Sports Arena Risk Management Analysis and Safety Plan
This paper presents a comprehensive risk management analysis for the American Military University Arena, a 65,000-seat multipurpose sports facility in Charles Town, West Virginia. The analysis identifies key risks—ranging from fan altercations and poor lighting to terrorist threats and food poisoning—and categorizes them by frequency and severity using a risk matrix. For each identified risk, the paper outlines both financial and reduction treatment strategies. Additional sections address personnel management policies, emergency procedures for injuries and extreme weather, crowd management protocols, and the facility's compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards. The report concludes with recommendations for implementing the risk management plan to minimize spectator injury and enhance the facility's attractiveness for future events.
- Overview of the Arena and Stakeholders: Facility description, capacity, and key stakeholders
- Risk Matrix and Risk Transfer: Frequency-severity matrix and risk transfer categories
- Financial and Reduction Treatments for Each Risk: Dual treatment strategies for each identified risk
- Risk Reduction Procedures: Personnel Management: Employee policies covering attendance, conduct, and harassment
- Emergency Procedures and Crowd Management: Protocols for injuries, weather events, and crowd control
- ADA Compliance and Conclusion: Accessibility standards compliance and report summary
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What makes this paper effective
- Uses a structured risk matrix to categorize threats by both frequency and severity, providing a clear visual framework for prioritizing risk responses.
- Pairs each identified risk with both a financial treatment and a reduction treatment, demonstrating practical, dual-pronged risk mitigation thinking.
- Integrates policy discussion (personnel management, sexual harassment, ADA compliance) with operational procedures, giving the analysis institutional depth.
- Grounds abstract risk concepts in the specific context of the facility, making the analysis concrete and actionable rather than generic.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied risk analysis methodology: identifying hazards, assessing likelihood and impact, and prescribing targeted controls. The use of a risk transfer matrix alongside frequency-severity categorization reflects professional risk management practice, showing the student's ability to translate theoretical frameworks into facility-specific policy recommendations.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a facility overview and stakeholder identification, then presents two matrices (risk and risk transfer). The largest section systematically addresses each risk's financial and reduction treatments. Subsequent sections cover personnel policies, emergency procedures, crowd management, and ADA compliance. The conclusion synthesizes findings and reaffirms the plan's value. Appendices provide supporting documents including an incident report form and an ADA checklist.
Overview of the Arena and Stakeholders
The American Military University Arena is located in Charles Town, West Virginia. This is a multipurpose facility that hosts events in college and professional football, basketball, and hockey. The arena is newly constructed and has a seating capacity of 65,000 people. It also includes a gymnasium, a modern fitness center with professional bodybuilding equipment, and a swimming pool. Additional facilities include parking garages, sports grounds, spectator seating areas, cafeterias, and a full range of sporting facilities.
The main focus of this risk analysis is the sports arena itself. Given the number of spectators the facility can hold at any one time, it is vital that sufficient consideration be placed on the safety of both participants and spectators. The main stakeholders of the sports arena are the university management and administrators, who are directly involved and who depend on the arena to support and supplement the university's income. Additional stakeholders include students—particularly those who participate in sporting activities—as well as the surrounding community. Because the facility also hosts professional football, hockey, and basketball events, local residents of Charles Town and the broader West Virginia area are likewise considered stakeholders. The state and county governments of West Virginia and Charles Town hold a stakeholder interest as well.
The arena has employed sufficient personnel across a range of roles, including first aid caregivers, security guards, parking attendants, ticketing agents, vendors, and service desk staff. Although the arena's seating capacity is 65,000, it has not yet reached full capacity; the highest recorded attendance has been approximately 50,000 spectators. For the purposes of risk management, the primary personnel involved will include university administrators, sports arena staff, and security personnel.
Risk Matrix and Risk Transfer
The following risk matrix categorizes identified risks according to their frequency and severity. High-frequency, high-severity risks include fans fighting, poor lighting, slipping or tripping and falling, and high noise levels. Medium-frequency, medium-severity risks include chemicals or other hazardous substances, extreme weather, and parking lot accidents. Low-frequency, low-severity risks include terrorist attacks, food poisoning, and electrical shocks.
The risk transfer matrix further classifies these risks by how they should be handled financially. High-severity, low-frequency risks—such as terrorist attacks, food poisoning, exposure to chemicals or hazardous substances, and extreme weather—are best addressed through insurance. High-frequency risks with lower severity, such as fans fighting, poor lighting, electrical shocks, slipping, tripping or falling, high noise levels, and parking lot accidents, are managed through independent contractor arrangements and indemnification clauses.
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