STADIUM RISK ASSESSMENT 1

Stadium Risk Assessment

Full Name

Name of University

April 25, 2015

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In conducting a risk assessment for a sports stadium, a wide variety of

considerations must be taken into account because of the wide range of revenue

streams and events hosted in such a venue. As such, this project conducts a risk

assessment for a stadium on the basis of both sports and concert-related risk as well

as in relation to potential revenue losses from contraband and the risks associated

with a terrorist or other mass casualty event. Concluding, the risk assessment notes

that such a venue must constantly rework its risk assessment protocols, in

cooperation with local public safety officials, to maintain the integrity of physical

plant and human life all the while minimizing liability risks.

SPORTS-RELATED RISKS

Beginning with risks related to sporting events, fan and player safety must be

taken into account. Beginning with fan safety, a thorough risk assessment must

consider the risks associated with the sports to be played, for example foul balls in

baseball and errant pucks in hockey, and thus develop physical plant measures

oriented to minimizing these risks. Alongside this, the risk assessment program

must consider the wide bevy of medical emergencies which might result in everyday

life, when such a large number of individuals are in a concentrated space, and

develop an infirmary so as to complete basic medical care in relation to these

potential ailments and threats to life (Tomlinson et al., 1995).

Moving to player safety, players must be protected both against injuries

resulting from fans as well as from injuries resulting from the sport itself. In this

regard, relevant medical facilities must be put into place so as to ensure that pre-
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hospital treatment can be provided to players on the basis of the injuries which are

likely to occur in the context of a match. Beyond this, and because fans can attempt

to interfere with a match or attack a player, physical barriers must also be put into

place, alongside monitoring systems, to ensure that fans do not enter the surface of

play (Fuller & Drawer, 2005).

Writ-large, it is thus imperative that stadium security and risk professionals

have a thorough understanding of both the athlete and fan-related risks which

relate to the sports being played within it. In this regard, Fuller & Drawer (2005)

note that it is often useful, in the context of the venue sports security plan, to

contract a former coach or player in the relevant sport so as to provide important

insight into the specific types of risk management required by these different

sporting contexts.

CONCERT-RELATED RISKS

Moving forward to risk related to concerts, the presence and abuse of alcohol

and drugs at these events is an important concern. In this regard, it is absolutely

critical that personal security be put into place in a manner whereby all those

entering the stadium for a concert are thoroughly searched for illegal substances.

Beyond this, it is crucial that security maintains constant patrols, throughout the

concert, so as to identify instances of illicit drug use or alcohol abuse, and expel or

provide medical assistance to those are in need. These dual functions are critical

both for the safety of personnel and fans as well as for the mitigation of liability

(Silvers, 2009).
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Additionally, and because of the celebrity status of most of the bands capable

of attracting a stadium-sized audience, it is also crucial that security audits be

performed in relation to the spaces where performers will be moving. In such a

context, it is wise that additional security be brought in so as to provide direct

security to performers, and to prevent any unpermitted fan contact with these

music stars (Silvers, 2009). Writ-large, and from a risk assessment point of view, the

administration of concerts in a stadium-type venue is thus mostly a question of

interdiction as it pertains both to illicit substances, and to the unauthorized

movements of fans.

REVENUE-RELATED RISKS

Moving forward, and as per Wambach (2012), sports and entertainment

providers, like stadiums, depend heavily on food and alcohol sales for revenue.

Indeed, Wambach (2012) notes that up to 70% of these entities’ profits can result

from the sale of food and alcohol. Thus, in both the sports and music contexts, it is

absolutely critical that bag searches be put into place so as to prevent individuals

from smuggling alcohol or food into the venue.

While Wambach (2012) notes that some venues will permit individuals to

bring bottled water into the venue, typically due to local laws, it is also critical that

these bottles be subjected to scrutiny upon fan entry. In this regard, Wambach

(2012) notes that a risk mitigation best practice is to require that such bottles are

factory-sealed, prior to entry, so that individuals cannot illicitly smuggle illegal clear

alcohol into the premises.

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Finally, and in relation to revenue-related risks, Wambach (2012) also notes

that stadiums and arenas have increasingly had to take security outside of the

stadium. As venues receive a portion of the profit associated with the sale of sports

or concert merchandise, they face an imperative to collaborate with local law

enforcement so as to prevent and interdict the selling of contraband merchandise

outside the stadium. Thus, in protecting revenue streams, it is critical that security

measures be implemented outside of the stadium, in cooperation with local law

enforcement, so as to minimize the risk of revenue lost due to copyright

infringement.

TERRORISM

Finally, in terms of conducting a risk assessment for a sports stadium, the

risk of terrorism is an unfortunate but inevitable contemporary reality. Indeed,

terrorists have sought to target stadiums, either through bombings or aircraft-based

attacks, to kill as many individuals as possible. While this poses an immense risk to

physical plant and human life, the firms operating such entertainment venues have

also been found to hold liability with regards to the potential losses in life which

might result from such an attack (Piccarello, 2005).

Thus, a thorough risk assessment of the stadium’s vulnerabilities must be

undertaken, in line with the implementation of proper security measures, so as to

complete due diligence. Moreover, it is imperative that the administrators of such a

large-scale venue emphatically cooperate with law enforcement and local public

safety so as to determine response plans in the event that a terrorism or other mass
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casualty event occurs. Indeed, and for the preservation of physical plant, life as well

as the elimination of liability, taking such low probability but high salience events

into consideration is an absolute must in the context of risk assessment.

Ultimately, the work of Piccarrello (2005) makes it clear that the threat of

terrorism is real. Moreover, it is not always foreseeable because of the constant

adaptation and innovation, in terms of methods of attack, which is undertaken by

terrorist groups. Thus, partnerships with law enforcement, and even intelligence

agencies for high-profile events, are of the utmost importance for the process of

continuously-refined risk assessment in the context of such large crowds and public

events.

CONCLUSION

In the end, the above makes it clear that conducting a risk assessment for a

large-scale venue, like a stadium, is dramatically complicated by virtue of the wide

variety of events, threats and stakeholders associated with such a venue. With this

in mind, it is thus imperative that the security measures associated with such a

facility be the subjects of constant rethinking and reengineering. Moreover, it is

crucial that consistency be applied, in areas such as security patrols and contraband

monitoring, to ensure continuity of security within the facility.

Ultimately, it is impossible to protect such a large-scale and high-profile

facility against every potential threat. This said, however, proactive and forward

thinking risk assessment strategies can be implemented in a manner which

facilitates the identification of potential risks. In adopting such a methodology,

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stadium risk management professionals thus have the best opportunity to avert any

risks before they become actual threats.

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References

Fuller, C., & Drawer, S. (2004). The application of risk management in sport. Sports

Medicine, 34(6), 349-356.

Piccarello, C.M. (2005). Terrorism, Tourism, and Torts: Liability in the Event of a

Terrorist Attack on a Sports or Entertainment Venue. Villanova Sports &

Entertainment Law Journal, 12, 365-408.

Silvers, J.R. (2009). Risk management for meetings and events. Burlington, MA:

Elsevier.

Tomlinson, M., Buttle, F., & Moores, B. (1995). The fan as customer: Customer

service in sports marketing. Journal of Hospitality & Leisure Marketing, 3(1),

19-36.

Wambach, K. (2012). Sport facility and event management. Burlington, MA: Elsevier.