Violence in licensed and retail premises - Managing crowds
Overcrowding may increase the risk of violence in licensed premises. Many licensed premises will have a maximum permitted number of people able to occupy various parts of the premises for the purpose of public safety. Individuals may behave differently when in a group compared to on their own, and sometimes a crowd may behave unpredictably.
Think about...
- when overcrowding is likely to occur within your premises. This will help you manage crowds better by knowing when, for example, to employ more staff or introduce queuing systems;
- whether your staff or door supervisors are well trained in crowd control:
- their behaviour can make a real difference to whether a crowd becomes aggressive or a queue becomes troublesome;
- ensure communication is good between those who are managing crowds;
- whether the design and the layout of your premises helps to reduce areas of crowding and enable smooth flow of customers;
- how you ensure any maximum permitted number of customers you may be allowed is not exceeded.
