Fire safety at sports grounds

Whether a handful of parents are watching their children play football in a sports hall, or thousands of rugby fans are packed into a stadium, fire safety in sports grounds is crucial. 

Several tragic occurrences throughout sporting history have demonstrated the importance of strict adherence to measures regarding general safety and fire safety at sports grounds. And with key sporting events – such as the Autumn Rugby Internationals (Nov 6th to 26th) and the World Cup (Nov 20th-Dec 18th) – fast approaching, now is the time to ensure every site safety measure is being observed at sports venues. 

Here, we offer a comprehensive guide to fire safety at sports grounds and other sporting locations. We’ll highlight important legislation such as the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987, as well as who is responsible, fire risk assessments, and protective measures to be taken.

What are the regulations for fire safety in sports grounds?

Fire safety at sports grounds is encompassed by several pieces of legislation, including (but not limited to) the following:

Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975

The Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 introduced the safety certificate to sports grounds. It applies to any sports ground with accommodation for over 10,000 spectators (or more than 5,000 spectators for Premier League / English Football League matches). 

Under this act, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport can designate a sports ground as requiring a safety certificate to admit spectators. Managers of that sports ground will then be under a legal duty to obtain a safety certificate from local authority. Subsequently, local authorities can issue and enforce safety certificates to confirm the sports ground is safe. This would include stating a limit to the number of spectators allowed in the venue, as well as giving details about fire exits, crash barriers, and other means of escape in case of emergency.  No condition of a safety certificate will conflict with those of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (more on this below) or Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.

Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987

The Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987  came about as a response to the tragic Bradford City stadium fire of 1985, and the findings of the subsequent ‘Popplewell Report’. The report surmised that the sports grounds covered by the Act of 1975 was too limited, and the problem of crowd safety was serious at many other smaller grounds. 

To address these limitations, the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 requires the responsible person(s) of a sports ground to have regular checks, giving more powers to the fire authority regarding fire safety and safety certificates. The act abolished the earlier distinction between stadiums and sports grounds, and now allows the Home Secretary to fix the qualifying capacity of spectators. 

The Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 also extended the provisions for local authority safety certification to include covered stands with accommodation for more than 500 spectators. These are known as ‘regulated stands’. There are new offences for using a stand without a current safety certificate and for breaching the conditions they require. 

The ‘Green Guide’

Following the findings of the 1972 Wheatley Report, the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (also known as the Green Guide) was created to assist in the assessment of safe capacity of a sports ground.

The Guide is recognised around the world by architects and designers as a best practice guide for the design, planning, development and refurbishment of stadiums, and for the safe management and operation of sports grounds. 

Who is responsible for fire safety at sports grounds?

The Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 allows local authority to determine whether any (and if so, which) of the stands at a sports ground in their area is a regulated stand, and to issue safety certificates.

The responsible person for fire safety in sports grounds is detailed in Section 28 of the act. If applying for a general safety certificate, the responsible person will be anyone in charge of the management of the sports ground. A special safety certificate can be obtained by any person responsible for organising an activity at the sports ground, for viewing an activity from the stand on any occasion.

With regards to fire-specific safety measures, the RRFSO requires a ‘responsible person’ be named to oversee and be held accountable. In most workplaces, the responsible person is the employer or anyone with control of the premises. The responsible person must review the fire risk assessment and ensure the necessary precautions are taken to protect the safety of ‘relevant persons’ (i.e. all who use the venue).

How to assess and minimise fire safety risks in sports grounds

Carry out a fire risk assessment

It’s the role of the responsible person to carry out a fire risk assessment, or assign a competent person to carry out the task. A huge part of the assessment is identifying fire hazards and the people potentially at risk – there might be, for example, employees working in unsupervised areas or visitors unfamiliar with the premises. The RRFSO also requires the responsible person to appoint one or more (depending on the size of the premises) ‘competent persons’ to assist in undertaking preventative and protective measures. Chiefly, the fire risk assessment should identify fire risks and those who are vulnerable, before setting out measures to reduce the likelihood or impact of each risk.

Install fire protection measures

Once the presence of risk has been concluded (and removed as far as is possible), it’s crucial that steps are taken to reduce any remaining risk and precautions are put in place. This means installing early warning systems such as smoke detectors and fire alarms. A managed evacuation plan is of the utmost importance – it’s a responsible person’s legal duty in order to adhere to fire safety at sports grounds. 

The UK government’s fire safety guidelines recommend that fire drills be performed at least once a year and preferably once per quarter, at varying times of day. Fire assembly points and fire safety signage should be kept up to date, with any changes to fire escape routes clearly communicated to all. Finally, fire doors should be operational at all times and never propped open.

Fire extinguishers at sporting events

During the fire risk assessment, the responsible person will identify risks of fire. This will be dependent on the sports grounds in question, dictating the types of fire extinguishers to be installed, and where. Commonly fitted fire extinguishers include water fire extinguishers (for wood, paper and solid material fires) and CO2 fire extinguishers, which tackle flammable liquid and electrical fires. However, MultiCHEM fire extinguishers are an ideal choice thanks to their versatility. These multi-purpose fire extinguishers are capable of tackling several types of fires because of their ABF rating (combustible materials, flammable liquids, and cooking oils and fats fires). 

Staff should be aware of the nearest fire extinguisher’s location and be trained to use it. Fire extinguishers should also be located in places where they can be easily accessed by staff but not where they may be vulnerable to misuse or vandalism. To comply with the British Standards, fire extinguishers must be adequately protected from such mistreatment, using cabinets, covers and storage options.

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