Guide to Safety Certification

This guidance aims to assist a local authority to identify, apply and enforce the terms and conditions that are prescribed in the safety certificate. 

It contains a range of useful templates and forms which can be used by local authorities to carry out their certification responsibilities.

Under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975, the local authority is required to issue a safety certificate to a designated sports ground which will include:

• the safe capacity of the ground; and
• such terms and conditions as the local authority considers necessary or expedient to secure the reasonable safety at the ground.

Whilst the guide directly relates to grounds where designated football matches are played, it will be of value to all local authorities that issue safety certificates to sports grounds under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 or the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987.

The Guide contains the following sections:

• General principles of safety certification
• Application process
• Certificate contents
• Administrative processes
• Monitoring
• Safety Advisory Groups
• Enforcement