Tuesday tips for planning safe events: interactive orientation and training

It’s Tuesday and that means another edition of Tuesday tips for planning safe events!

Today’s tip is to provide a hands-on, interactive orientation/training session for all of your event staff/volunteers

To ensure that your event runs smoothly and safely, it is important to know that your staff/volunteers are properly trained on their duties and responsibilities prior to the event taking place. By inviting your staff/volunteers to participate in an interactive training and orientation program, you can ensure that they are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to safely plan and lead your event.

Here are some suggestions for developing a strong training/orientation session:

• Share with your staff/volunteers as much as possible about your organization and its mission, services, etc.
• If possible, do a walk-through of the event so that your staff/volunteers will have a realistic idea of what to expect and how best to fulfill their duties/responsibilities
• Use multimedia (pictures, videos, slideshows, etc.) throughout the training program to display safety measures and injury prevention techniques, etc. These tools will help your volunteers/staff to visualize what you are teaching them.
• If the event has been held before, use the prior year’s reports to educate and inform your staff/volunteers—you may even have previous staff/volunteers share their stories/experiences with the group
• Allow for engagement and activity by creating “What if…” scenarios and having the staff/volunteers brainstorm their ideas on how to appropriately handle the given situation. Compare and critique these ideas as a group and offer suggestions for improvement.
• Allow the opportunity for staff/volunteers to ask questions and provide feedback on the information you are giving them
• Provide staff with information on who they should notify in case of an accident or emergency. One idea is to have an Event Medical team on site so that help is nearby and your staff/volunteers know who to contact for immediate assistance.

When planning any orientation or training, it is important to consider the question, “What would someone need to know to feel comfortable and competent in carrying out this position?” The answer to that question should lead you to the final design of your training program. Remember that the more prepared your staff and volunteers are, the safer your event will be.