There will always be an element of risk when hosting a crowded event...
There’s the standard antisocial behaviour one might expect when large groups
gather – physical fights, heated arguments between patrons and staff, theft,
vandalism, and intoxicated patrons.
Then there’s the more sinister security breaches to consider – weapons and drugs
brought into the venue, hostile vehicle attacks, and explosives.
If you have a Kalgoorlie event coming up where there will be people assembling,
security and crowd control is an avenue you will need to explore to ensure your
patrons, staff and license are protected.
So, what constitutes a crowded event? How many people do you need to have
before enlisting a security provider?
Well, this depends on the type of event you’re hosting, whether it’s indoors or
outdoors, licensed, and of course the level of risk it attracts.
To break this down for you, according to Australian National Security, a crowded
place includes but is not limited to “sports stadiums, transport infrastructure,
shopping centres, pubs, clubs, places of worship, tourist attractions, movie theatres
and civic spaces.”
“A crowded place may not be crowded all the time. The number of people could vary
between day and night, or by season. A crowd could also be temporary. For
example, sporting events, festivals, or one-off events,” it states.
As a general rule, we recommend employing 2 security officers for the first 100
people, and every 100 people after an additional guard. So, let’s just say you’re
organising an event with 500 patrons, we suggest 6 guards on site as a minimum.
When in doubt, it’s always best to give a security company, like us, a call and we can
provide our expert recommendations on what you should be looking into for your
event.
What is crowd control and why do you need it?
As its name suggests, crowd control is managing crowds at your event. Typically,
you’ll have some guards manning the door, checking tickets, and IDs of guests, and
perhaps inspecting bags too if this is a condition of entry.
Depending on the size and scale of your event, you’ll also have some additional
guards peppered around the site to provide a physical deterrent and be able to step
in promptly in the event of an incident.
Crowd control is one of the many services we offer here at Goldfields Security &
Training for outdoor family-friendly and licensed events, conferences and exhibitions,
bars and nightclubs – you name it.
We’ve been in this industry for a long time and seen it all, which is why we feel it’s
imperative all event organisers take a proactive approach to security, assess and
mitigate risks ahead of the event, and have the correct procedures, policies and
emergency plan in place in the rare event of an incident.
Security risks at large events
complete a preliminary risk assessment of your event to identify the risks you’d like
to mitigate, and think carefully about venue selection, and event design.
Here are some of the key security risks to consider:
Anti-social behaviour and violence among patrons
Drugs smuggled into the event
Liquor licensing breaches – alcohol served to intoxicated or underage patrons
Weapons brought into an event
Armed offenders
Explosive devices
Violent crimes
Overcrowding
Protests
Patrons jumping on stage, entering restricted areas
Vandalism and destruction of property/assets
Patrons trespassing (jumping fence) without a valid ticket/security screening
Theft
Street drinking
We also encourage you to check out this great self-assessment tool and an audit
worksheet from the Australia New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee that walks
you through a wide range of scenarios.
Crowd control for licensed events
What about venues and events where there is alcohol?
When alcohol is thrown into the mix, there is a massive surge in risk from a patron
perspective as well at an operational level, with strict fines and licensing rules to be mindful of.
From an event licensing standpoint, it is the event’s responsibility to check the
identification of all patrons if it is an 18+ venue. If someone presents 25 years of age
or younger, security must sight a valid WA driver’s license, passport or proof of age
card.
Security at the door must also ensure people aren’t entering the event
‘intoxicated/drunk’ or smuggling in drinks, drugs or drug paraphernalia, and bar staff
have a valid RSA and are not selling alcoholic beverages to intoxicated patrons. Any
breaches can lead to liquor licenses being revoked and penalties in accordance with
Overcrowding is another key consideration. We’ve seen it happen before when a
space gets busy, people bump into another which can fuel fights, while long lines
leave patrons impatient, irritated and hostile.
It’s sometimes small things like this that can build up over time and cause conflict,
which is why having security at the door to control patron numbers and flow is a
must.
In the event of a physical altercation on site, a disorderly patron will need to be
removed from the premises, and we cannot stress enough, careful attention must be
paid here so this is handled lawfully.
Only licensed crowd controllers with a signed notice of authorisation
from the owner of the venue (or the owner itself) are allowed to perform physical
evictions.
The proper restraints also need to be adhered to. For example, positional
asphyxiation and headlocks are strictly prohibited and will be considered assault in a
court of law.
It’s also important to note, only licensed Crowd controllers are allowed to be acting as security at a venue and wearing security shirts.
We’ve seen many licensed venues letting approved managers wear security shirts,
which is actually prohibited if they aren’t a licensed crowd controller and can carry
hefty fines upwards of $2000.
Yes, that’s right, only licensed security officers & Crowd crowd controllers can wear security
shirts and must display their license as per legislative requirements.
By employing professional security guards for a high-risk venue such as a nightclub,
bar or 18+ festival, this will ensure your event is compliant, and you’re doing your
duty of care as an organiser or venue owner, while protecting your own licenses and
business.
Security guards have a heightened level of situational awareness. Put simply, we
know what to look out for, we’re immersed in the community and are aware of
problem patrons that cause trouble, and are across all of the liquor licensing and
security legislations to provide the best protection possible.
Would you like to learn more about crowd control for your event?
If you have some questions, we’d love to hear from you. We invite you to call us on
0404 449 326 or email callum@goldfieldssecurityservices.com.au.
Comments