Managing the Risks: An Observation of Crowd Management and Other Risks Associated With Outdoor Music Festivals in the UK

Introduction

All employers are subjected to the legal duty to conduct formal risks assessments. The Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999) makes it a criminal offence for an employer who fails to make suitable arrangements to manage risks. The risk assessment is a critical component of event management for all outdoor festivals. OMFs are associated with increased health and safety risks due, but not limited, to the risk associated with mass crowd gatherings, particularly those including younger demographics. Typical risks include illness due to intoxication, disorder and rioting, crowd surges, stampede and assault. The risk at OMFs is exacerbated due to the influence of music, drugs and alcohol. A range of public health issues such as access to safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, and food borne diseases are also areas of concern (Earl, Parker and Capra, 2005). OMFs usually require extra security and medical services, which can increase the overall costs of hosting the event. Other types of risk posed by outdoor venues may include inadequate provisions for bad weather or lost or stolen valuables (Tangit, KIbat and Adanan, 2016).

While the above researchers agree that there are links between increased public health risks and outdoor music events, these risks can be minimized or eliminated through the proper implementation of risk assessments. The Purple Guide (HSE guide) publication in the UK offers several recommendations for ensuring good health and safety management at outdoor events, but it does not always give explicit guidance on best practices and tactics that could be implemented. Consequently, assessing risks could be intimidating for event mangers who have little experience in risk management. However, understanding and managing crowd behaviour, suppliers and traders is paramount to the safety and success of outdoor festivals (Reid and Ritchie, 2011). Improving the quality of planning, and event management is the best method to deal with risks involving large gatherings (Bladen, Kennel, Abson and Wilde, 2012). Assessing the health and safety risks of major outdoor music festivals forms a crucial plank within the wider framework of event management.