The safe return of spectators to elite sport - a health & safety perspective

The Department for Culture Media & Sport (DCMS),  announced a series of pilots to trial the safe return of spectators to stadiums with the aim to prepare for the full “socially distanced” return of sporting events from 1 October 2020 in England in its guidance “Elite sport – return to competition: safe return of spectators”[1] (the spectator safety guidance). Initially, these pilots were to trial spectators at the World Snooker Championship, Glorious Goodwood and two County Championship Cricket matches. However, just as the World Snooker Championship got underway on 31 July 2020 with some spectators, the Government announced a minimum two-week delay to the return of spectators to the pilot events.  It seems unlikely that spectators will return as envisaged on 1 October 2020.

This article considers:

• How the safe return of spectators will be managed;
• What the implications are for sporting venues under Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Health and safety at Work etc Act 1974;[2][3] and,
• How the rules may be enforced.