Strategies for Managing Music Festival Staff and Volunteer Fatigue.

Working in the music festival sector has had a long-term reputation for unsocial and long working hours with low pay. It is common to see high levels of fatigue related absenteeism and sickness among full time staff and volunteers, what strategies can organisers employ to mitigate this costly impact on their operations.

Staff and volunteers experiencing fatigue during the live event dates of any music festival can impact numerous aspects of event operations including safety and the quality of service provided. This may influence the overall reputational and financial success of a festival, so fatigue caused by long hours, loud environments, and high-pressure situations need to be recognised and managed effectively.

Risks and Consequences of Fatigue.
Increased fatigue invariably leads to an increased risk of human error which can have a significant impact on the smooth running of any music festival. Staff responsible for security checks or monitoring potential crowd crush situations who become fatigued can miss key prohibited items or fail to recognise crowd chokepoints. Fatigued first aiders can make poor decisions and errors when diagnosing or treating festival-goers leading to possible medical complications. Crews with responsibility for rigging or electrical equipment who become fatigued can make critical errors which can be lethal. All these safety related consequences are often caused by decision-making decay which is prevalent when individuals become fatigued with symptoms that mimic intoxication leading to poor judgement as well as conflicts with other staff members and festival-goers.

Monitoring Fatigue.
Recognising the symptoms of fatigue can be challenging where common symptoms can include Irritability, Slurred Speech, Impulsivity, and Reduced Motor Control. Emerging technology is helping organisers gain an improved alert process for fatigued staff and volunteers. This involves the use of biometric wearable ‘RAG’ (Red, Amber, Green) systems that monitor heart rate variability, skin temperature and in some cases calculate a Fatigue Coefficient for every staff member and volunteer. In addition to technology, team leaders and managers should be making regular checks on levels of energy and overall morale with some organisers pairing staff and volunteers (buddy system) where they watch out for each other and make early reports of any signs of exhaustion.

Mitigating Fatigue and Wellness Provision.
Using an event management software system like Festival Pro that incorporates volunteer shift rosters can help to reduce excessive high pressure duty durations. Shifts can be limited to 6 hours with shorter durations for high intensity duties like gate entrances and medical centres for example. Shift patterns can be designed to ensure that everyone gets a minimum of 11 hours rest in every 24-hour period with additional ‘buffer’ standby staff who will be available to relieve anyone who is evidently exhausted. Organisers should create a welfare hub for staff and volunteers that should be a quiet secure space which has provision for power naps, seating areas, refreshments and support staff to help with any potential mental health issues being experienced. The wellness hub should give staff and volunteers an opportunity to decompress away from high pressure environments on a festival site.

Other Considerations.
Any volunteer and staff training should include details about festival site fatigue and exhaustion so everyone can recognise symptoms and take appropriate action. Managers and team leaders should take steps to keep crews motivated and monitor any potential morale issues. Simple actions like shout-outs for teams along with small rewards and perks can make a big difference in reducing onset fatigue. Organisers should incorporate fast and effective communication channels for all staff and volunteers to ensure everyone is kept up to date with changes which avoid uncertainty, often associated with added mental fatigue. Organisers with full-time permanent team members who have worked for the duration of a multi-day event should be given sufficient time to recover post event and allowing them to take a week away from the festival environment is common practice.

For festival organisers planning their next event using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, site planning, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels

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