Supporting Sport Northern Ireland

Since 2017 the SGSA has worked with Sport Northern Ireland to support and promote sports grounds safety.

This work has included:

• providing advice, guidance and support to local authorities across the provinces and
• helping all three major sports – football, Gaelic football and rugby union – to understand safe capacity and improve safety procedures in sports grounds.

Our Inspectors conduct regular matchday and non-matchday ground visits to provide advice on safety improvements to benefit the safety of spectators.

In addition, our team has provided bespoke training to safety officers. It covered a number of areas including:

• risk assessment and management,
• calculating safe capacity,
• event day planning and management,
• control room management and
• contingency planning.

The SGSA team has also supported local authorities. We have conducted a health check of the process implemented by each council where safety certificates have been made available. In addition, the team regularly attends Safety Advisory Groups to provide support and advice.

In December 2018, the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department for Communities (DfC) recommended the use of the Green Guide in Northern Ireland by all involved in safety of sports grounds. This is a significant and positive action, confirming the commitment to working with the SGSA.

In addition, we continue to support and the delivery of the regional stadia programmes through our presence on the Safety Technical Group and the provision of advice and guidance related to the development of Casement Park, the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Belfast.