Which Crowd Control Barriers do you need for your event or festival?

Using crowd control barriers at events

Seeing and using barriers at events is common practice as they service several purposes:

• Keeping pedestrians in the queuing and public areas and protecting them from the dangerous areas of an event where there may be moving vehicles, also preventing visitors from climbing up on top of temporary structures and equipment and putting themselves at risk of falling off.

• Directing the flow of pedestrians and event visitors in a safe and controlled manner, barrier systems can be designed and set up in specific formations to form an orderly queue whilst taking advantage of all the possible space. You’ll see this best used with pedestrian barriers creating the back and forth layouts.

• Providing a physical security to stop unwanted guests from entering, you’ll find these most commonly in the metal fencing panels which typically stand 2 metres tall.

• Different coloured crowd control barriers can be used to clearly identify lanes of entry and openings in the barrier chain where vehicles can pass through.

If you decide to use crowd control barriers and temporary fencing as a crowd control / management tool, the set up should be risk assessed. Depending on the complexity of the risk and barrier/s, you may need a source of competent advice to help you. Speaking with your local authority for guidance in this area would be advisable as they should have a directory of contact available in various event and planning departments.

Choosing the right barriers for your event

Traffic Management Barriers

If you are planning to set up queuing systems on the public highway along the footpaths or pavements you may have to use Chapter 8 Road Barriers, these are a specific style of safety barrier that feature a large reflective red and white strip. They are conforming to road safety requirements and are ideal for visibility in low light and nighttime conditions.

Plastic Crowd Control Barriers

The plastic crowd control barrier is the perfect choice for all sizes of event and festival queuing systems. The barriers can be used on the public roads if the roads are closed and the event organisers have permission from the local authority, however if you are planning on using the pedestrian barriers on private land you will not need to obtain any specific permissions unless from the landowners.

The plastic crowd control barriers are easily connected with a hook and eye system, this is great for creating long secure runs of the barriers. When you’re looking to change direction in the flow of visitors the barriers can be connected and angled to 90-degree changes, offering great versatility to the layout of your site.

With safety in mind the plastic barriers are an excellent choice as they feature no sharp edges and can withstand the weight of several grown adults pushing against the erect barrier system with no issues. As the barriers are manufacture completely from plastic, they are also non-conductive, perfect for keeping festival and event visitors safe in adverse weather conditions.

The range of colours in the plastic crowd control barrier range means that there will be a great solution for all possible events and festivals, and if your required colour is not available in the standard colours, you can always have a bespoke barrier order placed to get that exact match that you’re looking for.

When the barriers are coming to and from the event site, they can be stacked up easily and securely, once the barriers are stacked correctly, they will not move due to the feature of stacking lugs keeping them firmly in place.

Enhanced Event Organisation

Crowd control barriers separate the different sections of an festival/event and at the same time provide pathways to key installations such as toilets, podium, or the eateries. Since they play a key role in separating the stage or podium with the main arena, they can also be used to enhance visibility of the event while at the same time providing an additional line of security for the performers or guest of honours. It is imperative that crowd control barriers must have characteristics adjusted to synchronise with their efficiency and the safety aspects of any crowd control arrangement.

Strategically Install the Crowd Control Barrier

There are several factors that come into play whenever deciding on the quantity and type of crowd control barriers required with a particular event. The size of the venue versus the number of anticipated traffic, the number of sections that the event will have and if there will be any high-profile visitors so that these personalities can have a separate section to the crowd and a different seating arrangement. Will be conducted indoors or outdoors because the nature of each event dictates the materials that must be used in constructing the barriers.

The deployment of barriers and fencing should be considered and integrated with your other crowd control management procedures, for example the use of stewards, to help achieve an all-round effective management of the risk and organisation.