Are you aware that a lot of young people fainted, got injured, lost valuable property and some got admitted in hospitals during the recent auditions for Big Brother Nigeria?
After reading a recap from one of my secondary school mates and seeing other posts, I’ve decided to share some tips because these things that are preventable keep reoccurring .
First, as an event organiser, before you put together any event most especially the ones that attract large crowds, you’ve got to do a thorough risk assessment. When properly done, this shows likely problems/hazards and helps you plan how to mitigate them. Adequate security would have put theft in check in this scenario. Mobile medical units would have helped attend to injured persons. Working with safety professionals in event planning would have really helped to curb excesses as much as is reasonably practicable .
Second, as an attendee of an event with a potential large crowd turnout, you need to plan ahead. If an event organiser does not plan for you, you should have your own plan in the first place. Here are some tips:
1) Dress comfortably. Ladies keep the high heeled shoes in your bags at the beginning. You have no idea of the exact situation you are going to meet: long queues, no seats, uneven surfaces etc.
2) Have something to eat or drink because you have no idea how long your day will be. You cannot be fainting because you didn’t make provision for something to eat and you know you left home early without breakfast.
3) Always ensure you have cross ventilation. Crowds have a way of making people pass out due to inadequate air. If people are too many and it is tight, you have a duty to yourself to step out of such a situation. The worst thing that can happen to you is to faint in such a situation and no one is available to catch you instead, you get trampled on. That event is really not a do or die affair .
4) Be situationally aware of your environment. This will help you know when to run or walk away as the case may be
5) When attending events like this, avoid carrying too many valuable gadgets or documents. I heard about thefts of phones, other gadgets and International passports.
If you can, avoid carrying too many valuable stuff for such events
6) Always know where the exits are from the beginning. You shouldn’t be looking for exits in an emergency, you should already know where they are.
This list is not totally exhaustive but the idea is to get you thinking about how you can protect yourself in large crowds.
