Illinois SMP Safety Checklist Upon Arrival at Venue Site

The volunteer presenter should be informed in advance about any safety issues that surfaced through the booking protocol. When the volunteer arrives at the venue, s/he should quickly assess the facilities, using the following checklist as a guide. Any health and safety issues should initially be raised with the venue representative. If a concern still exists, the volunteer should call the SMP Coordinator for direction.

Instructions: Please complete the following checklist upon arrival at the venue site and submit to your SMP Coordinator. Check Yes or No:

Volunteer NameDate

Presentation Site

Yes / No
Is there a venue staff member/responsible party present to deal with any safety issues that arise during the presentation?
Will venue staff/responsible party be present during the presentation, or at least on call, in the event of an emergency?
If yes, record and verify contact information:
Staff/Responsible Party Name:
Staff/Responsible Party Phone:
PLEASE NOTE: A staff member/responsible party at the venue must be available during the presentation in case the volunteer encounters any emergency situation.
If no staff person/responsible party is available, call your SMP Coordinator immediately.

For the following questions, mark Yes, No, or N/A (Not Applicable). The venue staff member/responsible party should be able to help you complete this checklist.

Yes / No / N/A
Was the venue easy to find?
Might participants have difficulty identifying the building?
Is the presentation room easy to find inside the facility
Are signs needed to help participants find their way?
Is the venue reasonably clean and uncluttered?
If using AV equipment, is there an electrical outlet close by?
If an extension cord is needed, can it be placed to avoid where participants will walk? Can the cord be taped down?
Are the tables and chairs stable and sturdy?
If tables have folding legs, have the leg locks been checked?
Is the lighting in the venue sufficient for entering and exiting participants?
Is there a fire extinguisher close by?
Note location
Are exits marked, unlocked, and uncluttered?
Note location of nearest exits

Please Remember:

  • If you have any serious safety concerns about the venue that the onsite staff/responsible party cannot address to your satisfaction, pause to consider whether the event should go forward. If necessary, contact your SMP Coordinator/contact person to discuss the problem. If you cannot reach your SMP contact and your safety concerns are substantial - that is, you believe there is a reasonable risk of injury or harm to yourself or event participants - you are authorized to cancel the presentation. Offer apologies to participants as they arrive. Give a brief explanation for the cancellation without accusing or offending the venue’s owners or staff. Give participants contact information to the Illinois SMP office to inquire about a different presentation opportunity in their area.
  • Home visits by SMP volunteers to a beneficiary’s residence are prohibited. SMP Volunteers should never visit a beneficiary’s home or room. Volunteers should only conduct SMP duties in the meeting spaces originally booked as the official venue site.
  • SMP Volunteers should never write down or take beneficiary’s personal information with them from a venue site. Instead, beneficiaries should be instructed to call the Illinois SMP office at (800)699-9043.

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