Encouraging safety at festivals and outdoor events

Organising outdoor events can be quite challenging. Festivals are often diverse and feeling safe is important to attendees, which is why ensuring the safety of attendees and preserving the event grounds is crucial. This is especially true when events take place on fields or farms. We offer track mats and ground support, to help event organisers protect the environment and encourage safety at festivals.  

The festival industry in the UK is worth 2.7bn, and as that number increases, organisers looking to push boundaries and provide new, never seen before experiences. Creativity is something that is massively encouraged on the festival scene, but this is not to say that safety should go out the window. Good outdoor event safety is all about reaching a balance between entertainment and well-being.  

Here are some key factors to consider for safety at festivals and events

Fire safety policies  

The type of outdoor event depends on the fire safety policy you will employ. Attendees at day events are unlikely to start a fire, but people at camping festivals, often start fires on camp for warmth or to cook. In campsites where fires are permitted, there should be fire marshals on patrol. They should ensure no fire gets out of hand. Camping stoves are usually prohibited at festivals due to the explosive gas canisters that may be used to ignite them. This, combined with many flammable tents and people under the influence is not the best mix.  

Medical tent 

Festival well-being is important, 5 days in a tent with copious amounts of alcohol and mosh pits. There’s always going to be a few nasty hangovers, headaches and even minor injuries from tripping on uneven ground. When it’s hot, sunstroke and sunburn are more common than you might think. That’s why all festivals should have medics. Most problems can be dealt with by onsite medics who can treat festivalgoers in medical tents 

Water points  

As mentioned in the previous point, most festival goers sleep in tents for up to 5 days at a time. Festival organisers must offer free water refill points, especially during the hot summer months when shade may not always be possible. Many festival attendees go with less food and more alcohol than they’d usually consume which is why water is especially important.  

Ground protection for safety at festivals

Festivals attract huge crowds of thousands of people trampling uneven ground! The safety of the festival attendees is super important especially with people walking, dancing, running, on uneven or muddy ground. To improve safety and accessibility for disabled people, you can create walkways using trackways and ground support mats. 

Ground protection mats don’t only safeguard attendees but facilitate better accessibility for people using mobility aids such as wheelchairs or crutches. Ground protection is a great way to provide safe and accessible paths through festival grounds without fall or trip risk. 

Not only do our solutions make festival sites safer, but they also promote the preservation of outdoor venues. Usually, grass and fields are used for both aesthetic and environmental reasons. The high foot traffic and heavy vehicles, stages and even food trucks can damage grass and soil, especially with the added factor of rain (which is common at UK festivals). 

Ground protection and track mats help to maintain soil and prevent boggy conditions. This not only ensures safety at festivals but also prevents heavy equipment and vehicles from getting stuck in the muddy ground. 

Contact us to find out how we can help you with encouraging safety at festivals and outdoor events.