Safety measures beefed up at Vivid following coroner’s recommendations and crowd crush complaints

VIVID has ushered in beefed up safety protocols in time for the 2017 event, including water’s edge barriers, more crowd control measures and improved lighting.

Vivid can attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each evening.

ORGANISERS of Vivid are taking safety seriously after criticism of the festival’s emergency procedures and crowd bottlenecks sparked security concerns last year.

Ahead of this year’s festival, where crowds of up to 180,000 people are expected to flock to Darling Harbour and Circular Quay each evening, the former Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority has taken urgent action to avoid a repeat of one fatality in 2014 or other safety mishaps.

Following a coroner’s inquest into the death of Brendan Hickey, who drowned when he fell into Cockle Bay during the 2014 festival, Property NSW has introduced improved lighting and water’s edge protection installed along the eastern and western side of the Harbour.

Large crowds at Vivid have seen people distressed due to being crushed in bottlenecks around Circular Quay.

Off the back of the Deputy State Coroner’s recommendations, an independent review of the risk assessment and risk management systems relating to events in the precinct was also undertaken and temporary barriers around the harbour will be in place for the festival.

The risk assessment identified the festival as having “highly variable human nature risk factor” in which the risk of drowning is still considered ‘high’.

Thanks to exhibits located near the water’s edge which are likely to attract crowds, this carries a risk of a “fall of a patron in waters and drowning or severe injuries or illness,” which needs to be controlled, it found.

Police tape holds the crowd back as police search for the body of Brendan Hickey at Cockle Bay in 2014.

An eight per cent increase on crowd numbers, which peaked at 2.31 million last year, will see the June long weekend come with expected crowds of 180,000 people on the Saturday evening, closely followed by 140,000 on the Friday night.

The risk assessment identifies the risk of excessive crowd numbers, which could lead to “severe bottlenecks increasing risk of public tripping and falling or being stepped on by other people in the crowd”, along with the risk of jaywalkers being hit by vehicles.

Crowd crush has been a real risk at past year’s events.

Sydney comes alive for Vivid

“Crowd management and crowd control risks should be managed strategically by all event stakeholders as AGB has limited resources to address crowd management,” the report said.

Crowd control barriers with flat foot bases, one-way and two-way crowd directional signs and additional variable message signs will be introduced to deal with these risks.

“The Government considers the safety and wellbeing of visitors to Darling Harbour and The Rocks as its highest priority,” a Property NSW spokeswoman said.