What is BS 8406:2020 about?
From conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs to music festivals and sporting events, the UK pre-Covid-19 event industry was worth more than £20.6 billion in gross value added (GVA) and £58.4 billion in gross domestic product (GDP).
As it recovers, more than ever, events will need to be safety and securely stewarded. BS 8406:2020 is a revised British Standard that details how organizations should manage the service provision of event stewarding.
Who is BS 8406:2020 for?
- Event organizers
- Venues
- Destination marketing organizations (DMOs)
- Destination management companies (DMCs)
- Exhibition contractors
- Event production companies
- Event suppliers including: transport operators, telecommunications and IT companies, interpreters and translators, speciality caterers and event insurance specialists
- Related vocational qualification awarding bodies
Why should you use BS 8406:2020?
Crowds present a number of hazards, including crushing, trampling and surging; aggressive or dangerous behaviours (such as climbing on equipment or throwing objects); and criminality, such as theft, vandalism, or drug dealing/taking. In addition, a more recent phenomenon is the security threat posed by “lone wolves” targeting innocent spectators at major public events.
There’s therefore a need to ensure that event stewarding is as professional as possible to ensure crowd safety and security, and to eliminate “rogue traders” in the event stewarding market.
To that end, this British Standard gives recommendations for the infrastructure, staffing, training, operation and management of organizations providing stewarding including the support of safety at events. It’s intended to be applied in conjunction with BS 10800.
Although BS 8406:2020 is aimed at organizations that provide event stewarding services on a contracted basis, its provisions and guidelines are equally applicable to companies operating an in-house service provision.
NOTE 1: In the context of this standard, an event is defined as an organized gathering of the public, whether on payment or otherwise, in the open air, under cover, or indoors.
NOTE 2: The recommendations of this British Standard do not apply to the provision of security services, such as static site guarding, mobile patrol services, CCTV, security dogs and door supervision. Recommendations for static site guarding, mobile patrol services, and door supervision are given in BS 7499, BS 7984-3, and BS 7960 respectively. This British Standard is not applicable to locally organized community events, however, it can be used as guidance for organizers or suppliers.
What’s new about BS 8406:2020?
This is a revision of BS 8406:2009. BS 8406:2020 has been updated to bring it in line with current practice and to ensure it reflects the more recent security threat from lone wolves targeting the general public in places where there’s a higher concentration of innocent bystanders.
