Venue Suitability for Large-Scale Events from the Viewpoint of Safety Measures

Abstract

This study analyzes recent crowd disasters at mass events by examining event planning and event security planning, analyzing disaster videos, conducting interviews and on-the-spot investigations and reviewing disaster investigation reports. Analysis reveals that these disasters occurred related to three venue-suitability factors: (1) projected visitor number which determines most of venue safety measures; (2) venue space planning including event content types; and (3) access route for crowd flow. Also shown are the influences of venue topographic and structural conditions on access route for crowd flow. At most of those disaster sites, access routes were highly-fenced areas like tunnels and bridges which do not lead to escape routes. Where these venue-suitability factors are not appropriately arranged, preventing the excessive accumulation of high-density crowd is difficult, even if appropriate security measures are taken. To avoid these crowd disasters, it is essential to judge venue suitability during the event planning stage.