In the UK we are lucky to have so much green space and land to host outdoor festivals and events. Whilst it’s an amazing selling point for an event to enable attendees to listen to music from a grassy hilltop or whilst camping in a field, it’s not always practical or safe to host a festival entirely on natural ground. Heavy duty track mats are required for safety, practicality, preservation and accessibility.
There are areas where the ground needs protection from equipment and there are instances where the equipment needs protection from the moist and spongy ground too. In terms of safety heavy duty track mats are also absolutely essential for people too. Predominately, they are required for slippery, uneven terrain and crowd control, but there are lots of other uses too.
If you’re planning a UK outdoor event, trackway should be the first thing to arrive and the last thing to leave. If you’d like to know more about incorporating temporary trackway into your event planning, see here.
For structural and safety reasons, stages need to be put together on a firm, sturdy ground.
This is a super heavy piece of equipment and, the core of the festival. It is also dangerous, so it needs to remain safe and elevated from the ground using heavy duty track mats.
A firm, non-muddy surface is a selling point to those who are willing to pay additional ticket costs. Additionally, it doubles up as a distinctive divider to the area, followed by fencing and stewards.
According to Euroloo, “Placing the portable toilet on uneven terrain can cause it to tip or become unstable, leading to potential injuries or damage. Always ensure that the ground where you’re placing the toilet is level. If needed, consider compacting the soil or laying down a temporary flat surface.”
This is non-essential but could be desirable to the landowner. Festival spaces are often hired from farmers or the local council who require ground preservation. Heavy-duty track mats laid for the vans and huts to park on will prevent tyre damage and reduce ground pressure.
Whether a festival car park is decked with heavy-duty track mats relies upon multiple factors. The main components are budget, landowner or council discretion, environmental conscience and event impact on the land in previous years. As an example, if the landowner is a farmer they may need the specific field you are using as a carpark to feed their livestock next season so potentially cannot afford for the grass to be damaged.
It is best practice to ensure all the main routes to and from the site and important areas (such as emergency or medical tents) have a heavy-duty track mat roadway. This is to ensure all vehicles and large equipment vans, trucks, machinery or emergency services can safely gain access to and from the site. A firm, high-weight-bearing, non-slip surface is specifically required in this instance.
Although heavy duty track mats may not be required for walkways, and a lighter option could be chosen. Festivals have a large footfall in a dense area. Temporary walkways are particularly important if the event is being hosted on listed grounds or in the gardens of a listed building.
Just like for temporary roadways, access to and from the site needs to be made as easy as possible for third-party staff, event staff, attendees, those with disabilities and emergency services. Extra trackway should be provided at entrances and exits so vehicles can make U-turns. In an emergency situation, an ambulance wheel stuck in mud could be dangerous.
This is an important area which needs to be flat, sturdy, easy to access and may require access for wheelchairs or stretchers. It is always a safe measure to include ground protection here too.
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