Crowd management
Preparing for disasters
Whenever large numbers of people come together to watch an event, there is potential for major disasters. No-one ever suspects that day watching a sport event is is a major risk to life and health but history proves otherwise.
Sport administrators are required to conduct risk auditing for all types of events, large and small. Any failure to do this can result in an law suits for negligence. One important aspect of risk auditing is to examine all possible risks associated with spectators. Risks associated with spectators can arise as a result of the behaviour of spectators and in particular when spectators begin to take on a crowd mentality.
Risk associated with physical arrangements, dimensions and layout of the venue must also be examined. Sport administrators really need to know Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong, will go wrong). (see more about risks associated with events)
Crowd Control
There is a
necessity to make a careful estimation of the number of staff
- Manage entry
and exits
- Control
/ patrol all areas of the ground / facility
- Control
an evacuation should it prove to be necessary
- Raise the
alarm and liaise with emergency services
Having sufficient
staff to manage an emergency is a "Duty of Care"
It would
be therefore prudent to consult appropriate emergency authorities (police, fire service, etc) in this matter.
Training in Crowd Control
In
Australia many states have legislation that requires a person
to be licensed before they can act as a crowd controller.
You should check for legislation
in your own state.
In order to
be licensed, a person will usually undergo an accredited course
that provides the participant with knowledge of the functions
and roles of a crowd controller. Such a course might include:
- Roles and
responsibilities
- Communication
and clients
- Operational
procedures
- Managing
performance
- Managing
conflict
- Emergency
first aid
- Crowd control
operations
- Law and
practice
- Emergency
procedures
- Access control
- Securing
premises and property
In addition
to this training, event managers and venue managers should
provide additional training to familiarise their crowd control
staff with specific aspects of the facility or venue. For
example, it will be necessary to know the:
- Location
of exits, stairs and other aspects of buildings
- Position
of emergency equipment such as fire hoses
- Location
of communication devices e.g. alarms, public address systems
and telephones
It will also be necessary to provide training in the venue's or hosting organisation's policies and procedures for event management and control. These policies and procedures should include conducting drills and tests to ensure staff have the knowledge required.
The event goer's Bill of Rights
(Adapted from Crowd
Management Strategies at www.crowdsafe.com)
- To enjoy the event in a safe environment.
- To be treated with respect by facility or venue management, event
security, officials, and promoters (regardless or race, sex,
appearance, or disability).
- To be informed of facility or venue's house rules prior to or upon
entry and my responsibilities as an event goer
- To be informed of the risks associated with spectating at the event
before or upon entry into the facility or venue
- To be notified in a timely manner of changes in the performance,
door opening, or other information affecting the safety and
enjoyment of a concert.)
- To have posted at the event, the names and addresses of the facility
management, event organisers and security/crowd control firm.
The
spectator's plan for injury
- Plan
what you must do if you get injured. Try to find out in advance
where the nearest place for First Aid and medical treatment
is.
- Get
a written report of any treatment your receive if you are injured.
This may be useful if you wish to initiate legal proceedings
at a later date.
- Don't
sign the medical treatment report until you have read it and
satisfied that it correctly describes your injuries.
- Do
not assume your injury is your fault. Even if your actions have
partly contributed to the accident, there may be other factors
that led to your injury over which you had no control.
- Carry
proper identification and important phone numbers, or medical
information with you. (allergy problems, medication data, etc.)
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