ABSTRACT
Over the years, the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to the Holy City of Mecca, has been sadly blighted by incidents involving crowd crushes, often during the ritual stoning of the Devil. The sheer numbers involved almost defy management of their safety literally millions arrive during the festival. An assessment of risks at the fair was commissioned from the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Health and Safety Laboratory, which had already done work to assist the investigation and public inquiry into the Hillsborough crowd disaster. Their report laid the foundation for a number of improvements to the fair's layout and organisation which have enabled it to carry on into the 21st century, to the continued benefit of the operators and enjoyment of the public. The HSE also commissioned research to study crowd behaviour, the different management and control methods currently in use, and the effect of crowd size, flows and venue design on the potential for overcrowding.
