The question of today, are small wooden pallets open air events and festivals save?
They come out of the ground like mushrooms, small open air events and small festivals. We think, a good initiative of a group of creative people who want to make themselves a way to a capitalist form of self satisfaction. But are these small “wooden pallets” events and festivals safe for visitors? This is the question we have since a visit to such a small event. The creative people are building charge free wooden pallets constructions of bars, food standings, dj booth, merchandising stand to even large lounge or chill out areas. Of course, to cut costs for hired bars and standings. These homemade bars, standings and dj booths are always consisting out of wooden pallets. And that’s exactly where the concern for safety, in particular fire safety, lays.
Our question is, if these small events are safe, due to visit of such a small open air where one of those wooden pallets was catching by fire-eaters and warm material (to give the event no harm, we decided that the event wouldn’t be named in this publication). The stage manager at the time, who was clearly on a trial base, was just looking at it. When it became serious and the fire threatened to move to the whole construction, there was finally taken action and the burning pallet was removed. This after an artist manager, journalist and vip’s were informing the stage manager that this wasn’t safe at all. The front row at the stage was slowly starting to notice the fire but fortunately some 2.000 people could experience the event without a remaining burning memory. A large panic reaction of those present, was thus being avoided.
We love to hear your opinion about the safety of small “wooden pallets festivals, open airs or events”. But we would first point out to all of you to think about this before visiting a “wooden pallets or open air festival”. We also call on to all organizers to place safety of their visitors first before gaining profits for such events and toward all fire departments to point out for the consequences of the use of wooden pallets in constructions.
This article was published to get organizers think about it and to avoid a disaster. (JL)