With news of a couple of weather related disasters at festivals, it seems prudent to pay some attention to the responsibilities of festival sponsors, and to the responsibility that festival audiences have to assure their own safety.

The recent Indiana State Fair stage collapse has been ubiquitous in news reports here, and probably got a fair amount of notice elsewhere.

A new report on a very similar disaster in Belgium has just appeared in my regular news sources: 3 die as storm slams Belgium music fest; US band safe .

Aside from our concern, empathy, and hopes for the victims and survivors, the latter article includes a list of other rather large-scale events that may have been forgotten.

1. 18 August 2011, Hasselt, Belgium, 3 killed, 70(?) injured.
2. 13 August 2011, Indiana State Fair, US, 5 killed, (30?) injured.
3. August 2011, Tulsa OK, Lighting Equipment collapse
4. August 2011, Quebec City, Stage collapsed (under construction), struck by lightning
5. July 2011, Ottawa Canada Stage Collapse, 7 hospitalized
6. 2009 Camrose, Alberta, Stage Collapse, 1 killed (75?) injured
7. 2009 Quebec City Comic Festival, stage collapse.

Most of what I've seen of the "discussion" of the kind that inevitably follows one of these sort of events has been related to the Indiana State Fair collapse. The "official" opinions, of course, have thus far been that "all precautions were taken and it was an 'act of God' that could not have been prevented."

Personally, I rather doubt that interpretation.

It does appear that the "emergency plan" for weather threats was at best "superficial." Nobody apparently thought there could be a problem and no real planning for what to do was laid out in advance. Weather service warnings should have been sufficient, but even if the audience had been given a warning, it's doubtful that any recognition had been given to the difficulty of getting a few thousand people to follow instructions in sufficiently prompt and coordinated fashion.

As one with significant experience in structural design, I would have to say that the Indiana stage that collapsed "looks sturdy enough" to be stable under benign conditions, but does not "look like" unusual weather (especially wind) was considered in any kind of failure analysis. Since all that's available is what has been shown in TV views of the collapse it's impossible for me to form any firm conclusions, but the structure obviously went down "as expected" for the structural vulnerabilities suspect in something of its kind.

THE BOTTOM LINE HERE – and the purpose I have in mind for the thread, is to see comment on:

"How safe do our people feel" at the festivals they attend?

Do the festivals we go to have plans in place for responses to unusual situations?

Are there "safe retreats" in the event of threatening weather, disorderly crowds, etc.? (unexpected malicious intent might be included in the current social climate?).

Any concerns, even if vague, that need a little fresh air?

Or is there "no concern at all?"

John