How to create a safe and orderly queue at your event

People in Britain are known for their patience and understanding of how to queue. However, when it comes to live events and venues, even the most experienced queuer can become lost if there isn’t some semblance of order and safety in place.

Creating a safe and orderly queue is essential not only for peaceful entry into an event or venue but also for the health and wellbeing of all concerned. With that in mind, here is our guide to creating safe and orderly queueing systems for your event.

Start by putting a plan in place

Creating an organised queue at an event takes a little more consideration than simply putting up some fencing. According to the Health and Safety Executive, event organisers are responsible for putting crowd controls in place that ensure safe arrival and entry to the venue. This responsibility includes adequate queuing space, so when it comes to planning your event, you must consider how many people will attend and how much room that crowd will need.

Knowing how many people are expected to attend will give you an understanding of how long and how much fencing is required. Mapping out the queuing area of your venue gives you an understanding of where to position the line and whether there is enough capacity for your crowd.

Depending on the scale and type of event, you may need to speak with the police and transport providers to manage the increased volume of people travelling to your venue. Queuing must also not block emergency exits and reasonable steps should be made to avoid traffic routes. Create effective and clear signage to ensure your guests understand where they need to be and how to join the queue.

Why barriers and fencing are essential for queues

When dealing with large crowds, barriers and fences are ideal for preventing opportunistic queue jumpers. Event fencing and barriers organise people into safe and orderly lines while significantly reducing the opportunity for queue jumping.

Temporary fencing such as Heras Fencing is quick to install and remove, meaning your event won’t be delayed while establishing a place for people to queue. It is also durable and sturdy, ensuring everyone inside your event is protected and that the space is safe. Fences and barriers also provide a clear and obvious perimeter to your event, helping to secure your site and walkways with ease.

Which are the best types of barriers for crowd control?

The great thing about the barriers and fences that we provide here at Maltaward is the variety of sizes and materials they come in. Our security fencing can be positioned however and wherever you need it the most. Heras fencing is ideal for crowd control because of how easily installed it is, while its height helps to keep intruders out.

Steel barriers provide a heavier form of crowd control, with their construction making it difficult for people to climb. However, plastic safety barriers are versatile, easier to see at night and reduce injury risk. For more permanent control, or even traffic control, concrete barriers can help to define entry and exit points while preventing vehicle access to your site.

Should you hire or buy?

One question you may ask yourself when planning your event is whether you should hire or buy security barriers and fencing. Budget is a key consideration, as is the frequency with which you will host live events with large crowds.

Short-term hire means you don’t need to consider storage and maintenance while your fence or barrier will be installed in compliance with health and safety regulations. But, if you are hosting a series of events, you may decide that buying your crowd control barriers is a more cost-effective method.

However, your team will have to ensure they meet national standards when putting up your barriers. You will have to factor in the additional insurance and training required for members of your team regarding the crowd control barriers you own.

How Maltaward can help with crowd control

Here at Maltaward, we provide crowd control barrier hire and purchase solutions to make sure your event goes off without a hitch. We also provide professional security solutions to help protect land, properties and industrial units from trespassers and vandals. Contact us for a consultation to discover how our expert team can meet your barrier and security needs.