All Seater Stadium Safety

Football Licensing Authority did not have the information requested.

Dear Football Licensing Authority,

Please could you provide me with the any documents or information you possess for the emergency evacuation procedures of football grounds in the Premier League.

Please note that specific details outlining exact routes are not neccessary but rather general details such as allowing fans in the front sections onto the ptich and the estimated times such procedures would take.

Yours faithfully,

Harry Raffal

Nikki Rutherford, Football Licensing Authority

Dear Sir

Thank you for your freedom of information request asking:

Please could you provide me with the any documents or information you
possess for the emergency evacuation procedures of football grounds in the
Premier League.

Please note that specific details outlining exact routes are not necessary
but rather general details such as allowing fans in the front sections
onto the pitch and the estimated times such procedures would take.

The FLA does not hold any details of the individual emergency evacuation
procedures for each club in the Premier League. However I have set out
below relevant extracts from the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green
Guide) which is produced by the FLA on behalf of the Department for
Culture Media and Sport. Although the Guide has no statutory force many of
recommendations are made statutory at individual grounds by their
inclusion in safety certificates issued by local authorities under the
provisions of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975.

Extracts from the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds:

Section 10.7 Egress time

It is emphasised that there is a difference between egress times and
emergency evacuation times.

The egress time is the total time in which all spectators can, in normal
conditions, leave an area of viewing accommodation and enter into a free
flowing exit system. It does not include the time taken to negotiate the
entire exit route.

(For a definition of emergency evacuation times, see Section 10.9.)

The normal maximum egress time for sports grounds is eight minutes.

If for any reason - for example, there are not enough exits - spectators
cannot exit within eight minutes, a reduction of the final capacity may be
required (see Chapter 2).

The limit of eight minutes has been set as a result of research and
experience, which suggests that within this period spectators are less
likely to become agitated, or experience frustration or stress, provided
they enter an exit system at an acceptable rate, or are familiar with the
sports ground and/or can identify their point of exit.

In certain circumstances it may be appropriate to apply a shorter egress
time than eight minutes; for example, if the design or management of the
viewing accommodation is such that regular observation shows that
spectators become agitated or experience frustration or stress in periods
of under eight minutes.

It should also be recognised that in many circumstances spectators will
willingly take longer than eight minutes to leave; for example, in order
to watch scoreboards, hear additional announcements or simply wait for the
crowds to disperse. This practice must not be considered a factor in the
determination of the egress time.

Section 10.9 Emergency evacuation time

As stated in Section 10.7, there is a difference between egress times and
emergency evacuation times.

The emergency evacuation time is a calculation which, together with the
rate of passage, is used to determine the capacity of the emergency exit
system from the viewing accommodation to a place of safety or reasonable
safety, in the event of an emergency (see Section 15.16).

The maximum emergency evacuation time for sports grounds varies between
two and half minutes and eight minutes.

The time set depends largely on the level of fire risk present. Spectator
accommodation which has a high fire risk should have an emergency exit
capacity based on an emergency evacuation time of not more than two and a
half minutes. A longer emergency evacuation time, of between two and a
half minutes and eight minutes, is acceptable for grounds or parts of
grounds where the fire risk is reduced. For guidance on varying levels of
fire risk, see Sections 15.5-15.7.

However, as stated in Section 15.2, rather than relying solely on a short
emergency evacuation time, the aim should always be to introduce measures
which will minimise the outbreak and spread of fire.

For new construction: while in practice spectators may evacuate onto the
pitch or area of activity in an emergency, this should not form part of
the calculation of the emergency evacuation time for newly constructed
grounds or sections of grounds.

10.10 Design of emergency evacuation routes

Evacuation routes for use in emergencies may need to be provided in
addition to normal exits. In all cases, the following points should be
considered:

a. There should be more than one emergency evacuation route from a
viewing area.

b. The system should be designed in such a way that the loss of one
emergency evacuation route does not prevent access to an alternative.

c. Where a stairway or any other circulation route passes up, down
or through any area used by spectators, unless it is in the open air, it
should be in a fire-resistant enclosure separated from the remainder of
the building by a structure having a fire resistance of not less then 30
minutes (see also Sections 9.3 and 15.11).

d. Emergency evacuation routes should discharge into a place of
safety, preferably in the open air.

e. Where emergency evacuation is possible only by passing through an
enclosed concourse (for example, from the upper tier of a stand),
consideration should be given to the provision of fire separation to
individual routes of escape (see also Section 9.3).

If the capacity of the exit route is considered insufficient for emergency
evacuation purposes the final capacity of the section served may have to
be reduced.

Where appropriate, the design of emergency evacuation routes should also
take into account the needs of spectators with disabilities.

10.11 Management of emergency evacuation routes

Management is responsible for ensuring that emergency evacuation routes
are capable of being safely and effectively used at all times when the
ground is occupied. This requires such routes to be maintained as sterile
areas, free from any blockages, temporary fittings or stored equipment.

In addition, as stated in Sections 3.17 and 3.18, management should
prepare contingency plans. These plans should provide for the evacuation
of all people in the event of an emergency from all areas of the ground to
a place of safety. Such plans will require the designation of exits and
emergency evacuation routes.

CCTV is a useful means of monitoring the exit and emergency evacuation
routes (see Section 16.16).

All such routes should also be clearly signposted (see Section 16.28).

10.13 Use of the pitch or area of activity for emergency evacuation

In certain cases, forward evacuation onto the pitch or area of activity
may form part of the emergency evacuation route, provided that it leads
directly to an exit which itself leads to a place of safety.

The following requirements should also be taken into account:

a. Whether or not the emergency evacuation of spectators onto the
pitch or area of activity forms part of the agreed emergency evacuation
plan, wherever there is a pitch perimeter barrier or free-standing
advertising material in front of spectator accommodation, other than in
exceptional circumstances it must be fitted with a sufficient number of
suitably designed gates or openings (see Section 10.14).

b. Where the playing surface is made of synthetic materials, advice
should be sought from the authority responsible for enforcing fire safety
legislation to establish whether it can be properly considered as an
emergency exit route in the event of a fire. This is because some forms of
artificial turf might constitute a hazard in the event of fire.

c. If the pitch or area of activity is wholly surrounded by covered
accommodation, with no breaks in the roofing (see Section 15.11), it may
not be a suitable route for emergency evacuation in the event of fire. In
such cases advice should be sought from the authority responsible for
enforcing fire safety legislation.

As I have explained above recommendations contained in the Green Guide may
be given statutory force by the inclusion in safety certificates. The
certificates issued to Premier League clubs include a requirement to
maintain contingency plans for dealing with emergencies, in consultation
with the emergency services and the council. The club is also required to
review test, review and update these plans on a regular basis.

I trust that the above extracts provide sufficient information for the
purposes of your enquiry but if you wish to view any further information
contained in the Green Guide this can be accessed via the DCMS website at:
[1]www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/5153.aspx

Further information on this subject is contained in the FLA publication
`Safety Management' where a whole chapter is given to preparing for
incidents which includes contingency planning and emergency evacuation
exercises.

Nikki Rutherford

FLA Secretariat

Football Licensing Authority

Floor 6

Oceanic House

1a Cockspur Street

London SW1Y 5BG

Tel: 0207 930 6693

[2][email address]

References

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1. http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_libr...
2. mailto:[email address]

Dear Nikki Rutherford,

Thank you for your reply. Many of the details you provide are very interesting and meet some of my needs. I will submit a new application requesting more specific information which the FLA will hopefully hold under its mandate of •monitoring local authorities' oversight of spectator safety at international, Premiership and Football League grounds

Yours sincerely,

Harry Raffal