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uk Personal safety & immediate danger

What to do if…
a crowd starts surging and you fear being crushed

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Move towards a less crowded edge, open area, or stewarded route when a lull makes that possible, without forcing against the crowd. Stay upright, keep your forearms in front of your chest, and alert event staff or call 999 as soon as you can do so safely.

Do not do these things

  • Do not run, shove, or try to force directly through a tightly packed crowd.
  • Do not bend down to retrieve a phone, bag, shoe, or other dropped item.
  • Do not push towards an exit that is blocked or becoming more crowded.
  • Do not brace rigidly against the movement of the crowd.
  • Do not move closer to walls, fences, railings, pillars, vehicles, or other fixed objects when another route is available.
  • Do not climb onto barriers or equipment unless emergency staff direct you to a safe route.
  • Do not use your phone if doing so would make you lose your balance or awareness.
  • Do not stop in an exit or narrow route once you reach clearer space.

What to do now

  1. If the pressure is only beginning and you can still choose where to move, leave the densest area early. Head towards a clearly less crowded edge, open area, side route, or stewarded exit while avoiding bottlenecks.
  2. If you are tightly packed in, try to stay on your feet and keep firm footing. Hold your forearms in front of your chest, with your elbows close to your body, to preserve some room for breathing.
  3. Do not fight the force of the crowd. Move your feet as the crowd moves and, during a lull, work gradually and diagonally towards the edge rather than forcing straight through people.
  4. Move away from walls, fences, railings, pillars, vehicles, and other rigid objects when the crowd movement gives you an opportunity.
  5. Use short, clear words to alert people and staff, such as “crowd crush”, “people are falling”, or “we cannot move”. Give a steward, security worker, or police officer the nearest entrance, section, street, stage, or landmark.
  6. Call 999 when it is safe to use your phone if someone is in immediate danger, people are falling, or anyone is unconscious, struggling to breathe, experiencing chest pain, or bleeding severely. Give the exact location and explain that there is dangerous crowd pressure.
  7. If you fall and cannot stand immediately, curl into a ball and protect your head as best you can. Try to get back onto your feet as soon as the movement and space allow.
  8. Once you reach clear space, keep moving away from the crowd flow and seek event medical staff. Call 999 for life-threatening symptoms or injuries, including difficulty breathing, unconsciousness, chest pain, or severe bleeding.

What can wait

Finding separated companions, recovering belongings, arranging transport, recording what happened, posting online, making a complaint, and deciding what to do about the event can wait until you are in a stable, uncrowded place. Focus only on staying upright, reaching lower crowd density, breathing, and alerting staff or emergency services.

Important reassurance

A dense crowd can move you without your control. Concentrate on one manageable action at a time: keep your footing, protect the space in front of your chest, and use each lull to move towards a less crowded area.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate first steps during and just after a dangerous crowd surge. Medical assessment, reporting the incident, recovering property, and other later decisions may require help from healthcare professionals, the venue, police, or another specialist service.

Important note

This is general safety and first-aid information, not medical or other professional advice. Follow instructions from emergency services and trained event staff when you can do so safely. Call 999 or 112 when there is an immediate threat to life.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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