Jump to content
 

Gangways at Exhibitions


Barry O
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Premium

If this is in the wrong place can the mods move it please?

 

Is there a minimum gangway size for Model Railway Exhibitions?

 

When our Exhibition was in the Corn Exchange in Leeds we had a visit before opening by the West Yorkshire Fire Brigade.  (No longer happens). I believe they had a minimum gangway width of 9 feet.

We try to maintain this to this day. (Our host at the Grammar School at Leeds do a check prior  to the opening)

 

But is this not longer the case? Safety wise is there a minimum width?

 

I have visited some shows where 2 people can't pass each other, others where the gangways were 12 feet wide.

 

Anyone with a clear directive from the people in charge?

 

And two people looking at layout with two rucksack laden visitors able to pass through the gap is not a real directive.

 

Baz

 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Baz,

 

I looked into this when I became a exhibition manager over ten years ago.  Couldn't find anything on the interwebby thing so used common sense, but I set minimum widths to The Office, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963.  This meant six foot between stands (including barriers) or four foot between stand and wall / window.

 

Bill

  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm not particularly knowledgeable on the subject, but to some extent the gangway width should be related to the expected attendance at the show.   Building standards for the number of fire doors that a venue requires and the width of any stairwells is dependent on the anticipated number of people that might have to use that exit in the event of a fire.  The larger the venue and the larger the number of people that would need to be evacuated, the wider stairwells need to be.  This is because the aim is usually to fully evacuate a building within three minutes of the alarm being raised.  The gangway space between layouts at an exhibition should be a continuation of this.   If you need to evacuate a large number of people, then you need wide gangways to allow large numbers of people to 'flow' towards the exits in a calm and orderly manner.  As such, for large venues, something like 2.5 m or 3 m (ie 9 or 10 feet) wide gangways may be required.  However, gangway width is perhaps much less critical for small exhibitions with fewer attendees, and therefore perhaps 2.0 m (ie 6 feet) would be acceptable in community halls and the like.  I could also argue that gangways should be wider as they approach the main exits, but could perhaps be a lesser width elsewhere in the hall.

 

Fires can take hold quickly, so whilst it may be tempting to try and squeeze as many layouts and traders into the hall as possible, it's important that people don't feel too confined by the presence of others around them.  If the fire alarm was to sound, you want the exhibitors and exhibition attendees to be able to make their way calmly to the nearest fire exit: not push and shove one another because they feel that they can't move and fear they are trapped.  That creates panic and can result in fatal consequences.

 

I suspect that you won't find a definitive standard to apply in all circumstances.  There will be good practise guidance (as linked to above) and individual venues may have their own requirement, which will have been based on advice either from the fire brigade or from some other fire safety consultant and will be a requirement for that venue for a particular type of event.  You should probably follow that.  Nine feet between layouts seems reasonable to me, but I'm guessing that perhaps the Grammar School is a smaller venue than the Corn Exchange, which is what has prompted the question.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Thanks for the info. Looks like 3m is a fair size ..which is not far from the 9feet we use.

GSAL is a lot bigger than the Corn Exchange used to be. We keep the gangways straight without dead ends or kinks . 

 

Bill 6ft seems a bit tight but still meets with the suggested minimum.

 

I wonder how many exhibition managers know about the need to have more than a minimum width?

Baz

 

Edited by Barry O
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Hi Baz

 

From the document Gordon linked to "Gangways adjacent to any stand or stage used for demonstrations or performances must be maintained clear of obstruction. Additional space for an audience, where applicable, must be planned into the floor layout, as people are not permitted to congregate in the gangways". So no inviting popular layouts.

  • Like 1
  • Funny 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

With the emphasis on 'safe and sufficient risk assessment ' relying on others bumph without validating it for your usage is the fast way to problems. The current assumption is 1m for wheel chair + working width, or 2m for a couple to pass, however, like cars wheelchairs are getting wider. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

When we used to run our exhibition, the venue had fire exits that consisted of two sets of double doors side by side in each corner of the hall. These measured 12ft across both sets of doors including the small infill wall between the door pairs.

 

We therefore based our gangways on having 9 -12ft of clear space between the barriers but leaving 12ft between the barriers across the corners on approach to the fire exits as a common sense solution

 

I realise this  may not work for every venue though, as fire exits vary in size depending on the building's normal usage or age

 

Andy

Edited by SM42
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I’ve found it tends to be the school halls and gyms where gangways are far too tight and this fact coupled with the fact that I’m 5’ 6” tall means tight gangways usually end up with me getting smacked in the face by rucksacks. It’s like Miss Piggy in the Muppets sometimes when I see one coming my way. 
 

Just means I get a bit more selective about which ones I go to these days but I have dropped 2 shows this year where I know there is always the crush and that’s with usually going on Sundays

  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
14 minutes ago, Dragonboy said:

.....................................................usually end up with me getting smacked in the face by rucksacks.

 

The wretched things should be banned from being worn at shows. I've been hit a few times.

  • Like 1
  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I had hoped that some exhibition managers may have commented on this thread.  Either they know they have too narrow gangways or have no knowledge of how wide the gangways should be. Which is it??

 

Warley have 5m gangways on the main routes and 3.5m on the "side corridors". In some areas these were not enough this year. And this is despite additional width being added to aisles.

 

Baz

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

The hall we use has two main fire exits at one end and one at the other. They are 6 foot wide doors, so thats what we use as a miminum. Two main gangways from one end to other, the three cross ways are also similar, as a minimum. But where the layout requires less space, we try to give the public the excess..

 

Note our show is around 500 visitors..

Edited by TheQ
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Barry, 

 

when I draw out the floor plans for our show the minimum gangway width I use is 2m, the emergency exits are double doors at 1.8m wide.  Like you said in years gone by the fire service would come and do a quick check before opening but I've not seen this for many years!  

  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

As an exhibition manager for a small show, I inherited the limit of 5 feet, that allows two wheelchairs (or perhaps even two rucksacks) to pass.  However, I have generally tried to maintain 2 metres at all locations.  This is a bit wider, as we don't have barriers at the show, so the layouts need a little more breathing space.  Space is always appreciated by visitors, so one or two wider areas to allow people to meet and talk are useful.  And a wider area at the entrance to allow people to choose which trade stand to rush to first.... 

  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

As an Exhibition Manager for many years, gangways have always been an area of concern.  So we seek to have around 8 to 9 ft in width, keeping them straight.

 

As has been mentioned conduct an appropriate Risk Assessment, then seek ways of mitigation if any potential risk is identified - if you cannot reduce the Risk to a Low Potential (dealing with the Public can never remove all Risk).  How many Exhibitions post a note of their Public Liability Insurance cover - I know that some do not even take out such cover.  We also look at seeking to ensure that there is no overcrowding, which might result if stopping entry until it is safe to allow further entrants. Fire Exits if connected to a gangway must be a straight line, so egress is swift and safe.

 

We explain to all Stands and Layouts where the Evac Assembly Point is in their notes - issued on the Exhibition day.  We also request that they do not perform any vehicular movements whilst the Exhibition is open.  We have Marshals for the Public Car Parking - with radio equipment to ensure contact is maintained across as many Stewards as feasible..  All those within the Car Parking wear Hi Vi jackets too, for their safety. AS we have a Duty of Care to our Members and the Public attending.

 

Then there is the subject of providing Refreshments. Exhibitors are catered for, by an outside contractor.  Public food is prepared under supervision of a fully qualified Food Hygiene person - they actually train people as part of their job. Again another aspect of our Duty of Care.

 

There is much to putting on an Exhibition, and even after all these years there is always something that can appear on the day.

Edited by Deltic
correct spelling
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
On 27/11/2019 at 07:41, Barry O said:

I had hoped that some exhibition managers may have commented on this thread.  Either they know they have too narrow gangways or have no knowledge of how wide the gangways should be. Which is it??

 

Warley have 5m gangways on the main routes and 3.5m on the "side corridors". In some areas these were not enough this year. And this is despite additional width being added to aisles.

 

Baz

Hi Barry

 

Sorry, I'm afraid I don't spend enough time on this forum; I've only rocked up here now because I'm looking to start setting up for our next exhibition in October 2020.  I'm consciously doing this under our Club login as well (rather than as the Duty Druid) as this is advice we were given early on in my tenure as Club Chairman and Exhibition Organiser.

 

Firstly, the "Bible" for this stuff is a publication known as the Purple Guide for Event Management - but you won't find the definitive answer you seek I'm afraid.

 

Our experience:  When I first started to get involved in this stuff we had a 10 layout, 3 trader, 1 society show in a hall that measured 40' x 70'.  I was worried about the provision of fire fighting appliances in general in the hall and so I asked the local Fire Prevention Officer to visit and advise.

 

He gave the venue rocks - as I thought there were insufficient fire extinguishers.  He did also ask me to talk him through what we were planning to do. 

  • I explained how we were going to lay the hall out, including saying "6 foot gangways".
  • He asked me to explain why
  • I acknowledged that it would be tight but that we thought that in that gap we could have one person standing looking at the display on each side of the aisle and just have room for two people to pass in the gap, adding that we knew what was likely to be a busy display and what quiet one, and that we were planning to put quiet opposite busy.
  • His answer was "That's fine, move on".
  • I asked him what the Staff Answer should be and he said "There isn't one, but you've clearly thought about this and made an informed decision, I would hope that you will keep an eye on things during the event and if you think it was too tight then in your event review meeting you will make a conscious decision to increase it for next year".

Now with a 100'x100' hall, 30ish layouts and 20ish traders we work on minimum 10' for main aisles and 8' for side routes.  Routes to Fire Exits are always at main aisle width.

 

One of the annoying things I find about event management is that there is no real guide, you just have to make it up as you go along and be prepared to justify yourself when the wheels fall off. 

 

To illustrate this here's a story about one of my bet noirs - First Aid provision (I am a FREC3 Medic - Community First Responder level - and I work at hippy festivals as a medical response driver).  I have endless arguments about this with people at all sorts of events from our exhibitions through the village fete to full on festivals.  In the context of a Model Railway Exhibition:

  • There is NO legal requirement to have First Aid Provision but what there is a requirement for you as an event organiser to have taken reasonable care and acted responsibly, and you MUST DOCUMENT your rationale for decisions made in a formal risk assessment, usually backed up by your Method Statement if it's a big show. 
  • For Fareham RailEx it's simple, we are in a Leisure Centre and we have a cardiac panic button and radios, if there is an incident we simply call up the Venue's Emergency Medical Response Team (typically the same qualification level as me) and let them sort it out, albeit they are aware that they can call on me for assistance if I'm around.  We have actually activated this plan once with a "cardiac" during build up and it actually worked very well, response car on scene in about 3 minutes of the first call.
  • Another exhibition I sometimes demonstrate at in a school sports hall have realised that the school is no longer providing the first aid cover that they once did, they are talking about having me with a running bag and defib behind my demonstration table so that I can leap in if there's a problem until the County Ambulance Service can provide a Med Tech to relieve me. 
  • There is a problem with this though, my insurance to practice only covers me when I am out with the organisation I work with so I'm not entirely happy with the situation unless I can get cover through some other organisation such as the show insurance.
  • There is another exhibition I am aware of which simply nominates 2 stewards with ordinary First Aid at Work qualifications (the one day a year type) and NO running bag or defib to walk the floors every half an hour or so and intervene if needed until the County Ambulance arrives.  They have no hiviz that identifies them as the First Aid Team and they don't carry radios so if they are in the crew room at the back of the site and there's a problem at the front of the site it could be 10 minutes before they are found and a further 5 before they get to the scene by which time a member of the public will likely have called 999.

I'll leave it to you to decide what constitutes best practice and who you might think about suing if you were taken ill at their exhibition.

 

The bottom line here is simply this: If something goes wrong there will be an investigation or an inquest of some sort.  At that - let's call it a - Board of Inquiry your documented plans and risk assessments will be examined and you will be asked to account for your actions.  If you can argue and demonstrate that you have acted reasonably and taken all reasonable care then you can reasonably expect to be - at worst - admonished.  If you can't you're possibly looking at a charge of Manslaughter Gross negligence.  

 

Hope this has helped, although I fear it has muddied the waters still further for you.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

As it happens we in the Leeds MRS CIO provide

1  main walkways of at least 9ft (although we know of one pinch point by the refectory which is less than that but has ample escape access though other routes

2 Risk assessments as part of our hire contract with the school (and did so at our last Council owned hall)

3  provide First Aid support through a specialist contracto

 

Big problem I have is that at least two exhibitions i used to attend have very narrow gangways and do end up with limited access to some of the rooms.

 

Baz

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...