Severe weather and postponement of sporting events

Date:

22 December 2010

There have been various reports and comments in the media alluding to HSE having a role to play in cancelling sporting events during the severe weather we've been experiencing.

This is not the case:

• The Health and Safety Executive's responsibilities do not extend to making decisions on the cancellation or postponement of sporting and stadium events.
• The ground management team is responsible for the staging and management of these as well as any decision to cancel or postpone an event due to severe weather conditions.
• In making this decision, ground management will no doubt take into account local weather conditions and circumstances, and the risks to employees and others e.g., whether can people get to the ground safely, whether or not the pitch is frozen.
• Regulatory responsibility for enforcing the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act at sporting and stadium events generally rests with local authorities.
• The legal framework for regulating safety at sports grounds and stadium is set by the Safety at Sports Grounds Act 1975 and the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987. This legislation is owned by the Department for Communities and Local Government and is enforced by local authorities and, where applicable, the Football Licensing Authority.
• Where the event organiser is distinct from the ground management - e.g., a concert promoter using a football stadium to stage a music event - both the ground management and the event organiser need to co-operate in decisions relating to event safety.