As the health and safety measures surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic subside, many of us are finally enjoying attending live events. 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.
Identifying hazards and implementing controls
One of the first steps when planning an event of any kind is creating a crowd management plan. The plan should consider all aspects of the event—from arrival of the guests and lineups, to exiting the facility and preparing for unplanned evacuations. Like any other work site, we must first assess the potential risks and hazards. Ask yourself, what at your event could cause harm to workers and people in attendance, who could be harmed by these hazards and what is the likelihood that this could occur? Common hazards at live events include:
- The venue: Consider all aspects of the venue such as access to entrances and exits, temporary structures, grounds conditions, pedestrian routes, and layout.
- Smoke or special effects: Could workers be disoriented by smoke, visual effects or dimmed lighting?
- Unpredictable weather or natural hazards: What natural elements could pose a risk to the audience or staff?
- The audience: Different events attract different crowds. Consider how the audience might behave; are they likely to be cooperative or more aggressive? Remember, consumption of alcohol can lead to more unpredictable crowd behaviour.
For more on training, check out Actsafe’s course calendar to learn more about Performing Arts Safety for Supervisors.
Once you’ve identified the hazards and evaluated the risks, take steps to eliminate or reduce them wherever possible. In event management, controls are often focused on the entry to the venue, the circulation of the crowd, and exit routes. Implementing controls such as barrier systems, emergency lighting, and ensuring adequate distance between rows and exit routes can help avoid crowd congestion that often leads to injuries.
Learn more about how your Joint Health and Safety Committee can prepare and reduce risks with Actsafe courses and workshops.
Communication is key
Everyone working or planning for a live event or show—regardless of the venue—has an important role to play in keeping all patrons and staff safe when it comes to managing a crowd. Once your crowd management plan is complete, it should be shared with all staff. Consider having a team huddle prior to the event so everyone knows their roles and responsibilities, understands emergency protocols and how to contact local emergency services if needed. Ensure you have proper communication channels available to communicate with staff during the event so that you can quickly share information if needed. Lastly, share safety plans with your audience. Ensure they’re aware of all emergency exits, have clear signage posted around the venue, and provide any additional resources such as maps or an information desk if needed.
Resources and support
While it’s impossible to predict how an audience will behave, proper preparation and planning can help reduce the likelihood of injuries should an incident occur and keep your guests, staff, and performers safe.
Looking for additional support to ensure your next event is safe for your workers? Actsafe’s Safety Advisors provide health and safety consulting assistance to help guide you through health and safety issues. Learn more on our website. You can also access a variety of resources to support your event plan preparations, including our AED rental program and our OHS Gap Analysis program by visiting actsafe.ca.
When planning for crowd management and mitigating risk to workers, there should also be consideration of what will be done after a significant incident has occurred to minimize the potential impacts of trauma for those involved. Unaddressed trauma can cause the development of mental health challenges as well as harmful physical health issues in the days, weeks or years afterwards. Critical incident stress debriefings (CISD) are one example of a structured methodology which could be valuable to use in such circumstances. CISDs follow a supportive, 7-phase crisis intervention process developed by Dr. J. T. Mitchell of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress (Mitchell, 1983). This process is designed for small, homogenous groups to help normalize the group members’ reactions to a critical incident and to help facilitate their recovery. Through a combination of storytelling and practical information, participants are guided through the cognitive and affective domains of their experience to gain a full understanding of the impacts they’ve sustained and the support they may need to recover with greater resiliency. CISDs should be conducted by trained and qualified facilitators within 24 to 72 hours of a traumatic event.
Sources
References
Mitchell, J.T. (1983). When disaster strikes: the critical incident stress debriefing process. Journal of Emergency Medical Services, 13(11), 49 – 52.
