By Pendergast Law on December 12, 2016
Holiday office parties are a great way to build camaraderie and let staff members know how appreciated they are. However, if you’re management, getting everyone to and from the party safely should be your first priority. If you’re the one arranging the party and the party bus that will be transporting the guests, you might carry some responsibility if something happens along the way.
Even under ideal circumstances, office holiday parties can quickly become unsafe if proper rules are not in place from the start. To make sure everyone is safe while traveling via a party bus, be sure to keep in mind the following safety tips:
- Limit alcohol on the party bus. You probably won’t be able to control how much your guests drink before and during the party, but you can make sure that they’re not drinking too much while in a moving vehicle. Allow perhaps just one drink per person or maybe even none at all.
- Limit dancing. The thing about party buses is that not only are they a luxury limousine, they’re also an actual party in a bus – dance floor and all. While dancing on a moving dance floor might seem like a great idea to guests, if the party bus was to get into an accident, having people standing up and moving around can make it worse, and cause more injuries. Remind passengers that the dance floor is best saved for when the vehicle is stopped, when they can bust out all their moves!
- Rent a party bus with seat belts. Not all party buses will have these, and you don’t have to enforce the rule that everyone must wear a seat belt. But you should provide them so that should anything happen, you will be able to prove that you took all necessary safety precautions.
- Don’t allow smoking on the party bus. Even if the rental company allows smoking on the party bus (which many don’t), not only might you be responsible for the safety of the passengers, you might also be required to pay for any damages to the party bus. Chances are the guest that burned a hole in the carpet or flicked ashes all over the bus won’t be there when it’s time to pay. Ask all guests to smoke only outside when the vehicle is stopped, and you’ll limit the worry about paying for odor removal or damages.
Party buses can be a really fun way to get everyone to the party safely, but sometimes things can happen. If you’ve been injured in a party bus in Seattle, or were a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in an accident with a party bus, call us at Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. today. We know how helpless it can make you feel when you’ve been injured because of someone else’s mistake, and we want to help. Call us today at 888-539-9211 for a free consultation, and ask how we can help!