NAME OF VENUE
(insert name)

CONTINGENCY PLAN

Venue (insert name) is located at (insert address)

It is used for soccer/ gaelic sports/ rugby (delete as appropriate)

It has a safe capacity of .......

Date.....

Definition of a Contingency

An approach seeking to anticipate events likely to have a negative impact on safety arrangements at the Sports Ground, that are not expected to occur but are possible. Should those events  occur, a plan of action to respond effectively should be devised.

Should the arrangements to address these events prove ineffective an emergency situation could develop.

Definition of an Emergency

An emergency is defined as an event or series of events that  will have a negative impact on the welfare of spectators and other persons in or around the Sports Ground, or to the environment, that cannot be managed using the normal procedures adopted at the Sports Ground, and requires assistance from any of the emergency services and other organisations.

Arrangements at (insert name of Sports Ground)

Management at (insert the name of the Sports Ground) have undertaken a number of measures to ensure the safe and effective management of the venue during normal operational activities. The following arrangements have also been developed to assist in addressing issues relating to contingency arrangements or an emergency situation.

Command	Arrangements	at	the	Venue	during	Specified Activities

The Safety Officer will have control of operational matters, including safety related arrangements at specified activities.

The Safety Officer will keep control of the Sports Ground and will manage unexpected events and implement contingency arrangements. These could include a small fire, minor disorder and structural collapse that has limited impact on safety at the sports ground.

In the event of an incident that cannot be addressed using  normal and / or contingency procedures adopted at the Sports Ground, having assessed the circumstances using a Dynamic Ongoing Risk Assessment (DORA), the Safety Officer will declare that an

emergency situation has developed and will pass control to a PSNI Officer (if present). He will advise that he and the resources at his disposal will be available to assist in addressing the issues.

In the event of PSNI Officers not being present at the onset of the emergency situation he will make arrangements to  contact  the  PSNI. In the interim period he will remain  in control and endeavour to manage the situation until the arrival of the PSNI.

Identifying Potential Causes and Actions to be Taken

A number of potential causative factors have been identified along with the actions to be taken to reduce their impact. Should an incident be of a magnitude that cannot be addressed by the management arrangements available the procedures for passing control to the emergency services is detailed (see Appendix 2).

Use of the Control Room

The Control Room is located at (insert location). It is used as a base for managing the venue under normal operating circumstances but can also be used as a command point for implementing contingency arrangements and n an emergency situation it will become the emergency control point. The following  facilities  are  provided: (insert facilities available eg CCTV, access to the PA system, radio base station, telephones and megaphones).

Communication Systems at the Sports Ground

The following communication systems are provided at the Control Room (insert as appropriate, but these may include:-

PA system - this will be checked periodically and can be heard from all parts of the ground - access to the PA is by [insert method of communication between Safety Officer and PA announcer or state if a there is a 'break in' facility]
Shortwave radios - there are x shortwave radios. They are issued to stewarding supervisors and other key personnel prior to each specified activity - the following channels are utilised [insert channels and use]
Megaphones [state number] - are be kept in the Control Room for use in the event of the PA system failing.
Telephone - [state telephone arrangements for contacting organisations not generally present at the venue] ).

Plans of the Sports Ground and Related Documents

Plans of the Sports Ground (see Appendix 3) are kept in the Control Room at (insert location eg notice board). The plans show all entrances and exits, the capacity of each entry  /  exit  points,  the safe capacities for each area of the venue, the locations of fire extinguishers, the locations of first aid points, and the  street  layout for the surrounding area.

Radio Holders at a Specified Activity

The Safety Officer will keep a record sheet stating the names (and where appropriate the mobile telephone numbers) of radio holders/ key personnel (Appendix 5). This will be located in  the  Control Room (insert location eg drawer in desk) at each specified activity.

Contact Details of External Agencies

A list of phone numbers of appropriate external agencies (see Appendix 4) is kept in the Control Room (insert location eg notice board). The list will be reviewed on a regular basis.

Procedures to Alert Key Personnel of the need to Implement Contingency Arrangements and / or of a Potential Emergency / Emergency Situation

The following modes of operation is used at  the  venue  (insert modes used eg
Green = venue operating under normal circumstances,
Amber = a situation has developed or is developing and operatives move to a mode of alert and wait further instructions, and
Red = the Safety Officer will issue  specific  instructions  to address the emergency situation).

In addition, in the event of radios not functioning, a series of coded messages may be issued via the PA System  to  alert key personnel of a situation developing (insert list of coded messages eg would Mr Green report to the secretary's office may indicate that there  has been a gas leak ).

Alternatively the referee will be asked to advise the Safety Officer if he intends to suspend or cancel play. The referee will be asked to

alert	the	fourth	official	who	should	advise	the	Stewarding Supervisor to convey the information to the Safety Officer.

Procedures to be adopted to advise Match Officials that an Incident has Occurred and Contingency Plans are being adopted or an Emergency Situation has developed and that  play  should be suspended/ halted

The referee and his assistants will be briefed by the Safety Officer prior to a fixture that in the event of an emergency situation developing that a Stewarding Supervisor will approach the technical area and advise the fourth official of the situation. The fourth official should attract the attention of the referee and advise him  accordingly. The referee should then instruct the other officials and players to leave the field of play and go to the changing rooms, or follow the directions of the Safety Officer/ Senior Police Officer as conveyed to the Stewarding Supervisor by short wave radio.

The referee will be asked to advise stewards etc of procedures he intends to adopt should he have to suspend/ abandon play.

Actions to be taken in the Event of an Incident

There should be suitable arrangements in place to ensure that the Safety Officer is advised of any incident that may impact on the safety of spectators.

In the event of an incident the Safety Officer should be advised immediately.

The Safety Officer should consider if the management of the Sports Ground can sufficiently address the incident with the resources that are available (there may be expertise at the venue or readily available and this opinion should be sought).

Factors which the Safety Officer must consider:-

Are spectators at risk
The magnitude  of the risk
The imminence  of the risk
The potential of the incident to spread or escalate
Can the risk be managed using resources available

Has the incident occurred inside or outside the ground ie. actions to address the risk may be outside the control of the venue operators

The factors that will influence the decision of the Safety Officer:-

Has any safety equipment been rendered inoperative e.g. turnstile counters, CCTV, PA System
What backup arrangements are available e.g. generators, manual turnstile counters, loud halers
Is the match being played in daylight hours or in the evening
What point in time of the fixture has the incident has occurred ie before the fixture has started or with short time of play remaining
How many spectators are in the ground/ what percentage of Sports Ground capacity
Where the incident has occurred within the ground or which part of ground has been affected

The following situations should be considered as part of a contingency plan:-

Fire
Bomb threat, suspect package
Buildings and services
Safety equipment failure
Crowd control
Emergency evacuation

Arrangements for addressing the situations listed above are contained in Appendix 1.

Should the Safety Officer consider that the incident can be managed using resources  within the Sports Ground,  he will remain in control of the venue and deal with the incident accordingly.

The Safety Officer should carry out an investigation and where appropriate amend the operating procedures/ operational plan.

If the Safety Officer considers that the incident cannot be managed using the resources available at the sports ground, he should follow the arrangements outlined in the following section of this document.

4.0 Actions to be taken in the Event of an  Emergency Situation when the Sports Ground is not occupied by Spectators and is Due to be in the Near Future

In the event of an incident eg a  major  fire at the Sports  Ground  or  in the area immediately beside the Sports Ground when spectators are not inside or approaching the Sports Ground, the  person  who  will make arrangements to ensure the integrity  of  the  Sports Ground so that it does not present a risk to others in the area is the Safety Officer (insert name). He should be contacted by a  club official as soon as they are aware of the incident. The Safety Officer should contact the emergency services and others as appropriate regarding any works to be undertaken.

The decision to cancel or postpone a fixture when spectators are not present or approaching the venue will be taken by (insert name -  likely to be the club chairman). He should take advice from other agencies as appropriate.

The person who will contact the media, the  visiting  club and others as appropriate to advise that the fixture has been cancelled / postponed is (insert name - likely to be the club secretary).

5.0 Actions to be taken in an Emergency Situation when spectators are inside the Sports Ground, or are approaching the Sports Ground and the PSNI are present

The person in control of the Sports Ground during a  specified  activity is the Safety Officer.

The contingency Plan will enable management to respond to incidents which can be dealt with by management's own resources, such as safety officers and stewards without having to call on additional help.

The contingency plan will enable management to deal with the early stage of incidents which require a greater response than they can provide from their own resources and to work effectively with the emergency services when they arrive.

In the event of an emergency situation developing he will pass control to a Senior Police Officer.
The Safety Officer will advise the Police Officer that he and his staff will act in support of the PSNI as directed.

Actions to be taken in an Emergency Situation when Spectators are inside the Venue, or are approaching the Venue and the PSNI are not present

The person in control of the Sports Ground during a  specified  activity is the Safety Officer. In  the  event  of  an  emergency situation developing he will retain control until the arrival of  the  PSNI. He will therefore undertake the following actions:-

He will contact, or arrange for  another  individual  to  contact the PSNI and, other emergency services, and/ or other agencies as appropriate. They should be advised of the incident, the proposed actions that he proposes  to  take.  He will agree on the approach route to the Sports Ground that should be taken by persons responding to the incident and a rendezvous point where they would meet a supervisor who could provide a more detailed account of the incident and resultant actions.

He will instruct  a  supervisor  to  meet  the  emergency  services at a rendezvous point as arranged.

He will appoint a log keeper to keep a record of all communications/ actions/ decisions (see Appendix 13).

He will advise radio holders to adopt the amber mode and advise other staff as appropriate  (or  use alternative  systems as detailed above). In the event of the radios not working he will use the coded message system as detailed  in  Appendix 12.

He will communicate information to all appropriate operatives inside the Sports Ground as to the actions they should follow.

He will make arrangements for the match officials to be contacted using the agreed procedures.

He will advise spectators that the Sports Ground/ part of the Sports Ground will be evacuated using the PA system (or via Supervisors using megaphones where the PA system is not working).

He will endeavour to manage the situation until the arrival of  the PSNI.

He will hand control of the Sports Ground to a PSNI officer on their arrival.

He will act in support of the PSNI as directed.

7.0 Communication Arrangements

The Venue Operator will ensure that a suitable  telephone  is provided in the Control  Room. The Safety Officer  will ensure that it is available at all specified activities.

The Venue Operator will ensure that a suitable PA system is audible in all areas of the sports ground is provided. The Safety Officer will inspect this on a regular basis and advise the venue operator accordingly.

The Venue Operator will ensure that a suitable number of shortwave radios that function in all areas of  the  sports  ground  are available for use at specified activities. The Safety Officer will test this equipment on a regular basis and advise the venue operator accordingly.

The Venue Operator will ensure that a suitable number of megaphones are provided for potential use at  specified  activities. The Safety Officer will inspect test the loud halers on a regular basis and advise the venue operator accordingly.

The venue operator will provide a suitable  method  of communication between the Control Room and the PA announcer. The Safety Officer will check the means of communication on a regular basis and advise the venue operator accordingly.

8.0 Training of Personnel

The Safety Officer has received the following training (insert any training courses attended including Safety Officer course).

The Steward Supervisors have received the following training (insert training courses attended, including the stewards course  and any site specific briefings).

The stewards have received the following training (insert training courses attended, including the stewards course and any  site  specific briefings).

Other personnel have received the following training (insert training courses attended, including any site specific briefings).

Testing the Contingency Plan

The Contingency Plan will be tested using a table top scenario periodically. Details of the testing exercises are contained  in Appendix 8.

Appendix la

Fire

In the event of a fire the Safety Officer should be advised immediately.

The Safety Officer should consider if the management of the Sports Ground can sufficiently address the incident with the resources that are available (there may be expertise at the venue or readily available and this opinion should be sought).

Factors which the Safety Officer must consider:-

The location of the fire (inside or outside the venue)
The size/ nature of the fire (structure, LPG, litter etc)
Are spectators at risk (can the spectators be moved to another viewing deck)
Is there a likelihood that the fire will spread and increase in magnitude
Are there sufficient trained staff with fire fighting equipment to address the fire

Should the Safety Officer consider that the fire can be managed using resources within the Sports Ground, he will remain in control of the venue and deal with the incident accordingly.

If the Safety Officer considers that the fire cannot be managed using the resources available at the sports ground, he will contact the NIFRS and the PSNI immediately.

See section x.

Appendix lb Bomb Threat, Suspect Package

In the event of someone at the Sports Ground being notified of a bomb threat/ suspect package the Safety Officer should be advised immediately.

The Safety Officer should consider if the management of the Sports Ground can sufficiently address the incident with the resources that are available (there may be expertise at the venue or readily available and this opinion should be sought).

Factors which the Safety Officer must consider:-

Has the Safety Officer been advised by the PSNI of any specific threat
How did the venue operator/ Safety Officer become aware of the threat /suspect package
Was a code word used
Where is the suspect package / bomb threat, it is inside / outside the ground, which part of the ground
Was the ground searched prior to notification of the suspect package/ bomb threat
Were spectators monitored on entry Contact PSNI and seek advice
Actions to be taken:-

Supervisors should be advised by radio to go to amber alert
Safety Officer should inform Supervisors to instruct stewards to search the area where suspect package/ bomb threat is suspected to be
If a suspicious package is found stewards should ask spectators in the area if anyone owns it
The stewards should report to the supervisor if a package is or isn't found who should report back the information to the Safety Officer
The Safety Officer should notify the PSNI if no package has been found or of a package is found for which no owner has been identified
The Safety Officer should now follow advice/ direction from the PSNI, such as moving spectators away from the area to another viewing deck or evacuating the Sports Ground.

Appendix le Buildings and Services

Examples of incidents that could occur that affect buildings and services include damage to structures or the failure of structures, power cuts or failures, gas leaks and chemical incidents.

In the event of an incident the Safety Officer should be advised immediately.

The Safety Officer should consider if the management of the Sports Ground can sufficiently address the incident with the resources that are available (there may be expertise at the venue or readily available and this opinion should be sought).

Factors which the Safety Officer must consider:-

The location of the structure failure/ power cut/ gas leak
The magnitude of the risk associated with the incident
Are spectators at risk and can they be moved to another area of the Sports Ground
The potential of the incident to spread or escalate
Can the risk be managed using resources available

The factors that will influence the decision of the Safety Officer:-

Has any safety equipment been rendered inoperative e.g. turnstile counters, CCTV, PA System
What backup arrangements are available e.g. generators, manual turnstile counters, loud halers
Is the match being played in daylight hours or in the evening
What point in time of the fixture has the incident has occurred ie before the fixture has started or with short time of play remaining
How many spectators are in the ground/ what percentage of Sports Ground capacity
Where the incident has occurred within the ground or which part of ground has been affected

Should the Safety Officer consider that the structure failure/ power cut/ gas leak can be managed using resources within the Sports Ground, he will remain in control of the venue and deal with the incident accordingly.

If the Safety Officer considers that the structure failure/ power cut
/ gas leak cannot be managed using the resources available at the sports ground, he should contact the relevant persons and hand control of the venue to the PSNI.

Appendix ld Safety Equipment Failure

Examples of safety equipment that could fail include turnstile counting mechanism, closed circuit television, public address system, electronic information boards, stewards' radio systems and internal telephone systems.

In the event of safety equipment failure the Safety Officer should be advised immediately.

The Safety Officer should consider  if  there are alternative equipment/ systems that can be utilised to mitigate against  the effects of the lost equipment, the period  of time the equipment  will be out of use, and the impact on the reasonable safety of spectators attending the fixture.

Factors which the Safety Officer must consider:-
The nature and location of the failed safety equipment
The impact on the safety of spectators
Is it appropriate to move spectators to another viewing deck where the equipment may still be working
Is the match being played in daylight hours or in the evening
What point in time of the fixture has the incident has occurred ie before the fixture has started or with short time of play remaining

Should the Safety Officer consider that the safety equipment failure can be managed using resources within the Sports Ground, he will remain in control  of the venue and deal with the incident accordingly.

If the Safety Officer considers that the safety equipment failure cannot be managed using the resources available at the sports ground, he should follow the procedure in section xxxx.

Appendix le Crowd Control

Examples of crowd control incidents that could occur include surging or crushing, pitch incursion, late arrivals or delayed start, lock-outs, disorder, large-scale ticket forgery.

In the event of such an incident occurring or considered likely to occur the Safety Officer should be advised immediately.

The Safety Officer should consider if the management of the Sports Ground can sufficiently address the incident with the resources that are available (there may be expertise at the venue or readily available and this opinion should be sought).

Factors which the Safety Officer must consider:-

The nature of the incident (potential incidents) and the location(s) at the venue that may be involved
The impact/ potential impact on the safety of spectators and others
Is it appropriate to move spectators to another viewing deck away from the incident/ potential incident
What point in time of the fixture has the incident has occurred ie before the fixture has started or with short time of play remaining

The factors that will influence the decision of the Safety Officer:-

Has any safety equipment been rendered inoperative e.g. turnstile counters, CCTV, PA System
What backup arrangements are available e.g. generators, manual turnstile counters, loud halers
Is the match being played in daylight hours or in the evening
What point in time of the fixture has the incident has occurred ie before the fixture has started or with short time of play remaining
How many spectators are in the ground/ what percentage of Sports Ground capacity
Where the incident has occurred within the ground or which part of ground has been affected

Should the Safety Officer consider  that the surging  or crushing, pitch incursion, late arrivals or delayed start, lock-outs, disorder, or large-scale ticket forgery incident can be managed using resources

within the Sports Ground, he will remain in control of the venue and deal with the incident accordingly.

If the Safety Officer considers that the surging or crushing, pitch incursion, late arrivals or delayed start, lock-outs, disorder, large­ scale ticket forgery incident cannot be managed using the resources available at the sports ground, he should follow the arrangements outlined in the following section of this document.

Appendix if Emergency Evacuation

Examples of incident that could result in an emergency evacuation include a ticket strategy in the event of an abandoned fixture.

In the event of an incident the Safety Officer should be advised immediately.

The Safety Officer should consider if the management of the Sports Ground can sufficiently address the incident with the resources that are available (there may be expertise at the venue or readily available and this opinion should be sought).

Factors which the Safety Officer must consider:-

How to evacuate the spectators from part of the Sports Ground / all of the Sports Ground
Whether to move spectators to another part of the Sports Ground eg onto the field of play or to evacuate the whole ground
How to inform spectators of the situation, where they should go and ticketing arrangements
PA announcer and stewards used to inform spectators of the situation
Can the venue management deal with the emergency evacuation themselves or do they need to pass control of the Sports Ground to the PSNI

Should the Safety Officer consider that the emergency evacuation can be managed using resources within the Sports Ground, he will remain in control of the venue and deal with the incident accordingly.

If the Safety Officer considers that the emergency evacuation cannot be managed using the resources available at the Sports Ground, he should hand over control of the venue to the PSNI.

Appendix 2

Controls to Minimise the likelihood of an Incident Occurring and to reduce the potential impact on Spectator Safety

Emergency situations are low probability, low impact events and therefore the normal risk assessment methodology is  not appropriate. However, the following causative factors have been identified and the control measures listed.

Gas Leakage

The stadium has a phoenix gas supply. The supply  line runs from x  to y (state route of pipeline) and services the following  appliances (list appliances served).

X number of propane cylinders and y  number  of butane  cylinders are used on site (state location(s) and appliances served -  include hot food vans).

The following control measures have been adopted:-

A CORGI / Gas Safe Register certificate has been obtained for each appliance / system. Copies of these are obtained by the Safety Officer. Stewards are trained in evacuation procedures and the Safety Officer is trained in Contingency Planning, including evacuation arrangements.

There are suitable arrangements in place for contacting the Phoenix Gas and the appropriate bottled gas company.

Outbreak of Fire

The stadium is primarily constructed of concrete and steel and thus prevents a low fire risk. However the following parts of a sports ground could be considered as having a higher fire risk:- hot food stalls, the secretary's office, the oil tank and the gas intake.

The following control measures have been adopted:-

A Fire Risk Assessment has been undertaken,  a  detection  alarm system is operable in the following parts  of  the  ground  and  is tested on a regular basis.

Fire extinguishers are located at the following points (insert list of locations).

Exits / emergency exits are provided to all areas of the ground that will enable the sports ground /  parts of the  ground to  be evacuated in the appropriate time period.

Personnel have been trained in fire prevention and first aid fire fighting arrangements. There are  suitable  arrangements  in  place for contacting the NIFRS.

There is a Safety Officer in place and suitable procedures have been devised for addressing an emergency situation.

Structural Failure

There area number of significant structures within the  Sports Ground, these include (insert list of significant structures).

The following control measures have been adopted:-

All significant structures are examined  annually  (or  more frequently if advised) by a Chartered Structural Engineer. A certificate confirming the integrity of the structures is provided.

The Safety Officer periodically monitors the condition of the  structure, particularly at times of inclement weather, will advise the structural engineer of any concerns, and will contact the venue operator to arrange for any remedial works to be undertaken.

Stewards are trained in evacuation procedures and the  Safety Officer is trained in Contingency Planning, including evacuation arrangements.

Disorder at the Sports Ground

A number of contentious fixtures are played at the venue each season where there is an enhanced likelihood of disorder to arise.

The following control measures have been adopted:-

Specified activities are classified periodically having considered the recommendations of the Safety Advisory Group and additional resources are utilised in accordance with the Terms  and Conditions in the Safety Certificate.

Contact arrangements with the PSNI have been established.

Stewards are trained in crowd management arrangements and in conflict resolution and the Safety Officer is trained in Contingency Planning, including evacuation arrangements.

Break in Electricity Supply

A break in the electricity supply will have an affect on the floodlight system (for specified activities conducted during non daylight hours, insert as appropriate but may include: the PA system, the turnstile counting system, fire detection/ alarm systems).

The following control measures have been adopted:-

The Safety Officer will undertake a Dynamic Ongoing Risk Assessment and having consulted with the match officials, emergency services, Northern Ireland Electricity and others, will decide if the fixture can continue and ensure the arrangements for admitting spectators as appropriate and / or evacuating the  venue are implemented.

Megaphones are kept in the Control Room.

Stewards are trained in evacuation procedures and the  Safety Officer is trained in Contingency Planning, including evacuation arrangements.

Appendix 3

Plan of the venue showing all entrance and exit points, capacities of each entry / exit point, control room, first aid points, locations of fire extinguishers etc.

Appendix 3a

Streets around Sports Ground

Appendix 4

CONTACTS AT RELEVANT AGENICES / ORGANISATIONS

PSNI NIFRS NIAS
Voluntary First Aid

Emergency Planning Officer from District Council Phoenix Gas
Calor Gas NIE
Road Service Water Service Media TV/ Radio etc

Appendix 5

Contact details of Key Personnel

Name	Radio Yes/ no	Role	Location	Mobile phone number	

					

					

Appendix 6 Coded Messages

Gas - Would Mr Green report to the Secretary's office. Fire - Would Mr Black report to the Secretary's office.
Structural  Collapse  -	Would Mr Brown report to the Secretary's office.

Disorder - Would Mr White report to the Secretary's office.

Appendix 7

INCIDENT LOG

Fixture

Date

Na me of Safety Officer

Name of Log Keeper

Description of the incident that led to the contingency plan being implemented

TIME	COMMUNICATION/ ACTION/ DECISION	OUTCOME	OTHER COMMENTS	

				

				

				

Appendix 8

Records of Testing the Contingency Plan

Date	Person Facilitating	Form of exercise	Persons/ Organisations
Present	Outcome