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Crowd Safety Tips®

v

Crowd Safety Tips®

Larry B. Perkins, CPP, CMP

Lulu Press, Inc Morrisville, North Carolina By ManagingCrowd.com and Band of Writers Coalition

vii

ALSO BY LARRY B. PERKINS

Crowd Safety and Survival: Practical Event

and Public Gathering Safety Tips

Jake the Cowhand

Jasper Rabbit

Crowd Management; In the Eye of the

Storm

Staying Cool in Hot Situations ® (2005)

Day of Event Cancellation Procedures

Mirror, Mirror: Reflections of the Soul,

Spirit, and Will (2005)

viii

5/10/2005 3:43 PM

CROWD SAFETY TIPS Crowd Safety Tips Copyright © 2004 by Larry B. Perkins ISBN (Pending) Cover Design by Larry B. Perkins MyBook, MB, and Band of Writers are trademarks of Band of Writers Coalition Publishers. “A three in One Project” and the “PERC System, Crowd Safety Tips,” “Staying Cool in Hot Situations,” and “Day of Event Cancellation Procedures” are protected by copyright ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher/author assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. For Information: Band of Writers Coalition, 510 Berlin Way, Suite 1, Morrisville, NC 27560 or visit www.bandofwriters.com. Also, visit www.lulu.com/content/77654 and www.ManadingCrowds.com

Printed in the United Sates of America

First Edition (Version V3)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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ARNING

When life is imperiled or a dire situation is at

hand, safe alternatives may not exist. To deal

with the worst case scenarios presented in this book, we

highly recommend-insist, that the best course of action is to

consult a professionally trained expert.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of

the contents, suggestions, recommendations, and

information contained herein, we are not responsible and

assume no liability for any damages caused or alleged to be

caused, directly or indirectly, incidentally or consequentially,

to any person, firm, or third party using the information

contained in this book. The information is provided without

warranty.

The author is not attempting to provide legal, medical, or

other professional services or advice in this book. The

techniques, illustrations, and data contained herein are

strictly informational. It is strongly recommended that legal,

medical, and other expert assistance—and/or the services of

a competent professional—be sought prior to engaging in

any of the acts, or circumstances, referred to within this

W

x

book. Further, some facilities prohibit certain objects, foods,

materials, and personal items—such as cameras, weaponry,

certain types of shoes, cell phones, sticks, video and audio

recording devices, backpacks, bags, containers, plastic,

chains, noise makers, and beverages.

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NTRODUCTION Even experts can’t always predict a crowd-related

tragedy, but these tips will give you a sense of hope and

reassurance by knowing what to do if caught in acts of

violence, crowd out of control and natural and manmade

disasters happen.

Each day, we hear news accounts of injuries and deaths

where people have been involved in some sort of crowd-

related incident. Our first reaction may invoke an image of

someone attending a sporting event or musical performance.

However, the truth of the matter is that crowd-related

incidents can happen at any time and any place. They can

happen at a house party, on a balcony, at a wedding,

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LARRY B. PERKINS

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standing in line for a special pre-holiday sale, or waiting on a

train platform.

Crowding, stampeding, trampling, and suffocation, with no

avenue of escape, is the number one cause of multiple

injuries and deaths, by human hands, in crowds.

On December 18 2001 A free Christmas Gift Distribution Created a Crowd Crush. Four people died, including three children, when a poorly planned and managed government sponsored Christmas gift giveaway program for children went awry in Aracaju… people showed up at a public building for the holiday event…people waiting to receive their free gifts were caught in a craze when one of the main gates opened and triggered a surge and crush, according to local news reports…

Consider a person’s chest cavity depressed in incidents such

as this, unable to take air into his/her lungs. This is sure to

cause that person to lose consciousness if not abated

quickly, usually in a period some a few seconds to

approximately three minutes. Once a person loses

consciousness, irreversible brain damage may occur due to

the brain’s starvation of air.

Crowds can increase or decrease from a few people to

thousands in a matter of minutes. Whether during ingress,

CROWD SAFETY TIPS

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egress, or in celebration or protest, it is within this period

that the greatest potential for serious problems arises.

Often, people attending events and other gatherings are

unaware of the danger that lurks within crowds. Their

excitement and attention is usually focused on the event and

other activities. They rarely think about what to do, where

to go, or how to protect themselves in crowds.

However, we hear more commonly about sports and

entertainment incidents, which was the case during two

separate events in Africa on Sunday, October 10, 2004,

where six people lost their lives during soccer matches. Two

deaths occurred following chaos in Monrovia, Liberia, when

the Lone Stars were defeated 3–0 by Senegal. Fans did not

accept the defeat and started throwing stones onto the

field—pitch—after Senegal scored their third goal. After the

game, the visitors and the referee had to be taken away from

the stadium under the protection of United Nations troops

and their armored personnel carriers. The angry spectators

also smashed the cars of Liberian players and threatened

their families.

In Togo, four people were crushed to death following a

stampede after Togo's 2006 World Cup qualifier in Lome

against Mali on Sunday, October 10, 2004. The mad dash

LARRY B. PERKINS

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happened as fans panicked when lights went off just

minutes after the end of the game. These were just two such

cases out of many senseless tragedies, which occurred in

some African stadiums over that weekend.

It is never pleasant to read about death and injury. Africa

has had its share in recent years, and we here in the US have

had our share of crowd incidents as well.

The following Crowd Safety Tips outlined here in provide

only a sampling of crowd situations and safety techniques.

However, this sampling will teach individuals how to

recognize potential crowd dangers and other situations, such

as the concert at the Station Night Club in Rhode Island,

where 95 people lost their lives in a fire, the E2 Night Club

in Chicago, where 21 people were trampled to death on a

stairwell packed with people as they tried to escape, the

recent shooting death at the Alrosa Villa Club, where the

lead singer was shot to death and hostages were taken, or

where the floor collapsed at a wedding in Israel under the

pressure of the crowd. Typically, attendee’s attention is not

on how to protect themselves or how to escape.

After spending a lifetime at the Meadowlands Sports

Complex, NJ and now at the RBC Center, in Raleigh, NC, I

have seen the best and the worst in crowd situations. I have

CROWD SAFETY TIPS

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been an advocate of crowd safety for years and as such, I’ve

appeared on NBC Dateline with Rod Stafford in a segment

entitled “Crowd Safety – Get out alive,” and many other

programs. While it’s fresh in everyone’s mind, I would like

to offer you some very simple, but effective tips on crowd

safety you can use and share with your family, friends and

colleagues. I want every parent, every student, every senor

citizen, patron and every facility manager to instinctively

know what to do when things go wrong at a public event.

Knowing how to recognize and escape the dangers in

crowds could save your life and/or those of your loved

ones. By sharing my experience and insight, we can save

lives while encouraging individuals to live fully and not

fearfully.

Knowing how to recognize “Danger and Danger Zones”

could help prevent another tragedy.

LARRY B. PERKINS

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REPARATION BEFORE LEAVING HOME

1) If you're attending a ticketed event, like a

concert or game, leave a copy of your ticket and

details with someone at home. If an incident does

occur, they'll know how to locate you to make sure

you're ok.

2) Don't plan on going to a crowded event alone; use

the “Buddy System.” You should always have at

least one other person looking out for you. A helping

hand in a crush or a stampede can mean the

difference between life and death if you've fallen or

become injured.

3) Being in the middle of an active crowd can get hot,

so drink plenty of fluids and stay hydrated. This can

prevent overheating and passing out if things get too

close for comfort.

P

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CLOTHING / ACCESSORIES

1) Before you leave home, make sure at least one part

of your clothing is bright and easily visible. It’s

difficult to see when the lights are down. Further, the

noise level makes it difficult to hear someone only a

few feet from you. Wearing something bright and

recognizable helps friends and family better locate

you. Like tagging your luggage at an airport, it

distinguishes it from all the others.

2) Carry ID, a cell phone and a penlight at all times.

Should the power fail you can shine your light to see

how to get out. The thick smoke may also make it

impossible to see. If you’re injured you can call for

help and your ID shows who you are.

3) Bring special medicines and medical information.

This will aid the facility’s medial personnel to render

faster and appropriate treatment. Should you find

yourself at a place without medial assistance,

bringing your medication will provide immediate

care.

4) Leave behind dangerous accessories like spikes and

chains, as well as long jewelry and purses which can

become tangled and cause injuries

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5) Wear comfortable footwear, and make sure the laces

are tied so you don't trip and fall. If you lose your

shoes in a crush or stampede, don't stop to get them.

Getting knocked down is the last thing you want to

happen.

T THE VENUE AWARENESS

1) Avoid being the first person in line waiting for the

gates/doors to open. This is where crowd pressure

can build, just before or as doors open. Most injuries

and deaths happen during ingress, egress, in

celebration and in protests. Just like an airplane,

there are critical time periods while flying. For

planes, it’s during take off and landings. For Crowd,

they can grow to thousands in a matter of minutes.

2) Once inside an event, familiarize yourself with your

surroundings and facility layout, including the

location of first aid stations, the presence of security

workers, how the crowd is behaving, and what the

weather is like. The most import is locating an

alternate exit and predetermine how you would

escape should something goes wrong.

A

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3) Be aware of the condition of the surface upon which

you are standing (muddy, slippery, etc.). These

surfaces may present a problem in a moving crowd.

Watch out for broken bottles, cans, and other debris,

these too can be a hazard.

4) Don't stand near or climb on temporary structures,

which could collapse under too much weight.

5) Do not position yourself near immovable objects

such as a door, stage or barricade. These provide no

avenue of escape. The pressure from the crowd can

crush your chest cavity, cutting off your oxygen

supply, which could cause asphyxiation.

6) Also, it’s a fact that most injures and death occurs

with young men in the age range of 15 to 25. Read

the warning signs of crowds, observe their behavior,

and recognize when the crowd pressure is building.

Think of a packed elevator. If you can’t raise your

hand to touch your noise, or when there is

uncontrollable and/or unwanted touching, then the

crowd density level is at or near the critical stage.

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7) If the band encourages the audience to come on

down – Get to safety, move out of the flow. This

can become a hot spot. If you move away from the

heat, you’re less likely to get burned.

8) Moving Crowds are like locomotives, once they are

in motion they are hard to stop. The energy in a

crowd, like the energy of a moving train, must be

released and must be allowed to run its course.

Energy is created by the weight and speed of the

train and can have a devastating and deadly effect on

anything in its path. Like the pressure of a train, the

crowd pressure can over take an individual in an

instant. Crowd pressure on the chest cavity can be

just as deadly as a train on an individual in a matter

of seconds. It is important that participants

understand the flow of a crowd and avoid being

trapped with no avenue of escape.

9) If you find yourself in the middle crowd don't stand

still or sit down – you can easily get trampled. Keep

your legs moving in the direction of the crowd, and

try getting to the outside where the flow is weaker.

The last thing you want to do is fall. But if you do,

get up quickly. If you can't, get someone to pull you

CROWD SAFETY TIPS

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back up. This is when having a friend nearby can be

a lifesaver.

10) If you can't get up, keep moving by crawling in the

direction of the crowd. If that's not possible, your

last resort is to curl up in a ball, create an air pocket

and cover your head.

11) Sometimes, high energy crowds create an ebb and

flow of people that could sweep you off your feet.

Fighting against these "waves" will probably knock

you over, so keep your legs moving, try not to fall,

and take advantage of any space that may open up in

front, you may be able to work yourself to the side

where the crowd is weaker.

12) As noted earlier, the worst place in a surge is at the

very front of the crowd against an immovable object,

like a fence or stage barricade. It may be tempting to

make your way up close to where the action is on

stage. But it's smart to stay away. Crowd pressure

here can build up quickly and be deadly. People in

back will have no idea what's happening up front.

13) Escalator safety is a major concern, not only in

sports and entertainment venues, but any facility that

LARRY B. PERKINS

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has escalators. Some of the common dangers

associated with escalators involve loose shoes laces,

long pants, hanging straps, and tips of shoes getting

caught in the moving treads. This prevents both the

individual whose item is caught and those behind

him from exiting and escaping the escalator at the

appropriate moment. As a result, a pile occurs that

could cause serious injury.

Further, persons reaching down to pickup a fallen

item may found their fingers and hand trapped and

mutilated between the treads and the sidewall or in

the teeth of the bottom or top plate1.

All escalators are equipped with emergency stop

buttons. It you find yourself entangled on an

escalator or trapped on one, yell out “We’re trapped.

Push the RED Stop bottom at the top or bottom of

1 “Injuries suffered in an elevator or escalator accident may result in the amputation of a limb or extremity. The Amputee Coalition of America defines amputation as "the absence of any part of an extremity (arm or leg) due to surgical or traumatic amputation." Traumatic amputation is a common injury during elevator or escalator accidents. When the accident itself results in the immediate loss of limbs or extremities, it is considered to be a traumatic amputation.” By the Law firm of Edgar Snyder & Associates

CROWD SAFETY TIPS

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the escalator!” then turn and yell, “Go back!” This

alert should then be flowed by attempting to avoid

the person who’s trapped and getting to safety and

help for those trapped.

LARRY B. PERKINS

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PORTING EVENTS PITFALLS

1) Some of the worst crowd tragedies happen at

sporting events, where overselling, poor

management, frenzied fans, and festival seating all

create problems.

2) When at events, watch from your seat, not the aisles

or walkways where foot traffic flows. And keep away

from fences, boards, or barricades where there's no

escape if fans behind try to rush the field or court.

3) Be aware of what's going on around you, like crowd

behavior, what the score is, and how much time is

remaining. Be aware that the crowd might come from

behind or above you

4) It might be smart to leave a few minutes early to

avoid the reaction of frenzied fans.

ESTIVAL SEATING HAZARDS / CHILDREN SPACE AND LOCATIONS

1) Most crowd accidents happen in "standing room

only" or festival style events, where there are no

assigned seats. Problems like early arrivals, rushing in

S

F

CROWD SAFETY TIPS

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to claim space, crushes at gates and stage areas, and

trampling are situations to guard against.

2) If you're bringing small children, it's best to avoid

this type of seating all together, so check your tickets

beforehand. If possible, try to upgrade your ticket to

general admission or reserved seating. It's usually a

much safer bet.

E SAFE SHOULD SOMETHING HAPPENS

1) Head immediately to the nearest exit. Remembering

the emergency instruction when you are aboard an

airplane can help you think about what to do – white

lights lead to red lights, the nearest exit may be

behind you and move quickly. Don’t stop to call 911,

get out as fast as you can, then call.

2) If you fall or are knocked down, get up without delay

and if you can’t get up, crawl to the side. If that fails,

cover up, create an air pocket and protect your head.

3) Again, as you exit, be aware of changing crowd

flows, elevations, stairs, escalators and terrain.

Bottlenecks happen at these areas when people are

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trying to escape. If you’re in the flow, it’s nearly

impossible to turn around, the force of the crowd

behind you have no idea of what’s going on up front

and continues to push forward.

Crowd safety is something we all must be continually aware

of whenever we are around other people and structures.

Learn how to recognize danger and danger zones, order

“Crowd Safety and Survival: Practical Event and

Public Gathering Safety Tips”. It will teach you how

to protect yourself in crowds. You will learn:

What to do if you are caught in an out-of-control

crowd.

The danger signals of crowds.

Where you should position yourself within a crowd.

How to escape if you should find yourself down (on

the ground) in a crowd.

What to do before you leave home.

How to gauge the effectiveness of security.

How much time you have to escape a dangerous

situation.

How to protect your chest cavity if caught against a

railing and other barriers.

About the different types of surfaces and what they

mean.

CROWD SAFETY TIPS

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About the mob mentality.

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