Hygienic Washing Facilities for Music Festival Sites.

The provision of hygienic washing facilities on a muti-day music festival remote site is essential to comply with health and safety requirements as well as providing a more comfortable stay for festival-goers. What are the key considerations for festival organisers when planning their on-site washing facilities.

Any music festival located on a remote site that attracts thousands of festival-goers must arrange appropriate washing facilities. There are legal requirements for the standards of installation and quality of water supplied as well as the management of any waste. All these factors need to be considered when planning the event to ensure that there are sufficient supplies of clean water for washing. The number of anticipated festival-goers and site layout will determine the location and number of washing facilities required.

Health and Safety Regulations.
In the UK the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the prevailing relevant regulations that need to be complied with. The Act requires festival organisers to provide adequate facilities for personal washing where necessary. The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 relates to the design, installation and maintenance of water supply systems and apply to temporary festival site washing installations.

Installation of Washing Facilities. 
The site layout and number of visitors will determine where each type of facility should be placed. Hand washing facilities should be easily accessible to visitors with good signposting indicating exactly where they are typically near stages, food vendors and toilets for example. All water used on a festival site must be transported on-site by tanker trucks with professional installation. These can be costly for organisers and should be budgeted for in the planning process.  The washing facilities should be well maintained with regular checks or testing to ensure that the water is clean, safe and hygienic at all times.

Waste Management. 
Equally important as the supply of clean hygienic water is the appropriate management of waste water which should not be allowed to go to ground. There are regulations that cover the disposal of such waste water which in the UK is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) in the UK. These regulations require festival organisers to assess and control the risks associated with the use of hazardous substances which may include cleaning chemicals and detergents commonly used at washing facilities. A robust system that collects waste water must be installed and emptied regularly ready for appropriate disposal.

The provision of hygienic washing facilities can be complex and requires good planning to meet prevailing rules and regulations. This will ensure that all festival-goers and site visitors have access to clean and hygienic washing facilities throughout the festival duration reducing the risk of illness and promoting overall health and safety. 

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