About this course
Crowds at sports grounds and events behave differently from ordinary groups, and safety depends on trained staff at every position.
This course covers the principles of spectator safety: crowd dynamics, the legal and guidance framework including the Green Guide, safety management systems at venues, and the emergency and evacuation procedures that keep events safe.
What learners cover
- The legal framework and guidance governing spectator safety
- Crowd dynamics, capacity, flow rates and ingress and egress
- Safety management structures and the roles within them
- Risk assessment and the venue safety certificate
- Emergency, evacuation and contingency planning
- Customer care, accessibility and inclusive event safety
Course content
The course is delivered in short, bite-size sections that learners can stop and restart at any point.
- Section 1
Framework
Safety at Sports Grounds legislation, the Green Guide, safety certificates and local authority roles.
- Section 2
Crowds
Crowd behaviour and dynamics, capacity calculations, packing density, flow rates and queuing.
- Section 3
Managing safety
Safety officer and steward roles, briefings, communication, control rooms and monitoring.
- Section 4
Emergencies
Contingency plans, evacuation and invacuation, medical incidents, fire, and post-incident procedures.
Who it is for
Stewards, supervisors, safety officers and event staff at stadiums, arenas and outdoor events, and anyone working towards a spectator safety qualification.
Entry requirements: No prior knowledge is needed. The course is written in plain English and suitable for all staff.
How it is delivered
Fully online and self-paced
Learners work through the course at their own pace and can pause and resume where they left off.
Any device
Works on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile, with audio, video and written transcripts throughout.
Interactive throughout
Scenarios, exercises and images keep learners engaged rather than clicking through slides.
Knowledge checks
Short checks at the end of each section so learners can see what has landed before moving on.
Average completion time is around 8 hours, though learners can take as long as they need and return as often as they like.
How it is assessed
Knowledge checks run throughout the course so learners can test understanding as they go. The course ends with a multiple-choice assessment taken online. Learners who do not pass first time can retake it.
Certification
Learners receive a Highfield Online Training digital certificate as soon as they pass the end-of-course assessment. Certificates download straight away and can be saved to a CPD log or staff training record.
Refresher guidance: Most venues refresh spectator safety training each season, and after any significant incident or change to the safety certificate.
How it works for teams
- 1. Choose how many licences you need and pay by card, or request an invoice.
- 2. Add your learners' names and email addresses.
- 3. We set them up on the course platform and they receive their login by email.
- 4. Track who has been set up from your account.
Common questions
How do learners access this course?
This course is delivered on our partner learning platform. Once you add learner details we set up each person's account, and they receive their username and a temporary password by email - they change the password the first time they sign in. Progress syncs to your team dashboard every few days, and the certificate can be added to the learner's CPD log.
Course details
- Course version
- 1.0
- Study time
- 8 hours
- CPD hours
- 8 hours
- Pass mark
- 80%
- Assessment
- 18 questions, unlimited retakes