A Nivel Morfológico

This Chapter covers a number of permanent or temporary electrical and mechanical installations likely to be in place at a sports ground, many of which are either safety- related or have their own safety implications. However, reference to other electrical and mechanical installations and systems may also be found elsewhere in the Guide, as follows:

a. public address, CCTV and emergency telephone systems (see Chapter 16)

b. fire warning and other fire safety systems, and catering installations (see Chapter 15) c. turnstile monitoring systems (see Chapter 7)

d. sound systems (see Section 20.6).

Further reference may be made to the Guide to Electrical and Mechanical Services in Sports Grounds, published by the London District Surveyors Association (see Bibliography).

17.2

The importance of maintenance

All electrical and mechanical installations at a sports ground are liable to gradual deterioration, particularly those situated in outdoor or exposed environments. It is therefore vital that management ensures that such installations are properly maintained by competent persons with the appropriate skills and experience.

It is imperative that maintenance procedures for both new and existing installations are properly understood. Management should prepare a detailed planned preventative maintenance schedule covering the testing, inspection, commissioning and servicing of all such installations in accordance with:

a. the written instructions and schedules provided by the manufacturer b. where appropriate, the relevant British Standards

c. where a safety certificate is in force, the requirements of the local authority. A planned preventative maintenance schedule demonstrates that the management is taking its responsibilities for maintenance seriously. It may be relevant when assessing the overall (S) factor.

17.3

Inspections and tests

Unless specified to the contrary by the manufacturers’ written instructions or other relevant documentation, all electrical and mechanical installations should be inspected and tested at least annually by competent qualified persons, and an inspection certificate supplied to ground management. This annual inspection and test will be in addition to the regular pre-event tests (see Sections 5.9 and 5.10). The results of all inspections and tests should be recorded in writing.

17.4

Event-day staffing

Management should ensure that there is a competent person or persons either on site or readily available on an event day to deal with any problems which might arise in relation to the electrical or mechanical installations at the ground. Contact details should be included in the contingency plan (see Section 3.18).

17.5

Anti-vandalism

A number of electrical and mechanical installations associated with safety systems, including auxiliary power units, may be vulnerable to vandalism. This should be taken into consideration when fixing and securing such installations.

17.6

Electrical installations

All electrical installations should comply with current regulations. New electrical installations should also comply with the relevant British Standards, and wherever practicable, existing installations should be upgraded to comply with those standards. An Electrical Installation Completion Certificate prescribed by the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) should be retained by the management. Each Completion Certificate should be accompanied by a current Periodic Inspection Report. Any new part to the electrical installation should, in the first instance, have a separate Completion Certificate. Further guidance is available from the IEE (see Bibliography).

17.7

Circuit diagrams

Main electrical circuit diagrams should be provided, clearly labelled to indicate:

a. all main switches, circuit breakers and fuseways in distribution boards and the circuits which they control

b. the location of all switch rooms and distribution boards.

The circuit diagrams should be kept in a location easily accessible to technical staff, be protected from defacement or damage, and be updated as necessary.

17.8

Protection of cables

All cables should be sited so that they are, as far as practicable, inaccessible to the public. Where necessary, cables should also be enclosed throughout their length in a protective covering of material which has sufficient strength to resist mechanical damage. The following wiring systems are acceptable:

a. mineral insulated metal sheathed cables b. steel wire or tape armoured cables c. insulated cables in screwed metal conduit d. insulated cables in metal trunking.

Notwithstanding the above, alternative wiring systems may be acceptable; for example, insulated cables in rigid PVC conduit which complies with the relevant British Standard. However, PVC conduit or PVC served cables should not be used in confined areas (such as catering outlets or emergency evacuation routes), because of their fire smoke hazard. The use of PVC conduit should also be discouraged in exposed areas, because of its

Where wiring systems do not meet the above requirements, consideration should be given to a programme of phased replacement.

17.9

Lightning protection

Lightning protection for structures, both permanent and temporary, should be provided in accordance with the relevant British Standard. The lightning protection should be tested annually by competent persons, and a certificate supplied to the ground management. Floodlighting towers should be bonded to earth in accordance with the relevant British Standard.

17.10 Lighting

The lighting in all parts of a sports ground accessible to spectators should allow them to enter, to leave and move about the ground in safety. This is particularly important in relation to entry and exit routes and stairways used by the public.

At all times when the daylight in any section of a ground accessible to the public is insufficient, or if the ground is to be used in non-daylight hours, adequate artificial lighting should be provided. This lighting should be sufficient to illuminate all signs, in accordance with relevant European Union Directives (see also Section 16.28).

Consideration should also be given to the lighting required for CCTV systems to operate satisfactorily (see Sections 16.16–16.20).

The minimum level of illumination should be as recommended by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers. (For details of guides produced by CIBSE, see Bibliography. For guidance on emergency lighting, see Section 17.13.).

17.11 Provision of auxiliary power

As stated in Sections 3.17 and 3.18, management should prepare contingency plans to cover the possibility of a power failure.

Where appropriate, auxiliary power should be provided, sufficient at the very least to enable emergency lighting, the public address system, CCTV and all other safety-related electrical installations to function for at least three hours after the failure of the normal supply.

An auxiliary power system designed to supply emergency and safety systems should be independent of any other wiring systems.

17.12 Auxiliary power equipment

Auxiliary power equipment should be located in a secure room or building to which the public does not have access. The room or building should be of a construction having a fire resistance of not less than 30 minutes.

Auxiliary power equipment should be installed, maintained and tested in accordance with the manufacturers’ written instructions and relevant British Standards. As stated in Section 5.9, it should be inspected and tested 24 hours before each event, and should also be capable of operating on the failure of a single phase.

17.13 Emergency lighting

At sports grounds used to stage events in non-daylight hours, emergency lighting for use in the event of a failure of the general lighting, should be provided in all parts of the ground to which the public have access, including along all exit and emergency evacuation routes, with exit signs clearly illuminated.

Emergency lighting at sports grounds should meet the following requirements:

a. Where emergency lighting systems are not separate from the normal lighting system, a risk assessment should be carried out to determine the adequacy of the chosen system in emergency conditions.

b. The emergency lighting system should operate automatically on the failure of the normal lighting system.

c. Where the emergency lighting is a non-maintained system, such lighting should be designed to operate on the failure of a circuit or sub-circuit.

d. Along all exit and emergency evacuation routes, the emergency lighting should afford a level of illumination sufficient to enable people to leave the premises. For guidance on the level of illumination required, reference should be made to the CIBSE

Emergency Lighting guide (see Bibliography).

e. Unless, exceptionally, two entirely independent supplies can be obtained from outside sources, the emergency circuit should be connected to a source of auxiliary power located on the premises.

f. If a generator is used, it should be able to operate the full emergency lighting load within not more than five seconds of start-up.

g. The system should be capable of maintaining the necessary level of illumination for a period of three hours from the time of failure of the normal supply.

17.14 Passenger lifts and escalators

Passenger lifts and escalators should be maintained and tested in accordance with the manufacturers’ written instructions and schedules and the relevant British Standards. Ground management should be familiar with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.

The following general requirements should be considered: a. Lift alarms should be audible under event conditions.

b. For new lift installations, consideration should be given to providing a duplicate alarm in the ground’s control point.

c. As stated in Section 10.12.d, a lift provided for passenger use in the normal operation of the sports ground may only be used for evacuation purposes if it meets the requirements of an evacuation lift, as specified in the relevant British Standard. Among other requirements, this means that it should be able to operate in reasonable safety when there is a fire in the building.

d. Where provided, a fire fighting lift may also be used for emergency evacuation (see Section 10.12.e).

e. Among the recommendations for the safe guarding of evacuation lifts, as required by the relevant British Standard, the following points should be noted:

i. An evacuation lift should be situated within a protected enclosure consisting of the lift well itself and a protected lobby at each storey served by the lift. The protected enclosure should also contain an escape stair.

ii. Except for lifts serving two storeys only, evacuation lifts should be provided with a switch which brings the lift to the final exit storey (usually ground level), isolates the landing call buttons and enables an authorised person to take control.

iii. The primary electrical supply should be obtained from a sub-main circuit exclusive to the lift. It should also have a secondary supply from an independent main or emergency generator and an automatic switch to change over from one to the other.

iv. Any electrical sub-station, distribution board or generator supplying the lift should be protected from the action of fire for a period not less than that of the enclosing structure of the lift shaft itself.

17.15 Gas fired installations

All natural gas and LPG installations (see also Section 15.10), including heating and cooking appliances, pipework and meters, should comply with current gas safety legislation, as follows:

a. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994, as amended, covering matters related to meters, appliances, and the pipework connecting appliances to meters. These regulations allow only CORGI registered installers to carry out work on these parts of gas installations.

b. The Pipework Safety Regulations 1996, covering matters related to service pipework connecting meters to gas distribution mains.

17.16 Boilers and other heating devices

As stated in Section 15.10 rooms containing boilers may be considered as high risk fire areas. For this reason, boilers (and other heating devices) should meet the following requirements:

a. Boilers should be installed by a competent person in accordance with the relevant British Standard. They should be housed in a fire resistant enclosure, and, where appropriate, separated from areas of spectator accommodation by a construction having a fire resistance of at least 30 minutes.

b. To prevent over-heating, boilers, generators, air heaters and other similar appliances should be fitted with a fusible link or similar device that will automatically cut-off energy supplies.

c. Boiler or generator rooms should have adequate air supply for the safe operation of the appliances, and be generally ventilated.

d. The location of both combustion air intakes and ducts, and flue pipes and exhaust systems for boilers and generators, should not prejudice the means of escape for spectators, and should not cause a nuisance by emission into spectator

accommodation.

e. Where it is necessary for ducts and pipes to pass through areas occupied by

spectators, they should be of the same fire resistance as the room to which they are connected, until they reach a safe place of emission or supply.

17.17 Oil storage and supply

Oil storage and oil supply systems should comply with the relevant British Standard. To reduce the risks on event days, the amount of oil stored within the boiler or generator room should be limited to essential requirements.

17.18 Ventilation, air conditioning and smoke control systems

The installation of any mechanical ventilation, air conditioning or smoke control systems should be subject to detailed design and installation by competent persons with the appropriate qualifications and experience.

The provision of such systems will form an important part of any fire safety risk assessment (see Chapter 15).

Where provided to help facilitate safe evacuation (for example, smoke extraction in a concourse), they should be linked to an auxiliary power supply.

18: Medical and first aid provision