public engagement with research masterclass 8: risk assessment · 24th april 1-4pm relating public...

Public Engagement with Research

Masterclass 8: Risk Assessment

Professor Vanessa Toulmin Tom Fleming, Head of Health and Safety Steve Rimmer, CADS Richard Eyre, Sheffield City Council

05/11/2013 © The University of Sheffield


Outline of session

2pm Welcome

2.10 – 2.30pm Tom Fleming

2.30 – 3.00pm Professor Vanessa Toulmin

3.00-3.20pm Richard Eyre

3.25-3.45pm Steve Rimmer

3.45-4.00pm Round up and questions

Introduction to the project and Public Engagement with Research team

• Introduction to the Public Engagement

with Research Team

• The Masterclass series

• What we can do to help?


Masterclass series

Masterclass title Date & time

What to think about when organising your public engagement event 27th February 2-5pm

How to identify partners in the city? Internal and external 27th March 1-4pm

Public Engagement or Widening Participation/ Outreach? Organising for children and young people – what you need consider

24th April 1-4pm

Relating Public Engagement to Impact 29th May 1-4pm

Costing your Public Engagement activity and how the University finance systems work 26th June 1-4pm

Film & documentary skills 31st July 1-4pm

Writing a funding bid and identifying potential funds 26th September 1-4pm

Writing a risk assessment for your event 30th October 1-4pm

Media and social media training 20th November 1-4pm

Ideas for evaluating your public engagement event 18th December 1-4pm


Who is here?

• About the audience – show of hands

• Who is here? Academic, professional services

staff and students.

• Who has organised a public event before? Who

has organised 5 or more?

This is an inclusive environment to come together

to learn and share experiences of public

engagement


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

• 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


Tom Fleming

Health and Safety


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


You need to consider:

• Public and audience

• Venue and context

• Artist/ event



Festival of the Mind 2012

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.



• 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

Fright Night 2013


Dangerous science – risk assessment example


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,

contractors

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

Fright Night - risk assessment example What is the

Hazard

What is the

Potential

Harm

Who is at Risk Existing Control/

Proposed Control

Measures

Like

-lihood

Seve

rity

Risk

Rating

2. Public Threats,

drunken

behaviour,

intimidating

gangs

Students & Staff

of the University

Brief students on what the

expectation is of then.

Advise what they can and

cannot do. Provide them

with a full safety plan for the

event. Ensure that none of

the students work along and

that they are always

accompanied by UOS

member of staff and security

team member. Ensure that

all safety procedures are

followed by University staff

and Students.

All students and staff are

covered for this event. All

insurance Public Liability risk

lies with The University of

Sheffield

2 1 2


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?


Wondershow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhvouU1S

0WM&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dlhv

ouU1S0WM&app=desktop

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)


Public engagement mishaps

• Student got finger

caught between 2

magnets (Tramlines)

• Speaker not turning up

• Lost children

• Protestors

• Weather


Richard Eyre

Sheffield City Council

Steve Rimmer

CADS

External evaluation of Public Engagement Team

• Data collection planned

from 19th November

• On-line survey, focus

groups and individual

interviews


Opportunities for engagement – what is coming up?

Platforms:

• Festival of Social Science (November 2013)

• Children’s Festival (June 2014)

• Doc/Fest (June 2014)

• Festival of the Mind (September 2014)

For further information contact:

• Greg Oldfield, Head of Public Engagement

• Fran Marshall, Research and Evaluation

Manager

• Addison Building Room A100

• [email protected]


Questions


To Discover And Understand.

public engagement with research masterclass 8: risk assessment · 24th april 1-4pm relating public...

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