What are Safety Advisory Groups?
Safety Advisory Groups (SAGS), are usually organised by your local council and are made up of people from the council, emergency services and other relevant organisations and the people who are holding the event.
A SAG provides a forum for talking about the event to be held and considers public safety. The intention is to help the event organisers with planning, and management of the event and encourages all of the relevant agencies and the organiser to cooperate and keep the event safe.
The organisations who attend the SAG are the those with the legal duties for keeping the public safe, so a council can require the event organiser’s attendance as a condition of using council owned land, for example.
Event organisers need to comply with workplace health and safety law and consider the impact of their event on the local roads i.e traffic jams for people getting to the event. The emergency services, councils and other organisations who have legal duties, will give advice to the event organiser, explaining why they are giving their advice to keep people safe. It is the event organiser’s responsibility to take this advice and act on it. On the occasions where there is a disagrement between the event organiser and the SAG members, and there is a risk to the public attending, organisations such as the Police may decide to use their legal powers to resolve the issue.
When should a SAG be held?
The main principle is when an event could see a risk to public safety, this could be in respect of the sheer number of people attending, or the type of event, such as an airshow or large rugby events.
Long running events are likely to have effective ways of working already in place with organisations like the local council and emergency services. If a newer event, that is growing each year, the organiser may wish to contact us using the Send us a message box below.
You can find out more information about events, street parties and small fetes at the Health & Safety Executive website.
Dorset Police have produced this guidance document that gives in depth policing advice and links to supporting information to help you hold a successful event.
If you wish to enquire about planning an event in the area administered by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council please email: events@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.
In respect of planning an event occurring in the area covered by Dorset Council please contact the Dorset Safety Advisory Group (SAG) via email: licensingteam@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Information on planning events is available on the following websites:
Thinking of holding an event or procession in the Dorset Police area? Let them know here:
