Can Security Guards Prevent Dangerous Crowd Surges At Large Events?

Crowd surges are an ongoing danger at large events; however, security guards can help to keep people safe while they enjoy themselves.

In the wake of the recent tragic disaster at the Astroworld Festival in Texas, event organizers are increasingly concerned about crowd control. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated event.

Although the Astroworld tragedy is worse than many others in recent memory, it is not uncommon for people to be injured in crowd surges. Specifically, it is up to event organizers to protect their guests.

Why Do Crowd Surges Become Dangerous?

When a large number of people are crowded into a small space, conditions quickly become dangerous.

Specifically, there is little room for people to move and there are very few exits in these tightly packed areas. As the crowd becomes more desperate to get out of an unsafe environment, it becomes even harder for them to find their way out. People can be trampled underfoot or pushed against objects which further restricts their ability to leave the area safely.

The reason that event spaces have capacity limits is largely to prevent dangers like this. It ensures that people have the space to move freely without being crushed. Also, if the area needs to be evacuated, it can be done safely. Unfortunately, when capacity limits are broken and evacuations are handled poorly, the situation can quickly turn bad.

How Can Security Guards Prevent Disasters?

There are a number of ways that trained security guards can help prevent dangerous crowd surges at events.

Managing Capacity

Exceeding capacity is one of the main reasons that event spaces become dangerous. Security guards can manage capacity by controlling the number of people allowed into the area and ensuring that only invited guests are present. Anybody that is trying to sneak through will not get past well-trained guards, so the event venue will always be at a safe capacity.

Overseeing Safe Evacuations

Evacuations need to be carried out efficiently and safely. If everybody attempts to leave through one exit, a bottleneck situation can occur. Unfortunately, this is when people get hurt. Trained security guards will identify all of the exits before the event starts and put together a comprehensive evacuation plan. In the event that the area does need to be evacuated, your security team will ensure that people are leaving safely through the correct exits.

Monitoring For Dangerous Situations

Spotting the signs of a dangerous situation before it gets out of control is crucial. If your security team detects the potential for a dangerous surge, they can take steps to prevent it. For instance, if people are in danger in a confined crowded area, your guards might be able to move them out of the way. Evacuating people before they get stuck in a surge is the only way to prevent any injuries, so having a team to monitor for dangerous situations at all times is so valuable.

If you are an event organizer, you must put measures in place to prevent dangerous crowd surges. Hiring an experienced team of security guards to manage capacity, carry out evacuations, and monitor for dangerous situations is the best way to do that.

If you are looking for a company that can provide top-notch security guards for your events, then Main Security And Investigations is the per! To learn more about what we can do to help, call us today at 281-574-1871.