Pre-season offers football clubs chance to put health and safety first

As football teams around the country prepare for another season of highs and lows, clubs are being urged to take time to ensure their grounds are equipped for action both on and off the field.
At Ferno we have worked with numerous clubs in the past including Celtic, Manchester United, Huddersfield Town, Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers and England’s National stadium Wembley Arena, to supply stretchers and spinal boards for injured players and evacuation chairs for fans who become ill during a match or who suffer with mobility problems and may need assistance should a stadium need to be evacuated in an emergency.
Our evacuation equipment including transport chairs which can be manufactured to suit any stairwell are currently in use at a number of stadia. Our EZ Glide® Evacuation Stair Chair which can carry patients weighing up to 227kg down stairs without carrying or lifting and the Compact 4 Track which glides down stairs with ease. All chairs can be folded and wall mounted for easy storage and quickly deployed in an emergency.
We also make and supply basic trauma equipment for anyone who is injured and can’t be taken by chair ranging from carry sheets and stretchers to emergency foil blankets.
Our MD Jon Ellis says: “We offer a wide choice of equipment which is ideal for use at football stadiums and other sporting arenas. Our kit is often seen by thousands on the field when a player is injured and needs to be carried off but we also have a range of tools and equipment to assist the fans should they need it.
“We also offer a training service to ensure that anyone using our products will have the right skills to use them safely and efficiently. Training is also available to any organisation, which under law is obliged to have a range of rescue and evacuation products on their premises.”
Following changes in legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 and the Fire Safety Regulatory Reform Order 2005, venues which are open to the public, no matter how big or small, are legally obliged to ensure that all members of the public, particularly those with disabilities or mobility issues, have equal access to facilities and can safely escape in the event of incident.
Ferno’s audit service can help ensure stadiums meet all statutory safety standards and devise an evacuation plan in the case of an emergency.
Jon adds: “Our Evacuation Audit is suitable for all public buildings and venues where members of the public congregate. This can be anything from museums and art galleries to massive sports stadiums and concert venues. It is also suitable for workplaces of all sizes, whether they employ four people or 400.
“In truth any building whether it is a major arena or bank offices will benefit from an evacuation audit. Even those who think they have all the correct procedures in place may be surprised by what else they can do to aid a safe and speedy evacuation should an emergency situation arise.”