Crowds are unavoidable occurrences of everyday life. Problems in their safe management are not.
A new guide for organisers at events and venues entitled 'Managing Crowds Safely' (HSG 154) – and also among the HSE's raft of health and safety-related publications – aims to provide practical advice to help those organising events to manage crowd safety in a systematic fashion.

'Managing Crowds Safely' addresses events at both sporting and non-sporting venues, football stadiums and other sports grounds/arenas and those at sites not designed for the purpose (such as parks or industrial centres).

There are seven detailed sections within the guide, concentrating on planning, assessing risks, putting precautions in place, emergency planning and procedures, communication, monitoring crowds and reviewing all safety procedures.

A safe and trouble-free event will require good planning from an early stage. You need to ensure that your precautions to manage crowds are adequate and appropriate for the expected numbers and types of visitor.

The section on emergency planning and procedures is of key importance, setting out those issues to consider when planning for safe and effective crowd management in the event of a fire or a bomb threat. Plans must be watertight, as an emergency could well involve the rapid, largescale movement of people – with the potential for overcrowding.

Source

SMT

Postscript

Priced at £17.50, copies of the guide are available by mail order from HSE Books (telephone: 01787 881165 or fax: 01787 313995).
You can also order copies over the Internet at: www.hsebooks.co.uk