Do You Need a Fire Extinguisher at a Festival?

If you’ve ever hosted an event, you’ll know just how essential it is to carefully oversee, check and manage all of your legal health and safety requirements.

These legal requirements can vary considerably between different types of events, in order to best meet their specific needs and natures.

Despite the no-frills outdoor venues and laid-back hippie vibes, festivals come with a number of very specific health and safety requirements. And, no matter the size of your upcoming festival, it’s vital that you fully comply with all of these safety regulations.

Rochdale Feelgood Festival 2018. (Image: Alan Hamer)

To ensure that your festival goes off without a hitch, we’ve shared our complete guide to fire safety at festivals, including specialist guidance about fire extinguishers, classes of fire, festival fire risk assessments and advice about fire extinguisher hire.

What are the most common types of fire to occur at a festival? 

When working to fulfil your event’s safety requirements, the most important starting point is to have fire risk assessments in place.

The most common types of festival fires are:

• Class A – fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles
• Class B – fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils
• Class C – fires involving gases

So, it is vital that you have the right fire extinguishers in place to tackle all of these types of fires.

What fire extinguisher do you need?

Powder extinguishers can be used on all three classes of fire listed above, including fires that arise near live electrical equipment.

However, you should avoid using them in any indoor areas (such as tents or indoor stages) as they can cause breathing problems, and make it difficult for people to see. These extinguishers are marked with a blue label.

Carbon dioxide extinguishers can be used on fires that have either been caused by or are located near electrical appliances (including Class B fires). This means that they are ideal for tackling fires that have occurred near a stage, or in the areas of the site that have electrical facilities. These extinguishers come with a black label.

We also provide CO2 refills on CO2 fire extinguishers and canisters.

Water extinguishers can be used on Class A fires, and these can be identified by a red label. However, note that water jet extinguishers cannot be used on live electrical equipment, so should not be situated near stages or performance areas.

Foam extinguishers are designed to fight Class A and Class B fires, and come with a cream label. See our ‘can you use a foam fire extinguisher on an electric fire?‘ article for more details.

Fire blankets are not a mechanical extinguisher. But, fire blankets can be used to put out someone’s clothes if they catch fire. This means that they are an essential part of a festival fire safety plan.

What areas of a festival need a Fire Extinguisher?

Here is a list of the main areas of a festival site, which will need to have fire extinguishers installed nearby:

• Entrance Area
• Security / First Aid Area
• Backstage (for every stage on your site)
• Food Areas (any large areas where guests can eat or purchase food)
• Food & Drink Trucks (owners need a fire extinguisher in their truck / tent / shed)

Each of these locations will have its own most appropriate type of fire extinguisher. This depends on the type of fire(s) that is most likely to occur in this location.

For example, in the backstage areas, you will need to identify the risks present, and choose a fire extinguisher that can tackle a fire if it were to arise from these flammable hazards.

Are there any flammable liquids kept in this area? Are there any flammable solid materials present backstage? Or is any of the equipment likely to produce flammable gases?

Furthermore, it is imperative that you choose an extinguisher that can be used near live electrical equipment.

You will need to repeat this process for all of these key areas. Then, you will need to specify your requirements to any of the food and drink vendors that are pitching on your festival site.

5 Basic Fire Safety Tips for Festivals

We would always advise you have a full fire risk assessment before running your festivals, but below we have listed 5 basic fire safety tips to follow for festivals.

1. Plan

Plan a clear and safe fire evacuation plan – and make sure that signs detailing this are published across your site.

2. Position

Carefully position your fire extinguishers – if you are positioning them inside, mount your extinguishers on the wall, at an easy height to reach. If outside, keep them in a cabinet (so they don’t get deteriorated by wind or rain). If in a tent or marquee, position them on a specialist extinguisher sand (so that they won’t get affected by the mud, or pose a trip hazard).

3. Minimise Risks

Keep minimising risks – consider the positioning of your sources of ignition (things like electrical circuits, smoking areas or deep-fat fryers in food vans). Ensure that these are kept away from any potential fuel sources.

4. Keep everyone well informed

Make sure the vendors are well-informed – ensure that all of your food and drink vendors (as well as any other vendors visiting your site) are fully informed about your health and safety procedures. You should also check that they have the appropriate health and safety certifications in place, and that their vans are equipped with the right fire safety equipment.

5. Update your fire risk assessment

Be mindful of the number of people on your site, and update your safety procedures accordingly – according to UK legislation, the number of people permitted to attend an event is restricted, based on how many exits are present on the site. So, check the law, and ensure that you fulfil this requirement.

A fire risk assessment is legally required, and the best way to stay fire safe, here at Target Fire Protection we can carry out a fire risk assessment and provide all the fire safety equipment you need to comply. Contact us for advice.

Why a Fire Risk Assessment is important

It is absolutely imperative that festival organisers complete a full fire safety risk assessment.

Firstly, creating a thorough fire risk assessment is a legal requirement – in compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Alongside this, it provides a number of crucial benefits.

With it, you can follow a step-by-step process for identifying any potential hazards in your festival. By consulting a professional for advice, like the team at Target Fire Protection, you can minimise all of the safety risks present at your festival site.

Fire Extinguisher Hire

Throughout our local area, the Summer events calendar is always full of festivals. There’s the famous ‘Feel Good Festival’ in Rochdale, and a wide variety of outdoor festivals located across Manchester.

At Target Fire Protection, we provide festivals with a comprehensive fire safety service, and fire extinguisher hire.

We work with organisations and event planners to help them understand fire safety risks, inform them of fire safety regulations, and provide a fire extinguisher service that fulfils all of their requirements, including fire extinguisher hire and fire extinguisher replacement.

To find out more about any of our fire safety services, or enlist our services to improve the fire safety of your festivals, don’t hesitate to get in touch.