Ensuring Crowd Safety at Major Events

Organising an event that's likely to gather large crowds? Your priority should always be human safety. Make sure you consider this crucial factor in every decision you make. Don't jeopardise human lives, your event and reputation by making ill judgments. Plan ahead using common sense and keeping in mind the following tips.

Venue Safety

If you're not qualified in events management, your safest bet is to select a professional venue with experience in catering for large groups, and professionals on hand to deal with licensing and carrying out safety procedures.

While it may be tempting to just throw a party or a festival in an abandoned field, it's really not as simple as you'd think. You'll need to go through a long process of obtaining official authorisation. The venue and entire event will be assessed to ensure safety is taken care of. Staff checks will also be made to evaluate professionalism and skills.

Basic factors to look out for in any venue are dead ends, steep slopes, uneven surfaces, many routes leading into one and slippery areas. These could all impinge on people's safety by blocking escape routes or making them inaccessible, or causing massive pile-ups, in which people could potentially be crushed to death.

Consider the amount of restrooms in the venue and whether there are enough for the amount of people expected to turn up.

Staff Required

You never know what kind of people might show up at your event and how individuals will interact with each other. Therefore you need to provide security staff who know how to tackle fights and disperse riots. They can also help control crowds by removing persons whose behaviour is limiting other attendees' enjoyment of the event. Consider security checks at the door before letting people into the venue.

First aiders or fully qualified medical staff are a legal requirement. Make sure your team of organisers is educated in performing first aid. A great team-building activity is to attend a course together.

Don't forget general staff like ticket controllers, cleaners and bar staff. They need to be fully informed about the details of the event so they can do the best job possible and contribute to success. Select them early on in the organising process and train them well.