Planning for Event or Overseas Trip

Written by Raymond Tay on December 15, 2009 – 1:28 am -

Just completed a workshop on “Safety & Crisis Planning & Management” under NUS Office of Safety, Health and Environment. It has reinforced & reminded me about the importance of safety and to think of all the necessary potential hazards that might cause risk to our event participants. Safety considerations are sometimes commonsensical but we should not take for granted. It’s better to have somebody to double check for us after we’ve given a safety planning on our own.

If you are organising an event (e.g. night cycling, sport carnival, adventure camp, expedition), you should have a separate person to act as Safety Officer (can be more than one) because as a project director, you’ll be too busy handling everything and might lose focus on safety aspect. It’s also recommended to have a Supervising Officer to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Normally, when planning any event, your organising committee need to go through three phases: Preparation, Execution and Recovery. Some important things to note will include recce trip, contingency plan and medical evacution. Indemnity form is also necessary to let participants take responsibility and protect the event organisers. However, if you neglect taking the necessary control measures, then you are still liable for any loss. Nevertheless, each & everyone of us must do our part to ensure all the activities are carried out safely.

In addition, Project Director & Safety Officer(s) should go for training on CPR & AED and borrow AED equipment for the event.

Here’s a checklist for safety planning:

1. Suitable use of Place/Venue, Sea &/or Land Route
a. Recce the place/venue, sea &/or land routes to be used during planning
b. Confirm any use of public road or places, sea lane/channel
c. Obtain relevant authorities’ official approval
d. Note & mark the hazard & risky areas due to terrain, vehicular & human traffic
e. Light condition, illumination required of the venue / stretches of route
f. Safe areas for arrival & dispersal of vehicles
g. Large area for mass assembly
h. Ease of mass evacuation & quick dispersal of crowd
i. Available covers/shelters for taking refuge from lighting & thunderstorm
j. Availability of ambulance access & casualty pick-up areas/points
k. Re-confirm the safety aspect of the place/route 2 hours before execution

2. Transportation
a. Proper & correct vehicle to be used
b. Licensed driver & driving experience
c. Familiarisation of route & danger areas
d. Carrying of load & people within allowable limits
e. Proper securing of load & bulky objects
f. Proper & suitable location for loading & unloading
g. Deployment of traffic cones & marshals
h. Use of Vehicular Rear Anti-Collision Devise / Cushion while working along
public road
i. Proper safety distance between vehicles traveling in convoy / group
j. Command, Control & Communication in dispatching, control & monitoring of vehicle convey

3. Material Handling
a. Handling of heavy load
b. Use of Material Handling Equipment (MHE) ie crane, scissor lift etc & licensed operator
c. Limitations on height & load bearing
d. Cordon & warning of MHE working area

4. Electrical Work
a. Danger of overloading of electrical power source
b. Employment of licensed commercial electricity generator, its area of
deployment, preventive cordoning & fire preventive measures
c. Safe laying, tapping down & covering of wires

5. Structural Work & Hot Work
a. Overall load bearing on the platform or structure
b. Use suitable material for construction
c. Securing of the platform & its stability
d. Engage licensed contractor & Professional Engineer certification
e. Use of proper power tools with proper license, training, proficiency & safety measures in place
f. Use of hot work eg. soldering, welding, etc with proper license, training, proficiency & safety measures in place
g. Ensure work place is clean, safe, free of obstacles, dangerous materials,
flammable materials & gases
h. Obtain relevant authorities’ official approval, if required

6. Sales or Provision of Food & Drinks
a. Engage qualified & certified food caterer/vendor
b. Obtain relevant authorities’ official approval, if required
c. Proper hygiene measures & practices in preparing food & drinks
d. Length of time between food preparation & consumption
e. Proper & appropriate storage of food & drinks pending consumption

7. Traffic Control
a. Closure of road/area
b. Employment & deployment of Safety Barricades
c. Sufficient Traffic Marshals to man the hazards & risky areas along the route
d. Traffic Marshals to wear bright colour / reflective clothing
e. Use of Safety Vests, traffic control batons & light sticks
f. Deploy Traffic Marshals at brightly lit, easily observed from oncoming traffic & safe location to manage the risky areas
g. Deployment of mobile patrol (using bicycle or motor-vehicle)
h. Command, Control & Communication
i. Obtain relevant authorities’ official approval

8. Medical Coverage & Evacuation
a. Command, Control & Communication
b. Locations & contact numbers of Medical Facilities (hospital, polyclinic, private clinic) to be used in time of emergency
c. Location of medical post
d. Availability of medical doctor
e. Sufficient number of current & qualified medics &/or lifeguards
f. Identify & employ those organisers & participants who have knowledge of first aid & CPR
g. Availability of medical equipment & supplies (including AED & Resuscitator)
h. Availability of safety vehicle &/or boat
i. Licensed driver & driving experience
j. Availability of Vehicle Commander/Assigned Personnel to accompany
casualty/victim/patient to the medical facility eg. hospital, clinic, etc
k. Recce & familiarisation of casualty pick-up point
l. Recce & familiarisation of evacuation route to medical facility

9. Weather & Its Effects
a. Lighting risk
b. Thunderstorm risk
c. Risk of strong wind & gust
d. Risk of flash flood risk near river, stream
e. Risk of potential dead fall in vegetated/forested area
f. Wet weather effect on road conditions for walking, jogging, climbing, competitive running, cycling & vehicular movement
g. Wild fire & fire prevention during dry spell/session
h. Command, Control, Monitoring & Communication

10. Hydration Plan
a. Participants’ hydration before event / activities
b. Number & location of water points
c. Supply & re-supply of water or other drinkable fluid for mass

11. Special Safety Arrangement / Instructions
a. Accounting of personnel before, during & after conduct of activities
b. Health check & declaration of participants before & after activities
c. Buddy system for participants
d. Risk of snake bite, hornet, wasps & wild animal attack
e. Risk of sudden drop in water depth (seaside & riverside)
f. Potential dangerous & high risk areas to be avoided venturing into
g. Risk of flash flood risk near river, stream
h. Risk of potential dead fall in vegetated/forested area

12. Sufficient/Special Training Required
a. Participants to receive sufficient or special training on risky activity,
performance, sports eg. mid-air flip & free fall in human pyramid
b. Enforce minimum requirement of participants’ proficiency in risky activities
c. Availability of Qualified Trainer
d. Compliance to the code of practice, established rules & regulations of
Professional Bodies in Singapore

13. Attire & Footwear
a. Proper & appropriate attire & footwear for the safe participation

14. Special Identification/Marking of Participants
a. Identification of less proficient / weaker / higher risk participants in potentially
risky event, eg, swimming, cycling, etc
b. Night marking for individuals

15. Participants’ particulars
a. Essential particulars, NOK’s contact
b. Blood Group, special medical condition & any allergy
c. Photocopy of participants’ passports or travel documents (for organized
overseas trip) for safe keeping by organizer on site & in office

16. Conduct of Briefing on the Conduct of Activities & Safety Plan
a. Briefing to cover Preparation, Execution & Recovery phases
b. Detail briefing to Organisers, helpers & Workers
c. Detail briefing to Participants


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Mental Health First Aid

Written by Raymond Tay on November 16, 2009 – 10:06 pm -

Recently, I attended a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course in University Health Centre (supported by Changi General Hospital) and it is really useful and increase my mental health literacy. This MHFA course was developed by Betty Kitchener and Professor Tony Jorm and was authorised by the Centre for Mental Health Research at The Australian National University. Betty Kitchener personally has had episodes of depression and has been hospitalised twice for this illness and thus she wanted to assist people who have similar issues like her. The course encourages community members to recognise symptoms of mental illness, to feel comfortable and informed about seeking help or assisting others to seek help, and to reduce stigmatising attitudes towards mental illness.  It is quite similar to Medical First Aid and its aims are:

  • Preserve life where a person may be a danger to himself or others.
  • Provide help to prevent the mental health problem from developing into a more serious state.
  • Promote recovery of good mental health.
  • Provide comfort to a person suffering a mental illness.

“Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.” – William James

The MHFA Action Plan (the steps to take as a first aider)

  1. Active listening
  2. Risk assessment of harm and suicide
  3. Impart information and reassure
  4. Self-help strategies and social support
  5. Encourage person to get appropriate professional help

Fact: 1 in 6 adults in Singapore will suffer from some form of common mental illness disorder in their lifetime.

There are four modules in this course:

  1. Psychosis: describe a mental problem in which a person has lost some contact with reality
  2. Mood disorders: conditions that affect a person’s mood
  3. Anxiety disorders: can be expressed in a variety of ways (physical, psychological and behavioural)
  4. Addiction problems: occur when a person compulsively engages in a specific activity.

How do we assess the risk level for a person who is thinking of suicide?

We can use these risk factors: “C.P.R.” (Current Plan, Prior Attempts and Resources). Does the person plan how & when to kill themselves? Does he/she have any prior attempt of suicide? Does he/she lack external resources (friends and family) and feel a sense of hopelessness? If the 3 questions are “yes”, the person has a high risk of suicide. Immediate action and professional help is needed for him/her.


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