Rules and ethics
Part of How to run ethical and compliant trade show marketing
Trade show exhibiting in England: six health and safety laws behind an exhibitor's stand
Which health and safety laws apply to an exhibitor's stand in England: HSWA 1974, risk assessment, electrical safety, work at height, fire risk and RIDDOR.
Picture the Thursday before a Friday opening at an England exhibition centre. The build is half up, a contractor is drilling a fascia panel, and the organiser's safety officer asks for your risk assessment and electrical certificate. If those documents are missing, the build may stop. Six named laws sit behind those requests.
What to take away
- Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 makes every employer responsible for the health, safety and welfare of employees.
- Section 3 extends the employer's duty to people not in its employment who may be affected.
- Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires a suitable and sufficient risk assessment.
- Regulation 4 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 covers the construction of electrical systems.
- Work at height and fire risk each have their own regulation, and RIDDOR covers reporting.
Who holds the duties
The venue and organiser control the hall, but they do not carry your liabilities. As the exhibitor you are usually an employer for the show's duration, with duties to staff, visiting public and passers-by. The questions to ask a contractor settle who takes on which duty.
Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 makes it the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees.
Section 3 makes it the duty of every employer to conduct its undertaking so that persons not in its employment who may be affected are not exposed to risks to their health or safety.
The wider trade show rules and compliance around this one cover advertising, data and supplier conduct.
Risk assessment on stand
Under regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every employer must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to its employees and to others affected by its undertaking. On a stand that means falls from height, manual handling and crowd movement.
Write it for the actual stand, not a template. Name the activities, the people exposed, the controls and who owns each action. Keep it with the build drawings so the safety officer can read it on the floor. Common risk scenarios to plan for give you a starting list of hazards.
Electrical safety
Most stand faults come from extension leads, lighting and demonstration equipment. Under regulation 4 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, all systems shall at all times be of such construction as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger.
On a stand that means a qualified electrician, tested leads and a certificate before power is on. Do not let exhibitor staff rewire anything. If a socket fails, report it to the venue electrician and wait.
Work at height and fire risk
Under regulation 6 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, every employer must ensure that work is not carried out at height where it is reasonably practicable to carry out the work safely otherwise than at height.
A raised platform or hanging sign is work at height for the people building it.
Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed, so that the general fire precautions can be identified. Ask the organiser how the stand fits the venue's own fire arrangements.
Reporting incidents
RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, and the HSE guide lists the types of incidents that must be reported, with exemptions. Agree before the show who on your team files a report and who tells the organiser.
Keep the record with your risk assessment, so that the safety officer and your own insurer see the same paperwork when they ask for it.
Map each law to your paperwork
| Law | Duty in one line | Paperwork to hold on stand |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, sections 2 and 3 | Protect employees and others affected | Named duty holder for the stand |
| Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3 | Suitable and sufficient risk assessment | Stand-specific assessment |
| Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 4 | Systems constructed to prevent danger | Electrician's certificate, tested leads |
| Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 6 | Avoid work at height where practicable | Method for platforms and signs |
| Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 9 | Fire risk assessment by the responsible person | Fire arrangements agreed with organiser |
| RIDDOR | Report specified incidents | Named person and incident record |
Check the table against your contractor's method statement and the stand cost per square metre quote, and keep all three with the build drawings. Badge scans add data duties, which the guide to trade show lead capture covers, and your trade show disclosure policy should state what you collect.
Common questions
Does the organiser's risk assessment cover my stand?
No. The organiser controls the hall, but regulation 3 puts the assessment duty on each employer for its own undertaking, so write one for your stand.
Do I need a qualified electrician for a stand?
Regulation 4 requires electrical systems to be constructed to prevent danger so far as is reasonably practicable. Use a qualified electrician and keep the certificate with your risk assessment.
