Health and Safety Management in the Live Music and Events Industry       

                         (Entertainment Technology Press 2018) Third Edition   

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Notes from the publisher:

Chris Hannam’s major work on Health and Safety Management in the live music and events sector has been substantially expanded and totally revised for this third edition. Its 52 chapters cover all aspects of staging live entertainment events and the author’s treatment is highly detailed, running to well over 1000 pages.

The author draws on long personal experience in the industry and his approach is specific to the hazards that events create, for instance, whether its manual handling or mechanical lifting or electrical safety or many other relevant topics, he provides answers on how to manage projects in the area of public performance.

There are comprehensive chapters on all of the legal frameworks for machinery, fire safety, work equipment, employers liability, PPE, working at height, special effects, temporary structures, COSHH, traffic management, working time regulations and many more. Health & Safety at Work magazine states: “This is an outstanding piece of work: an awful lot of book for the price, and an essential reference for anyone working in the events/entertainment sector”.

A review from Health and Safety at Work magazine

Recently I had to arbitrate in a dispute between two users of a local community building. One complained that equipment installed by the other (a theatre group) was unsafe both electrically and structurally. I went to my library for help, but have to say that none of the books I found was as good as this one by Chris Hannam. How I wish I had discovered it sooner! It would have given me shortcuts to the solution and also made me more confident that the advice I gave was well-founded.

Here, Hannam provides a complete overview of the health and safety issues that may arise in live music and similar events. When you think of a major event such as a Glastonbury, Reading or Leeds festival, with all that they involve in terms of providing (hopefully safe) amenities for thousands of people, with temporary structures put up by a whole spectrum of providers – while also having to manage noise, electrical safety, lifting, lighting, crowd control, emergency procedures, security, lasers, pyrotechnics… You quickly get some idea of the potential safety headaches.

The book, now in its third edition, contains many of the topics you would find in a general health and safety management textbook, but there is so much more besides. For a start, the treatment is very detailed: Hannam really does get down into the fine detail and does not (as some other authors do) gloss over specifics with sweeping injunctions to take “appropriate” precautions (whatever they are). Then there is the greatest strength of the book: whatever Hannam is talking about (and he writes in a very conversational style) he makes it specific to the hazards that events create. So whether he is covering mechanical lifting, temporary structures, electrical safety, manual handling or another of the host of relevant topics, he is always direct about how best to manage that issue in the context of a public event. To do so, he draws on vast personal experience, and he does not hesitate to feature case study examples of where health and safety have not been properly managed – and what the consequences were. His scope is not limited to health and safety: he also covers wider topics such as licensing law, basic food safety and waste/environmental issues.

Overall, though, this is an outstanding piece of work: an awful lot of book for the price and an essential reference for anyone working in the events/entertainment sector.

ISBN 9781904031918

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HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE LIVE MUSIC AND EVENT TECHNICAL PRODUCTION INDUSTRY,  A GUIDE FOR EMPLOYEES AND THE SELF EMPLOYED 

          (Entertainment Technology Press 2015)                     

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A review by Rose Durbin and Johnny Haskett

Chris Hannam has provided us with a comprehensive and accessible guide to health and safety in the live entertainment and technical event industries. This book is designed to accompany the various Safety Passport schemes and to help candidates gain a clear understanding of what is an issue of critical importance to an ever-changing profession.

As more and more young people are entering the industry from colleges and universities, it is imperative that publications such as this one are readily available to both students and seasoned professionals. It is high time that educational establishments and those in the private sector who run courses associated with the entertainment industries realize the importance of embedding best practice into their curriculum content.

This book will surely go a long way to encourage that, as it is pertinent to the various circumstances in which people entering the industry could find themselves. The author’s expertise in the subject is clearly demonstrated in this publication and this guide will provide invaluable direction to anyone who engages with its content. As the introduction to this book sadly states, we seem to be lead to believe by the press etc. that “Health and Safety” is a set of outrageous rules designed to hinder our working life and get people out of lawsuits.

What this book clearly and concisely points out is that not only are these regulations common sense but are necessary to maintain a safe working environment. It is great that a book has finally been aimed at the music and events industry, and makes us aware that even in the smallest of working environments (small clubs and the like) that we are all obliged to think and act seriously with safety in mind.

As it is still an industry that doesn’t seem to require any formal training at all levels, it is increasingly important that we all take our responsibilities seriously to maintain a risk-free environment for ourselves and our colleagues to work in.

ISBN 987 1 904031 80 2

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HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT FOR TOUR AND PRODUCTION MANAGERS

(Entertainment Technology Press 2015) 

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Two books in one: Health and Safety Management for Tour and Production Managers is designed to give simple, basic health and safety information to new bands on their first gigs and tours, working in clubs and small venues.

Artists, tour, stage and production managers, crew chiefs, heads of department, supervisors or line managers working on small gigs and tours of clubs etc. will also find this book of use and has been designed as a follow on from Health And Safety in the Live Music and Event Technical Production Industry. It will also be of use to local crew companies, especially their crew chiefs and managers. 

The second book is Self-Employment in the Live Music and Events Industry,
A Guide for the Self-Employed and those who use the services of the Self-Employed. 

ISBN 978-1-90403-186-4

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AN INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT FOR THE LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY

(Production Services Association 1997) 

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Chris Hannam's first book published by the Production Services Association. As the title suggests, this book was an introduction to health and safety at a time when hardly anyone in the industry knew anything about health and safety, and when nobody wore a helmet, safety boots or high visibility clothing and riggers and those who worked at height certainly did not use harnesses and fall arrest equipment. How times have changed and we are slowly developing a safety culture within the industry and this book is where most of it started.

 

 

 

ISBN 0 9530914 0 6

Now out of print.