The importance of Music Festival Site Dust Suppression.

Organisers of outdoor summer season music festivals taking place across northern Europe and North America have traditionally been more concerned about heavy rain and site flooding than dust suppression. With the increased reporting of extended periods of hot dry weather dust has become a key health and safety and operational issue that needs to be addressed.

The planning phase for most outdoor music festivals will always include preparations for extreme weather conditions. This will typically include high winds, heavy rain, high temperatures and thunderstorms which can cause flash flooding and waterlogged ground damaging the site infrastructure and presenting health and safety concerns. Dust suppression after prolonged dry spells is often an afterthought but should be included as a key part of extreme weather conditions planning.

Planning for Unpredictable Extreme Weather.
Organisers should be making comprehensive plans for the occurrence of extreme weather conditions that can impact a festival site. Climate volatility is making dust management ever more important because a site can quickly move form wet ground conditions to hot dry and dusty during summer months. It is essential to incorporate site designs that minimise soil disturbance, vehicle movements and protect vulnerable surfaces where sensitive equipment will be. Dust contains fine particulate matter which can include contaminants and other pollutants that can present a health issue for anyone on a festival site. Organisers must ensure that they do everything in their power to prevent these particles from becoming airborne.

Health Risks and Site Safety.
Festival-goers, staff, volunteers and other contractors on a festival site should take precautions if dust is present because the fine particles of dust can irritate their eyes, throat, nose, respiratory system and skin, for example. If dust is constantly a problem over a number of days the risks to anyone who has been there for the same period increases because of the constant exposure. Dust may not be confined to just the festival site but can affect surrounding roads and neighbourhoods presenting visibility issues. Poor visibility can affect emergency vehicles and production vehicles entering and exiting a site which will also be a hazard for any pedestrians crossing roads and paths, for example.

Equipment Damage.
The electronic production equipment used during most festivals can be very sensitive to environmental conditions, especially humidity, moisture, heat and dust. For these reasons organisers should ensure that the placement and protection of equipment is a key part of the production planning process. Dust can have an adverse impact on production backline equipment, PA systems, lighting systems, mixers and video equipment. Other vulnerable equipment on site that needs protection from dust can include power generators, smart power hubs and catering equipment. Increased cleaning, checking procedures and maintenance can help to ensure that dust affected equipment remains serviceable.

Action Plans for Dust Suppression.
Festival organisers should take a wholistic approach to dust suppression plans because other key considerations include the use of water and the impact on local communities. Organisers invest time and effort in meeting their sustainability objectives which includes minimising the use of water. Using water for dust suppression goes against this philosophy but can be handled by ensuring that only waste greywater is used during spraying. Dust generated on a festival site can easily be blown into neighbouring communities causing complaints from local residents. This can be countered by ensuring that local access roads are included in dust suppression activities. During the planning phase organisers should contact contractors to find the most cost-effective solution for dust suppression during the event. This usually requires the use of wate blowers and tankers which will need to be situated on site ready for deployment when required. Other actions commonly used are regular water spraying of paths and roads both on-site and on access routes. For site festival-goer zones that are prone to dust organisers can implement the use of water misting systems to supress dust and make everyone feel more comfortable, especially during hot weather. In the site build-up phase organisers can use other ground protection methods to prevent dust from forming. This can include installing on-site temporary road surfaces like geotextiles or stone aggregate along with dust binding agent treatments. All potential dust suppression actions should be covered in the event planning documentation along with risk assessments and the likely impact of extreme weather.

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.

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