What to do in a Funfair Emergency
Emergencies are something that is every event planner's worst nightmare, so the temptation is to try not to think about it. However while this is the easy option we all know that it’s not the best - accidents and emergencies caused by fairground rides are rare, but general emergencies when you have a lot of people gathered together are less so. You need to be prepared and ready to deal with an emergency when it arises, being prepared is the difference between a minor incident becoming a major one and it’s very simple to do.
Here We Are Tricycle have compiled a simple guide of a few precautions you can take so in the unlikely event of an emergency you can deal with it efficiently and safely. Check out more funfair safety FAQs for additional advice.
An emergency is an emergency no matter what the cause is so you must look at all potential hazards at your event and this includes the human factor.
Factors include:
- Funfair Ride malfunctions
- Adverse weather
- Fire
- Public behaviour
It must also be considered that an initial incident can have a knock on effect and cause further incidents, for example a fire can cause people panic, and a second incident can be caused if people don’t have a clear path out. Therefore an evacuation plan and procedures must be top of your safety list, so you can safely and quickly clear large amounts of people and so professionals can attend to the scene.
Organisers need to think about the circumstances of the individuals directly and indirectly involved in the incident.
- Mobility and disability issues
- Distressed individuals
- Youngsters who could be displaced
All need an option to safety if an incident occurs and the best way to do this is have a clear pathway with demarcation from crowd barriers, and have your staff trained in directing people through it. Not only must it be clear and quick for people but emergency vehicles and maintenance vehicles must be able to travel swiftly down them.
Different parts of your event will have different footfalls so rather than spread out staff evenly it’s a better idea to concentrate them in areas that are likely to be busier. Do this by looking at where funfair attractions that are likely to cause footfall have been placed and place your staff accordingly. It’s also key that all staff must have a direct way of contacting different sides of the event in case of an incident.
No one wants to think about an emergency happening but with evacuation procedures in place and strategically placed trained staff throughout your event you have set it up to be ready for an incident.
We Are Tricycle delivers safe funfair hire, with risk assessments, method statements and full insurance. Contact us for more information.