Kimbolton Rural Sculpture Festival Health & Safety Policy 2027

Purpose

This Health & Safety Plan applies to all organisers, volunteers, contractors, stallholders, exhibitors, entertainers and visitors attending the Kimbolton Rural Sculpture Festival, including event set-up and pack-down.

The Trust is committed to providing a safe environment by identifying hazards, reducing risks and responding promptly to emergencies.

Key Personnel

  • Chairperson

  • Festival Program Manager

  • Stallholder Manager

  • Sculpture Coordinator

  • Health & Safety Officer

  • Secretary/Treasurer

  • Traffic/Parking Manager

  • Emergency Health Provider

Emergency contact numbers are available at Event Headquarters.

Event Headquarters

The Rugby Clubrooms will serve as:

  • Event Headquarters

  • Information Centre

  • Lost Children Centre

  • Incident Reporting Centre

Responsibilities

Organising Committee

  • Provide a safe event environment.

  • Identify and manage hazards.

  • Ensure emergency procedures are in place.

  • Coordinate contractors and volunteers.

Volunteers and Contractors

  • Follow all Health & Safety instructions.

  • Report hazards, incidents and injuries immediately.

  • Use equipment only if competent or authorised.

  • Wear appropriate PPE where required.

  • Take reasonable care for their own safety and that of others.

Stallholders and Exhibitors

  • Operate safely at all times.

  • Ensure displays and products present no danger to the public.

  • Follow food safety, electrical and LPG requirements where applicable.

Risk Management

A Risk Register will be maintained throughout the event.

Major risks include:

  • Vehicle movements

  • Public slips, trips and falls

  • Moving sculptures

  • Forklift operations

  • Electrical hazards

  • LPG and BBQ use

  • Fire

  • Severe weather

  • Crowd behaviour

Hazards identified during the event must be reported immediately to the Health & Safety Officer.

Volunteers - Festival

All volunteers will:

  • Receive a safety briefing or induction.

  • Sign in and out.

  • Receive breaks and drinking water.

  • Rotate out after a maximum of 2 hours.

  • Wear designated identification while on duty.

  • Be prepared for changing weather conditions.

  • Support safe crowd movement and assist with emergency procedures if required.

Alcohol consumption while on duty is prohibited.

Volunteers - Setup and dismantling.

All volunteers will:

  • Receive a safety briefing or induction.

  • Sign in and out.

  • Wear appropriate PPE where required.

Manual Handling

·     Lift only what can be safely managed.

·     Use team lifting whenever possible.

·     Keep loads close to the body.

·     Avoid twisting while lifting.

·     Use mechanical assistance where practical.

Working at Height

Any work above 2 metres must:

·     Be undertaken by competent persons.

·     Use appropriate fall protection.

·     Secure tools against falling.

·     Keep exclusion zones below work areas.

  • Use ladders safely and correctly.

Stallholders and Exhibitors

Stallholders and exhibitors are responsible for providing a safe work environment and comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

Before the event opening, the Health & Safety Officer will inspect stallholder and exhibitor sites to confirm they meet all safety requirements. Any non-compliant site must stop operating until the issue is resolved.

All stallholders must operate their stall in a safe manner and ensure that their products on sale are not dangerous to the public.

Site Safety

  • Maintain a safe site for staff, volunteers and the public.

  • Cover tent pegs and remove trip hazards

Electrical Safety

All electrical equipment must:

  • Be tested and tagged where required.

  • Be protected by RCDs.

  • Be kept in good condition.

  • Prevent trip hazards from cables by covering or taping down.

  • Protect electrical connections from weather.

Generators must comply with New Zealand standards and operate in well-ventilated locations.

Food Vendors

Food vendors must:

  • Hold the required licences.

  • Comply with food safety regulations.

  • Maintain safe food handling practices.

  • Obtain their own liquor licence where alcohol is sold.

  • Prevent public access to cooking areas.

LPG and BBQ Safety

  • LPG cylinders must comply with regulations.

  • Fire extinguishers must be located adjacent to BBQs.

  • BBQs must be adequately separated. (Minimum 5 metres from an adjacent BBQ)

Combustible materials must be kept clear.

Sculpture Safety

  • All sculptures must be structurally sound and securely installed.

  • The Sculpture Coordinator has authority to reject any unsafe exhibit.

  • Public exclusion zones will be established where necessary.

Performance Areas

Stages must be:

  • Structurally safe.

  • Free of trip hazards.

  • Properly rigged.

  • Operated by competent personnel.

  • Checked before performances commence.

Vehicle Management

  • Maximum speed on the Domain is walking pace (5 km/h).

  • Hazard lights must be used.

  • Public and vehicles must be separated wherever practical.

  • Stallholder vehicles must be removed from display areas to the designated stallholder parking area before opening.

  • Only vehicles essential to the supply of food, emergency services or part of the festival program are to be allowed on the Domain between 9:00am and 4:00pm.

Forklifts and telehandlers may only be operated by authorised personnel using spotters and appropriate PPE

Emergency Procedures

All emergencies are to be reported immediately to Event Headquarters.

Emergency procedures include:

  • Contact Emergency Services (111) when required.

  • Ensure personal safety before assisting others.

  • First aid provided by the contracted medical provider.

  • In the event of a fire requiring emergency procedures, the organising personnel are the designated Fire wardens and are required to coordinate evacuations.

  • Evacuation assembly area is the lower rugby field near the tennis courts.

  • Designated helicopter emergency landing area located across Kimbolton Road opposite the public car park.

First Aid

  • Qualified first aid personnel will be on site.

  • All injuries, regardless of severity, must be reported.

  • Serious incidents must be referred immediately to emergency services.

Security

Security personnel will:

  • Patrol the site overnight from 6:00pm – 7:00 am Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

  • Respond to incidents.

  • Liaise with Police where required.

Crowd Management

Event staff and security will monitor:

  • Crowd behaviour

  • Alcohol-related issues

  • Illegal activities

  • Safe road crossings

Police will be contacted where necessary.

Parking and Traffic

  • Public parking will be in designated areas.

  • Traffic management personnel will direct vehicles.

  • Parking marshals will wear high-visibility clothing.

General Safety Rules

Everyone attending the festival must:

  • Report hazards and incidents.

  • Follow instructions from event officials.

  • Wear suitable clothing and footwear.

  • Keep work areas tidy.

  • Dispose of waste responsibly.

  • Use only authorised equipment.

  • Respect safety barriers and restricted areas.

  • Ensure children are supervised.

Incident Reporting

All accidents, injuries, near misses and hazards must be reported to Event Headquarters as soon as practicable.

The Health & Safety Officer will record incidents and ensure appropriate corrective actions are taken.

Risk Management Plan

For a detailed Risk Management Plan click on the Risk Management Plan link

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