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Students
studying architecture and design should note the following
safety features which have been incorporated into various
football grounds in Scotland.
- All-seated
grounds in respect of which Safety Certificates have
been granted under the Safety at Sports Grounds Act
1975.
- Adequate
provision of turnstiles and exit gates.
- Professional
stewarding, including Fire Stewarding.
- Spacious
internal and external concourses.
- The
provision of dedicated car parks for both 'home' and
'away' fans.
- The
provision of parking spaces for Emergency Services
vehicles.
- Internal
and external CCTV systems linked to modern police
control rooms.
- High
quality public address systems.
- High
quality fire alarm systems.
- Modern
'Public Address', 'Stewards' Control', and 'Medical
Control' rooms in close proximity to each other.
- Good
internal and external lighting.
- No
Smoking Policies in vulnerable areas, supported by
signage.
- Electronic
turnstile counting mechanisms.
- The
provision of retractable tunnels to protect players
and officials from injury by any objects which might
be thrown.
- Wide,
hard surface tracks around the perimeter of playing
surfaces onto which fans can be evacuated in emergency
situations.
- Easily
opened 'emergency' gates giving access from stands
and terraces towards the playing areas.
- An
absence of fencing between stands/terraces and the
playing areas.
- The
provision of sand buckets to quickly douse any flares
or fireworks that are thrown.
- The
provision of electronic scoreboards and jumbotron
screens which are capable of displaying written text
messages.
- Tried
and tested police and stewarding operations.
- Passageway
patrols by stewards.
- Substantial
season ticket holdings which means that these fans
sit beside each other at every match and therefore
settle into patterns of behaviour which are acceptable
to each other and the authorities.
- Policies
that ensure that matches are all-ticket, minimising
queues and crushing.
- The
employment of Safety Officers who are empowered to
take action against fans whose behaviour proves to
be unacceptable.
- The
employment of Ticket Centre Managers and Stadium Managers
who ensure that ticketing and maintenance matters
are properly supervised.
- The
employment of Health and Safety Managers to ensure
that all procedures adopted by clubs are safety based.
- Policies
of full co-operation with the police, fire, and building
control authorities whom regularly undertake 'spot
checks' within grounds.
- Pre-match
inspections and meetings before matches.
- The
provision of external bins to encourage the disposal
of bottles, cans, etc.
- The
provision of doctors, paramedics and first aid personnel
at matches.
- The
provision of First Aid Stations within grounds.
- The
provision of televisions on internal concourses which
broadcast games 'live' and therefore encourage an
even distribution of fans to fast food outlets throughout
matches.
- The
application of plastic seals to exit gates which,
without impeding emergency opening, deter unauthorised
opening.
- Adoption
of Ground Regulations, Safety Policies and Emergency
Action Plans.
- The
attendance at matches on standby of Scottish Power
personnel and Lift Engineers in the event of system
failures.
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