When Safety Fails

We can't say this often enough - here in the UK the concert industry is absolutely the best - world leaders in what they do - so we've got an awful lot to be very proud of.
Crowds are difficult to control and manage and many professionals have an uphill battle trying to make sure we are all safe - or as safe as we can be - we must always remember that we ourselves have to take some responsibility for our own behaviour at crowded venues. We want these events and we ask for these events - we must therefore support those who put them on by behaving responsibly - and yes - we can all still have fun while simultaneously keeping ourselves and those around us safe.

The statistics contained within the animation give some details of the number of deaths and injuries that have occurred world-wide at crowded venues, many of which were predictable and preventable.

We need good education for the concert audience, improved co-operation with the promoters, better information about crowd surges and crushes for the public because the potential for a disaster in a dense crowd is always high - whilst this potential can never be completely eliminated we can all work together to try and minimise the risk.

This first set of animated statistics show you how many people have been killed and injured (many seriously) at indoor venues. Again many were predictable and preventable, these were places where people went to have a good time - many paid with their lives. This is not an exhaustive list and sadly, more will probably be added when further research is undertaken. The objective in bringing it to attention is to underpin the fact that without better awareness more accidents like this could still happen. Better awareness is necessary in order to minimise the chances and lessen the risks, crowds could be better informed and good quality safety information distributed before and at each and every event. It is insufficient to leave safety planning and preparation to the professionals without informing the public what measures are in place - what their role and responsibility is - and what they can do in the event of an emergency. It's all about better information and working together.

This second set of statistics catalogue some, but by no means all of the incidents that have happened in overcrowded areas which may not have been managed as well as they ought to have been. When all the relevant factors that heighten the possibility of an incident come together the end result can be catastrophic. So any measures that will better inform and educate people who attend these events can only help us all out. Attention must be given to overcrowding at outdoor events, crowd surfing, stage diving and moshing - a potentially lethal combination.

16 year old Jessica Michalik died in 2001 at her 'Big Day Out'

Read about the findings of the inquest. This article is courtesy of crowdsafe.com - the article is written by Ian Weir - a crowdsafe award winner.

We all need to take responsibility when in crowded situations - professionals are only human like the rest of us and we all have human faults - so the best way to ensure safety is if we all work together toward it. That means professionals need to do their best within the available knowledge that they have - and customers need to make sure they are informed and act with care. One death at a concert or festival is one death too many - let's learn from the past and protect the future - together.