I sit on this as a fans representative as I'm now working in the Health & Safety field. The next meeting is on 19th September.
The Safety Advisory Group covers all aspects of Health & Safety and Security at The Valley and the surrounding roads during matchdays. The Group consists of a wide variety of members including Supporters Groups, Police, St John's Ambulance, Greenwich Council, Football Licensing Authorities and of course the Club itself.
My role within the Group is to represent the fans views and raise any concerns with any Health & Safety issues people may have particlurarly on a match day. My secondary role is to assist and support the Club in its efforts to ensure full complaince with current Heath & Safety legislation and therefore ensure all visitors and staff at The Valley have a pleasant and safe matchday experience.
As an excellent conduit for the views of fans, Charlton Life is obviously a good starting point to get peoples views, opinions and comments on their matchday experience - particularly relating to H&S issues.
To this end if you do have any views or concerns about Helath & Safety and security at The Valley or the environs during matchdays, then please let me know, either by adding to this thread or via my inbox and I will ensure any relevant concerns are raised at the next Safety Advisory Group meeting in an attmept to resolve problems which may arise.
I will of course keep you updated on any response or actions taken by the Club to resolve those issues.
Just one request - "West Stand Car Park Pot Holes" is a standard item on the agenda :-)
Can this be made a 'sticky' please.
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Comments
Who would I contact with regards to getting a travelator installed from the Liberal to the ground?
Could not hear a thing over the PA, and a lot of confusion from where I was sitting. Be good to hear that things have been upgraded and tested.
It was bought up at the last SAG meeting with a requirement that all emergency lights were to be checked to ensure correct operation. I raised the issue of monthly 'flick' testing that the BS required. I assume the annual three hour test is carried out but will raise the issue again.
I have noticed that sometimes stewards will come up to move people off the stairs themselves into the rows, but this actually makes the situation worse. Is there anything that can be done about this? As a slight aside, there was also a fairly significant 'disturbance' in the back row at the last game of the season which went on for about 10-15 minutes - no stewards or police arrived at all. This does raise questions as to how well this section of the ground is monitored (especially as I would imagine this to be one of the highest risk areas in terms of spectator safety).
Finally, I would echo ken from bexley's comment about the PA system - this is virtually inaudible from the back of the North Upper when it's full.
Also the smoking is horrible when you have to go to the toilet, especially when you have to take children.
Frog marched to Belmarsh cells, and and brought up before the star chamber of the fizzy drink/cola .
The health and safety implications are immense, the fact that this stuff rots your teeth, clogs up your body with sugary crap.......
served up to kids in a sporting event can be ignored, wrong coke can, no way?...... it may be the real thing for the new seekers, but not down at the valley.
For the people who's actual seats are there.
And besides i don't think i could make it to the pitch by throwing from row tt.
OK, maybe not the world's worst offence ever but "got done" sounds like he was arrested or kicked out.
Either way it seems like the stewards intervene when they want to. There's a bloke who sits a few rows in front of us who lights up a cigarette in his seat and even has a laugh with one of the stewards about it.
However it might be worthwhile contacting the box office to see if you can move seats in a more convenient (i.e where there is not much of climb) position. Seats in the back row of the East can be reached from the back of the stand with easier access for instance.
I've seen him get in to arguments with grown men with children, senior supporters and women. It's painful to watch as the stewards offer no support, it can also be a very intimidating situation. These seats are effectively blackspots and it's the clubs responsibly deal with these people. I personally think they should be forced to stand elsewhere if they refuse to sit or due to the fact that sitting isn't inforced in the north upper, I suggest that all seats sold behind row MM are sold with a restricted view warning.
I also believe that there is always one LAS ambulance present at the ground - but I will confirm that.
Maybe they thought it was a can of lager , but we've drunk from cans loads of times before and after this incident and nothing has been done.