Risk management of sports events

Risk management of sports events

As Crouchy et al (2006) suggest in the introduction to their study on risk management the only predictability about the future is its unpredictability. Uncertainty about might happen affects every organisation and event and therefore produces the possibility of risk. There is no type of event where risk management is more important than in the area of sport and it is this sector of events management that this study focuses on.

Over the past few decades the news media have highlighted the types of risk that can be attached to sports events and, all too often, their fatal consequences. In 1972, there was the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics after a Palestinian siege went awry (Reeve 2006). Football has also had its share of tragic headlines with riots at a match in Lima, a stampede at a stadium in Katmandu, crushing in Glasgow and fire at the Bradford Stadium claiming over five hundred lives between them (Elliott 2003). No less tragic have been the reports of Athletes who have lost their lives due to equipment failure or health issues that had not been previously identified.

Although there are risks in all aspects of sports event (Masterman 2004, p.93), which Wimbledon have found to their cost as they have tried and failed to accurately assess the weather risk to the championships, it is the health and safety risk in sport that can be the most dangerous if not managed correctly. For example, investigations into the Munich and Football tragedies have placed part of the responsibilities for these upon the inability of the event management to accurately assess and manage risk, which it has been perceived could have made a difference to the outcome (Elliott 1993). Every event manager has lived through some of these disasters and none wants this damning judgement placed upon their shoulders (Getz 2007, p.171).

As most sports participants will accept, managing and taking part in sports incur risks, but it is the task and duty of the event management to reduce that risk to a minimum (2007, p.103) However, management of the health and safety aspect of risk is complex because there are so many areas where these risks can occur. Nevertheless, there is a legal obligation for such action to be implemented in most countries, although the content of legislation dealing with health and safety issues as sports events differs, as each nation will have its own set of regulations (Westerbeck 2006, p.94 and Masterman 2004, p.6). This legislation includes the Health and Safety Acts, Safety as Sports Grounds Acts and others (HELA 2000). An essential element of this legislation is that fact it imposes “a duty of care” upon every employer and events manager (Fuller 2004, p.8). If they fail in that duty, and a fatality results from this negligence, they can be charged with manslaughter.

Almost all international legislation defines one of the most important elements of the managers’ duty of care as being to carry out regular risk assessment and act promptly and efficiently upon the outcomes of these assessments (Fuller 2004, p.10), with the objective of ensuring that the event will be safe for all of the stakeholders (Masterman 2004, p.92). In essence, the Health and safety requires this risk assessment process to be performed in five essential stages, which are: -

• To identify the risk - in other words locate the areas where losses or the potential of danger, harm and hazards exist that create a risk (Westerbeek 2006, p.160-162)
• Analyse the risk - Which involves ascertaining who might who might be harmed and in what way could this happen
• Treatment of the risk - Developing and implementing the strategies and precautions that are design to reduce, if not eliminate, the risk
• Monitoring and reviewing the risk - Which requires a constant and regular assessment of the policies implemented, revising these strategies where they are seen to be ineffective or in need of improvement. (Health & Safety Executive 1998).

The risk management process therefore relies upon the management working out where risks might occur, who it could affect and what needs to be done to eliminate it (Getz 2007, p.275). For example, with the tragedies mentioned earlier, had the risk assessment been accurate, the Munich event management would have paid more attention to the risk of terrorism and improved security to deal with that risk. Similarly, the football event managers would have identified that crowd behaviour and control needed to be addressed, possibly by reducing spectator numbers or improving the numbers of police and stewards needed to control this aspect of health and safety more effectively (Masterman 2004, p.13 and Getz 2007, p.229). Even with the current Olympic Games being held in China, there was concern that participants and spectators were at risk from the pollution of poor air quality.

It is only fair to mention that, because of these past tragedies, there have been some positive actions taken to improve risk assessment and management policies and processes. For example, in the UK with outdoor activities, such as Cycling, Climbing, Boating and potholing, it is now a requirement for organisers to be licences under the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 2004.

Another recent improvement is the increasing attention to health and safety being paid to introduce pre-event precautions. For example, as Dr Schmasch, President of the IOC Medical Commission suggested recently (in FIA 2007, p.9), it is becoming important for athletes to be checked for fitness before an event rather than running the risk that they have a health issue which might become a danger if they participate in the sports event. Secondly, a further recommendation made by a speaker at the FIA (2007, p.11) summit was the need to implement health and safety training for managers and participation at sporting events, as this will also reduce the potential for risks becoming realities.

Although some improvements to risk management have been made by sports events managers, the events of the past have proven that there is a continuing need to regularly assess and revise the current levels of control and monitoring.

Crouchy, M., Galai, D and Mark, R (2006). The Essentials of Risk Management. McGraw-Hill, New York, US

Elliott, D (1993). Football Stadia disasters in the United Kingdom. Organisation & Environment, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 205-229

FIA (2007) Risk Management in Sport - Summit 2007. FIA Institute for Sports Safety. Paris France. Retrieved 19 August 2008 from: http://www.fiainstitute.com/summit2007/documents/event_report.pdf

Fuller, Dr C.W (2004). Safety in Sport. UK Sport. Retrieved 18 August 2008 from: http://www.uksport.gov.uk/assets/File/Generic_Template_Documents/Sports_Funding/resources_for_governing_bodies/MOD_Guidance_document_H&S_Mar04.pdf

Getz, D (2007). Event Studies. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK

Health and Safety Executive (1998) Five steps to risk assessment. HMSO Books, Sudbury, UK

HELA (2000) The relationship between the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 (as amended by the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987) and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, LAC Number 63/2. HMSO, London, UK

HELA (2001) The Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 1996, LAC Number 47/15. HMSO. London, UK

Masterman, G (2004). Strategic Sports Event Management: An international approach: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK

Reeve, S (2006). Olympic massacre: Munich the real story. The Independent, 22 Jan 2006, London, UK

Westerbeek, H., Smith, A., Turner, P., Emery, P., Green, C and Leeuwen, L (2006). Managing Sports Facilities and Major Events. Routledge, London, UK