Safety at large-scale events is not just another item on the production checklist. It is the condition that makes it possible for the event to take place without irreparable consequences. And yet, it is the area where improvisation is most often resorted to, underestimated, or delegated without proper oversight.

In Argentina, the Cromañón tragedy in 2004 marked a before and after in regulation and in the sector's awareness. Since then, regulations have evolved, controls have become more rigorous in many respects, and the legal responsibility of producers and organizers has become much clearer. Even so, problems persist when improvisation becomes normalized.

Current regulatory framework in Argentina

Regulation of large-scale events in Argentina operates on three levels: national, provincial, and municipal. There is no single law that regulates everything — there is a set of overlapping rules that must be understood in detail.

National level

The Hygiene and Safety at Work Law 19,587 establishes the basic occupational safety conditions applicable to production and technical staff working at events. For events with alcohol sales, Law 24,455 and the supplementary regulations of each jurisdiction apply.

City of Buenos Aires level

The Mass Events Law 1,799 of the City of Buenos Aires specifically regulates large public performances, establishing obligations for organizers regarding safety, access control, signage, medical services, and coordination with security forces.

The Provision 419 of the Undersecretariat of Community Control establishes the requirements for authorizing events in public spaces: evacuation plan, medical services proportionate to capacity, authorized security personnel, and prior notification to the police.

Organizer's legal responsibility

This point is fundamental: in Argentina, the event organizer is civilly liable for any damage suffered by attendees during the event. That responsibility is not fully transferred to the security company or the venue. The producer who signs as organizer assumes strict liability toward attendees.

Evacuation plan: the minimum that must exist

An evacuation plan is not a document to be kept in a folder. It is an operational protocol that must be known by all staff before the event.

Exit mapping: all emergency exits must be identified on an updated venue plan. It is necessary to physically verify that they are unlocked and operational before opening attendee entry.

Flow calculation: the plan must calculate how long it takes to evacuate the space at the maximum authorized capacity. The international standard is 2.5 minutes to evacuate an enclosed space.

Assembly points: evacuated attendees need to know where to go. The plan defines safe meeting points outside the venue, at a sufficient distance so as not to obstruct emergency operations.

Assigned roles: in an evacuation, each member of the production and security team has a specific role. These roles must be assigned and practiced, not improvised.

Signage: emergency lights and evacuation signage must be visible from any point in the space with event lighting on — not with the venue lights at full power.

Coordination with security forces

For large-scale events in public spaces or with more than 1,000 attendees, coordination with the City Police (in CABA) or the Buenos Aires Provincial Police (in PBA) is not optional — it is a requirement for authorization.

Prior notification: communication with the security forces must take place at least 15 days before the event. It includes the event plan, expected capacity, schedule, and security plan.

Communication channels: on the day of the event, there must be a direct communication channel between the event security director and police command. Radio, not cellphone — telephone networks collapse in mass gatherings.

External perimeter: the police usually operate on the event's outer perimeter. Private security operates inside. The boundary between both jurisdictions must be clear and agreed upon.

Barriers and fencing: designing attendee flow

Designing the flow of entry and circulation of attendees is one of the most underestimated safety variables. Most serious incidents at large-scale events occur at the entrances — crushes, stampedes — not inside the event.

Number of access points: the general rule is one control point for every 500 expected people during peak entry time.

Flow separation: if the event has different types of attendees (VIP, general admission, press), entry flows must be physically separated. Mixing flows at entry creates friction and crowding.

Steel barriers: crowd control barriers should be installed to create orderly access lanes, not just to delimit the perimeter. The design of the access maze is a discipline in itself.

Safety release zone: at large standing events, the area immediately in front of the stage requires protective barriers with security personnel between the barrier and the stage, and a protocol for extracting people who collapse.

Private security personnel

In Argentina, private security companies must be authorized by the Ministry of National Security. Hiring unauthorized personnel is an infraction that can lead to the event being shut down and criminal liability for the organizer.

Staff ratio: the minimum standard is 1 agent per 100 attendees for low-risk events (corporate events, without massive alcohol consumption). For music festivals with alcohol and standing crowds, the ratio increases to 1 per 50 or even 1 per 25 in critical areas.

Specific briefing: security personnel must know the response protocol for the most common incidents: person fainting, fight, bomb threat, fire. Improvisation in security is costly.

Medical emergency protocols

Every large-scale event requires medical services proportionate to the capacity and profile of the event.

• Up to 1,000 people: 1 doctor, 2 nurses, 1 transport ambulance

• From 1,000 to 5,000 people: 2 doctors, 4 nurses, 1 intermediate care unit

• More than 5,000 people: staggered staffing with coordination with SAME

Ambulance access: there must be at least one clear corridor for ambulance entry from outside to a point near the area with the highest concentration of people. This corridor must be signposted and blocked off from attendee traffic.

AED (defibrillator): for events with more than 500 people, it is mandatory to have at least one AED available and staff trained to use it.

What sets a serious production company apart

Safety at a large-scale event is not an expense — it is an investment in the event's continuity and in the organizer's legal responsibility. At SOMOS DER, we operate with our own safety protocols for each project, coordinate with security forces and medical services, and physically verify venue conditions before opening attendee entry.