FSM
Feature
Infection Control Measures Stadium Managers Should Implement to Help Stay COVID-19 Secure
Over a year has now passed since the first Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) case was recorded in the UK, with the pandemic continuing to have a substantial impact on all industries. For both indoor and outdoor sport venues, health and safety measures need to be strictly enforced to ensure employees, sportspeople, and spectators are able to function effectively in a COVID secure space. This makes the role of a stadium facility manager more vital than ever.
With the re-opening of stadia to spectators in England moving forward from May 17th, subject to successful pilots in April, there is naturally a lot of excitement amongst fans. However, there will also be trepidation amongst many in the population, particularly with other countries already experiencing third waves of the virus. Within stadia social distancing will remain in place for now, with capacities limited to 10,000 people or 25% of total seated capacity, whichever is lower. Therefore, stadium facility managers must make sure they follow strict measures to keep the risk of COVID-19 to a minimum and create a safe, welcoming environment for the visiting spectators.
Enrico Allegra, Lead Microbiologist at Inivos – UK infection control and decontamination providers, outlines the measures stadium facility managers and sports venue managers can put into place to help their venue remain COVID-19 secure.
What are the challenges faced by stadium facility managers during COVID-19?
Since the beginning of the pandemic, a stadium facility manager's role – to ensure the safe and smooth running of a stadium or sports venue – has never been more important. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, stadium facility managers’ roles have drastically changed. They have been forced to adapt to ever-changing guidelines, and after many months of closure, preparations now enter the final stages to start to reopen for fans – as long as they meet a series of trials to assess safety measures.
One of the biggest changes has been adapting from previously managing between hundreds and thousands of fans in a stadium, to rapidly implementing new social distancing policies, health and safety measures, and carefully managing a lower occupancy to help minimise the spread of the virus.
In the coming weeks and months, sporting venues and stadiums will be able to reopen and hopefully allow increasing numbers of spectators to watch. However, this comes with a risk as increasing the number of people in sporting venues can increase the risk of spreading COVID-19 due to more people interacting with each other. However, there are many ways that stadium facility managers can help reduce this risk - one being decontamination.
How decontamination measures can help reduce risk
Effective decontamination is crucial to limiting the spread of the virus. COVID-19 is highly contagious and can quickly spread throughout a stadium or sports venue in a short matter of time. Outdoor areas seem to present less of a challenge, however in larger stadia there are many indoor and outdoor areas where fans will pass.
The risk of infection spreading is heightened because SARS-CoV-2, the viral pathogen which causes COVID-19, is mainly transmitted via respiratory droplets that have the potential to linger in the air or on surfaces for prolonged periods of time. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), up to 80 percent of COVID-19 infections are asymptomatic or only present mild symptoms.¹ This means that the virus can spread quickly as many people do not realise that they are infected and continue to interact with others - unknowingly passing on the virus. This is particularly important when considering indoor sports club houses and areas within a stadium which have little ventilation, such as bars, changing rooms, stairwells, and corridors.
Therefore, to meet necessary health and safety requirements, stadium facility managers must implement robust measures to ensure a COVID-19 free environment for any staff, sportspeople, or members of the public who enter the venues they manage. To do this, facility managers should enlist a proactive approach to decontaminating all indoor spaces and outdoor spaces where possible.
18 FSM
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