Risk assessment

NAME OF EVENT:

European Car Free Day

DATE OF EVENT:

22nd September 2001

VENUE:

Tower Bridge/Tower Bridge Approach/Tower Bridge Road

TIME:

1pm - 5pm

Maximum Capacity at any one time:

5,000

Tower Bridge Approach (North)

Stairs leading to St Katharine Way on west & east side of bridge.

Public

Possible trip hazard if area becomes congested.
Danger of slipping in adverse weather conditions.
Stewarded on the top level to prevent people falling down the stairwells.
Each stairwell to be dedicated to one way traffic and stewarded on the bottom level as well as top. The west stairs will be designated as 'up only' The east as 'down only'. Signage will be in place to reinforce.
If weather conditions make the stairs perilous, hazard tape will be used to close the two stairwells and stewards will be in place prohibiting use by public.

Tower Bridge from East Smithfield to Queen Elizabeth Street

Crowd control and danger of congestion.

Staff and Public

A limit of 5,000 people, dispersed across the site at any one time has been agreed upon. The maximum capacity may be reviewed on the day and reduced if deemed necessary. Public access will be monitored by stewards at all entrance points to the site and crowd numbers will be controlled by counting the number of public entering and exiting the site. Numbers will be collated on a half hourly basis. Barriers will be in place to restrict numbers entering from main access points if deemed necessary. If necessary entrances will be closed once licensed capacity has been reached. The professional security company Headline Security will be supplying 74 stewards for the event. They are experienced in dealing with crowds and multi-cultural audiences and will work in conjunction with the Events Co-ordinator, the City Of London Police, the River Police and the Bridge Marshals in ensuring the safety of public and staff. A radio communication network will be in place to ensure effective security and safety. Radios will be issued to all key security personnel including the City Police. All of the above operations teams have been included in planning discussions as well as the London Fire Brigade, the Metropolitan Police Service and the London Ambulance Service.

Tower Bridge

Grooves in the roads and pavements.
Uneven surfaces on the roads on Bascule Bridge area.

Staff and Public

Possible trip hazard below sightline in a large crowd.
Hazard tape will be used to highlight potential trip hazards.

Tower Bridge

Parapets of Tower Bridge east and west.
Footholds on Parapets.

Public

Possible risk of people falling into the river by climbing onto the parapets.
Stewards will be in place patrolling the risk areas and stopping people climbing onto the parapets. Signage will be in place prohibiting climbing onto the parapets. The River Police will be present in case of any incident.

Tower Bridge (North Tower-west side)

Turnstile beside North Tower.

Public

Possible risk of people falling into the river by climbing onto the turnstile. Stewards to strictly supervise the area and stop people from climbing onto the structure. The River Police will be present in case of any incident.

Bascule Bridge

Balustrades east and west.

Public

Balustrades are a lower height at this point. Potential risk of people falling into the river due to over-crowding or disorderly behaviour. Stewards will be in place controlling numbers entering the Bascule Bridge pavement area. Maximum capacity will be 200 people on the west side and 150 on the east side (which is narrower). Chain barriers will be in place along the length of both balustrades prohibiting access to the balustrades. The public will be directed into the central road area once capacity has been reached. The River Police will be present in case of any incident. Children under the age of 16 will not be permitted into the area unless accompanied by an adult. Signage will be in place to reinforce.

Bascule Bridge

Dropped kerb under North and South Towers on east and west sides.

Public and Staff

Potential trip hazard below sightline. They will be marked with hazard tape.

Tower Bridge Road (South)

Stairs leading to Portland Wharf and Potters Field on east & west side of bridge respectively.

Public

Possible trip hazard if area becomes congested. Danger of slipping in adverse weather conditions. Stewarded on the top level to prevent people falling down the stairwells. Each stairwell to be dedicated to one way traffic and stewarded on the bottom level as well as top. The west stairs will be designated as 'down only' The east as 'up only'. Signage will be in place to reinforce. If weather conditions make the stairs perilous, hazard tape will be used to close the two stairwells and stewards will be in place prohibiting use by public.

Bascule Bridge

PA systems.

Public and Staff

Potential fire hazard. Regulation fire fighting equipment will be in place for all electrical equipment. All electrical equipment will be installed by qualified electricians and will be PAT tested. Stewards will be supervising all equipment and a qualified technician will be on hand throughout the day.

Potters Field

Organic café cooking facilities.

Public and staff

LPG gas cylinders pose a potential fire/explosion hazard. LPG gas cylinders will be strictly controlled. LPG supply connections will be foam tested for leaks prior to the event. Vendors must have a current valid certificate issued under the Food Safety Act. Appropriate and tested fire extinguishers will be in place.

Tower Bridge From East Smithfield to Queen Elizabeth Street.

Fire or bomb threat.

Public & Staff

Potential for fatal or serious injury caused by an outbreak of fire, explosion or panic. The London Fire Brigade has been notified of the event and is situated close to the site. An Emergency PA will be in place to alert the public if an emergency should arise. Emergency services access route is in place. Security personnel and stewards will be advised of evacuation procedures and will coordinate the evacuation of the area in the event of a small fire or minor incident. Portable fire-fighting equipment will be kept on site, within designated 'fire points'. In the event of a major incident the emergency services will take over the co-ordination of the evacuation. There will be no dustbins on the site.

Tower Bridge From East Smithfield to Queen Elizabeth Street.

Public in the Emergency Services Lane

Public & Staff

Risk of blocking emergency services vehicles. Danger to the public while clearing the services lane. Signage will be in place to mark out the Emergency Services Lane (ESL). The east lane has been designated the E.S.L. No fixed structures will be situated in this lane. Only slow-moving processional acts will be permitted to perform in this area. In case of an emergency, security will be alerted via the radio communications network and clearance of the lane will begin before the vehicles reach the public. The Emergency PA will be used to alert the public of incoming emergency vehicles. There will be intermittent chain barriers in place dividing the two lanes. These will be stewarded and in case of an emergency stewards will move people to the west side of the barriers.

Tower Bridge

Risk of falling items/masonry.

Public & Staff

Potential for fatal or serious injury caused by falling masonry / materials. Tower Bridge is a well-maintained bridge and a public space that attracts large numbers of visitors. The risk of items falling from above is minimal. Two ambulances, one first aid unit and eight first-aiders, provided by the British Red Cross will be present to deal with injuries.

Tower Bridge From East Smithfield to Queen Elizabeth Street.

Risk of disorderly behaviour.

Public & Staff

Potential risk of injury to the public or staff caused by aggressive acts or disorderly behaviour. Entry to the site is restricted to 5,000 at any one time and carefully stewarded. The event comprises of a daytime series of activities directed at family audiences and cycling groups. There will be no alcohol on sale on the site and we do not anticipate disorderly behaviour. In case of disorderly behaviour the City Police will be present and the professional security company, Headline Security will be monitoring crowd behaviour. They are versed in handling 'situations' and will work in conjunction with the City Police to ensure public safety. We are liasing with the London Cycling Campaign regarding the presence of cycling groups and will advise the police of the various groups that will be present. This is not a political event and we do not anticipate disruption.

Tower Bridge

Marquees/installations.

Public & Staff

Risk of injury by flying objects due to windy conditions. All structures will be weighted down appropriately. If any structure is deemed unsafe, it will not be allowed on site. The installation pieces are created by experienced local companies who are aware of the wind factor on the bridge. Limited tests will take place on the bridge to check the stability of structures.

Tower Bridge and approach roads

Vehicle movement on site.

Public & Staff

Risk of injury caused by a moving vehicle. Risk of injury by caused by large groups of cyclists. A road closure from 6am - 12am is in place organised by TFL and the City of London Corporation. Stewards will be staffing the road closure and barriers will be in place prohibiting entry to cars, coaches, lorries etc. There will be no access for unauthorised vehicles and the site will be clear of all production vehicles by 11.30am. Cyclists will not be able to cross the bridge in large numbers. There will be scheduled cycle-crossings of the bridge and stewards will clear the emergency access lane prior to crossings. Cyclists will be asked to dismount from their bikes and push them across the bridge if crowds are large.