Social Distancing on Bleachers

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted normalcy within every facet of life. It has caused concerts, weddings, festivals, and entire sports leagues to cancel their events. We as individuals are staying home and limiting our contact with others in an effort to flatten the curve and decrease the spread of the virus. 

The pandemic is still active and as our states reopen, we are learning how to manage events, sports games, and concerts while effectively keeping our patrons safe. According to the CDC, the Covid-19 virus can spread easily through the air and through water droplets. They encourage everyone to stay 6 feet apart and wear masks to decrease the spread while you are out in public. Below we’ll dive into different strategies to implement in your outdoor event to improve the safety of your spectators.

• Limit seating areas 6 feet apart horizontally. 
• Potentially utilize ushers to seat people within the safe distances.
• Increase the number of gates or access points and spread out the entrance of attendance.
• Encourage wearing masks and distribute masks to anyone who needs them.
• Tape off 6 feet distances in the line for tickets and the line for concessions.
• You can also take the temperature of spectators as they move through the ticket line.
• Clean your bleachers more often between events.

Spectators to your events normally arrive in small family or friend groups. As they enter your facility and are seated, you should start to see evenly spread pockets of individuals. Once they are seated, it would be fine for them to remove their masks. They should be encouraged to put their masks back on when they get up and move through the facility.

When your spectators are socially distanced on your bleachers, they should be at 25%-30% of their normal capacity. It is possible to practice safety measures encouraged by the CDC and be able to return to some level of normalcy. If practiced safely, it can be an amazing opportunity for families to get outside and watch a sporting event or concert. While only your most dedicated fans will be in attendance, safely cheering on your favorite team or live concert will make for some awesome memories this season.

With some events being postponed until 2021, now may be a good time for you to consider repairs or replacements for your bleachers. Check out our bleacher maintenance and inspection checklist for guidelines to ensure the highest level of safety for crowds. Take advantage of the downtime at the facility to make these updates without affecting a busy event schedule. 

If your facility’s events have been postponed until 2021, you could also consider pivoting the use of your bleachers. Physical trainers and exercise specialists encourage using bleachers to run while gyms and indoor health facilities are temporarily closed. It could potentially be an alternative revenue opportunity for your park or sports facility. 

If you have any questions on how to properly practice Covid-19 safety measures or clean your facility, please contact us today!