As we approach the end of the year, many organisations will hold an end-of-year function. Workers are exposed to a number of risks at end-of-year functions, ranging from harassment, dehydration, alcohol-related illness as well as a slips and falls on the dance floor.

A number of steps that you should keep in mind when organising the event include:

1. Manage food and alcohol: If food is provided, be aware of any special dietary requirements, particularly health-related ones. The supply of alcohol should be limited and ensure that you are not arranging to pay for drinks at alternative venues after the event has finished. When it comes to drinking, remind your workers of their obligation to drink alcohol responsibly.
2. Consider the weather: Outdoor functions are popular but you have to be careful of the risks from high temperatures or hazards caused by rain.
3. Provide supervision: While no one wants to be the fun police, it is important you ensure that there is supervision in place to prevent excessive drinking and inappropriate behaviour. Also, be clear with your staff that events are only authorised for a specific period of time and make sure everyone has safely left the venue at the end of the event. You might want to arrange transport home depending on the location of the event.
4. Remind your workers about your policies: Before an event, remind your workers about any relevant policies, such as your drugs and alcohol, sexual harassment, and social media policies (being mindful that staff may take photos or video and post to social media), including that disciplinary action can be taken for breaches of the policies.
5. Check in with any provider to which you outsource the party: If you are using a third-party provider, it is your responsibility is to check that:

• the venue has experience hosting similar functions and can manage an emergency;
• the venue has adequate security, first aid facilities and policies for serving alcohol responsibly;
• the operator will provide sufficient security and has a good safety record; and
• the venue is aware of any food allergies and will manage those risks.

For more in-depth advice about managing risks at work events, consult the Health & Safety Handbook chapter, Work functions.

Once you have the health and safety risks covered, it’s time to celebrate!