This interview is used for an article in Pan Stadia & Arena Magazine:
Stadium management’s responsibility in regards to Safety and Security
Frank Wijnveld, Director and co-owner of CrowdProfessionals highlights that safety and security is a key obligation of the event/venue’s management. He says: ”Integrated safety planning and control of the stadium is a must. Venue management must bear the responsibility and three conditions must be accepted:
1 stadium management is the primary body responsible for safety;
2 Police and emergency services must be made aware of all risks, current developments, and the physical situation in the stadium;
3 the principles of how the venue (or parts of it) can be evacuated efficiently must be known and repeatedly trained by all parties involved.
“ A robust and up-to-date safety and security plan – as part of an overall safety and security policy – is a necessity. Safety standards can never be neglected”.
In regards to UEFA and their responsibilities, Wijnveld advises: “From a formal perspective, UEFA’s stadium infrastructure standards and UEFA’s safety and security regulations set out all requirements for both the physical venue (the ‘P-factor’) and it’s safety management (the ‘S-factor’). The regulations provide mandatory standards, with the most important topic in terms of this context being the maximum safe capacity.
“On top of this, The European Standard EN 13200 cove the physical spectator facilities and defines standards for venue safety management, UEFA Security Officers attend high-risk matches and report on the practical interpretation of the stadium structure and organisation. The enforcement of the rules at a national level is guaranteed by the FA’s licensing system. All of this is important to create consistency in safety and security in stadiums and arenas around Europe”.