Events Management Module 7: Adhering to Health and Safety Standards

Employer's Responsibility

• Ensure health, safety, and security procedures are in place
• Identify and control hazards
• Provide personal protective clothing and equipment
• Implement safe sitting, lifting, and handling practices
• Ensure security of documents, cash, equipment, and people
• Establish key control systems
• Monitor and report suspicious behaviors or occurrences

Security Committees' Responsibilities

• Monitor and implement property security plans and programs
• Suggest solutions for security problems
• Maintain records of incidents, theft, and vandalism
• Conduct security audits and property inspections
• Investigate security incidents

Breaches of Health, Safety, and Security Procedures

• Failure to use personal protective equipment
• Improper lifting and handling techniques
• Ignoring safety precautions for equipment use
• Improper waste disposal
• Failure to report and deal with hazards

Food Safety

Possible Sources of Food Contamination

• Bacteria
• Fungi (Yeast/mold)

Proper Garbage Disposal

• Empty garbage containers daily
• Use well-fitted covers and liners
• Wash containers frequently with disinfectant
• Wash hands after disposing of garbage

Industry Code and Practices (HACCP)

• Identify general hazards in food handling
• Identify causes and preventative measures of food poisoning

Factors Causing Food Poisoning

• Growth and activity of microorganisms
• Chemical changes
• Insect and rodent activity
• Physical contamination
• Poor packaging

Reporting Hygiene Risk

• Know organization procedures
• Report risk immediately
• Provide specific details (place, date, time, nature of risk, and actions taken)

Storing Food

• Nonperishable (dry food): store in airtight containers on covered shelves with good air circulation
• Semi-perishables (food with low water content and dry foods containing fat): store in a cool room
• Perishables (fresh foods): store frozen foods until ready for use, and keep refrigerated foods cold

Identifying and Preventing Hygiene Risks

• Follow the 5 fundamentals of safe food service: clean hands, clean dishes and utensils, clean food, correct temperature, and healthy persons)

Laws and Regulations

• Occupational health and safety requirements
• Public health act provisions
• Food handlers' permits

Relevant Regulatory Bodies

• World Health Organization
• Bureau of Standards
• Ministry of Health

Implementing Workplace Health and Safety and Security Procedures

Occupational Health and Safety Legislation

• Record keeping requirements
• Provisions of information and training
• Regulations and codes of practice for workplace hazards
• Health and safety representatives and committees
• Issue resolution processes

Workplace Hazards and Risks

• Fires
• Slips and trips
• Burns
• Equipment failure
• Accidents
• Weather emergencies
• Theft and armed robbery

Guidelines for Identifying Hazards in the Workplace

• Inspect the workplace
• Consult with other staff members
• Check records of injuries and incidents

Control Procedures in the Workplace

• Engineering controls
• Administrative controls
• Personal protective equipment

Persons to Whom Reports Are Made

• Supervisor
• Manager
• Team leader
• OH&S personnel (safety officers)

Customers and Customer Service

• A customer is a person who buys or requires goods or services from a shop or business.
• Customers can be:
  • Persons with special needs
  • Persons from culturally diverse backgrounds
  • Children
  • Elderly
  • Pregnant mothers
  • Internal or external customers
• Customers need our service, and they are not an interruption to our job; they are the reason we have a job.

Types of Customers

• Internal customers: Co-workers who need to use our services in the process of meeting the needs of the external customer.
• External customers: The general public, persons outside of our organization who are the end-users of our product.

Customer Service

• Customer service is the provision to our customers of a level of care in the form of good behavior, special services, and actions that benefit them as well as ourselves and which goes beyond what our customers expected.

The Use of Voice in Customer Service Settings

• We must be aware of the combined use of our voice and facial expression, and the effect it can have upon the customer in a service delivery setting.
• Tips for using our voice in customer service:
  • Avoid raising our voice unnecessarily or shouting.
  • Always aim to use a clear, calm voice, to raise concerns in a conflict situation.
  • Avoid the use of harsh or high-pitched tones, as this generally makes the situation worse.
  • Speak in a clear, calm voice.
  • Keep our voice steady and level.
  • Do not let our voice rise and show frustration.

Verbal and Non-Verbal Communications Whilst Using the Telephone

• The telephone is a very useful tool in customer service, and can be used for:
  • Customer care
  • Taking bookings
  • Making arrangements
  • Information gathering
  • Finding new customers
  • Solving problems
• Advantages of using the telephone:
  • Provides quick and effective communication
  • Can be used in almost any location in the world
  • Is a convenient method of communication
• Disadvantages of using the telephone:
  • Does not provide a lasting record of communication
  • No visual impact
  • People often hang up if they do not like what we say

Handling the Call

• When we have found out the caller's name, use it.
• Deal with the specific query.
• Ask if any other assistance is required.
• Say thank you and goodbye.
• Let the caller put the phone down first in case they wish to ask anything else.

Handling Messages

• If someone is not available, explain positively why the person is not available.
• Offer to take a message.
• Take all the details; name, phone number, message details, and the time of the call.
• Ensure that awkward names are spelt back to the customer.
• Repeat messages and any information back to the caller - always act on the message quickly.
• Check whether a return call is required.

Sales Promotion

• Sales promotion is a part of the overall promotion effort.
• Types of sales promotion:
  • Personal selling: one of the most effective ways of customer relationship building.
  • Sales promotions: includes freebies, contests, discounts, free services, passes, tickets, and so on.
  • Public relations: PR is the deliberate, planned, and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between the company and the public.

Products

• A product is anything that can be offered to a market that might satisfy a want or need.
• Types of products:
  • Tangible products: physical objects that can be perceived by touch, such as buildings, vehicles, or gadgets.
  • Intangible products: products that can only be perceived indirectly, such as insurance policies.

Goods and Services

• Goods are physical products capable of being delivered to a purchaser and involve the transfer of ownership from seller to customer.
• Services are non-material actions resulting in a measurable change of state for the purchaser caused by the provider.

Types of Products in Tourism and Hospitality

• Tours and Transport: allowing tourists to get to their destinations and get around once there.
• Conferences and Conventions: opportunities for people to network and learn information.
• Entertainment: infrastructure in tourism to the facilities and services that are specifically designed to provide entertainment experiences for tourists.
• Restaurant facilities: physical amenities and services provided by a restaurant to enhance the dining experience for customers.
• Food and Beverage services: professional industry that includes restaurants, bars, cafeterias, canteens, food courts, and other food-based hospitality businesses that provide meals to its customers for various purposes.
• Add-on services: additional products or services that customers can purchase to enhance their primary booking.

Steps in Promoting a Product

• Accurately provide information about products and services to customers through brochures, websites, and social selling.
• Employ selling techniques to encourage usage and purchase.

Calculating the Cost of a Product

• Total per-product cost = cost of goods sold + production time + packaging + promotional materials + shipping + affiliate commissions.
• Consider the profit margin: total per-product cost / (1 - desired profit margin as a decimal).

Place in Marketing

• The third P of marketing is place, which refers to the place where you should sell your product and how it should be delivered to the market.
• The ultimate goal of place is to determine the best place to get products in front of the customers who are most likely to purchase them.

Promotion in Marketing

• The final P of marketing is promotion, which refers to all the activities marketers undertake to inform, persuade, and remind potential buyers about their products.

This quiz covers the essential health, safety, and security procedures, including hazard identification, emergency response, and employer responsibilities, in the events management industry.