Public Engagement
Masterclass 26: Risk Assessment
Professor Vanessa Toulmin
Richard Eyre, Sheffield City Council
Tom Fleming, Health and Safety
Introduction to the Public Engagement and Impact Team
• Introduction to the Public Engagement and Impact Team
• The masterclass series
• What we can do to help
© The University of Sheffield
What is Public Engagement?
• “Public engagement describes the myriad of ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is by definition a two-way process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit”
National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement
“Thanks SO much. I had fun and learnt a lot”
Audience feedback
• The University’s Good Research and Innovation Practices policy
www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/grip
• Minimum accepted practices in public engagement
• Higher practices to aspire to
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Faculty Support
Arts & Humanities Amy Carter
Engineering Sara Unwin
Medicine, Dentistry and Health
Nicola Strafford
Science Greg Oldfield
Social Sciences Amy Carter
Fran Marshall
Impact Cliona Boyle
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Contact [email protected]
Web resources
• Key source of information
• Main aspects of public engagement
• More coming soon…
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http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/publicengagement/ resource/toolkits/index
Masterclass series
Masterclass title Date 21: What to think about when organising your public engagement event
24 February 2015
22: Working in partnership with others 25 March 2015
23: Coordinating large scale public engagement 29 April 2015
24: Public Engagement or Widening Participation/ Outreach? 27 May 2015
25: Grant writing and impact 24 June 2015
26: Writing a risk assessment for your event 29 July 2015
27: How to identify, approach and work with stakeholders 30 September 2015
28: How to communicate your event
28 October 2015
29: Storytelling in public engagement 25 November 2015
30: Some ideas about how to evaluate your public
engagement event
16 December 2015
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Outline of session
2pm Welcome
2.10 - 2.40pm Professor Vanessa Toulmin
2.40 - 3pm Tom Fleming
3.00pm Break
3.10 – 3.30pm Group Exercise
3.30-3.50pm Richard Eyre
3.50 – 4.00pm Round up and questions
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Professor Vanessa Toulmin
Risk Assessments – where to start?
• A risk assessment should identify potential risks and actions to minimise the potential for them to happen
• Internal event – University risk assessment form
• External event – be lead by the needs and usage of the venue. You may need a long lead in time
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You need to consider:
• Public and audience
• Venue and context
• Artist/ event
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Festival of the Mind
Spiegeltent Risk Assessment
• What is the main consideration for a risk assessment in an external venue?
• Considered all aspects of having the tent in the city centre: including Capacity numbers for Spiegeltent, flooring and stairs, emergency fire evacuation, lighting, roof material within the Spiegel tent, venue compound & toilets, tables and chairs, entrance to the tent and anti-social behaviour.
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• Risks were rated according on chance of happening,
how severe the risk could be
• Actions put in place to minimise the risks
What is the
Hazard
What is the
Potential
Harm
Who is at
Risk
Existing Control/ Proposed
Control Measures
Likeli
hood
Severity Risk
Rating
Capacity
numbers for
Spiegeltent
Main
entrances
Front of the
tent
Emergency
exit point
located at
the rear of
the tent
General Public
Members of
University
Staff
Volunteers for
the festival
Removal of the booth in the
entrance to the tent during the
evening events.
SIA security staff at the
entrance during evenings.
Ticketed events
Clickers to ensue the capacity
of people are monitored in to
the tent.
Stewards with access to the
fire extinguishers close by.
Maximum capacity in the
evening is 250
Shutter doors will be removed
from 6:00 pm each evening
1
1
2
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Dangerous science – risk assessment example
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Hazards2
List what
could cause
harm from
this activity
e.g. working at
height, trip
hazard, fire,
etc.
Who
exposed
List who
might be
harmed
from this
activity
e.g. staff,
contractor
s
contributor
public, etc
Risk3
For each
hazard,
decide
level of
risk as if
you
were to
do the
activity
without
your
controls
Control measures
For each hazard, list the measures you will be taking to minimise
the risk
identified
e.g. appointing competent persons, training received, planning
and
rehearsals, use of personal protective equipment, provision of
first aid,
etc.
Risk3
For each
hazard,
now decide
level of
risk once all
your
controls are
in place
Working with
Flash
Cotton
.
ALL
HIGH
Likely,
Severe
Flash cotton is a commercially available explosive, but if handled
correctly is very safe. The flash cotton is only of danger when it is fully
dry, in the wet state it is regarded as a flammable solid.
Therefore the flash cotton will be kept wet whenever possible. When
wet it will be stored in its small plastic bags, in a non-conduction sealed
box. In the COSHH cupboard if there is one.
When needed only the amount required will be dried using the pyrex
bowl, heat proof tile and hairdryer. Once dry it will be kept in a non-
conductive, open bowl away from sources of ignition, and members of
the public. It will be labelled so other partners with access to the area
will not touch.
Any excess flash cotton will be wetted again and stored as above. SDS
sheet for flash cotton and string should be read in conjunction with this
RA
LOW
Unlikely,
Moderate
Public Lecture Risks
• What is the reputational risk to the University?
• Is it valid research?
• Who is the audience?
• Is your lecture about something controversial?
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Public engagement mishaps
• Member of staff fell down stairs of yellow bus (Mobile University)
• Electricity generator failure cause tent to collapse on audience (Mobile University)
• Aggressive behaviour by public (Tramlines)
• Evaluation poster got defaced
(Tramlines)
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Public engagement mishaps
• Student got finger caught between 2 magnets (Tramlines)
• Speaker not turning up
• Lost children
• Protestors
• Weather
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Group exercise
• You have been asked to take responsibility for assessing risk at a public lecture involving a panel of speakers followed by a poster exhibition and drinks reception in a community centre.
• What would you need to do before and during the event?
• What do you need to include in your risk assessment?
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Richard Eyre
Sheffield City Council
Tom Fleming
Health and Safety
For further information contact:
@UniShefEngage
#GetEngaged
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To Discover And Understand.