The responsibilities of Safety Officers include ensuring compliance with the following conditions which may be included in the POPE permit as applicable. In addition to this their role is to identify, document and report any hazards or threats to event management.

The operation of safety elements, equipment and systems including fire suppression equipment, exit signs and emergency lights

The establishment and operation of evacuation procedures

The safety of barriers and exits

The control of the use of naked flame in theatrical productions

The exclusion of the public from unsafe areas

The keeping, testing and storage of flammable material or explosive items and equipment, the ignition of fireworks and the discharge of pistols or other shooting devices in a safe and responsible manner, to the extent that is not required by any other act or regulations

The availability of specified drinking water facilities

The location and designation and operation of passageways and exits

The availability of specified public toilet facilities and the condition of those facilities

The safe installation of temporary utilities such as power, water, gas and cooking facilities

The availability of required crowd controllers

Confirming that relevant documentation is displayed on prescribed temporary structures

The availability of specified fire suppression equipment

Adequate anchoring of temporary structures including marquees less than 100 square metres

The availability of adequate overhead lighting after daylight hours

Access for disabled persons and emergency services

The availability of specified first aid facilities

The safe operation of amusement rides

The availability of specified temporary handrails, balustrades, stairs landings and the like for areas that are more than 1 metre above the surface beneath

Safety Officers who have been engaged to be in attendance at a POPE must ensure that prior to commencement of the event; they have received a copy of the relevant POPE permit which details relevant conditions such as those outlined above.

You, the client, are ultimately responsible for the health and safety of everyone attending your event. This responsibility cannot be discharged. You must therefore satisfy yourself that you have appropriate safety assistance commensurate with the level of risk your event may be exposed to. The event organiser must satisfy themselves that contractors are competent. The event safety consultant can assist the client by reviewing all contractor health and safety information prior to commencing works.

The short answer is No, the role of a PSO is stand alone and purely focused upon Public Safety.

For instance, a Site Manager, Organiser, Security Guard, First Aider, Bar Staff or CEO cannot cunduct themselves as a PSO during an event as they have other tasks to manage. Although an individual may have the necessary training and qualifications to perform the role, they need to be committed exclusively to Public Safety.

Crowd Control is dealing with how people behave as individuals, Crowd Management is looking at the behaviour of people as a mass (Crowd Psychology).

There are some very experienced event security contractors out there who have vast experience in the area of crowd management. However, it is more appropriate for the event organiser to have an independent representative, whose sole focus/agenda is to reduce the crowd related significant hazards to a tolerable level. The management of crowds is a specialist area, which many claim to be experts in, but a far less number have first hand experience in particularly at the strategic and tactical levels. History has clearly demonstrated the consequences of poor crowd management and today we have other external factors to consider at mass crowd gatherings.

Yes it certainly can be an element, but the event organiser must satisfy themselves that they have the expertise onboard to manage their crowds and identify the foreseeable risks associated with crowds attending their event (particularly for Mass Crowd Gatherings). Event safety consultancy is such a broad area which encompasses elements such as: temporary structures, crowds, documentation, plant, contractor documentation review, site safety rules and enforcement, licensing meetings, crowds, fire safety, food safety, dangerous substances, dynamic assessment, accident investigation, first aid and medical and emergency management as some of the areas.

Crowds converge to your event in the knowledge that the event has been planned safely and that they will be able to navigate around the event space with ease through clear signage and information delivery. The event layout should be designed to reduce the likelihood of crowd related incidents and should be based on the type of event, the audience demographics, historical information, topography amongst other areas.

In the event of any emergency, the crowd must be able to reach a place of ultimate safety and not be restricted, or injured, in doing so. Effective crowd management planning involves liaison with site designers from the embryonic phase of an event through to the safe delivery, by monitoring and dynamically assessing the crowd and having contingencies in place that are practical based solutions, such as a clear and effective showstop procedure, briefed to key parties, understood by all and implemented by a competent person as required.

A Crowd Management Plan should demonstrate how you will manage your crowd in normal and emergency conditions. It should highlight the specific areas of risk and how you plan to reduce these risks. Consideration should be given to the demographics, performers, topography, indoor/outdoor event, flow rates, ticketing systems, VIP guests, other events and available resources such as barriers, amongst other things.

There should be a clear overview of the competency of the crowd consultant to demonstrate that the person planning the crowd management and safety is well versed with mass crowd events, specifically your type of event and qualified to do so.The crowd management plan serves as evidence that the organiser has considered the risks to the crowds specifically. It is a stand alone document which should be prepared using a crowd specialist well versed with this type of event.

It should be remembered that the crowd management plan, like the event safety management plan is a ‘live’ document which requires constant updating and review throughout the event phase, until the public have left the event space.

An event fire risk assessment is an assessment of the fire risks to life, taking into consideration the sources of ignition, combustion and oxygen on site. Consideration must be given to temporary structures, flame retardancy of furnishings and linings, means of escape, travel distances, ultimate places of safety, occupancy capacity, special effects, audience demographics, disabled persons, waste management, fire fighting media requirements (including spares), fire fighting access, load capabilities, fire-fighter safety and raising the alarm. These are some of the areas which need to be included in a fire safety management plan.

Each event should have a Fire Safety Management Plan which includes fire risk assessment, written in a structured manner so that everyone can understand it and not weighed down with technical terminology. A good understanding of human behaviour in emergencies and general crowd management will be helpful when considering actions to take in an emergency.

Certainly NOT!!! All people are to be treated with respect, however when dealing with people under the effects of Drugs and Alcohol things can get out of hand very quickly if the wrong methods of communication are used. When it comes to Safety, the herd is more important than the individual. Sometimes Security and Event Staff approach situations with patrons in a manner that is inflammatory. A good Safety Officer can assist in these situations. Safety trumps Security, Site, Management, Profit and Ego's and is THE most important consideration. Bruised Ego's heal much faster than broken bones.

NO. A Safety Nazi (n.) is a person obsessed with safety and possessing a fascist belief that everyone who believes otherwise is irresponsible, reckless, and should be publicly chastised. We work in with people rather than against them.

If you are a Manager or Organiser of an Event you must recognize that delegating certain duties to others does not mean that you are relieved from the responsibility of that duty. Continuous over-site of certain activities may not be feasible but, regular checks regarding the standards, processes, procedures, and compliance is needed. Reviews with employees, supervisors, and safety personnel should be regularly conducted to ensure that an appropriate belief system exists, that positive attitudes towards compliance with the standards is being displayed and that general safety behaviors are being conducted even when other people are not looking.

If you are a Safety Nazi (or know one) you should recognize that unless you give up this method of influence this will not be a suitable or lasting profession for you. Safety Professionals Care about people which extends to organizations and the public in general. That Care is displayed in ways that protects everyone’s dignity and value as an individual yet enforcing the requirements of the standards. There are only a fraction of a fraction of people who wake up each day with the intent of doing harm to themselves, their organization or the public. They need to be dealt with but, not at the expense of creating a fear culture for the entire organization. Teaching others including employees but, also management and supervisors about their roles and responsibilities is essential to achieving a positive safety culture. As a Safety Leaders (not a Safety Nazis) our staff lead without authority, influence others to do the right things and are not afraid to hold crucial confrontation when things go wrong.

Crowdcare is a service dedicated to helping people who are undergoing difficult experiences (caused by drug use, sexual abuse, bullying, trauma) at festivals and music events. We complement traditional welfare by specialising in cases where drugs are involved and handling patients appearing psychotic or paranoid as a result of drug use. People in those conditions are in a fragile, vulnerable state of mind and in need of sensitive handling to safeguard their long term mental health. Our unique skillset allows hospital referrals and chemical sedation to be avoided.

We do not encourage the use of any illegal substances. We are non-judgemental, not pro or against any personal choices. We are just here to care.

We think that if someone is having a “bad trip” it is because he/she is really in need of it. They may be confronting their own fears, and there is potential to benefit from it. Therefore, we do not work with denial or try to make people come back to “normal” but, embracing the moment, we provide support for the individual to come through the ordeal more wholesome and wise.

Put simply....First Aid will generally call for somebody to be transported rather than deal with people behaving strangely. Such a call requires police back up. This creates an ordeal that puts the event in a negative light in the eyes of the community as these statistics or details are often reported to the media. We work in with Emergency Services to provide a "Safe Space" for people to be cared for by qualified staff and experienced volunteers in a comfortable setting.