Fire Safety At Festivals | CheckFire Ltd
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Fire safety at festivals

This year’s festival season is looking to be bigger and better than ever, so ensuring the safety of revellers and installing the right fire safety equipment at your event is crucial.

Festivals mean large congregations of people packed into small spaces, which leads to a greater risk of accidental fire – that’s why providing comprehensive safety measures is a top priority. Here, we take a look at which fire safety equipment is needed and what other steps can be taken to ensure fire safety at festivals.

 

Assessing risk of fire at festivals

Taking proper precautions means starting with a fire risk assessment. That means identifying potential hazards, areas, and people at risk, as well as planning and putting in place the necessary equipment for protection.

Particular attention should be paid where large numbers of festival-goers will be camping, as tent materials are extremely flammable and the risks increase where people are likely to be building fires or open-air cooking. Reduce the risk of fire in camping areas by prohibiting open flames and employing fire marshals to monitor the area.

There should be clear exits and signposted escape routes dotted throughout the grounds so people can easily make their way to safety should a fire break out. Event organisers should also consider putting out regular announcements to let people know what to expect in the event of an emergency.

 

Providing the right festival fire safety equipment

The types of fire most likely to occur at a festival are Class A, B and C – fires originating from paper, wood and textiles, flammable liquids or flammable gases. To tackle these fires, a versatile fire extinguisher like the CommanderEDGE MultiCHEM fire extinguisher is an excellent choice – you can learn more about it in our guide to MultiCHEM fire extinguishers.

The size of the festival will determine how many fire extinguishers are needed. All fire extinguishers should be placed adjacent to fire hazards alongside suitable fire safety signage that clearly displays how they should be used. of each piece of fire safety equipment is crucial. Festival organisers and attendees should be confident that the fire extinguisher will work as intended in the event of a fire.

Event organisers can protect equipment from accidental discharge, vandalism or tampering with a fire extinguisher cabinet. Fire points stands are another way to mark a central point for fire safety equipment and to ensure instructions and fire escape routes are clearly signposted. We now offer a handy flat-pack fire point stand which is ideal for outdoor events.

In the event of a fire at a festival, staff and attendees will need to be alerted quickly and clearly – the CommandAlert Site Alarm has an incredible 115dB and LED strobe and can be easily heard and seen across large gatherings in open outdoor spaces.

 

Adhering to food truck fire safety regulations

Most live events offer catering provisions to ensure attendees are happily fed and watered. Organisers will need to ask external caterers bringing trucks on-site to provide a completed fire safety risk assessment for their vehicles, and ensure these are up-to-date and compliant with legislation. Organisers providing their own food trucks may wish to explore fitting a compact fire extinguisher, such as the CommanderEDGE MultiCHEM fire extinguisher 2ltr or 3ltr units.

Ensure all vehicles are on site in good time before the event opening so that any inspections can be carried out as needed. A simple food truck fire safety inspection checklist might cover items such as:

  1. LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) containers, piping, and appliances. Are containers secured in an upright position? Is piping adequately protected? Are appliances of an approved type?
  2. Hood system. Does the system adequately remove grease and smoke?
  3. Fire extinguishers. Are they of the correct type? Are they adequately serviced and maintained?
  4. Electrical. Are generators placed a minimum of 20 feet away from tents and canopies, and inaccessible to the public?
  5. General. Is there signage for ‘No smoking’? Does the vehicle hold an operational permit?

Organisers should also make sure food trucks and other stalls are taken into consideration when carrying out site risk assessments. For example when considering the capacity of a certain area, are units evenly spaced out, are they likely to cause bottlenecks or block escape routes?

 

If you’re running a festival or other live event this year, we hope it goes smoothly and successfully. If you want to know more about festival fire safety, get in touch with the CheckFire team and we’ll guide you through which pieces of equipment are essential for your site.

The content of the CheckFire blog is for general information purposes only. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, under no circumstances should it be considered professional advice. Any reliance you place on the information is at your own risk. Always seek the advice of a fire professional for your particular circumstances and requirements.

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