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.

Contractor Checklist: Wind & Rain Impact on Temporary Event Infrastructure

Document Type: Operational Control & Verification Document
Application Phase: Build-up / Live Operation / Egress
Use when: Wind and/or rain measures directly affect temporary infrastructure and technical systems
Target Users:

• Technical contractors (all trades)
• Production management
• Event safety management
• Control room / command staff

This document provides a draft of a trade-specific, confirmation-based control framework for managing wind- and rain-related risks to temporary event infrastructure. It has to be adapted to individual event settings.

A checklist like that ensures that

• hazards are addressed per trade, not generically,
• measures are executed, confirmed, and documented, and
• decisions are traceable for internal review and external authorities.

ATTENTION: This is not a generic checklist. It is a decision-enabling verification tool within a broader Weather Hazard Management System.

1 Trigger Logic (Entry into Checklist Mode)

Checklist mode is activated when one or more of the following apply:

Meteorological Triggers

• Forecast or measured wind ≥ site-specific action threshold
• Wind gusts with high variance or directional change
• Persistent or heavy rainfall affecting:
  • ground bearing capacity
  • water ingress
  • electrical safety

Operational Triggers

• Escalation from Monitoring to Mitigation phase
• Preparation for Pause / Show Stop / Restricted Operation
• Authority request for status confirmation
• Contractor notification of structural or technical concern

Once triggered, all relevant trades must report status before continuation.

2 Governance Principles

• Confirmation Rule

No infrastructure element is considered safe without an explicit contractor confirmation.

• Responsibility Rule

• Each trade confirms only its own scope
• No confirmation “by proxy”
• No assumed compliance
• Weakest-Link Rule

  If one critical trade reports “restricted” or “not OK”, the system is not OK.

3 Examples for Trade Specific Checklists

3.1 Rigging & Temporary Load-Bearing Structures (Stages, FOH, delay & lighting towers, camera platforms)

Hazard Focus

• Wind load exceedance
• Dynamic gust effects
• Ground softening and anchoring failure

Pre-Assessment (Mandatory)

• Confirm current site wind thresholds
• Review actual configuration vs. approved calculations
• Inspect:
  • anchors
  • ballast
  • soil saturation
• Verify availability of:
  • lowering procedures
  • isolation zones

Mitigation Actions

• Remove or secure all non-essential suspended elements
• Verify secondary safeties on 100% of loads
• Lock rotation / movement systems
• Adjust ballast or guying where feasible
• Establish exclusion zones if partial restrictions apply

Status Declaration

• Status options:

☐ OK – within limits

☐ Restricted – operational limits active

☐ Not OK – shutdown required

Confirmation

• Company: ______________________________                Responsible person: _____________________
• Qualification / role: ____________________
• Time: __________
• Notes / restrictions: ____________________

3.2 LED Screens & AV Systems

Hazard Focus

• Sail effect
• Water ingress
• Electrical failure due to moisture

Pre-Assessment

• Confirm manufacturer wind & rain limits
• Inspect:
  • rear ventilation
  • cable routing
  • drainage paths
• Verify safe power-down capability

Mitigation Actions

• Lower or tilt screens as defined in wind plan
• Install weather protection
• Power down if limits approached
• Isolate circuits if ingress risk exists

Status Declaration

• ☐ OK
• ☐ Restricted (operational limits)
• ☐ Powered down

Confirmation

• Company: ______________________________            Responsible person: _____________________
• Time: __________
• Notes: _________________________________

3.3 Signage, Banners & Branding

Hazard Focus

• Uncontrolled sail surfaces
• Increased weight from water absorption

Pre-Assessment

• Confirm full inventory of temporary signage
• Inspect fixings and attachment points

Mitigation Actions

• Remove non-essential banners
• Release tension on flexible materials
• Secure ground-based signage
• Coordinate rerouting if wayfinding is affected

Status Declaration

• ☐ OK
• ☐ Partially removed
• ☐ Fully removed

Confirmation

• Company: ______________________________ Responsible person: _____________________
• Time: __________
• Notes: _________________________________

3.4 Tents, Marquees & Temporary Cover

Hazard Focus

• Wind uplift
• Roof water load
• Progressive anchoring failure

Pre-Assessment

• Confirm tent class and wind rating
• Check anchoring and ballast
• Inspect drainage and runoff paths

Mitigation Actions

• Remove sidewalls if required
• Increase ballast where possible
• Remove water pooling immediately
• Prepare evacuation if thresholds are exceeded
• Initiate closure if limits are breached

Status Declaration

• ☐ OK
• ☐ Modified (restrictions active)
• ☐ Closed / evacuated

Confirmation

• Company: ______________________________
• Responsible person: _____________________
• Time: __________
• Notes: _________________________________

4. Control Room Consolidation & Decision

☐ All relevant trade confirmations received

☐ Conflicts or restrictions identified

☐ Decision taken:

☐ Continue

☐ Continue with restrictions

☐ Pause

☐ Show Stop / Closure

☐ Decision logged with timestamp

☐ Next review scheduled

Decision Authority: ____________________                                          Time: __________

5. Interface with Show Stop / Restart Procedures

This document:

• feeds directly into Pause / Show Stop decision matrices
• provides restart prerequisites (all trades must reconfirm “OK”)
• serves as evidence of due diligence

6. Audit & Authority Value

• Demonstrates structured hazard control
• Clarifies contractor responsibility
• Provides time-stamped verification
• Reduces ambiguity in post-incident review