This text is part of the Weather Preparedness & Resilience Toolbox developed by the YOUROPE Event Safety (YES) Group within YOUROPE’s 3F project (Future-Fit Festivals). It is aimed at everyone involved in planning, building, and operating open-air events. It helps festivals and other outdoor events become truly weather-ready by offering both practical and research-based resources as well as background information on weather and climate. Learn how to design safer and more weather-resilient outdoor events.
Risk Assessment Template – Example: High Winds
Risk assessments must always be individual, site-specific, and phase-specific. High winds do not create the same risk everywhere: exposure depends on local topography (wind channels, ridgelines, open fields), the density and type of temporary structures, the degree of shielding, and the operational phase (e.g., build-up with incomplete structures versus show time with maximum occupancy).
A template cannot replace professional judgment or a site inspection, but it can serve as a structured starting point:
- to ensure consistent coverage of typical wind-driven failure modes,
- to connect forecast information to operational triggers,
- and to document decisions in a defensible way.
Use the template below as a framework and adapt it to your site, infrastructure, and event operations.
Risk Assessment Template
Hazard: High Winds (Sustained Winds, Gusts, Squalls)
1. General Information
| Item | Description |
| Event name | |
| Event location | |
| Date(s) | |
| Event phase(s) covered | ☐ Build-up ☐ Ingress ☐ Event operation ☐ Egress ☐ Breakdown |
| Assessor | |
| Date of assessment | |
| Linked documents | Structural documentation, Method statement, Show-stop procedure, Emergency plan, Site plan |
2. Hazard Description
Hazard type:
High winds and gusts affecting event operations, including:
- sustained wind loading
- short-duration gusts / squalls
- turbulence around structures
- wind-driven secondary hazards (flying debris, dust, rain penetration)
Typical characteristics:
- gusts can exceed sustained wind substantially
- rapid onset possible with convective lines or frontal passages
- strong site dependency due to shielding, terrain, and built structures
3. Site-Specific Exposure Analysis
| Aspect | Site-specific considerations, for example |
| Topography and exposure | Open field, ridge, valley, wind channel effects, coastal influence |
| Shielding | Trees, buildings, berms; risk of wind funneling between obstacles |
| Structure density | Stages, FOH towers, delay towers, tents, marquees, fences |
| Ground / anchoring conditions | Soil type, saturation, anchoring feasibility, underground services |
| Flying debris sources | Loose materials, signage, fencing panels, waste, campsite equipment |
| Utilities and power | Overhead risks (if any), generator stability, cable management |
| Audience areas | High-density zones, queue systems, camping, elevated viewing areas |
| Access / egress | Narrow routes affected by fence movement, temporary signage hazards |
4. Affected Event Phases
| Phase | Relevance, for example |
| Build-up | ☐ Working at height ☐ Incomplete structures ☐ Crane/lifting operations ☐ Temporary anchoring not final |
| Ingress | ☐ Queues exposed ☐ Loose barriers/signage ☐ First high-density formation |
| Event operation | ☐ Maximum structural load + occupancy ☐ Show-stop decisions ☐ Crowd behaviour in adverse conditions |
| Egress | ☐ Reduced lighting + fatigue ☐ Barrier movement ☐ Potential congestion if routes changed |
| Breakdown | ☐ Fatigue ☐ Working at height ☐ De-rigging large surface elements (roofs, banners) |
5. Risk Identification (Scenarios)
| Risk scenario | Potential consequences, for example |
| Structural overload (stage/tower/roof) | Structural failure, collapse, serious injury/fatality |
| Tent/marquee uplift or failure | Partial/total failure, crush injury, entanglement |
| Fence/barrier instability | Crowd surge points, crushing hazards, egress obstruction |
| Flying debris / projectiles | Head injuries, eye injuries, panic reactions |
| Work-at-height incidents | Falls, dropped objects, rescue complications |
| Loss of power / comms | Reduced control capability, delayed decisions, impaired evacuation |
6. Existing Control Measures
| Category | Measures already in place, for example |
| Design & engineering | Certified structural design, manufacturer specs, wind ratings documented |
| Anchoring & ballast | Calculated ballast, tested anchoring methods, inspection records |
| Site management | Housekeeping rules, loose-item control, signage securing |
| Operational procedures | Wind action plan, escalation ladder, show-stop procedure |
| Monitoring | Forecast provider, on-site anemometer (if used), defined update rhythm |
| Competence | Rigging lead, competent persons, permit-to-work for height/lifts |
| Communication | PA, screens, staff comms, pre-scripted messages |
7. Risk Evaluation (Example Matrix)
| Risk | Likelihood | Severity | Risk level |
| Flying debris injuries | Medium–High | Medium | Medium–High |
| Tent failure | Medium | High | High |
| Major structural failure (stage/tower) | Low–Medium | Very high | High |
| Work-at-height incidents during build-up | Medium | High | High |
Important: Likelihood/severity scales must match your overarching event risk methodology.
8. Additional Mitigation Measures Required
| Measure | Responsible | Trigger / Condition |
| Lower operational wind limits for specific structures | Technical director / structural engineer | Site exposure higher than design assumptions |
| Increase ballast / revise anchoring | Production / rigging lead | Forecast exceeds comfort threshold but below stop threshold |
| Remove/secure loose items (signage, bins, fence banners) | Site manager | Wind watch issued |
| Suspend work at height / lifting ops | H&S / rigging lead | Gusts exceed working limit |
| Close elevated or exposed areas | Safety manager | Sustained wind above threshold |
| Adjust crowd routing (avoid funnel points) | Crowd management | Barriers/fences affected |
9. Decision Triggers and Thresholds (Define Site-Specific Values)
| Parameter | Threshold (example placeholders) | Action |
| Sustained wind at site | ≥ ___ m/s | Activate wind action plan (enhanced inspections) |
| Gust speed at site | ≥ ___ m/s | Suspend work at height; secure loose items |
| Structure-specific limit (per manufacturer/engineer) | ≥ ___ m/s (gust) | Reduce loads / close area / partial de-rig |
| Major stop threshold | ≥ ___ m/s (gust or sustained) | Show stop / evacuation / shelter strategy |
| Forecast confidence / lead time | High + within ___ hours | Pre-emptive operational changes |
Note: Use manufacturer/engineer wind ratings as the baseline. Add site-specific conservatism where exposure is higher, anchoring is weaker, or consequences are severe.
10. Residual Risk Evaluation
| Risk after controls | Acceptable? | Notes / Justification |
| Structural risks | ☐ Yes ☐ No | |
| Flying debris | ☐ Yes ☐ No | |
| Crowd movement / egress | ☐ Yes ☐ No | |
| Worker safety | ☐ Yes ☐ No |
11. Monitoring, Inspections, and Decision Logging
| Item | Description |
| Inspection frequency | e.g., hourly baseline; increased when thresholds approached |
| Inspection scope | Anchors/ballast, roofs, guy lines, tents, fencing, signage, loose materials |
| Data sources | Forecast updates, radar/synoptic info, on-site anemometer observations |
| Decision authority | Named roles (event director, technical director, safety manager) |
| Documentation | Time-stamped log of observations, thresholds, actions, and rationale |
Final Note
High wind risk is frequently driven by gusts, turbulence, and secondary effects (debris, progressive loosening of anchors), not by average wind alone. The practical objective is to establish:
- clear structure-specific limits,
- early, enforceable operational triggers,
- and disciplined execution (securing, stopping work at height, restricting areas, show-stop when required).
Every event must adapt this template to its specific site, audience, infrastructure, and operational reality.