What Is The Purpose Of Stewards At Festivals
Most people have gone to some sort of big show involving large crowd. No doubt at these type of gatherings you’d have seen a sizeable army of people, usually dressed in flurescent colours who often don’t seem be doing much! This is the role of the steward but why are they needed and why are they important.
When it comes to professional events, most venues will ensure that there are high minimum levels of training for all of their stewards. In the UK this training is covered at a level 2 NVQ as a minimum standard.
The primary role for any steward is to manage the entry and exit of patrons to and from the venue. This is particularly important at events where crowds leave en masse once the event has ended. eg football games or concerts.at the end of the show or match. This avoids the chances for crushes to happen and ensures the safety of the crowd who may often be intoxicated!
Even more importantly, the need for stewarding is becasue that they are the first line of response to accidents and emergencies. This means everything from basic first aid training to fire safety. Having someone in amongst the crowd who can deal with extraordinary cases could mean the difference between life and death.
Basic steward training also covers conflict management. This should only be attempted by communication and diplomacy rather than physical restraint. A large proportion of stewards are on hire from temporary work agencies and are not there to put themselves at risk. The police will always be close by for any serious problems.
Good events will have excellent planning, good signage and hopefully should mean that the stewards themselves should rarely be needed.