How to Choose Stanchions for Crowd Control Needs?

A stanchion post is one of the essential elements in crowd control. The channels divide people by creating guide ropes. These guide ropes allow crowd controllers to define where people can go or who should remain in an area.

As a crowd controller, your job is to maintain security and safety for any given area. One of the efficient ways to do this is by setting up stanchions at various checkpoints throughout your workspace.

Here are a few tips for buying stanchions for sale in bulk:

  1. Choose the Proper Material For Your Crowds

The most common materials used to make stanchions are aluminum and stainless steel. Each one is explained below:

  • Aluminum stanchions 

Aluminum is a popular material for making stanchions. It is partly due to its lightweight, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. Aluminum’s main advantage over stainless steel is that it can be easily molded into any shape or size required by crowd control personnel. 

Aluminum stanchions are great for indoor events because they won’t rust if weather conditions become unpredictable. 

  • Stainless Steel Stanchions 

Stainless steel is the standard material used to make stanchions. Stainless steel stanchions are great for outdoor events because they have a longer lifespan than aluminum stanchions. It’s also one of the most robust materials available, making it an excellent choice for crowd control purposes.

  1. Choose The Proper Height For Your Stand Posts

The primary purpose of any given stand post is to create a guide rope to keep a specific path clear and free from obstruction by either people or other objects. 

To achieve this purpose, crowd control personnel must first determine the appropriate height for every stanchion they set up. The following are guidelines to follow when setting up stand posts:

Height Guidelines For Crowd Control Stanchions 

  • The minimum height required for a stanchion should be used in crowded indoor areas where there isn’t too much foot traffic. 
  •  If your crowd is likely to become unruly, consider investing in stanchions that stand 6′ tall. 
  • Crowds numbering more than 1,000 people should have their stanchions raised at least 8′ high.
  1. Choose The Proper Base For Your Stand Posts

The primary purpose of any given stand post is to create a guide rope to keep a specific path clear and free from obstruction by either people or other objects. To achieve this purpose, crowd control personnel must first determine the appropriate height for every stanchion they set up.

The following are guidelines to follow when setting up stand posts:

Footprint Guidelines  For Crowd Control Stanchions 

  • The most miniature base required for use in most indoor crowd control situations is 12″ by 12′ long. 
  • If your stand post is likely to be used outdoors, consider investing in bases that are 16″ by 16′ square.
  1. Choose The Proper Number Of Stanchions For Your Needs.  

Once your crowd control personnel have determined the appropriate height and base size for each stand post, they can choose to buy stanchions for sale to use in any given space. The following are considerations that should be taken into account when making this decision:

Number of Stanchions For Crowd Control Applications 

  • Your goal as a crowd controller is to keep your workspace in the most orderly fashion possible. To do this, it’s best to use rows of stanchions that are 5′ apart. It equates to one row per 6′ row height. 
  • Crowd control personnel should ensure at least 6′ between the back row and the next row forward. 
  • To keep your workspace as orderly as possible, each stanchion should be placed 12″ away from the one next to it.
  1. Choose The Proper Crowd Control Belt For Your Needs

The final step in choosing the right set of stanchions is to select a belt that will connect all of them and properly guide people through the area. There are typically four different types of belts available:

Belt Type For Crowd Control Stanchions 

  • The most common belt used in crowd control is the rope belt. This option will work well for most indoor crowd control applications and can be tied off at several points along its length to accommodate tight spaces. 
  • The next option is the chain belt. This type of belt has tiny links that make up its length and works well for animals, strollers, or wheelchairs that need to be directed along a particular path. 
  • The vinyl belt is the most common material used by professionals. This heavy-duty option can withstand extreme weather conditions and be used outdoors on your stand posts. 
  • The web belt option is also suitable for outdoor use and offers a longer lifespan than vinyl. However, it’s more commonly used in lighter-weight applications such as art fairs and music festivals.