Learn how proactive crowd management shapes safer event design using crowd science, psychology, and predictive planning. Designed for event organizers, venue operators, supervisors, workers and safety professionals, this session connects crowd science directly to worker safety and due diligence, and duty of care obligations.
This document provides responses to the questions raised during the webinar, offering further clarity and additional insights on the topics discussed.
This safety bulletin is intended to assist all production personnel with understanding the regulations and to warn of potential electrical and fire safety hazards related to use of the electrical equipment. It is also intended to recommend safe practices for trained personnel. This safety bulletin is not intended as a design specification or an instruction manual for untrained persons.
What happens outside your event perimeter can impact safety just as much as what happens inside. When planning an event, it’s easy to focus on what’s within the venue, but the surrounding environment plays a critical role in how safely and smoothly your event operates.
Zone Ex is the area outside the formal event or venue boundary that is still affected by the event. It includes the surrounding routes, spaces, and services people use to arrive, wait, circulate, and leave.
With the return of busy live events, more people are gathering to enjoy concerts, performances, and festivals. But for those working behind the scenes, the unpredictable nature of managing crowds—whether it be a concert or a ballet performance—can pose significant risk not only to the performers and crew, but to the spectators. Past crowd disasters and incidents such as the 2010 Vancouver riots are examples of the potentially dangerous and even fatal consequences that can occur when crowds are not properly controlled.
When planning an event, it’s easy to focus on what’s within the venue, but the surrounding environment plays a critical role in how safely and smoothly your event operates.
Zone Ex is the area outside the formal event or venue boundary that is still affected by the event. It includes the surrounding routes, spaces, and services people use to arrive, wait, circulate, and leave.
This area can include sidewalks, transit stops and stations, parking areas, drop-off and pick-up zones, road crossings, nearby intersections, and adjacent public spaces. Its size and complexity depend on the venue, event type, and surrounding environment.
Event-related pressure often extends beyond the perimeter. Congestion, queuing, spillover, blocked access, and delayed dispersal can develop in these areas and affect safety, movement, access, and event operations.
While Zone Ex is often outside the direct control of the organizer or venue, it still requires effective management and planning to mitigate the risks associated with crowd related hazards. Effective management and planning depend on early coordination with municipalities and other relevant parties whose infrastructure, services, or operations may be affected.
Duty of care does not end at the perimeter of an event space. Organizers and venues still need to consider their duty of care and responsibilities to patrons, workers and public as the event goers arrive, move through, and leave areas around the venue.
Effective Zone Ex planning depends on early coordination between all groups and/ or partners involved, clear roles and responsibilities, shared expectations about how the space will function, and agreed safety, security, and service arrangements. When those elements are established in advance, the area is easier to manage, support, and adapt as conditions change. Partner involvement might look like:
Zone Ex considerations should be coordinated with other planning documents, including:
More detailed planning may be needed where there is:
The more complex the environment, the more important it is to anticipate how people will move through and interact with these surrounding spaces.
Use the Zone Ex planning tool to guide early conversations with your team about the area around your event, how people are likely to move through it, and where extra coordination may be needed.
Watch our webinar The Science of Crowd Management: Safer Crowds, Safer Work to learn more about Zone Ex, Crowd Control and Crowd related risks.
Gain practical skills in crowd management, crowd safety, and risk assessment for live events and public spaces. This comprehensive, one-day course introduces the fundamentals of crowd science and equips you with tools to plan and manage safe environments for places of public assembly. The Introduction to Crowd Science is a Level 3 qualification (Highfield).
Actsafe has negotiated a special discounted rate exclusively for the arts and entertainment industry, making this globally recognized training more accessible to our community.
Date: May 5, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (plus 20 question / 15-60 minute, multiple choice, online assessment)
Location: In-person at Actsafe, Burnaby & Virtual
Delivery
Trainer-led in-person and virtual
Cost
$300 + GST
Duration
8 hours + 15-60 min test
Certificate Validity
No expiration date
If you require specific accommodation, please email info@actsafe.ca.
At the end of this workshop, you will all be able to:
Anyone who has a responsibility for any aspect of crowd safety.
Full attendance and active participation in the workshop, along with successful completion of the online exam, are required to receive a certificate of completion.
To pass this course you must complete the online multiple-choice quiz. You have 1 hour to complete 20 multiple choice questions and score above 80% to pass. You have three attempts to pass the course.
People successfully completing this course will have an Introduction to Crowd Science Level 3 Highfield qualification. Highfield Qualifications is a leading awarding body in the UK and is responsible for accreditations worldwide.
Kevin Kennedy is a skilled, self-motivated and adaptable professional with extensive event planning experience and focus on public safety and emergency response. He has a Master of Science (with Distinction) in Crowd Safety and Risk Analysis (Manchester Metropolitan University, 2022). He has worked in the major event industry for over 15 years. He has been applying the crowd safety principles for more than 10 years for small and national level events.
Safety might not be the most exciting part of content creation, but it is one of the most important. On this episode of First Frame, hosts Jennifer Park and Cameron Zinger explore how to build a true “safety first” culture. They’re joined by Doryan Mash, Regional Safety Advisor at Actsafe Safety Association, who brings real-world experience from emergency response to break down what safety really means for creators in 2026, whether you’re working solo or as part of a team.
Article by Derek Hall, Vice President, Pacific Backlot.
Winter is a beautiful but challenging time for production crews, performers, and live event teams. Cold temperatures, frost, snow, and icy roads can transform everyday motor vehicle operations into risky activities. In industries where vehicles are constantly on the move — from trucks delivering set equipment to crew members commuting between locations — winter motor vehicle incidents (MVIs) pose a workplace risk.
One of the most serious types of MVI on sets and at events is the “struck-by” incident, where a person is hit by a moving vehicle or equipment. WorkSafeBC identifies five elements that contribute to struck-by incidents: planning and proximity, vehicle or equipment, task, environment, and people.
Struck-by incidents are more likely when workers and vehicles operate in close proximity. Multiple contractors or departments may share the same worksite, which can result in mixed traffic, congested areas, and blind corners. Having a traffic control plan will help ensure vehicles and pedestrians coexist safely on site. At studio locations where there are lots of pedestrians and motorized vehicles such as trucks and forklifts, the budget should allow for a locations person who will make sure traffic is f lowing smoothly, with minimal congestion. Also budget to clear ice and snow that could lead to congestion.
Vehicle size, type, and purpose significantly affect the risk of incidents. Large trucks or forklifts have blind spots that can obscure nearby workers. Proper use of mirrors and cameras, along with regular maintenance and cleaning, are critical to reduce risks and improve field of vision for drivers. Audible reverse alarms and wheel chocks also reduce the risk of struck-by incidents.
The complexity of tasks can increase risk. Crew members may be carrying equipment, focusing on set-up, or navigating obstacles, reducing their awareness of nearby vehicles. Communication protocols, task-specific PPE, and correct positioning are essential to mitigate these risks.
Winter brings low light, snow, frost, and slippery surfaces, all of which affect visibility and traction. Hills, ramps, and congested sites can further complicate vehicle movement. Production teams should assess worksite layout, lighting, obstructions, and weather conditions before beginning operations.
Human factors such as attention, line of sight, distance perception, and reaction time play a major role in preventing incidents. Workers must be aware of their environment and expectations of vehicle movement. Employers must provide training and supervision to support safe behaviours.
WorkSafeBC recommends using the hierarchy of risk controls to prevent struck-by incidents.
In winter conditions, additional measures can prevent incidents:
Winter MVIs are preventable with proper planning, training, and control measures. Employers and supervisors in the motion picture, performing arts, and live events industries must understand the risks posed by vehicles, environmental conditions, and human factors, particularly during winter months. By implementing traffic control plans, leveraging the hierarchy of risk controls, and fostering a strong safety culture, productions can protect their most valuable assets — their employees — while maintaining smooth operations on set and at live events. Taking proactive steps will not only reduce injuries and fatalities but also protect the f inancial and reputational well-being of your organization. Remember, safety isn’t just compliance — it’s a culture and a commitment that saves lives.
Actsafe Safety Association would like to acknowledge and honour that our workplace and classrooms are located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Qayqayt, S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group, səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh), šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmaɁɬ təməxʷ (Musqueam), and Stz’uminus peoples.
Actsafe is a not-for-profit health and safety association supporting British Columbia’s arts and entertainment industries.
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