Confirmed COVID
Cases (HSA-10147-43).
Please read and understand the University guidance for Isolation and Close Contacts.
Please Note: If you have been identified as a close contact and are exempt from isolation, (in
accordance with Welsh Government and TTP) it is a university requirement that you do not
attend campus or university organised activity.
Staff must make arrangements to work from home.
Staff who are unable to work from home for operational reasons must not attend work.
Students must not attend university activity on or off campus, including learning and
teaching, research, social activity and events, etc.
Staff are required to inform their line manager and HR at coronavirus-staff@swansea.ac.uk when
identified as a close contact.
Students are required to inform the University MyUni Support myunisupport@swansea.ac.uk when
identified as a close contact.
2. Regular Asymptomatic Testing and Vaccination
The University will facilitate regular Lateral Flow Testing (LFT) on campus in line with Welsh
Government guidance for Higher Education. Free LFT kits can be collected from several on campus
locations and from locations in the community Get rapid lateral flow COVID-19 tests. GOV.WALES.
Twice weekly testing is strongly recommended. Please note that this information is subject to
change.
COVID pass:
As a reasonable measure identified on a risk assessment, the event organiser can request evidence
of negative lateral flow testing and /or vaccination status prior to entry to an event / social activity.
See the Welsh Government COVID Pass for more information.
Welsh Government advises that employers, events, and venues may require you to prove your
vaccination status (or proof of a negative test result) using the NHS COVID Pass.
From 11 October, all those over-18 will need to have a NHS COVID Pass to enter:
Nightclubs;
Indoor, non-seated events for more than 500 people, such as concerts or conventions;
HSA-10147-56 1.0 Page 4 of 12
The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/2021 Outdoor non-seated events for more than 4,000 people;
Any setting or event with more than 10,000 people in attendance.
People who are fully vaccinated in Wales can already download the NHS COVID Pass to securely
show and share their vaccine status. It also allows people to show they have had a negative lateral
flow test result within the last 48 hours.
3. Maintaining Attendance Registers and TTP
The event organiser must have arrangements in place to monitor and record attendance at events/
activities, to support Test, Trace and Protect (TTP) in line with Public Health Wales and Local Health
Board guidance.
On campus all University staff and students are required where applicable, to sign into rooms via
the existing Salto and TDS points. QR codes are used in a number of University social spaces. Staff
and students are also strongly encouraged to check in to the SafeZone app when attending campus.
The use of SafeZone is particularly important during out of hours activity and lone working.
4. Prevent Crowding and Limit Capacity
Limiting the number of attendees and controlling movement of people so that where possible
customers can safely distance themselves from others is a key control measure. This is particularly
important when the activity is likely to result in close interactions or aerosol generating activity.
Event/ activity organisers must understand the maximum COVID capacity of a space (on and off
campus) prior to completing the risk assessment.
On campus, a risk assessment of University buildings has been carried out and the maximum
capacity of centrally managed spaces, has been specified.
As a general rule, activities and events involving students, carried out in Learning and Teaching
environments will operate in line with L&T contact groups of up to 30 and 6.
A group of up to 30 individuals present in an L&T space without social distancing
measures in place. Whenever possible, contact groups should be fixed with the same 30
individuals allocated for the activity programme.
A group of 6 individuals seated with 2m between each group of 6. Groups of 6 can vary
from session to session but should remain fixed for the duration of the session.
Requests to operate outside of these capacities and change of layout must be risk assessed and
justified. Authorisation will be provided by the University Events/ E&FM team.
Where public events are carried out in L&T environments, such as University open day lectures/
taster sessions, then the contact group model of 30 and 6 may not be appropriate. Consideration
for layout and seating arrangements, must be considered as part of the event risk assessment.
Public areas within University buildings, including, the library, corridors, foyers, reception areas,
shops, lifts, stairways and conveniences operate with 2m social distancing arrangements in place.
HSA-10147-56 1.0 Page 5 of 12
The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/2021In all venues, in order to prevent crowding the following must be considered during the risk
assessment;
Reducing numbers to minimise close interaction.
The location of the room in the building, considering access to and from the space.
Consider the timing of room use between groups and any changeover/ cleaning
arrangements required.
The shape and layout of the room/ space.
The use of one-way systems to walk around and control the movement of people coming
together in confined areas such as toilets and food and drink outlets, and near stages.
Controlling entry and exit points and manage queues, to prevent people coming together.
Adopting a table service system where appropriate for food and drink available at the event
Spreading people evenly across the venue so that they don’t gather in disproportionate
numbers in one room or space
5. Ventilation
Good ventilation, either mechanical or natural is important in reducing the airborne transmission risk
of COVID. On campus, the E&FM team has identified all ventilation and air conditioning systems
across the estate and taken appropriate action to control the risks. All action is in accordance with
regulator and industry expert guidance.
Event organisers are required to consider appropriate ventilation as part of their risk assessment
and report any concerns with on campus ventilation, to the E&FM technical services team.
Ventilation system settings on campus must not be altered.
Consideration should be given to;
The use of outdoor spaces instead of indoors.
Ensuring natural ventilation by opening windows and internal doors (unless fire doors) to
enable the flow of natural ventilation and avoid pockets of stagnant air in rooms. Contact
the H&S team for advice when planning to prop open doors on campus.
Further information on ventilation is available on the H&S Staff Intranet page.
It is foreseeable that individuals will experience a degree of thermal discomfort as a result of
increased natural ventilation on campus. This is a balance of risk between minimising COVID
transmission and individuals feeling cold. Staff and activity attendees must be advised that campus
spaces may be colder than usual and suitable clothing should be worn.
6. Cleaning and Sanitising
Event organisers are required to risk assess the cleaning and sanitising requirements for their event/
activity. This includes;
Minimising the number of surfaces and objects people can touch. For example, avoid sharing
equipment and materials, limit contact with menus, use Apps to order and pay for food or
drink, use contactless technology.
Thorough and regular cleaning using disinfectant in high footfall areas and in high contact
touchpoints such as counter tops, tables and door handles.
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The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/2021 Ensure that arrangements are in place to clean shared equipment and always maintain good
hand hygiene in accordance with the University guidance when handling shared equipment.
Provide hand washing facilities/ hand sanitisers in multiple locations, particularly at entry
points and elsewhere at key touchpoints.
On campus, Hand sanitiser stations are placed entrances to all buildings and the University has
arrangements in place for enhanced cleaning and sanitising of all areas. As standard and in addition
to cleaning by the Campus Services team, the following arrangements are in place in centrally
managed spaces.
The sanitising wipe (Sanisafe 3) dispenser buckets are fixed to a surface so please do not
attempt to remove.
The sanitising wipes will be frequently checked and replenished.
In departmental spaces, the department is responsible for ensuring that sanitising wipes are
available. If you notice that there are no wipes, please inform the relevant Department and ask for
a restock to be arranged.
7. Face Coverings and PPE
The use of face coverings as a reasonable measure must be considered as part of the event risk
assessment. Provision must be made for individuals who are exempt from wearing a face covering
and those for whom wearing a face covering increases communication difficulty.
The University arrangements for wearing face coverings on campus can be found here on the H&S
Staff Intranet page. As a reasonable measure, face coverings must be worn in the following
scenarios unless you are exempt;
In all University areas accessible to the public including: foyers, reception areas, corridors,
lifts, stairways, conveniences, shops and libraries.
When 2m social distancing cannot be maintained (unless you are a student who is part of a
defined contact group, see below).
When moving around a space such as an open plan office, learning and teaching
environment, laboratory or catering venue.
Where identified on a risk assessment as an appropriate control measure.
When requested, where there are clinically extremely vulnerable students or staff or those
who are at increased risk from COVID-19, including those who were previously shielding.
The University strongly recommends, but does not mandate, that you continue to wear a face
covering in the following scenarios;
When seated and socially distanced in a multi occupancy office.
When seated and socially distanced in an examination.
When seated and socially distanced in a learning and teaching environment, such as
lecture theatres, classrooms and computer suite.
When socially distanced in a research laboratory or workshop, where activity risk
assessments permit.
HSA-10147-56 1.0 Page 7 of 12
The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/2021 When working as part of a defined contact group in a learning and teaching environment.
Students are not required to be socially distanced within defined contact groups.
When working as part of a defined contact group in teaching laboratories, clinical settings
and workshops, where activity risk assessments permit. Students are not required to be
socially distanced within defined contact groups.
PPE and Respiratory Protective Equipment may be required as per the activity risk assessment and
take precedence over wearing a face covering. Compatibility of wearing a face covering with PPE/
RPE must be considered as part of the activity risk assessment.
8. Refreshments
This applies to scenarios where refreshments may be provided as part of an event activity in an L&T
space on campus, NOT when food is served in a hospitality environment. Consideration should be
given to the following;
Can attendees bring own refreshments?
Can refreshments be consumed during outdoor breaks?
Refreshments to be served in individual packages.
Food and drink should not be shared – no buffets or shared tea/ coffee/ drink facilities.
Ensure personal hand hygiene before and after eating.
Cleaning and sanitising meeting space before and after eating.
All waste to be removed from the meeting room and appropriately disposed of by the
individual.
9. Emergency Situations
Event organisers are responsible for ensuring that emergency arrangements are in place (for events
on and off campus) and are communicated to attendees. If you are a member of University staff or
are a student, download and check in to the SafeZone App when on campus to be kept up to date
in the case of any emerging situations.
On campus the following arrangements are in place;
Fire
In the event of a fire alarm activation, individuals should immediately evacuate the building through
the nearest safe exit.
The one-way system and social distancing does not have to be adhered to in an emergency.
Once outside and a safe distance away from the building, individuals should gather near to,
but not congregate at, the muster point.
Social distancing is to be maintained once outside of the building.
If you require assistance to evacuate a building in the event of an emergency, please inform;
Staff: your line manager and HR.
Student: disability office and MyUni support.
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The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/2021During events/ activities, the availability of fire wardens in buildings may be compromised. All activity
should consider the availability of fire wardens. When organising events on campus, ensure that
you read, understand and communicate the emergency information and that you are aware of how
to safely access and egress the building.
First Aid
General arrangements are in place for the provision of first aid on campus but event organisers are
responsible for ensuring that appropriate first aid cover is in place for their event. If you require first
aid;
Inform a University staff member, contact a University reception desk or use the SafeZone
app to summon help;
In the event of an emergency contact security (333 from a landline, 01792 604271 from an
external phone) or use the SafeZone app or 999 for the Emergency Services.
10. Non-compliance
All individuals are expected to comply with University requirements at all times. The event organiser
is responsible for ensuring that all H&S arrangements outlined in this document (and referenced
guidance/ documents) are in place and are communicated to others in attendance. Any concerns
related to the space or to individual compliance, should be reported to your line manager, the
booking contact i.e. department, timetabling or events team as applicable.
11. Booking an event
Please see the following flow chart for booking an event.
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The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/2021Booking an event flow chart
Booking enquiry sent to Event services
Enquiries that are within Enquiries that are outside
the 30/6 scope of 30/6 scope
Information required: Information required:
Name of event, Name of event, Campus,
Campus, number of number of people, date
people date and time. time, risk assessment and
justification of increase in
numbers.
Organiser to complete Risk assessment reviewed
their Risk assessment by Event services and
(signed off within layouts assessed for
Faculty/ PSU) suitability
Suggested room along
with risk assessment
reviewed by H&S
Event deemed appropriate; Risk Event deemed not appropriate
assessment and suggested room Amendments/ suggestions sent to
signed off by Event services and H&S organiser for review.
Confirmation of room booked sent to organiser by Events services.
Day of Event:
Organiser to adhere to Risk assessment and SOP
Following the Event:
Feedback and Lessons Learned
HSA-10147-56 1.0 Page 10 of 12
The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/2021Risk Assessment Template
Risk Assessment
College/ PSU Assessment Date
Location Assessor
Activity Review Date (if applicable)
Associated documents
Part 1: Risk Assessment
What are Who How could What are you already Do you need to do
Action by Done
the might be they be doing? anything else to manage Action by whom?
when? Yes/ No
hazards? harmed? harmed? this risk?
HSA-10147-56 1.0 Page 11 of 12
The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/2021Part 2: Actions arising from risk assessment
Actions Lead Target Date Done
Yes/No
HSA-10147-56 1.0 Page 12 of 12
The information within this document was accurate at the time of review: 30/09/2021You can also read
