In 2017, 17 people lost their lives as a result of a stampede at a stadium in Angola. Sadly, across the continent of Africa fatal incidents such as this are not unique events.
The Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) was approached because it is regarded as being the expert in safety at sports grounds, having built a wealth of knowledge and experience since the fatal human crush which took place during an association football match at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, England, on 15 April 1989.
In May 2019, the SGSA conducted 2 separate 2-day workshops in South Africa. The sessions, delivered alongside Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), followed stadium inspections carried out in the early part of 2019. It was part of a commission from FIFA to run a pilot programme aimed at strengthening sports grounds safety and security management practices in 14 southern African countries. This saw SGSA inspectors visiting national stadia in countries across the continent, including Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa and Madagascar. The workshop allowed in-depth discussion on some of the key safety and security findings of these visits.
The inspections focused upon determining the safe capacities of the stadia and providing recommendations for improvements in safety and security, taking into account the physical condition of the stadium and the efficacy of safety management arrangements.
Issues common among most stadia included a lack of planning around the safe ingress of people. Differing access to transport means that arrival patterns for spectators can vary from arrival many hours before an event to, in some countries, arrival shortly before the start of the event which can lead to serious issues in managing the flow of people.
Safety solutions
The inspectors recommended that properly constructed queueing lanes outside of the stadium wall would allow for the safe gathering of the potentially large number of early-arriving spectators. These lanes would help safely manage the smooth and swift processing of tickets and any bag searching that is needed to be sufficiently robust to withstand crowd pressures. The rush at gates opening is compounded by the common practice of selling unreserved tickets which introduces a risk of safety failure as spectators rush to gain the best or most popular vantage points. Another recommendation was that reserved spacing with specific blocks, rows and seats should be created.
The team also identified structural problems at stadia, such as load-bearing strength of concrete seating decks and the lack of handrails. Underpinning all of the work in Africa were clear and concise references back to the recommendations as set out in the SGSA’s Guide to safety at sports grounds, commonly referred to as the Green Guide.
“The inspectors recommended that properly constructed queueing lanes outside of the stadium wall would allow for the safe gathering of the potentially large number of early-arriving spectators”
Dedicated person
Among the safety management recommendations was a key requirement to have a dedicated person to take full control and command on a match day. This person could also ensure continuity and consistency in the management of other major events held at the venue, such as athletics or large public gatherings, with reference made to the recommendations as set out in the SGSA publication Safety management.
The initiative is an important first step towards enhancing the safety standards at stadia throughout Africa. The SGSA’s purpose is to enable spectators to watch live sport in safety. The assessment and training we have carried out with FIFA will help to build capacity and empower the African nations to improve safety standards of their stadia.
We continue to build on this partnership. In October 2019, I was part of the first CAF Safety and Security Workshop in Cairo, Egypt which brought together security officers from 54 member associations. This was a significant step forward for the continent in its commitment to improving safety and security.
Ken Scott is head of inspectorate at SGSA
Contact Ken: Email
Related competencies: Health and safety, Risk management