According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSP) there were approximately 22,100 bleacher-associated injuries treated in emergency rooms in 1999. A great number of the injuries were from falls; there were 10 deaths from falls from bleachers between 1980 and 1999. To address this serious problem, the CPSC has developed Guidelines for Retrofitting Bleachers to help identify and eliminate those features that present a fall hazard. All school districts must inspect their bleachers - even small, portable bleachers - to make sure they conform to the guidelines.

While the guidelines are recommendations, they are not a CPSC standard or mandatory requirement. However, we strongly advise that your project RESCUE survey includes bleachers, because an architect or engineer may be needed to effect any needed changes. As stated in the guidelines, "All retrofit solutions should be designed to the dead load, live load, wind load and sway load requirements of the governing building code" and that a "professional or qualified firm" should be consulted. There is an obvious concern that poor retrofits could create more hazards than they abate.

Types of Bleachers and Risks
Bleachers generally fit into one of four categories: permanent/stationary, portable/movable, telescopic/folding, and temporary (those stored in sections, erected for special events and then stored again).

Falls occur most often when there are no guardrails on the backs or open sides and when there are openings big enough for a person to pass through between components in the seating and guardrails. Retrofitting guidelines address and rectify these problems.

Other potential hazards are collapse, particularly in manually operated telescopic bleachers that are not operated properly, and missing or inadequate aisles, handrails, and non-skid surfaces.

Inspections and Maintenance
While the frequency of bleacher inspections in your district will depend on how often your bleachers are used, the CPSC recommends at least quarterly inspections to identify any structural damage or degradation "that could compromise safety." Naturally, all problems should be corrected immediately and remedies documented. Documentation should include the date and signature of the person performing the inspection. The CPSC further recommends that at least every two years, a licensed professional engineer, registered architect or company that is qualified to provide bleacher products and services should conduct an inspection. At that time, they should provide a written certification that the bleachers are safe for use. As always, if an incident or injury occurs, it should be documented and records retained. These records should be consulted whenever a safety inspection takes place as a resource for helping identify potential hazards or dangerous design features that should be corrected.

Retrofitting Specifics
For detailed information on building and safety code specifics for bleachers and on recommendations for retrofitting bleachers that don't meet CPSC guidelines, you can access the CPSC Guidelines For Retrofitting Bleachers at www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/330.pdf or contact Danielle Graffagnino at 1-800-476-9747, ext. 458 for a copy of the recommendation. For additional information, contact Joseph Palermo at NYSIR, 1-845-565-2248,

Bleacher Insurance Watch
While you are checking your bleachers for retrofittin needs, take a minute to make sure your procedures for reducing liability when you rent bleachers are in place:

• Have your agreement put into writing. Maintenance and inspection responsibilities should be agreed to and assigned beforehand.
  
• Since bleacher maintenance can be somewhat specialized, it may be a good idea to have the vendor perform the maintenance and inspections.
  
• Check the agreement for indemnification language or an insurance procurement agreement.
  
• At a minimum, the vendor should provide proof of Commercial General Liability Insurance with limits of $1,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 general and products/completed operations aggregate.
  

Click Here! to Download the CPSE Published Guideline on how to properly retrofit your bleachers.