PUBLIC SAFETY ADVICE

PUBLIC SAFETY ADVICE

Festivals are places to enjoy yourself and have fun. No one wants that experience spoiled by anything
happening to you or your stuff, so here are some top tips on how to ensure everyone has a safe, happy,
healthy festival.

Our main message is: please don’t be afraid to ask for help. Find the nearest member of security, steward or
zone manager, or make your way to the welfare tent or the medical tent in the Village – the very reason these
people and places are present at the festival is to ensure your safety.

WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T BRING

Check the terms and conditions of the festival you are attending.

EMERGENCY

If there is an emergency such as a medical emergency, a serious or life-threatening crime being committed, an
out of control fire or any other comparably serious incident, please contact the nearest security or steward
immediately. In the very unlikely event that you are unable to find someone, please call 999.

If there is an evacuation, please follow the directions of staff or any announcements. There are emergency
exits all around the perimeter of the arena.

FIRE SAFETY

• Candles are very dangerous inside a tent and useless in a field, so use electric torches in and around
  tents.
• Light fires away from tents.
• Never use firewood from hedges or trees.
• Watch out for flying embers and sparks as they could start a fire, even from some distance.
• Don’t burn plastic, bedding, tents, furniture or any other toxic materials – only burn clean wood if
  campfires are allowed.
•  Never cook inside your tent – always do it outside, ensure that there is constant supervision and
  keep well away from any flammable materials.
• Never take a portable barbeque – or lit charcoal-into an enclosed space like a tent or a caravan.
•  Never use liquid fuel to start or revive a fire.
•  No fireworks are allowed on site. Being found in possession of a flare or firework at a music event is
  now a criminal offence.
•  Fires are not permitted in the arena.
•  At some festivals campfires are not allowed in the campsites and at others they are limited to those
  under knee height and a pace wide. Check the terms and conditions of the festival you are attending.
• No barbeques or cooking is permitted in the car parks.
• Smoking is not permitted in enclosed public spaces or buildings including the big tops inside the
  arena.
• All sites have a festival firefighting team who are fully equipped to deal with fires. There are also fire
  extinguishers positioned throughout the site. At camping shows we have fire observation towers
  located throughout the campsites. Many of the security and stewards have been trained in fire safety
  and are on hand to assist if needed.
•  Security and stewards look out for fires, accidents and risky situations and are there to help you, so
  please do let them know if you have a problem.
• Remember gas canisters, smoke bombs and flares are not allowed onsite and will be confiscated.
•  Using smoke bombs, flares or gas canisters leaves you liable to eviction.
• Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless and highly poisonous gas that can kill in minutes.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU DISCOVER A FIRE

• If a fire starts in your tent, get everyone out of the tent and evacuate the area as quickly as possible.
• You need to get help from the nearest security or steward who will call the festival firefighting team
  to extinguish the fire.
•  Some security and stewards are provided with extinguishers / training / fire backpacks, so they may
  also be able to assist with smaller fires.
•  If you discover a fire in its very early stages and think you can deal with it yourself, remember that
  fires can spread very quickly when there are flammable materials such as tents and rubbish about.
  Even a small, seemingly contained fire can spread quickly and produce smoke and fumes which can
  kill in seconds.
• If you are in any doubt then do not tackle the fire, no matter how small. Raise the alarm and keep
  other nearby festival goers away from the fire until it has been contained and properly extinguished.
• Here is a simple fire code to help you decide whether to put out, or get out:
  •  Only tackle a fire in its very early stages.
  • Always put your own and other people’s safety first.
  • Make sure you can escape if you need to and that the fire is not blocking your exit.
  • Fire extinguishers are only for fighting a fire in its very early stages. Never tackle a fire if it is
    starting to spread or has spread to other items nearby.
  • Around 70% of fire deaths are caused by people being overcome by smoke and fumes.

CARBON MONOXIDE

• Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, highly poisonous gas that can kill in minutes.
• Carbon Monoxide poisoning can be caused by ANY fuel that burns or smoulders.
• Make sure your camping light and stove are clean and properly adjusted.
•  Never take a portable barbecue – or lit charcoal – into an enclosed space like a tent or caravan.
• Watch out for the symptoms:
  • Mild headache
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Drowsiness

SEXUAL SAFETY
We take all reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault seriously.

• It is not acceptable to grope, threaten or harass others. If this happens to you, speak out and we will
  help you.
• Sexual assault is never the victim’s fault but there are things you can do to keep yourself safe –
  choose your crew carefully, look out for each other, be aware of how you are affected by sun /
  dehydration / alcohol / drugs / not eating properly.
• Consent should be enthusiastic – then you know it really is consent. Consent is complicated, but this is
  the easiest way to think about it.
•  If you need to get out of a situation, just leave, don’t feel embarrassed. Ask security or stewards for
  help.
• Safe Gigs for Women are onsite at many of our festival this summer. They will provide a great deal of
  support and advice to anyone that visits them, whatever your gender.
• DISCRIMINATION
  We don’t accept any discrimination towards any individual or groups of individuals.
• Irrespective of the background of the individual, be that gender, race, disability, age, religion or belief,
  sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity.
  We are proud of the diverse nature of our festivals and their customers, if you see or experience anyone experience anyone undermining this – no matter the severity – please report it immediately
  to one of our onsite security or stewards.

MEDICAL AND WELFARE FACILITIES

• There are medical tents on every site open whenever the site is open to the public. You can find their
  location on any site map.
• There are doctors, paramedics, first aiders and fully equipped ambulances based out of the medical
  tent. They provide an accident and emergency facility with full resuscitation, GP facilities and
  surgeries and psychiatric treatment. They will also have contacts for emergency dentists and local
  pharmacies and / or basic pharmacy supplies.
• The medical service link up with the local hospitals / air ambulance etc in advance and live on the day
  as required.
• If you need to bring medication with you, we recommend bringing a copy of your doctor’s letter or
  prescription. There will be a fridge available in the medical tent if you require cold storage for your
  medication.
• Heavily pregnant visitors are advised to contact the medical team on arrival at the event to ensure
  you are aware of the services on offer.
• All camping festivals have a welfare tent, again open whenever the site is open to the public, and
  some day shows also have a welfare facility. They are staffed by experienced and supportive people.
  They can provide confidential advice about drugs, alcohol, sexual health and offer support if you need
  to talk. They have a rest and recovery area if you’ve overdone it.
• Our larger festivals often have additional welfare facilities as well as the main welfare tent such as the
  Samaritans, Church Tents, Town Pastors, Salvation Army or British Red Cross – all staffed by
  volunteers giving up their time to help you. They will be marked on the site map.

HEALTH ADVICE

• Check the forecast before you come and pack accordingly – don’t forget your sun-cream / wellies /
  waterproofs / insect repellent.
• Look after yourself, don’t overdo it and look out for others.
• Keep hydrated – there are free drinking water points all over the site.
•  Serious sunstroke, sun-burn or cancer can be caused by too much sun on unprotected skin – wear a
  high factor sun cream.
• Prolonged exposure to high volume noise can cause severe hearing damage. Ear plugs will be
  available onsite either at the welfare tent or the medical tent.
•  There may be loud bangs as part of performances. Please note that pyrotechnics, lasers, smoke
  machines, strobe lighting or other special effects may be used as part of some act’s performances.
• Remember there is more chance of catching an infection in a field than at home so make sure you use
  the water points and hand sanitizer stations at the toilet blocks to wash your hands regularly.
• Festivals can be hot spots for measles as they present the perfect opportunity for the infection to
  spread and festival goers aged 15 – 25 may have missed out on the MMR vaccine when they were
  younger. Public Health England recommend you check you are up to date with your GP practice and
  make an appointment to get the vaccine before attending. Measles starts with cold like symptoms
  and sore red eyes followed by a high temperature and red brown blotchy rash.

SAFETY ADVICE

• Agree a meeting point / time / place with your friends in case you get separated and don’t have
  phone battery or signal.
• Festivals often take place on uneven parkland, farmland etc with stone tracks and metal track way.
  Decent shoes are a good idea.
• Please don’t dig holes that could cause trip hazards for other festival goers or the animals that return
  to the site when you have left.
• Please don’t climb trees as you may hurt yourself and damage the tree.
• Give any passing security or emergency vehicles or buggies plenty of space to pass and don’t ride on
  vehicles.
• Learn the layout of the site and where you can find the toilets / stewards / water points etc.
• If camping:
  • Check before you pitch your tent that you are not blocking a fire lane / emergency access lane normally marked by telegraph poles. Your tent will have to be moved if you block the lanes.
  • Pick out memorable points / landmarks near your campsite to help you remember where your camping spot is located.
  • Get to know the people who are camped around you and help each other out.

SECURITY

• We do all we can to keep you safe at our festivals – we review and improve our security operations
  continually throughout the year.
• We take the security and safety of our festival goers very seriously – it is our number one priority.
• Please help us by bringing as little as possible with you and remember that at most festivals we do not
  allow bags larger than A4 into the arena. Please check the festival’s terms and conditions before
  attending.
•  Please be patient while we carry out our security checks and searches, which take place at the
  campsite gates, the arena entrance and may also happen any time at any location onsite.
• Our security staff are there for your safety 24 hours a day – please co-operate with them as they work
  to keep us all safe and sound.
• Some of our security staff are covert, but most are easily identifiable due to their green or white
  tabards. Always ask them immediately if you need any kind of help.
• There are security measures you will see and some you won’t. The entire site is monitored by staff on
  the ground who are supported by an extensive CCTV system watched 24/7 in Event Control.
• We work very closely with local Police and security services to ensure our procedures and protocols
  are informed by best practice. We invest considerable time and effort into our training and briefing
  and run various emergency exercises with the blue-light services.
• We have a team of sniffer dogs onsite working 24/7.
• Please help us by reporting anything that doesn’t look right to you and please let us know via the
  nearest security or steward if you spot an area where we can do better.

CRIME PREVENTION

The relaxed atmosphere at festivals can offer easy targets for criminals. Take the same precautions as you
would normally and please read through the advice below and plan ahead. We are always keen to reduce
crime but if we are to achieve this we need you to:

• Only bring what you need.
• Avoid bringing or withdrawing large amounts of cash. There are normally cash machines onsite
  should you need a top up.
• Only bring essential bank cards and make a note of the numbers and store at home to make
  cancellation easier if you do lose them.
• Put your postcode on the property you do bring so it is identifiable or track your items – use GPS
  tracking on your phone.
• If you arrive by car, make sure that you leave the doors and windows secure and remove any
  expensive items from view like sat navs, stereos, mobile phones.
• Say hello to your neighbours and get to know them so you can look out for each other’s pitches.
• Don’t leave valuables in your tent. Remember that tents are impossible to make secure even if
  they’re zipped. Lockers and Left Luggage facilities are available on most sites.
• Move anything of worth away from your tent door as you sleep. Don’t put a padlock on your tent
  as this indicates there are valuables inside. Don’t bury your valuables by your tent as someone is
  bound to be watching.
• When moving around the festival – especially near to stages – don’t put money, credit cards,
  mobile phones etc in your back pocket. Use pockets with zips or buy a money belt.

CRIME REPORTING

• If a serious or life-threatening crime is being committed, please contact a member of security or
  steward immediately. In the very unlikely event that you can’t find a member of security or steward,
  please then call 999.
• If you need to report a less serious crime, then again please report the issue to a member of security
  or steward. Information coming in live helps us to act quickly.
• If you see someone committing a crime, try to remember as much as possible so you can report it
  including what clothes the suspect was wearing and any facial features. Make a note of exactly where
  you were using landmarks like toilets, fire lanes, fire towers or unusual tents.
• If you think you have had something stolen from your person or your tent, check at lost property in
  case it is there.
• Crime-reporting forms and victim support are available onsite, and security and stewards will be able
  to inform you where they are located.
• If anyone you don’t know comes into your tent, please tell the nearest member of security or steward
  immediately. If they are genuinely lost, our staff can help them back to their tent.
• If you need to report the theft of a mobile phone, don’t forget to also contact your network provider
  and have the handset blocked.

CHILDREN

• Some festivals are not suitable for very young children and don’t permit children under 5, some are
  very child friendly and attract many families so check the terms and conditions of your festival.
• Under 16s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is over 18.
• If you are bringing a child to a festival, make use of the mobile phone wristband system normally
  available when you first arrive onsite to write your mobile number on and put on your child’s wrist in
  case you lose each other.
• Please note that entertainment onsite may contain nudity and swearing and that there will be acts
  which will be unsuitable for children which we are unable to classify due to the nature of live
  performance.
• Lost and found children are looked after and co-ordinated via the Welfare Tent onsite but any
  member of security or steward will be able to help.

COMPLAINTS AGAINST STAFF

• If you have an incident with a security guard, steward or any other member of our staff that you wish
  to tell us about, please make a note of their tabard number and/or the name on their pass so we’re
  able to identify the member of staff in question. You can make complaints onsite in person at the
  Information Tent and Welfare or via email to [email protected].
• Please include as much information as possible, including a description, tabard number &
  colour, location, date and time
• All security and stewarding staff onsite are briefed on the complaints procedure.

ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

• Entry to the premises will be refused to any person who appears to be intoxicated, is acting in a
  threatening manner or is violent.
• Entry to the premises will be refused to anyone convicted by the police of an offence of drunkenness,
  violence or threatening behaviour, or the use or distribution of illegal substances.
• Anyone caught burning toxic materials, creating large bonfires, throwing gas canisters or aerosols
  onto fires, putting tents on fires, throwing missiles, or taking part in any kind of anti-social behaviour
  that endangers other festival goers in any manner will be evicted from site immediately.

EVICTION

Festival Republic events are produced for the enjoyment of all those persons who attend. The licence for each
festival is granted under strict conditions of attendance and public safety, prevention of disorder and prevention
of public nuisance. Any person who disrupts the festival under any of the below sections will leave themselves
liable for eviction from site. The decision as to the eviction will be at the discretion of the Eviction Team following
advice from festival security staff and will be overseen by the Security Co-ordinator.
Persons will be liable for eviction under the following circumstances:

a) Drugs
b) Anti-Social Behaviour**
c) Robbery
d) No wristband
e) Assault
f) Theft
g) Sexual assault
h) Juvenile Drugs
i) Breach of Terms & Conditions
j) Having been arrested or cautioned in connection with a criminal offence, pending or post handover to the Police

**Unacceptable behaviour that can lead to eviction includes but is not limited to:

o illegal activity
o breaching the terms and conditions of entry
o failing to submit to a search upon entry to the site
o offensive behaviour
o throwing hard objects in the direction of people
o encouraging others to behave badly by incitement
o preventing our security or emergency services reacting to a situation
o taking tents with the intent of burning them
o throwing gas canisters onto fires
o building or fuelling large bonfires
o committing a criminal offence but not arrested by the police
o in possession of unlawful drugs
o unofficially selling alcohol, tobacco, counterfeit goods or any other unauthorised goods
o ticket touting
o any other behaviour that leaves the festival open to prosecution or is not conducive to maintaining a safe event