Event Planning & Safety

 

The key to addressing risk management issues and the fear of being sued is to adequately plan your activities. The more thought out and organized an activity is the less likely your chances of having an incident that will have legal consequences. More importantly, when you have things well planned out, courts are more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt when unfortunate things happen to people attending your event. Here is a method of planning and decision making that may help you in organizing your events.

1. Event Planning begins with limitless ideas.
   • a. brainstorm ideas for events never limiting yourself in what your group might accomplish
   • b. some of your best or most creative ideas might come toward the end of your brainstorming session so do not cut short your time to think about activities
   • c. many ideas can come from people adding on to others' ideas so promote collaboration
   • d. withhold criticism or processing until all ideas are out on the table
2. Once you have all your ideas, begin to weigh your options.
   • a. look at the short and long term consequences of your ideas
     • 1. we often overlook the legal ramifications of our ideas so use external resources (like this) to supplement your own planning to avoid potential legal pitfalls
     • 2. how will this event look to the public (those outside your group)
     • 3. how will this event affect your members down the road
   • b. look at your finances and resources to see if your idea can be a reality
   • c. use the people around you (other members, advisors, etc.) to use as a sounding board for your ideas
     • 1. have them play devil's advocate
     • 2. use them to find the gaps in your plan
     • 3. avoid groupthink
3. Once you think you are ready to go STOP. It is time for a REALITY CHECK.
   • a. ask yourself if this is still what you really want to do?
   • b. is it going the way you initially visualized it going?
   • c. if you answer no to the questions, then don't do it or change it
   • d. you are better off doing this instead of implementing a half-hearted program which may end up blowing up in your face both figuratively and literally
4. Now that you have prepared and prepared... it is time to ACT.
   • a. as you go through the event itself, make sure there are people responsible for supervising and monitoring the activity
   • b. have people on call who are there to handle any last minute decisions or crises
   • c. have a plan in case something goes wrong (See “Crisis Management”)
5. When the event is over, evaluate how things went.
   • a. reflection is the best method of seeing if you accomplished what you set out to do
   • b.  reflect so you can avoid repeating mistakes made from current programs

Crisis Management

Accidents Involving University Vehicles

1. Stop immediately and notify the local police.
2. Fill out Police Report. This is necessary for insurance purposes.
3. Obtain names and addresses of all the witnesses.
4. While at the scene of the accident, obtain needed information for the Motor Vehicle Report. The form will be in the glove box of the vehicle.
5. Do not make any statements as to who is at fault. Fault or legal liability will be decided by the proper authority.
6. Call the Transportation Center ( 845-7121 ). You will need to give them numbers found stenciled on the back of the van or found in the pamphlet in the glove box.
7. If the vehicle is inoperable and within the Bryan / College Station area, call the Transportation Center for wrecker service. If outside the area, have it towed to the nearest dealer of the make of the vehicle involved.
8. When you return to campus, fill out an accident report and notify the department through which the van was rented. (If it was rented through Student Activities, please contact the Staff Accountant.) Be advised that the student organization is liable for the first one thousand dollars ($1000) of damage on each vehicle for each incident.

 

General Crisis Response Plan

1. Begin by generating a plan for how to deal with emergencies
   • a. who is in charge in your organization?
   • b. who are you going to notify?
   • c. how will you help during the event and afterwards?
2. If medical attention is needed
   • a. contact 911 (9-911 if on campus) or get the appropriate help needed
   • b. consult medical release form for any special needs of victims
   • c. attend to medical needs first before doing anything else
     • 1. if you did not cause nor are responsible for the accident, then any medical assistance you give to the victims leaves you legally responsible for anything you do beyond what an ordinary person in that unique situation would do.
     • 2. if you did cause or are responsible for the accident, then you owe all victims of that accident a reasonable duty of care
3. Contact the appropriate authorities
   • a. notify the University Police Department (UPD) at 845-2345 (monitored 24 hours )
   • b. notify your advisor, chapter officers, and national officers in charge
   • c. all members of your organization should be notified in a general meeting
4. Statements about the accident
   • a. determine ahead of time what will be said if your organization receives inquiries from the media
   • b. in the initial stage immediately following the accident, it is best to empathize with the victims and their families but to avoid saying anything other than
   • "The situation is under investigation and that more information will be revealed when it is available."
   • c. this posture, of course, will appear as if you are covering up the situation
   • d. however, when more information does become available to you, your group should decide who will speak for the group and what information will be released
   • e. consult with your university advisor and/or national representative to discuss what things you should discuss in a post-accident press conference or release
5. Post-accident Cooperation
   • a. cooperate fully with those evaluating the accident
   • b. your organization as well should be seeking information to resolve the situation
   • c. covering up or ignoring information is never the recommended manner for handling a post-accident situation
   • d. learn from the event if nothing else
6. See also “Media Response”

 Media Response

 As with planning for a crisis, is important to proactively plan who should speak to the media and what should be said. This is true for public interest events (positive press) as well as for accidents and tragedies (negative press).

Having a plan for speaking with the media not only gives your story consistency but it also gives your group a way to hold in check what is printed about your organization based upon what your members say to the public. Limiting your public speakers allows you to funnel the amount of information released to the public so you can track whether or not the information the public receives from the press is an accurate portrayal of what your group has disclosed. So, when you limit the number of speakers, the more likely you are to limit the potential misquoting or "taken out of context" manipulations that often characterize the relationship between student groups, society for that matter, and the press.

What is important to remember generally in responding to a negative publicity event (such as an accident, hazing, death, etc.) is to balance your message with sincerity for the victims and their families while providing only a general framework for the information concerning the event itself. As we have witnessed with airline crashes and other tragedies, premature information leaked to the press often gets blown out of proportion or causes undue concern for victims' families and the reactionary public. Although providing minimal information following an incident usually is perceived as a cover up, perceptions can be changed or improved with factual information that absolves an individual or group from responsibility for a situation. If your group or an individual is found responsible for an occurrence, then the public perception will most likely stay the same. As you can see from either result, you are best off limiting your disclosures initially and then following up with additional information later on.

 

Guidelines for Speaking with the Media

1. Designate who will speak on your group's behalf.
2. Decide what information to release initially after the event occurs.
3. Decide what information to release later on after the event.
4. Determine who will work with outside investigative agencies.
5. Make sure you have a group meeting immediately after notification of an accident so that peoples' needs can be attended to as well as getting information out to the public.
6. Never represent to the media that you were acting on behalf of the University if you in fact were not. (Just because you have A&M in your group's title does not mean you represent the university)

 Operations Manual

 What is an Operations Manual?

An Operations Manual can be a valuable tool for everyone in your organization!  This document serves as a resource for any member of your organization who is planning an organizational event or activity, or who is making a decision that might impact the organization.  It also serves as an important record of the guidelines, procedures, and expectations set by your organization, and can be an effective tool for training and transitioning new leaders.  Your Operations Manual should be developed and maintained under the supervision of your organization’s Risk Management Officer.

 What should I include in my Operations Manual?

All organizational guidelines, procedures, and expectations should appear in your Operations Manual, along with any important information that you think should be available to your members.  The Operations Manual should be the first place a member turns when there is a question about the organization’s standards or procedures.  Although you will want your manual to reflect the unique needs of your organization, the following are basic components that should be standard for any Operations Manual:

 

1.                  Governing Documents

Constitution & Bylaws

Mission

Vision Statement

Core Values

Goals & Action Plans (for the current year)

 

2.                  Officers

Job Descriptions and Responsibilities

Organizational Chart

Contact Information

Transition Procedures

 

3.                  Advisors

                  Advisor Agreement Letter

Expected Role(s) and Responsibilities

Contact Information

 

4.                  Standard Operating Procedures

Membership Standards & Procedures

Discipline Procedures

Publicity & Media Relations Guidelines

Concessions & Sales Guidelines

Budget Process & Financial Guidelines

Important Phone Numbers, Websites, & Resources

 

5.                  Risk Management

Event Planning Procedures

Travel Procedures & Guidelines

Safety & Liability Guidelines

Crisis Response Procedures

Texas A&M Student Rules

-Alcohol & Drug Use

-Hazing

-Sexual Harassment

-Discrimination

 

6.                  Organizational History

Historical Information

Calendar of Regular Events

Event Evaluations

Budgets & Financial Records

Insurance Policies

 

7.                  Forms

Risk Management Matrix

Incident Report Forms

Event Planning Forms

Travel Forms

Financial Forms

Waiver Forms

Membership Applications

You may wish to add to or modify these sections as necessary to reflect the purpose and activities of your organization.  For example, if your organization sponsors the same event every year, you would want to include a section outlining the standard procedures for planning and conducting that event.  Remember, you want this document to be a resource for everyone in the organization, so make sure it is useful!

 How do I use my Operations Manual?

 This may seem obvious, but even the best and most thorough Operations Manual is useless if your members don’t know about it.  We strongly recommend that your manual be included as a part of your new member training programs and annual officer transition planning.  Your manual can also be made more user-friendly by placing it online, so that every member always has access when they need it.  To ensure that your manual is always up to date, your organization should designate an officer to be responsible for its development and maintenance.  In sponsored organizations, this will be a function of the Risk Management Officer.  Finally, remember that by outlining guidelines, procedures, and standards, your organization bears a responsibility to act accordingly.  To transform your Operations Manual from a statement of expectations into daily actions, you will need to reinforce it with training, leadership, and accountability.

 How can I find information for my Operations Manual?

 You can begin by reviewing your organization’s constitution and other governing documents for basic standards and procedures.  Files that your organization has kept from previous years may also hold valuable information, and your advisor may have maintained records of your organization’s history. 

The Department of Student Life also has sample manuals from a variety of organizations on file for your reference.  For further assistance in developing your Operations Manual, contact Todd Sutherland or Shelly Henry in the Department of Student Life at 409-740-4561 to find out more.

Facilities & Equipment Safety

Houses, fire safety, and equipment are other areas where good risk management must be practiced. A careful check of each is very important to the overall safety of guests and users of a group's facilities and equipment. Guests and users should be made aware of any potential hazards, taught how to use certain equipment, and informed of proper fire evacuation plans. These measures are necessary to safeguard groups from potential legal action stemming from the use of their facilities or equipment.

 Falls from Roofs, Windows, and Ledges

Student groups with houses need to take precautions to avoid falls from roofs, windows, and ledges. Each year, groups with houses are exposed to liability related to these types of falls. Groups must use preventative measures to keep people from access to these dangerous areas.

1. Lock doors that lead to the roof or have access to the roof. (Make sure you do not, however, violate the Fire Code in the process so check with your Fire Marshal first)
2. Have window screens in place so that open windows will be less likely to attract people to sit where they may fall out.
3. Place flower boxes or other decorative items on ledges to deter guests from sitting on the ledges and potentially falling off.
4. For any flat roofs or decks that guests or members use to sunbathe, congregate on, etc., there should be a protective railing for that area creating a barrier between your guests and the ground.

 

Safety Checklist for Securing Your Organization's House

1. General House Considerations
   • a. are your stairs in good condition?
   • b. do your stairs have handrails?
   • c. are your handrails securely fastened?
   • d. are your floors at the same level (unevenness)?
   • e. what condition is your carpet in?
   • f. does your floor sag when a crowd of people stand on it?
   • g. how is the lighting inside and outside your house?
   • h. are all potential hazards removed from walkways (water, ice, etc.)?
2. Fire Safety Concerns
   • a. are there sufficient exits available to your guests?
   • b. are these exits barrier free?
   • c. do your exits have clearly marked and illuminated exit signs?
   • d. do you have enough smoke detectors and are they functioning?
   • e. how many fire extinguishers do you have and are they in proper working order?
   • f. are your combustible materials kept away from heat sources?
   • g. are electrical outlets and circuit breakers kept in good order?
   • h. are there any visible signs of wear to power cords and plugs?

 

Safety Checklist for Equipment

1. Is the equipment in proper working condition?
2. Has the equipment been tested out before it is used by guests?
3. Are there any visible signs of wear and tear on the equipment?
4. Are there any safety features involved with the equipment?
5. Are the safety features in proper working order?
6. Have modifications been made to safety features of the equipment?
7. Are there any instructions necessary to use the equipment?
8. Does the equipment require any demonstrations or training to use?
9. Can anyone use this equipment or are there restrictions based on size, knowledge, etc.?

 

These are the types of questions and considerations you need to be contemplating when guests, customers, and third persons are using your house, equipment, etc. These are questions that help you set up a proactive plan for house and equipment use. By asking these and other questions, you and your organization can troubleshoot where potential problems or issues can occur. This way, you can take steps to correct the problems or establish a plan before an accident, injury, malfunction, etc. arises and you are held responsible.

 Recreation & Risk

Recreation

Generally, we think of those groups in the Recreation and Sports Categories as being more at "risk" than others, but that is not necessarily the case. Many groups in categories thought to be low risk, such as the Academic or Service categories, are likely to sponsor a picnic or retreat and then may decide to play baseball or volleyball. All groups, for social interaction, may plan a skating party or a ski trip, go to a member's farm to ride horses or impulsively decide to take a swim. You certainly cannot anticipate everything but just thinking about how accidents and injuries may occur will lead to some good risk management practices.

 Safety Education

If your organization is planning an outdoor recreation trip such as rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, etc., it is recommended that the organization sponsor a safety instruction workshop. Although this is not a fool proof method of preventing accidents or injuries, it can educate members and help to avoid mishaps due to individuals who are not knowledgeable on the proper procedures. If nothing else, it may raise awareness among participants regarding the dangerous nature of the activity.

Make sure that after you hold your information and training sessions, you have the participants sign an assumption of risk form. Also, you should have them sign a participation agreement form which is similar to a general assumption of the risk form except that the form is in greater detail specific to the event.