Restrooms for Harbor and Waterfront Events in Baltimore

Planning the count without a sourced harbor figure

Because no attendance figure for harbor events was sourced, the count is built from the organiser's own estimate and the event's pattern, and the reason for it is written on the plan.

A show with a fixed start and a fireworks finish produces a crowd that gathers over an hour and leaves within a few minutes. A concert with several sets produces a steadier flow. The count is set to the pattern, not to a headline attendance number that may describe a different kind of event.

Where the organiser cannot give an estimate, the plan proposes a count based on the layout and the hours and says that it will be reviewed when the crowd is known. The organiser keeps the choice, and the plan keeps the record.

Footing, wind and wet ground on the water

Units on the waterfront need a firm, level footing, a weight or a pin where the wind is strong, and a plan for wet ground, since each of these can turn a unit over or let a door swing open.

Wet ground is the most common problem. A unit that stood level at noon can lean by the evening as the ground softens. The technician uses a firm pad, places boards where the ground is soft, and rechecks the level before the crowd arrives.

Wind off the water is a different hazard. A unit with an open door in a gust can be damaged, and a door that slams can hurt a guest. Weights, pins and a door check are the usual answer, and they are noted on the plan.

• Level the unit on a firm pad
• Weight or pin the unit in wind
• Check each door latch before opening
• Recheck the level after rain

Crowd flow along a long promenade

A promenade crowd walks one way on the way in and the other way on the way out, so units placed on the walk itself create a bottleneck, and units placed off it keep the flow moving.

The best spot for a unit is where a guest would walk to anyway, but off the line of the main walk. A short side path from the crowd to the unit keeps the flow moving and avoids a queue along the promenade rail.

The walk back to the car at night is the other problem. Lighting on that route is planned with the organiser, and units placed nearer to the exit are chosen where the crowd is leaving rather than arriving.

Servicing and close-out on a waterfront site

Servicing is scheduled before the show, during the interval and after the close, and the close-out clears the spot by the time the permit requires.

The servicing truck needs a route that is off the promenade and clear of the crowd at show time. The route is agreed with the organiser and the venue's operations team, and it is marked on the plan.

The close-out is planned from the end of the programme. Units are pumped, the spot is checked for ground damage and litter, and the units are collected once the permit allows the area to be cleared.

After the show: the walk out and the close

The end of a waterfront show is the hardest part of the day, because the whole crowd leaves at once, so the close-out is planned for the walk back, the lighting and the truck route.

A fireworks finish sends the crowd toward the exits within minutes. Units near the exit fill with people who are leaving, and the blocks that serve the walk back can be the last to be used. The supervisor watches the exit blocks and calls for a pump-out if a block is full.

The truck route for close-out is the one thing that cannot wait for the crowd to thin. It is planned to avoid the promenade and the exit, and the close-out crew is briefed on the route before the show ends so the units can be collected once the walkways are clear.