What Is Spectator Fencing, and Why Is It So Important That You Design It Properly?
If you have a venue that hosts events, whether sporting events, music concerts, or something else, you probably need spectator fencing.
Many facilities use temporary spectator fencing combined with security teams to control crowds, but there are also permanent spectator fencing options. Here’s what they do and why you should pay extra attention when you’re designing them.
What Is Spectator Fencing?
Spectator fencing is a special type of fence that’s designed to be used at large events, and it serves the dual purpose of controlling the location of a crowd and protecting them.
Of course, when you have a sporting event or concert, you can’t have fans and spectators swarming the field or the stage, so spectator fencing is used to keep crowds away from artists or players on the field.
Spectator fencing is also used to protect crowds from potential danger – like the fences behind the home plate on ball diamonds or the fences around car racing tracks that help to stop debris from the track from reaching the crowd.
Spectator fencing can be temporary and movable, or it can be a permanent fixture that’s built into the facility.
Why Do You Need to Be Careful When Designing Spectator Fencing?
Crowd control is very important when you are hosting events, but sometimes, when fences work too well, keeping people in one place can lead to disaster.
One example of this was in Hillsborough in 1989 when 94 people were killed by being crushed in a fenced area of the Hillsborough Stadium in the United Kingdom.
Of course, spectator fencing needs to keep people off sports fields and stages where they could pose a danger to themselves or others. But they also need to let people escape the area so that they aren’t crushed by the crowd.
Legal Liability
Even though most entertainment and sports facilities these days require visitors to sign waivers, if there were to be a disaster like Hillsborough today, and if it was as a result of the type of spectator fencing in the venue, there would almost certainly be some kind of legal liability for the venue owners and operators.
This is another reason why getting this type of fencing right is so important.
How to Design Better Spectator Fencing
When designing better spectator fencing, it’s really a matter of balancing the need to control crowds while still giving them an escape option when they need it.
This usually means avoiding penned areas as they had at Hillsborough, but it could also include something like spring-mounted posts that bend under enough pressure, or installing gates or removable fence sections along the fence line, that can be opened when needed.
When building spectator fencing to protect crowds from potential harm, choose stronger materials, and build fences higher than you think you need them. All of those things could make all the difference if something were to go wrong.
These days, it’s also important to work closely with health and safety teams to ensure that the spectator fencing you’re designing will keep everyone as safe as possible in your venue.
Work With Experienced Fence Companies
Spectator fencing is a very specialized type of fence, and if you need to build one, it’s a good idea to find a company that has experience in this type of fence system.
Look for fence material manufacturers that design and manufacture fence systems specifically designed for spectator fencing applications, and find contractors with experience doing this kind of fence.
When you’re creating a fence that needs to keep everyone safe, take your time and never cut corners. It could literally be a matter of life and death.
