Building control surveyors are responsible for the safety of over 150 000 people at the Glastonbury Festival. We met Alan Dawson, building control team leader with Mendip District council who told us what it's like to share the same stage as Basement Jaxx, Coldplay and the Kaizer Chiefs…
"Building control surveyors are involved in large events in a consultancy capacity when the environmental health department needs help. At Glastonbury, we work as part of the health and safety team to ensure that licence conditions are met.
We are mainly interested in the numerous structures on site, such as the main stage and tents – the Dance Tent alone can accommodate 8 000 people. Music fans will be most thankful that we've had a hand in ensuring that the chemical flushes in the event's numerous toilets work efficiently!"
Glastonbury wasn't always so big. The first festival was held in 1970 where under 2 000 people paid £1, which included free milk from founder Michael Eavis' farm. In 1981, the event became known as the Glastonbury Festival, which has now become a firmly established three-day event, attended by hundreds of thousands, who pay ticket prices in excess of £100.
Typically, the festival uses more than a million gallons of water over five days. Water is now imported from a water authority reservoir some seven miles away. There are also five Oxfam emergency reservoirs, each holding 5 000 gallons of water, which are monitored and refilled as necessary.
Alan explains the size of the operation and how building control surveyors are important members in what is a huge team effort. "Set-up starts about a month before the festival, as the fence has to be erected and the site secure several weeks before the event. Now, crowding at the event has reduced, I believe the atmosphere has improved immeasurably."
Alan also sums up what being involved means to him. "Glastonbury is hard work, but it's great fun, and a spin-off is that it distributes large amounts of money to Greenpeace, Oxfam, Water Aid and other humanitarian causes."
