Safety Advisory Group (SAG)

Safety of the public at organised events is of vital importance.

If you are planning an event which you think may require advice from the SAG, please complete the Event notification form (for events not on council owned land).  

Event notification form

If you are organising an event you can obtain information and advice about how to do so safely from the Safety Advisory Group.

The group is chaired by the council and comprises senior officers from all the emergency services (police, fire and rescue services, ambulance, NHS Trusts) as well as East Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and other relevant organisations.

It holds regular meetings throughout the year, where organisers can obtain advice and guidance for the planning and execution of their event.

The group provides advice on the following areas:

• health and safety
• risk assessments  
• event control crowd management
• food safety
• noise and light pollution
• traffic management and highways issues
• Trading Standards
• policing and security matters
• fire safety
• first aid and special health care requirements
• welfare facilities, toilets, hand washing
• any other issues that it has knowledge and expertise on and which are relevant to an event, such as waste and recycling

Typical events which may require advice include:

• events expecting attendance of over 500
• street carnivals and processions
• firework displays
• sporting events
• music festivals, concerts and open air entertainment
• trade shows
• religious events
• fetes and fairs
• raft races and other water borne events
• Christmas lights switch on events 

If your event requires advice from SAG but you would also like to use council open space, please go to our holding events on council land webpage.

Before attending a SAG meeting, you will be required to write an Event Management Plan.

Members of the group will consider the information provided and if necessary you or the representatives of the event will be invited to attend a SAG meeting to discuss the organisation of the event. SAG meetings are usually held every other month. Please contact us for these exact dates.

The Safety Advisory Group provides a forum to discuss event public safety. We aim to help organisers to plan and manage an event and to encourage co-operation and co-ordination between all relevant agencies. Event organisers and others involved in the running of an event, retain the principal legal duties for ensuring public safety at your event.

Representatives of the Safety Advisory Group will not be held responsible for any personal injury (including sickness and death) or loss of or damage to any property (including property owned by one of more of the Safety Advisory Group representatives) caused by or arising from the holding of your event.  

It is your responsibility to ensure you have taken all necessary steps, including necessary insurance cover, to protect yourself from liability of this nature.

Further comprehensive advice is available by accessing the Events Industry Forum's website and by accessing and purchasing the online Purple Guide.