Must-Have Equipment For Festival Staff

Festival season is in full swing, representing a lucrative opportunity for arts organisations and private enterprises to showcase the raw talent in the UK’s arts and music industries – and to bring in impressive audiences in the process. But festival organisation is no easy task, requiring the co-ordination of hundreds of staff members, volunteers and team leaders to complete successfully. There are many items of equipment an average staff member will need to work effectively, but what are the most important?

Walkie-Talkies

The most important tool in the arsenal of any festival team is the walkie-talkie. Communications tools are vital on sprawling festival sites, especially when coordinating crowd movement or administrating artist schedules. The remote location of many festivals leaves the potential for weak or non-existent phone signals; walkie-talkies provide robust and secure lines of communication, which can be split to ensure individual teams have their own channels. 

Hi Vis

Festival work can be dangerous work, whether it is stage technicians rigging audio-visual equipment or festival logistics staff driving artists to and from their stages. The various risks involved in festival work require the same treatment as any other workplace risk, and it is incumbent on the employers – i.e.: the festival organisers – to ensure a safe work environment in every possible way.

One of the chief ways in which employers are legally required to ensure staff safety is through the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE). There are many items of PPE with which staff should be equipped, but hi vis clothing ranks amongst the most important. 

The low-light conditions afforded by backstage areas or late-night shifts increase the risk of injury from collision with a vehicle; hi vis clothing ensures staff remain visible and reduces the risk of injury. Hi vis clothing can also be used to differentiate festival staff from attendants, and ensure that people know who to speak to when it comes to specific matters.

Ear Plugs

Another vital form of PPE to provide to festival staff is ear plugs. Ear plugs protect the eardrums and inner ear from the dangers of excessive volume – something to which staff will be exposed consistently throughout the weekend, however close they may be stationed to a stage.

Hearing damage can occur not only due to short bursts of volume above 100dB, but also due to constant exposure to sounds around 85dB. Live shows frequently exceed 100dB, but so too do large crowds exceed 85dB in volume – necessitating hearing protection for comfort and protection from injury.

Suitable Shoes

Festivals often take place on private- or farmland, which gives rise to environmental concerns and safety. Inclement weather such as excessive rain can quickly turn fields into mud pits, making on-foot travel particularly difficult without the appropriate footwear. Festival staff also spend long periods of time on their feet, so any footwear they do wear should be comfortable as well as durable and all-terrain.