Hotel Booking - advice please

[Dazzler]

I hope this is the right section of the forum for this. I have been provisionally booked to do the school's May Ball. It is at a Hilton Hotel, so being new to this whole mobile game I emailed the manager asking what policies they have and what they expect of their visiting DJs. This is the reply:

HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK ETC. ACT 1974
PROVISION OF WORK METHOD STATEMENTS

As a contractor or supplier to Hilton UK and Ireland, I am sure you realise our joint
responsibility to ensure safety is considered of paramount importance. This is
particularly important in relation to the various job tasks you perform. I would
appreciate if the following information could be provided before works commence

- A copy of your public liability insurance, indicating level of cover (min £10m).
- A copy of your safety policy.
- Risk Assessment documentation relating to site specific hazards and personal protective equipment (site specific).
- A statement relating to safe method of work and/or work permits.
- Confirmation electrical works are performed by persons qualified to the 16th
edition IEE Regulations.
- Confirmation of staff training relating to general safety and competency.
- Segregation policy during works.
- Details on the use of sub contractors and your process of safety vetting and approval.
- Other safety information you may consider appropriate.

Your response should include sub-contractual issues if applicable.

If you have any query or need some explanation, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Some of it (PLI, Risk Assessment, PAT) I understand fully. However, there are some parts I am not si sure on (staff training???). Before I contact them I would appreciate any advice/help translating the above.

Thank you in advance.

[rob1963]

I've worked at many Hilton hotels. They've only ever asked for my PAT & PLI certificates, but never anything else.

I think your particular Hilton are being completely over the top with what they are asking you for. All that just for a disco that will be there for a few hours? In my opinion, they're having a laugh.

How many of us have been asked to provide NINE different things before being able to perform somewhere?

If a venue asked ME for that lot, I'd turn the gig down without even referring it or seeking advice, because it simply wouldn't be worth the hassle, unless I was charging the client a four figure sum.

[Paul James Promotions]

I've worked at many Hilton hotels. They've only ever asked for my PAT & PLI certificates, but never anything else.



I often provide services for two local Hiltons and never get asked for anything at all!

[rob1963]

I often provide services for two local Hiltons and never get asked for anything at all!

:jawdrop:

[Corabar Steve]

The Hilton we work for has only ever asked for PAT & PLI (but only when they are due, they use us a lot & know our renewal dates). This lot are taking the mick

[UltraBeat Entertainment]

To me that looks like a template that is sent out to all sub-contractors. i would expect for you to find that not all of those are applicable to you. i would phone him. the most he should need is PLI and PAT and maybe at most CRB but thats about it i would imagine.

Or maybe there making it hard for external DJ's to get into the hotel so customers are forced to use there "in house" DJ as that has happened to me before and the client was forced to cancel me and hire the venues own:mad:

[Gavin Matthews]

I have done work for various hiltons in the past and have never been asked for anything either

[Dazzler]

I have a sneaky suspicion he has just done a quick cut and paste job from some standard policy document because the events manager is on holiday. The school hasn't used an in-house DJ in the past, so I doubt that is the case.

I have just been given the details of the person who is acting as the school's direct contact for the event so I will try her and get back to you with the results of my further enquiries.

Thanks guys.

[leighinstoke]

Ring them and ask for clarification of what they want - and surely you are contracted to the school and not the hotel so the school should do the legwork for you?

What you've been sent is the same thing that is sent to maintainence, etc, contractors. We used to get sent them when supplying Audio/Visual and eventually prepared a file that satisfied most requirements.

Leigh....

[spin mobile disco]

Same here I have worked at 4 different Hiltons in my local area only ever been asked for PAT and PLI and 10 million pli is steep most of my locals only ask for 1 million or 3 million.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I've never been asked when supplying a disco, but have for dance floors, but then that is a different animal.

[leighinstoke]

10 millions is very steep - I've got 2million PLI from DJ Guard which has always been ok.

No matter what the booking, I will present my PAT testing info and results, PLi and Insurance details and also a statement of safety (prepared by a H&S legal friend of mine - cables tidy and taped down if crossing thresholds, all fire exits kept clear by myself, what I expect in the way of power - RCD protected mains, etc) and my latest Enhanced CRB is in there too.

Makes life often a lot easier and presents a professional approach too.

Leigh....

[Vectis]

I have all my current docs scanned (PAT, PLI, H&S), watermarked and PDF'd.

Suggest you do the same, email them across, state you're the end contractor (I presume you're not subbing it) and ask for confirmation that nothing else is required.

If they really expect you to provide the rest of the :BS: on that list then I'd walk away. That document is clearly intended for agencies who subcontract their jobs and who therefore have obligations to undertake their own checks... which is what the document is driving at.

[ian8limelight]

I would agree with Dazzler. It does look like a cut and paste from a standard Health & Safety document, parts of which are not always applicable to a DJ.

[leighinstoke]

.....That document is clearly intended for agencies who subcontract their jobs and who therefore have obligations to undertake their own checks... which is what the document is driving at.

Nah - it's what a builder/maintainence/similar contractor, etc, is obliged to submit before any work begins.

You think that looks fun - try applying for an application to put scaffolding on a pavement - equally as daft.

Leigh....

[Vectis]

Nah - it's what a builder/maintainence/similar contractor, etc, is obliged to submit before any work begins.


When I said "agencies" I wasn't referring specifically to entertainment agencies, this applies across the board.