Summer is here, and for many young adults, festival season means more than just music, it’s a chance to work or volunteer at exciting outdoor events. From Glastonbury to local community festivals, these roles come with fantastic perks, like free tickets, staff camping areas, and a buzzing atmosphere. But behind the fun, festival workers face real safety risks, including long shifts, lone working, extreme weather, and unpredictable crowds. Whether you’re a volunteer, employee, parent, or event organiser, it’s crucial to prioritise safety while ensuring everyone enjoys the experience.
Just Why Are Festival Workers at Risk?
Let’s be realistic here. Festivals are wonderful, but they also come with risks, especially for those working behind the scenes. Some key things to be aware of:
- Lone working – They might be stationed at an entrance, car park, or backstage alone “Keeping watch” rather than being “front of house”.
- Long shifts – Early starts, late finishes, and hours spent on their feet.
- Unpredictable crowds – Most festival-goers are lovely, but some may be intoxicated or difficult.
- Extreme weather – Whether it’s a heatwave or a downpour, working outdoors all day takes its toll.
- Communication struggles – Loud music, huge venues, and patchy mobile signals can make it hard to call for help if needed.
There are real challenges that event organisers need to address
Top Safety Tips for Our Festival Workers
If you know someone working or volunteering at a festival this summer, here are some safety tips to go through with them before they head off.
- Agree on a quick text or call at the start and end of their shift. If they’re working alone, encourage them to discuss with the organisers to use a lone worker safety app. These apps alert supervisors if a worker doesn’t check in at agreed times.
- Dehydration leads to headaches, fatigue, and heatstroke. Including electrolyte tablets in their water bottle can work wonders after a long, sweaty day!
- Even in the UK, sunburn is real, and working all day outdoors makes it worse. Keep slapping on that sun protection.
- Queues for food stalls can be long, and they’ll need energy to get through their shift, so having snacks available will be a godsend.
- Walk around the site and find the first aid tent. It’s best to know BEFORE you might need it.
- Identify quiet spaces if they need a break.
- Memorise a couple of landmarks (because “next to the big tent” won’t help!).
Lone Working at an outdoor event
If the role involves working alone, even for just a short time, it’s extra important to ensure that the staff member has:
- A radio or emergency contact number.
- The ability to check in regularly with a supervisor.
- Knows where security staff are positioned.
- Trusts their gut – if a situation feels unsafe, they need to be able to remain safe and report it immediately
Some outdoor events involve late finishes. This can add to stress and highlight some additional safety issues! Crowds and unfamiliar places might be OK in the daylight, but totally different when it’s dark and you’re tired.
Are you a Festival or Outdoor Event Organiser?
As an employer, you can prepare your staff and volunteers as much as possible, but you have a duty of care to keep workers safe. Do you have a lone-worker policy? What’s your emergency procedure if someone requires help? Who do lone working staff report issues to? How? Here’s what you should be doing:
- Assign supervisors – Someone they can go to if they feel overwhelmed or unsafe.
- Give proper breaks – Long shifts without rest lead to exhaustion and mistakes.
- Make first aid accessible – Every worker should know where to go in an emergency.
- Provide a lone worker safety system – Apps like MyTeamSafe let workers check in regularly at predefined intervals, and will alert supervisors if they don’t. With GPS tracking, the supervisor will know exactly where to locate them. With potentially large numbers of new / temporary staff keeping track of everyone single of them and know their safety is no small challenge. Apps like MyTeamSafe automates this task.
Festivals and outdoor events are an incredible experience, but safety should never be an afterthought. Whether you’re a volunteer, employee, parent, or event organiser, taking simple precautions can make all the difference. From staying hydrated and checking in regularly to using a trusted lone worker safety system, we all have a role in ensuring festival staff and volunteers feel supported and protected. Don’t leave safety to chance. implement a lone worker policy and use smart technology like MyTeamSafe to keep your workforce connected and secure. Want to know more about how MyTeamSafe® can protect your event staff and volunteers? Contact us today and ensure your team stays safe while making amazing memories this festival season!
MyTeamSafe®an award-winning lone-worker App & proud supporter of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust