Note for Art Weeks Participants

Why we need a Health and Safety Check/ Risk Assessment?
Since your venue will be opened to the public, you will need to have Public Liability Insurance (PLI). We also recommend that you prepare some form of Risk Assessment to ensure yourself and the public are properly protected.

What should you do if your event/exhibition takes place in public venue?
If your exhibition/project takes place in a venue that has been set up as a public venue, please contact them to make sure they have Health & Safety Policy/Guidelines in place to ensure you can carry out your activities during Art Weeks.  If you are providing workshops or specific activities that involve the public, please carry out a separate Risk Assessment for those activities.

What should you do If your event/exhibition takes place on private premises?
If your exhibition/project takes place in your studio, venues that are not normally open for public access and without a Health & Safely Policy/check in place, you need you carry out your own Health & Safety check/Risk Assessment. 

What do you do next if you need to carry out your own Risk Assessment?
We understand that some of the venues are artists’ studios or environments that contain hazards. We all know that it is impossible to create a risk free environment, therefore, sensible Risk Assessment is about managing risks but not eliminating them. Signage is also important, including the Disclaimer (which you can download from this page) please make sure you place them in eye catching positions.

Risk Assessments can be carried out at different levels - you may only need to take 15 minutes to undertake a simple one at the basic level. A Risk Assessmet Template (which you can download from this page) is included as reference. After you have done the Risk Assessment, please keep it safely with your PLI certificate (also see the PLI for SAW Members).

These notes and the template have been created by SAW for reference only in relation to Art Weeks’ events and exhibitions.  Please contact us if you need any further advice on Health & Safety issues or alternatively please contact the Health and Safety Executive Infoline on 0845 345 0055 or visit their website www.hse.gov.uk for further assistance.