What To Know About Working at Height Safely at Outdoor Events
Putting on an outdoor event is no small ask. From rigging lighting to erecting staging, signage, and everything in between, one thing is clear. There is a huge amount of work that happens at height before the crowds arrive.
While most organisers are focused on delivering for their clients, large outdoor sites carry very real risks. The biggest of all is the UK’s leading cause of workplace fatalities: working at height. At outdoor events, where ground conditions vary and multiple contractors are on site at the same time, those risks are heightened further.
As an event organiser, responsibility for the work planned and carried out on your site falls on your shoulders.
So, to take some of the weight off, this WHC Hire guide walks you through everything you need to know. From legal duties to practical steps that keep your crew safe and your event on track.
What Does “Working at Height” Mean at an Outdoor Event?
Working at height doesn’t just mean working on a roof or up a ladder. Under the Work at Height Regulation 2005, the definition is much broader than many organisers expect.
Any work where a person could fall and suffer injury counts. This includes work at ground level near open excavations, as well as on platforms, staging, and elevated temporary structures. There is no minimum height threshold. If a fall can cause injury, the regulations apply.
At outdoor events, working at height covers a wide range of build and operational tasks. The installation of rigging, lighting, and PA systems, as well as erecting temporary structures, all fall under the same regulations. So does operating any type of access equipment, such as scissor lifts, boom lifts, and telehandlers.
For every event organiser, it is essential to understand that your duty of care extends far beyond your own employees. It covers every contractor and subcontractor working on the site you operate.
What Are Your Legal Duties For Event Organisers Under The Work At Height Regulations 2005?
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 place a clear set of responsibilities on anyone who organises or controls any type of work at height. This includes all event organisers reading this.
The regulations require event organisers to do the following.
- All work must be properly planned, organised, and supervised.
- The people conducting the tasks must be competent to do so.
- The correct equipment must be selected and used correctly.
- Any risk of a fall should be eliminated altogether.
- Where risks cannot be eliminated, organisers must reduce them as far as reasonably practicable.
In practical terms, this means risk assessments must be carried out and documented before any work at height takes place. This includes appointing a competent person to supervise the work and ensuring all access equipment on site has been inspected and is fit for purpose. For event organisers who hire access equipment, this means obtaining copies of any LOLER inspection records from your provider.
Non-compliance carries serious consequences. Breaches of the regulations can result in HSE prosecution, unlimited fines, and in the worst cases, imprisonment. Beyond the legal penalties, a serious incident on your event site could bring all future events to a halt.
The good news is that compliance doesn’t need to be complicated. A clear plan, the right equipment, and a properly briefed team go a long way in ensuring unnecessary accidents do not occur.
The Most Common Working at Height Tasks at Outdoor Events
The first step to ensuring safe working at height is understanding where the potential risks sit on your event site and during the activities your team will be undertaking. While every event is different, there are several common tasks that appear on almost every outdoor build.
Rigging and Lighting
For many live entertainment events, one of the most common tasks is installing rigging and lighting. Whether that is positioning lighting rigs above a stage, placing moving heads on truss structures, or running cables at height, this type of work requires properly rated access equipment and competent operators. For a closer look, check our supporting article: Access Equipment for Lighting and Rigging.
Staging and Temporary Structures
This work often requires crew members to operate at height during both the erection and breakdown stages. Platforms, roof structures, and PA towers all involve elevated work at various points throughout construction.
Signage and Banner Installation
Often a task that is easily underestimated, but one that should not be overlooked in your planning. Large format signage, entrance structures, and sponsor boards frequently require access equipment to position and secure safely. This includes seemingly simple jobs that only require a ladder.
Maintenance and Operational Tasks
It is also vital to account for any maintenance tasks that may need to be carried out during the event itself. Replacing lamps, adjusting camera positions, or attending to technical faults on elevated platforms all fall under the same regulations.
For all of these tasks, there is one thing that should never be skipped. None of them should be approached without a clear plan. The equipment, the people, and the site conditions must all be considered before any work begins.
How to Carry Out a Risk Assessment for Work at Height at Events
First things first. A risk assessment isn’t just a box-ticking exercise. At an outdoor event, it is one of the most important documents you will produce during your planning process and have on hand on site at all times. Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, it is also a legal requirement.
The good news for organisers is that the process doesn’t need to be overcomplicated. Here is a straightforward framework to follow when adding access equipment to your hire package.
Identify Hazards
Walk the event site and identify every task that involves working at height. This allows you to assess the conditions underfoot, the structures being worked on, and the equipment that will need to be used. Take care to observe anything that could go wrong at each stage.
Assess the Risks
For each hazard identified, consider who could be harmed and how likely that is. Factor in the experience level of your contractors, the complexity of the event build, and any environmental conditions on the day.
Put Controls in Place
Decide what steps you will take to remove or reduce each risk. This may mean selecting a more suitable piece of access equipment, establishing exclusion zones beneath elevated working areas, or ensuring operators are competent to use the equipment safely.
Record and Communicate Findings
If your event employs five or more people, recording a risk assessment is a legal requirement. But regardless of the size of your operation, it is best practice to share your findings with everyone on site. Any contractor or subcontractor working on site will need to know the plan before work begins.
Review and Update
A risk assessment written well in advance of your event will likely need revisiting closer to the date. Ground conditions, weather forecasts, and changes to the site plan can all affect the risks in play.
How Weather Conditions Affect Working at Height Outdoors
One of the biggest differences between working at height on a construction site and on an outdoor event site is the pressure of the clock. All outdoor events have hard deadlines. And the kicker is that delays are non-negotiable, unlike remedial work on a construction site. This pressure cooker situation can lead organisers to push on in conditions that just aren’t safe.
One of the most significant and unpredictable risks at any outdoor event is the weather. Here are some key risks to look out for when conducting tasks at height.
Wind
For tasks taking place off the ground, wind is the most serious weather-related risk. Most access equipment has a maximum wind speed rating, at which point it should not be operated. On open outdoor event sites with little natural shelter, wind speeds can change quickly. We would always recommend checking forecasts in advance and building a weather contingency into your build schedule.
Rain
In the UK, wet conditions are something that should always be planned for. Rain can quickly make elevated platforms, ladders, and access equipment far more hazardous. With surfaces becoming slippery and visibility reduced, the risk of accidents occurring increases significantly. Where possible, plan elevated tasks for dry weather windows and ensure the right machinery is on site to navigate the ground conditions.
Ground Conditions
Heavy rainfall doesn’t just affect the work happening at height. It affects the ground beneath your feet and the equipment too. Soft or waterlogged ground can quickly destabilise access equipment. It is therefore essential to check that the ground can bear the load before positioning any machinery. Using access equipment fitted with outriggers can provide essential stability on uneven or soft ground.
Extreme Heat
For the vast number of festivals and fetes that take place during the warmer months, it is vital to plan for extreme heat. High temperatures increase fatigue and the risk of heat-related illness. Always ensure crew members take regular breaks and have access to suitable welfare provisions, especially during long build days in summer.
The key takeaway for event organisers is simple. Weather should be factored into your risk assessment from the outset, not treated as an afterthought on the day.
What Access Equipment Is Suitable for Outdoor Events?
Choosing the right access equipment for an outdoor event isn’t just about ensuring you reach the height you need. For event organisers, it is about selecting machinery that is safe, suitable for the operating conditions, and offers a practical solution to mitigate risks.
There are many different types of access equipment used at outdoor events, each offering their own strengths depending on the task or tasks you have at hand.
Scissor Lifts
Scissor lifts provide a stable, spacious elevated platform for multiple crew members to operate from. Installing lighting rigs, hanging banners, and working on temporary structures on flat, hard surfaces are all well suited to scissor lift use. However, if ground conditions become uneven, soft, or graded, alternative machinery is usually better suited.
Boom Lifts
Also known as cherry pickers or MEWPS, boom lifts offer greater flexibility when it comes to reaching difficult working positions. Their articulating arms and combined vertical and horizontal reach makes them highly versatile for event organisers. Many models are also fitted with outriggers to support use on uneven ground. It is worth noting that basket capacity is reduced compared to a scissor lift.
Telehandlers
Unlike conventional access equipment, telehandlers offer event organisers a flexible option when paired with a personnel basket attachment. This transforms the multi-functional telehandler into a safe working at height solution. Before considering this method, you will need to ensure the telehandler you hire has the reach and lift capacity required for all your working tasks. While using a telehandler as access equipment isn’t its primary function, it is still worth exploring if you already require one on your event site.
Access Towers
For lower-level tasks where powered access equipment isn’t required, access towers offer a lightweight and cost-effective solution for many event organisers. They are quick to erect and dismantle, making them a practical choice for tasks such as signage installation and routine maintenance.
If you would like a deeper dive into comparing which access equipment best suits your event, check out our supporting article: What Access Equipment Do You Need for Events?
Ground Conditions and Site Setup: What to Check Before You Hire
The number one overlooked aspect of working at height at outdoor events is ground conditions. Most access equipment is designed to perform on firm, level ground and in the real world, things can change fast depending on the surface you are working on. Assessing your ground conditions should therefore be a priority before any work at height commences.
Getting this wrong doesn’t just affect performance. It can directly compromise the stability of the machinery and the safety of everyone working on and around it.
Here is what event organisers should be assessing before any access equipment arrives on site.
Surface Type
Grass, gravel, tarmac, and different soil types all behave differently under load. Grass and cohesive soils in particular can become unstable quickly, especially after a period of rainfall. Knowing your surface type before selecting your equipment is vital. If you are ever unsure, consult your event equipment hire provider before booking.
Ground Bearing Capacity
Every piece of access equipment has a ground bearing pressure rating. This refers to the amount of weight the machine distributes across the ground through its wheels and outrigger pads. If your site cannot support the load, the machinery can sink, tip, or become unstable. On event sites with soft or uneven ground, outrigger pads or ground protection matting may also be required.
Gradients and Slopes
Some event sites are set on gradients or slopes. While most access equipment has a slight gradient tolerance, operating beyond that tolerance can exceed the safe capabilities of the machinery. Walking the site beforehand helps identify any areas of uneven or sloping ground before deciding where and what equipment to position.
Overhead Hazards
Outdoor events are busy environments. From setup to breakdown, each stage carries its own risks. Before positioning any access equipment, it is vital to check for overhead obstructions. This includes fixed hazards such as permanent power lines, as well as temporary overhead hazards including power cables, rigging, and temporary roofing structures. As the event unfolds and the site evolves, always identify any additional overhead hazards before operating access equipment.
Equipment Inspections and Operator Competence Requirements
So you have established which access equipment you need on site. But that is only half the battle. Ensuring that equipment is properly inspected and that the people using it are competent to do so is equally important. Both are legal requirements under the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
Equipment Inspections
All access equipment used at height must be subject to regular inspection. For lifting equipment, this also falls under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, more commonly known in the trade as LOLER.
Under LOLER, all lifting equipment must undergo a thorough examination by a competent person at least every six months. As an event organiser supplying equipment to your crew, this duty falls to you to obtain copies of inspection records before work begins. At WHC Hire Services, all access equipment is maintained and inspected in line with these requirements, with copies available on every hire.
Beyond the formal LOLER examination, operators should also carry out a pre-operational check before using the equipment each day. This includes identifying any physical damage, ensuring all safety features are functioning, and confirming the machine is suitable for the ground conditions on site.
Operator Competence
Operating access equipment without the correct proof of competence and certification is not only dangerous, it could also lead to breaches of the regulations. For use in a professional environment, scissor lift and boom lift operators are expected to hold a relevant qualification such as an IPAF card to demonstrate competency.
While proof of operator competence is not required at the point of hiring access equipment, as an event organiser you could be exposing yourself and your event to financial penalties or imprisonment should an incident occur and no proof of competency exists. Always request copies of IPAF cards from the operators who will be using access equipment on your site before the build begins.
How to Create a Safe Working Zone at Outdoor Events
As an event organiser managing a busy outdoor site, the risks of operating access equipment do not only apply to the people working above the ground. They also apply to crew members working in and around the vicinity of the equipment being used. The answer is creating a safe working zone.
Here is what a safe working zone should include.
Exclusion Zones
First and foremost is an exclusion zone. A clearly defined area beneath and around the elevated work that restricts access to authorised personnel only. On outdoor event sites, this should be established before any work at height commences. In most instances, physical barriers or hazard tape should be used to mark the boundary clearly.
Signage
In some instances, barriers alone are simply not enough. Clear signage communicating that work at height is taking place and that restricted access is in place is vital. While this is essential throughout the entirety of an event, it becomes even more important during the event itself when large numbers of people are moving around the site.
Falling Object Protection
Tools, equipment, and materials falling from height are a serious risk on any event site. Wherever possible, all tools should be secured with lanyards and materials should be lowered using a controlled method rather than dropped from the platform.
Communication
When crew members are working at height, clear communication between basket and ground is essential. Introducing radios or establishing a hand signal system before work begins ensures everyone on site is on the same page. This is especially important where multiple contractors are working on multiple structures at the same time.
A Spotter
For operations using access equipment on a busy event site, appointing a dedicated spotter on the ground is strongly recommended. Their role is simple. Monitor the surrounding area, alert operators to any unseen hazards, and understand the emergency protocol should they need to intervene.
Hire Access Equipment for Your Next Event from WHC Hire Services
Working at height at outdoor events doesn’t have to be complicated. And with the right planning, the right equipment, and the right hire partner behind you, you can remove the stress of meeting tight event deadlines.
At WHC Hire Services, we supply a wide range of access equipment to event organisers across Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and beyond. Build your custom event equipment hire package with our team today and ensure you have the right access machinery to tackle your ground conditions and build schedule.
Get started today by visiting our website or getting in touch with your local depot.