Britain’s SGSA launches new Green Guide

Article by Coliseum, published December 3, 2018

Image: sgsa.org.uk

Britain’s Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) launched the updated Green Guide to safety on November 5, according to their official website. The Green Guide is a manual to help sports ground owners and operators to maintain the safety parameters throughout their venues. According to SGSA, the work on the guide took two years of research and consultation with various organisations from different zones such as cricket, football, rugby, architecture and emergency services.

It is used by architects and designers around the world as a guide for development and refurbishment of stadiums everywhere. This is the sixth edition which provides the latest advice on technical specifications on guaranteeing a safe environment for spectators.

Ken Scott, head of inspectorate at the SGSA, said: “This new edition of the Green Guide reflects the very latest trends and developments in stadium design and safety management, for example the increasing use and sophistication of digital technology, touching on such areas as access control, crowd modeling, CCTV systems and communications. It will be invaluable to everyone involved in managing and designing for safety at sports grounds.”

The guide states that the stadium operators must generate a plan to protect the spectators in case of a terrorist attack inside or outside the stadium says a report by The Times. This rule has been incorporated after the recent incidents at the Manchester Arena and the Stade de France in Paris.

The guide talks about the safe arrival and departure of spectators in areas outside of the ground play, which are referred to as Zone Ex. The document develops ideas on egress under “exceptional” circumstances when normal departure is not possible due to external incidents. The guide also discusses the advances in technology and innovative designs at sports grounds.

The first edition of the Green Guide was published in 1973, while the last edition to come out before the sixth was in 2008.

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