The latest guidelines produced by the government-funded Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds oblige operators of sports stadiums to put measures in place to protect supporters from potential terrorist attacks. The document comes in the wake of the incidents at the Stade de France and Manchester Arena and stipulates that contractors will be required to install a range of measures, including those built to prevent attacks by cars or vans, known as hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM).
Products specified to Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 68/IWA 14.1 – the widely recognised specification for testing barriers and bollards to assist in terrorism prevention – will be key to meeting these new requirements. Products built to these standards are capable of stopping a 7.5 tonne articulated lorry travelling at 50mph and provide the solution specifiers will need.
However, implementing this type of security shouldn’t be seen as a tick box exercise. By building them into their new stadium plans from the outset, contractors can specify and purchase measures that will integrate seamlessly with both the ground and landscape outside. While providing the adequate protection, it will also ensure fans will feel safe but not scared by the measures in place.
For this reason, this approach should also be considered for existing grounds where security measures will need to be fitted retrospectively. The rationale is that much of the anti-terror protection already erected in city and town squares across the UK, such as in Windsor, Edinburgh and Worcester, provide a visible example of the threat posed and can serve to increase the risk the public feel. This is an issue that has been consistently raised in the media.
Marshalls’ Landscape Protection street furniture products provide the solution to tackle this challenge, delivering the adequate protection while integrating seamlessly with the environment. Our range of planters, seating, litter bins, lighting columns, cycle stands and bollards act as a far subtler final line of protection than steel barricades and concrete blocks, and are built using PAS68/IWA 14.1 certified cores.
The latest guidelines shouldn’t be seen as a hindrance to contractors. By building them into their plans from the outset, those in charge of security can protect fans and ensure sports stadiums aren’t turned into fortresses.
You can learn more about Marshalls Landscape Protection products here.