With large numbers of sometimes excited spectators, sporting venues still have the potential for disaster, not least from fire. But as Malcolm Collier points out, new initiatives learned from past tragedies can help reduce those risks.
it would be easy to say that the uk has the safest sports stadia in the world, but without justification this could be conceived as a worthless – and merely patriotic – statement. What is the supporting evidence?
Wherever large numbers of people gather, it could be argued that there is some level of risk of injuries to them. The degree of those injuries could be forecast in relation to the dynamics of the crowd, and the stimulation to movement they receive from the event they are watching.
As the decades progressed in the 20th century, the number of casualties increased from events such as the 1923 Cup Final, the Ibrox disaster, the fire at Valley Parade Bradford and the Hillsborough disaster. The result of these incidents makes lamentable reading, whose statistics do not properly reveal the human tragedy behind the figures. The table on page 30 shows clearly the results of failures of safety at UK sports stadia in the past. It can clearly be seen that the 1980s was by far the worst period in history for stadium disasters, primarily accounted for by the Bradford fire in 1985, with 56 dead and over 250 injured, and the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield in 1989, at which 96 spectators perished.
But what has contributed to the amazing reduction from the high levels of the 1980s, to the 1990s figure when, although still regrettable, only one person died in a UK stadium? (This was a spectator hit in the chest by a rocket fired across the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.) It can be attributed to a combination of improved management, clear guidance and concerted supervision of the various venues.
Fire safety measures
The two areas of stadia that are the most likely to have a major impact on the integrity of the means of escape from the building in a fire are the concourse, and any void beneath seating decks. Special active and passive fire protection measures considered to be important in protecting these two areas are:
– Effective separation of risk elements – such as catering units on concourses – by fire resisting construction to the main structure and the installation of automatically operated fire shutters, linked to local detection.
– Sub division of the concourse by fire resisting construction and fire resisting roller shutter doors.
– The provision of high ceiling areas, where possible, to provide adequate smoke reservoirs, with these areas being divided by smoke curtains into compartments, usually of a maximum of 2000m3.
– Extraction systems to remove smoke from concourse reservoirs. Depending on the climatic conditions, the system may be either a natural or powered system.
– Smoke extraction systems from individual catering units. An innovative system installed at the City of Manchester Stadium utilises dual roller shutters to the catering outlet, and the extraction of air between the two shutters, which are only 100mm apart.
– Fire suppression systems on catering unit cookers. It may be that cooking is not permitted at catering units within concourses and that only reheating of food is the norm. However, where there is equipment such as deep fat fryers, fixed fire suppression installations are considered to be an asset.
– Sprinkler systems under seating areas, particularly where the levels of combustibility are high. For instance, it would be expected that where there are voids with catering outlets, or even concourses with lower levels of risk beneath timber stands, that an effective sprinkler system be installed. An example can be seen at the Stevenage Road stand at Fulham FC, which is a listed building and has full sprinkler protection.
– Roller shutter fire screens should be fitted over the head of escalators which lead onto different levels of a concourse.
– Effective management systems should ensure that there is no build up of combustibles in concourses, and particularly in voids. All stands should be checked prior to opening, and immediate action taken to remove offending items by cleaning staff. These staff should also circulate through the concourse, regularly removing the contents of rubbish bins to waste containers away from the building.
Fire detection
It is important that due consideration is given to whether the fire detection and alarm system should be an integral part of the stadium evacuation procedure. In most cases, before members of the public are admitted into the stadium – which is usually in football 90 minutes before the match kick off – the alarm system is put into silent mode, with any incident or fault only being signalled at the main alarm panel and the repeater in the control room.
Immediately on receiving an alarm, either a dedicated fire steward or a trained supervisor will go to the incident position and radio back whether any further action is required. If no guidance is received in the control room by the pre-determined response time – usually two or three minutes – the call is transmitted to the fire service.
At this stage, no alarm signal is given to the spectators. Only coded messages to the stewards are given over the PA system, which should immediately send them to their designated positions for evacuation. Only if and when considered necessary, will the safety officer make the announcement on the PA system from the control room (which overrides the normal PA) that the match cannot continue, and request the public to make their way out of the stadium. It should be noted that on transmission of the coded message, the steward next to the fourth official will have got the message to the referee to stop the game, and go with the players to the pre-determined assembly point.
Under normal conditions. immediately after the match is over the alarm system is restored to normal operation.
Regulatory reform impact
The FLA has been a member of the working groups producing various documents which will form the basis of the guidance standards supporting the Regulatory Reform Order. The two main documents which will define the standards for the sports events are the ‘Guide to Fire Safety at Large Places of Assembly and the Guide to Fire Safety at Open Air Events’.
Currently, the standards applied to stadia are controlled by conditions applied by the local authority in the safety certificate. Additionally many stadia have a fire certificate issued under the Fire Precautions Act 1971. The new RRO will have the immediate effect of abolishing the requirement for the fire certificate and reinforcing the risk assessment process, which started under the Fire Safety (Places of Work) Regulations, onto the stadium management team.
Whilst with most premises the enforcing authority will be the Fire and Rescue Authority, in the case of sports grounds which have either a General Safety Certificate, or a Regulated Stand Certificate, the enforcing authority for the RRO will be the local authority which issues those certificates. It is to be expected that in all cases the local authority will seek the guidance of the F&RS before taking any enforcement steps in relation to fire matters. As far as the stadium management are concerned, it should ease their workload by only having to provide one set of fire risk assessments, rather than one to the local authority and one to the F&RS as at present.
Guidance documents
The Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (The Green Guide), has been used universally as the standard for both new and updated stadia. The fourth edition was published in 1996, but to reflect changes to legislation and advances in technology since then, a fifth edition will be published next year.
In 2003, in conjunction with the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, the FLA produced the first of a new series of guides on the design and management of sports grounds and stadia. Accessible Stadia concentrates on design and provision for disabled spectators and their particular needs, including the removal of physical barriers and facility improvements at existing stadia. Well considered design solutions at new stadia will create more inclusive facilities and accessibility for all people who attend sports events.
Another publication concentrates on the role of control rooms. It underlines the importance of the control room in stadia safety management, the key staff and their roles and the facilities which should be provided, and is of equal use to those upgrading existing control rooms or those involved in new stadia design.
Recent concerns over crowd movements and congestion prompted the production of specific guidance on concourses. This sets out clearly the factors which will influence the size and layout of a well designed concourse. It is also of great value in determining the effectiveness of escape routes.
Further guidance will be produced over the next 12 months, including safety management at sports stadia. This will encompass much of the work on which the FLA has been focussing, in conjunction with the football authorities, on updating steward training and assessment procedures, the roles and responsibilities of safety officers, and the general way in which effective safety management can be generated at stadia.
FLA inspectors are continually working with the local authorities, Safety Advisory Groups, architects and developers to ensure that proposals for new and altered stadia are not only safe, but provide the level of customer care spectators now expect.
Work is in progress to identify the ways in which advancing technology could be best used and integrated into stadia design and management. Examples, such as the ways in which electronic door releases for fire exits could be effectively used in stadia, should be fully considered.
Examples of advanced technology are being incorporated in the major new developments at Wembley National Stadium, The Emirates Stadium in Ashburton Grove (the home of Arsenal FC) and at Twickenham.
Let’s not forget
While it is acknowledged that there are many new stadia throughout the country and hundreds of new stands constructed since the Taylor report, there are still many vulnerable timber stands, some dating back to the early 1900s. The FLA is carrying out a further survey of these and it is hoped that further guidance can be produced.
It is truly amazing that when talking to various people connected with stadia safety, the disasters of the past appear to have been forgotten. There was an instance earlier this year when the director of a football club, when being given advice on measures he should take in relation to his timber stand, retorted: “When was the last time anyone was injured in a fire at a football ground?” The Bradford fire may have occurred a little over 21 years ago, but it was hoped that the lessons were indelibly etched on the memories of those charged with the responsibility for safety. Indeed such was the magnitude of that incident that it still forms part of the training given to senior police officers at their major sporting events courses, into which the FLA has a substantial input, as well as to club stewards on their basic training.
The good news is that fire is generally being treated with respect, and it is good to see that many stadia now have dedicated fire stewards to deal with initial incidents. The work they do in fire prevention carrying out regular checks before and during an event, as well as tackling the early stages of fires, should be considered as invaluable to any stadium.
Much of this article relates to football grounds, but the work on stadia has a much wider application. Indeed, the FLA is extensively involved in the alterations and extensions to Ascot racecourse, and inspectors regularly give advice to the cricket authorities and provide expert advice with many other sports.
Our inspectors are always available to discuss with architects, developers, fire and building control officers, any issues which relate to stadia. Further information is at www.flaweb.org.uk
Malcolm Collier MBA FIFireE is regional inspector for the Football Licensing Authority and a former senior officer with Hampshire and Norfolk Fire Services.
DEATHS AND INJURIES AT FOOTBALL GROUNDS
Decade 1960s No. of incidents 11 Deaths 5 Injuries 560
Decade 1970s No. of incidents 8 Deaths 66 Injuries 340
Decade 1980s No. of incidents 8 Deaths 155 Injuries 800+
Decade 1990s No. of incidents not available Deaths 1 Injuries not available
