Safety at the stadium – Avoid risks and enjoy the game

Watching a football game on TV at home or at a local sports bar can be fun but it doesn’t come anywhere close to the excitement of attending a football match at the stadium. Even if you’re not a die-hard football fan or you don’t have a favourite team to root for, you’ll still find the experience highly entertaining. The electrifying atmosphere in the stands, the buzz of the crowd as they’re cheering, chanting and clapping, and the thrill of seeing the players on the field with your own eyes are some of the things that draw fans to sporting events and make live matches so incredibly appealing. 

If there were no benefits to watching a football game live, no one would bother going to the stadium and buying tickets that can sometimes be quite expensive. We’d all just sit at home and watch games via live streaming. But as it happens, there’s a special magic that takes place at the stadium. 

Unfortunately, this doesn’t rule out potential risks and hazards. There are various things that can go wrong and ruin your game day experience if you’re not careful. When you’re immersed in the electrifying atmosphere of the game, it can be difficult to pay attention to anything else and notice potential dangers, so here’s a safety checklist that you might want to keep in mind when you arrive at the stadium. 

Slips, trips and falls

Uneven surfaces, wet floors and walkways from spilled beverages/food or rain, and the hustle and bustle of fans that go in and out of the stadium turn it into an area that is prone to slip, trip and fall accidents. One moment of carelessness, as you’re walking down the stairs to the stands, can lead to a dangerous fall. Injuries sustained in these types of accidents range from minor cuts and lacerations to sprains and strains or more severe issues like fractures, spinal cord injuries, head trauma or even permanent disability. 

If you have suffered a serious injury due to a slip or trip accident at the stadium, you could take legal action against the stadium operators and receive compensation for the harm caused to you. However, in order to hold the stadium liable, you need to prove that they were at fault for the incident, and that can result in a lengthy legal process that might require professional assistance. 

It’s obviously preferable to avoid these scenarios in the first place by being extra careful when walking around the stadium. Try to avoid crowded areas as much as possible, watch out for uneven surfaces or spills and politely ask staff members to clean the spills, and wear slip-resistant shoes if it rains. Don’t rush to get to your seat, especially when going up or down the stairs, and always pay attention to your surroundings. 

Unsafe premises 

If you haven’t noticed, stadiums are quite big and complex structures housing multiple levels, large seating areas, and numerous amenities like restrooms and bars. Therefore, it takes a considerable amount of work and resources to keep stadiums in proper working condition. Unfortunately, sometimes operators can fall short when it comes to routine stadium maintenance which is essential to keep all sorts of risks and hazards at bay and improve the safety of the premises. 

Improperly working seats, malfunctioning lifts, broken or unstable railings, shattered or falling glass or exposed electrical circuits are just some of the issues that might arise due to negligent or inadequate maintenance and pose a serious threat to sports fans. Since you can’t always rely on stadium operators to do their job diligently and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for both players and attendees, you need to keep an eye out for these potential hazards so you can avoid them in time.