Feature
FSM
All sports grounds designated under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 are required to have a safety certificate which is reviewed annually by the Certifying Authority (Local Authority).
Under the provisions of Section 10B of the Act and the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 Section 34, local authorities are required to undertake annual inspections of designated sports grounds and regulated stands in accordance with the guidance issued by the Secretary of State. This is highlighted with Home Officer Circular 72/87² for designated grounds and Home Office Circular 97/88³ for regulated standards.
The guidance requires local authorities to be satisfied that the inspections are carried out by a person or persons qualified for that purpose. The inspections are therefore usually carried out by a multi-disciplinary team which includes the council’s structural engineer, the council’s electrical engineer, the fire authority, the police authority, the ambulance authority, and the ground safety officer.
The inspection by the local authority is not intended to shift responsibility for spectator safety away from the certificate holder or to duplicate work that should be undertaken by, or on behalf of, the certificate holder. Instead it is designed to check that the certificate holder is complying with the provisions of the operations manual or the safety certificate conditions for properly maintaining the sports ground and its fittings.
With the impending return of spectators to sports grounds, the certifying authority must ensure the sports ground demonstrates reasonable levels of safety and that all conditions contained within the safety certificate are being adhered to. This should be done by inspection as recommended in the SGSA Guide to Certification.
It is suggested that local authorities contact the ground management asking for confirmation that all the systems and services are fully operational and in a safe working order in readiness for the return of spectators.
All plant and machinery and installations such as refrigeration units or water systems including hot and cold-water services, should be checked and serviced where appropriate to avoid issues such as legionella.
¹:
https://www.structural-safety.org/publications/view-report/?report=2175
²:
https://sgsa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Home-Office-Circular-72-1987.pdf ³:
https://sgsa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Home-Office-Circular-97-1988.pdf
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