About Us.
STAGESAFE is the oldest event production health and safety company in the UK.
With the benefit of over 35 years of experience, Chris Hannam of STAGESAFE (a hater of formality and well-known for his casual dress sense and informal attitude) offers a full range of award-winning and fully professional health and safety services. Our services are for event organisers, production and tour managers, promoters, freelancers, service companies, and businesses within the live music and entertainment industries. STAGESAFE is the trading name for Chris Hannam.
Chris originally cut his teeth working festivals (mostly Glastonbury Festival) as a Production and Stage Manager as well as live tour work before turning to event health and safety way back in the early 90s far when less than half a dozen other people were taking an interest in event safety, they were very much the pioneering days of event safety. Chris is very proud of his long history and background. Chris was involved with the PSA almost since its conception and was a member of the PSA Council of Management for over 11 years. Chris's interest in health and safety soon made him the PSA health and safety expert and he was encouraged by the then General Manager to write his first booklet on health and safety management and risk assessment that the PSA published, this led to other publications. Stagesafe was originally conceived as a health and safety training company as Chris had developed the very first Safety Passport for the live event production industry, this is well documented in the trade and production industry magazines of that era. Chris later developed this further with the Safety Pass Alliance but unfortunately, the PSA (with whom Chris had formed a partnership) soon claimed and took over this scheme as its own! Chris later wrote a similar scheme (Structure Safe) for MUTA for use in the marquee industry. Chris has also been involved with writing British Standards for event stewarding and was influenced by his late friend and crowd safety pioneer, Mick Upton.
Another piece of original work Chris was responsible for was producing a template contract for use by freelancers, the PSA Council, many of which were employers within the industry that used the services of freelancers felt that a standard form of contract between employers and freelances would be useful and could be used to set standards across the industry, a couple of these employers instructed their company lawyers to set about writing something suitable and presented them for approval to the PSA Council of Management, Chris rejected all of these offerings so he was asked to see what he could do, Chris returned to the very next meeting with a draft document and guidance notes, the difference was all the previous documents had been contracts of employment, what Chris put forward was a Contract to Provide Goods and Services and not a Contract of Employment. This was immediately agreed upon, people could see the error they had made but some did not like the fact that freelancers were contractors and not employees. This now changed a number of things not least was the fact that freelancers now required their own Public Liability Insurance and Chris became busy researching Tax law for the self-employed, this was a whole new concept and a major change for the industry that had to quickly adapt to this new concept that had to be quickly grown. What Chris discovered and has become standard across the industry was a major change in the mid-1990s and Chris was again the pioneer behind it all.
Safety consultants, managers or advisors (call us anything except officers) are not lawmakers or the fun police – we simply offer totally independent professional health and safety advice and services to help you run their events or businesses in a safe and legal manner. Just a mention of the words "health and safety" often conjures up negative images of over-zealous ‘jobsworths, getting in the way of business, and creating unnecessary costs. It is easy to see why this is the case, with the press often reporting inaccurate stories about activities being banned on “health and safety” grounds, or with the words ‘health and safety often being used as a poor excuse when people don't want something to happen. Stagesafe and Chis Hannam no longer provide Production or Event Management services as this would be a major conflict of interest to our health and safety management services, for tours and events. Health and safety managers must be impartial and should have no other role or function outside of their health and safety duties and must have time to carry out these duties, especially in an emergency. You only have one head and can only wear one hat at a time.
We have a whole team of specialists to call on when required for jobs involving rigging, noise and pyro etc., we also believe in a practical and pragmatic approach with everything delivered to you simply in bite-sized chunks, to enable easy implementation without any jargon so even the least experienced event organisers have nothing to fear or misunderstanding. No more confusion, we make it simple for you.
The one main piece of legislation that governs health and safety in the UK is known as the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, beneath this main piece is a huge raft of regulations that govern and control how, where and when these regulations should be implemented correctly. Not every regulation applies to every situation, for example, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 are very unlikely to apply to small firework companies! The degree to which regulations are applied are set out in the regulations, we do not choose and there are no different levels depending on the size, type and scale of your event.
We advise on how to comply with the legal requirements. If you exceed these requirements then so much the better.
Chris boldly states that he brings with him the experience, qualifications, knowledge, and competency of over 35 years to every job he works on and that 35 years is all included in his daily rate makes him exceptionally good value, but he warns, he is certainly not a "YES" man and he knows that "NO" is a sentence.
In respect of his efforts towards production safety, Chris was awarded the 2005 Total Production International (TPI) John Peel Unsung Hero Award.
Let STAGESAFE take care of your business......contact us today!
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The Late, Great, John Peel OBE and Chris Hannam.
TESTIMONIALS
Chris Hannam is one of the true pioneers of event health and safety, an early adopter of the notion of applying health and safety management practice to the live production workplace. It is Chris's thinking that has led to a safer environment for live event workers.
Andy Lenthall. UK Festival Awards and CEO of Festival Insights. Former General Manager of the Production Services Association.
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“Rarely will you find anyone who has such detailed knowledge and understanding of health and safety issues in context to the music and touring industries. Chris has consistently proved invaluable in his capacity as adviser to the various projects I have been involved with. His attention to detail is exceptional and reassuring when there are many responsibilities and potential pitfalls in our rightful duty to comply, but never loses the point that ultimately it’s about keeping our folks safe on the road.” The late Ken Watts, FM Productions
“Chris did an amazing job trying to keep thousands of people safe under impossible conditions at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. Because of his efforts, the medical staff became organised and available for emergencies when needed, despite very poor support from the producers of the event.” Bruce Kraemer,
We were very impressed with the CDM and H&S documentation for the Duran Duran tour that had been produced by Stagesafe. "it was also the best and most comprehensive tour contractor information we had ever seen....wished every tour did this to the same standard". The Management Team
“Chris gave us invaluable advice and assistance with our health and safety plan, which enabled us to focus on the most important and relevant points for our particular business.” Ann Andrews,
“Nobody knows the HSE issues with regard to the live music and event industry better than Chris! Literally ‘he wrote the book!’” Christopher Runciman,
“Chris Hannam did a fantastic job with our new health and safety policy, risk assessments and method statements for our stages. Chris also gave us plain, simple advice that was easy for us to understand and follow. We will use his services again and have no problem with recommending him to others who are looking for a health and safety adviser.” Paul Haigh,
“Chris and I worked together in Delhi for the Opening & Closing Ceremony for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games. Anyone who is deeply involved in this industry knows the challenges involved. Chris had one of the most difficult jobs on-site, especially when considering the complete lack of infrastructure and support given to his area by the Organising Committee and most of the Production Management team. He performed his duties under the worst of all possible conditions. Chris did a remarkable job in providing the contractors with the safest possible work environment and was always there to help wherever he could with any problem on-site. A key member of the international team… I would work with him again anywhere.” Andrew Rodd,
“Chris has always been a straight-talking, honest guy, with a reliable, trustworthy reputation.” Jim Gaffney,
“Workplace safety can only be achieved if everyone is committed to it. Chris’s knowledge and passion for the subject can be an important part of creating the correct culture in which an effective health and safety system can operate and evolve.” John Corr,
“Stagesafe has helped us with our H&S issues for many years now and has always given us great service, and excellent advice and support. Chris put us on the right course and was always there to answer any questions.” Burger,
“I have no hesitation in recommending Chris as a knowledgeable, hard-working and diligent safety adviser. Plus he’s a really nice guy.” Chris Higgs,
Stagesafe covers all aspects of H&S and I have no problems in recommending Stagesafe as a company.” Dennis Arnold,
“I completed the Safety Passport Course with Chris Hannam of Stagesafe and found it covered many of the health and safety issues that I have encountered during my touring career. A good start to health and safety.” Phil Broad, Our Clients Stagesafe has enjoyed over 35 years in the live music and events industry, contact us to join the ranks of satisfied customers by calling us today. Call us on 07831 437062 or contact us by clicking here. We aim to improve Tour and Festival Safety Management.Our most recent touring production projects as principal safety consultancy include: Blackpink European Tour 2019 The xx Festival Tour 2018 Il Devo 2016 (World Tour) Babymetal 2016 (Wembley Arena) Duran Duran (US and UK Tours) 2015 - 2016 Blur 2015 Susan Boyle 2013/2014/2020 George Michael: Symphonica Tour 2011/2012 Jamiroquai: European Tour 2011 Michael Flatley: Lord of the Dance European Tour 2010 Commonwealth Games (Opening and Closing Ceremonies), Delhi, India 2010 (see photo below) George Michael: Australian Tour 2010 Spandau Ballet: Reunion Tour 2009
Commonwealth Games (Opening Ceremony), Delhi, India 2010 - STGESAFE, Principal safety advisors. Other clients (in no particular order) include: Star Live Acorn Event Structures Cato Music ACE Crew Roe Street Runners Fonix Mobile Structures Ltd. Jay-Z The Tour Group (Tour Pro and Tour Support) Funktion One Research SPX Group (Sarm Studios, Stiff Records, Perfect Songs, ZTT Records, Music Bank, Workplace, etc.) Daytona Stage Hire Specialz LEL Hire Sound Moves GLD Productions Universal Stars MUTA Peppermint Bars Pro Productions dnb Lighting Ltd Blink TV Banana Split Tech Pro Events Orbit Staging Serious Stages T.J. Production Services
This list does not represent a full list of clients or projects.
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“Chris has been a voice for good in the industry for many years, bringing attention to better and safer working practices through education and example.” Jon Burton,
"With over 30 years in the business, there is not much that this man does not know – especially when it comes to safe working practices! He can assist with the planning and management of health and safety procedures for events large and small, as well as train staff in areas such as the Safety Passport and Fire Safety.” Corinne Lane,
“Chris Hannam’s tireless efforts and ceaseless dedication to improving safety standards have been a source of inspiration for many years and made the live events industry a far better and safer place to work in. Listen to this man.” Nick Cooke,
“Chris is a hard-working and straight-talking guy, who is always willing to go the extra mile. Stagesafe provides a vital service to our industry.” Dave Keighley,
“Chris is a committed and knowledgeable H&S professional who has many years of experience in the events industry, originally in production and tour management but currently specialises in H&S at events and with touring bands. He is practical and sensible in securing legal compliance and good safety practices for his clients and was recently appointed to oversee the H&S of the stadium opening ceremonies at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. I have no hesitation in recommending Chris for hands-on event Health and Safety and for his training skills and experience.” Stephen Dudley,
“Chris has many years of experience in the events sector and Stagesafe provides excellent service and support to the industry.” Pete Holditch,
“I attended Chris’s Safety Passport Course. I really enjoyed the day as Chris is well-versed in what he does. It was a great chance to update my knowledge and experience.” Joy Daykin
“I have known Chris Hannam for over 20 years. He has always given straightforward, honest advice – not always want you want to hear but always the truth and what you need to hear. He’s the man I go to first for health and safety advice.” Trigger,
“Specialz Ltd has used Stagesafe on many occasions and has received diligent, cost-effective advice and guidance on every enquiry. We would wholeheartedly recommend Stagesafe.” Dave Smith,
“We have used Chris for health and safety documentation, especially for exhibitions. Great service with good work!” John Jones,
“I have put my crew on Stagesafe courses and have no problem recommending them.” Brian Richard Beattie, Vital Spark
“Chris is an experienced event industry professional, having worked within the entertainment industry for some 30+ years. He has a passion for the industry and has been one of the main driving forces to improve and promote health and safety throughout the entertainment industry, both as an individual and through his company Stagesafe. Chris has also worked alongside other professional bodies to provide the framework so that workers within the industry can obtain some form of formal qualifications.” Steve Banks, Operations Manager, Wigwam Acoustics
Chris Hannam, you’re an inspiration - your resilience and dedication to improving our industry for all is a challenging and commendable effort. Ise Murphy MSc Senior Crowd Safety Manager - Wembley Stadium
Chris Hannam has a depth and scope of knowledge that is second to none. I have no hesitation in recommending him to you. Larry Seymour. Mint Group. KOKO, Camden. London. |
