4 TIPS FOR HOSTING A SAFE HOLIDAY PARTY

 Holidays are a memorable time of the year, characterized by fun music, vibrant lights, sounds of laughter, and a feeling of good well-being. As the holiday season comes near, a lot of employers are busy planning company parties to celebrate the success of the year and reward employees for their continued hard work. 

However, it is vital that party planners do not overlook to consider the security and legal risks that such gatherings can cause, especially if alcohol will be served!

While anybody can fall victim to crimes at any day or time, holiday parties often cause individuals to let their guard down, lessen their caution level, and become simple and easy targets for different unfavorable incidents that vary from drinking-related injuries and accidents to nuisance complaints. 

Considering that there is no guarantee your guests will be at their best action, no matter how mature or liable they are, it is vital that you engage in cautious holiday party planning to lessen the potential hazards and prevent as many security threads as possible. 

SAFETY & LEGAL ISSUES FOR EMPLOYERS:

However, injuries and accidents that involve drunk individuals are pretty common in society, employers who serve alcohol at company-sponsored events can be held responsible for any damage caused by a drunk worker. If an employee gets injured at the event of the company or its aftermath, then the company’s employee benefits programs like worker’s compensation and medical insurance might be affected.

Workers also risk being held lawfully responsible for violating anti-harassment laws in the event that a coworker, manager, or supervisor engages in inappropriate, unlawful conduct towards another company employee at the holiday party – inappropriate conduct at work includes unwanted sexual advances, abusive language, and unwanted touching, also any acts that are prohibited in your company policy. Additionally to that, if there are minors attending the party, it is vital that they don’t consume any alcohol as the event host might be arrested for violating the law, and held responsible for any injuries or incidents related to the drunk individual.

Ensure you have the right insurance coverage and you must decide whether your liquor liability is included in your CGL – COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY policy. In addition to that, seek coverage options like employment practices liability insurance EPLI to save against claims of sexual harassment, emotional damage, etc.

OTHER TIPS FOR PLANNING A SECURE HOLIDAY PARTY:

1. ALERT YOUR NEIGHBORS IN ADVANCE:

Relying on the location of the event, ensure to tell your neighbors and other relevant parties of your plans to hold a holiday party. Invite them to the party and in advance apologize for the inconvenience. If your neighbors are not able to attend, keep the music at a normal level and end the party at a suitable time. Informing your neighbors would as well allow them to adjust their security measures for the increased traffic and highest noise levels. 

2. PREPARE THE VENUE IN TIME:

Before your guests come, make sure that the venue is as secure and safe as possible. This includes: 

- Removing all precious things from the rooms where the party will be held and securing them in a locked room. 

- Making sure that the entrance, walkways, and exits are clear of ice and snow. Make arrangements to have all pathways leading in and out of the building shoveled, and add salt to clear the ice before the party begins and again before it finishes.

- Providing enough lighting in and out of the venue to lessen the risk of trips, falls, and slips. 

- Having emergency medical services on-site or on standby in case of any issues like allergic reactions or minor accidents or injuries.

3. HIRE PROFESSIONAL SPECIAL EVENT SECURITY SERVICES:

Think about hiring professional event guard services to make sure the success of your event by providing security for your guests. Trained and well-equipped security workers can help with crowd control for big holiday parties to boost the safety of your guests, in addition to providing venue security to avoid intrusions by uninvited guests or even car theft. 

Informing the professional security guard company in time will enable them to prepare sufficiently through thread identification and analysis, premises inspection, scenario mapping, and early security equipment setup.

The presence of skilled security workers will help to deter a lot of potential crimes or harmful incidents while making a sense of security so your guests can enjoy themselves completely. Trained guards can as well observe the behavior of guests at the party and act vigilantly or potentially insecure conduct occurs. 

4. MAKE TRANSPORT OR ACCOMMODATION ARRANGEMENTS:

As a reliable host, part of your work involves getting them home securely once the party is ended. There are several ways to handle this problem:

- Provide a variety of alcohol-free choices for guests who do not consume alcohol and for the designated drivers. You can also offer mocktails, in addition to soft drinks so they as well feel a sense of celebration. 

- Serve wine and cheese to avoid guests from becoming drunk due to drinking on an empty stomach. Providing food will encourage moderate drinking and slow alcohol intoxication down. 

- Provide accommodation at the venue to avoid your drunk guests from driving at all. This is very significant if the party will be going into the wee hours.

- Find local taxi agencies and keep their contact information in hand so drunk friends can easily reach them when it is time to leave. You can also ask the cabs to wait at the venue so your guests know they can get house securely afterward.  

- Plan party games and other fun activities to keep individuals busy and make them less active in alcohol consumption.  

- Limit drinking time or hire professional bartenders to identify individuals who have drunk too much alcohol to provide guidance.

CLOSING LINE:

Hosting a party means a lot of uncertainties that any planner will encounter when staging an event that is fun, safe, and interesting for everyone. These tops will help you and your guests enjoy a fun and secure holiday party at the end of the year. We hope you enjoyed reading this blog. For more details on hiring professional event security services contact us at www.diligentsecurity.ca.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

WHAT ARE THE DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF SECURITY OFFICERS?

8 Common Misunderstandings Regarding Security Guard Services

20 ESSENTIAL SERVICES SECURITY GUARDS PROVIDE TO BUSINESSES