West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is urging licenced premises to review their fire safety arrangements as they prepare to welcome thousands of football supporters during the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Responsibility for fire safety rests with the ‘responsible person’ – usually the employer or licence holder of the premises. West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is urging all responsible persons to review and update their fire risk assessments before making any changes to their premises for showing World Cup matches.
“Any temporary changes made to a venue must be carefully considered from a fire safety perspective.” said West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s Head of Protection Dave Bray: “Whether it is installing large screens, putting up decorations and flags, creating additional viewing areas or increasing customer capacity, businesses have a legal duty to ensure these changes do not compromise the safety of their customers or staff.”
Temporary alterations can affect occupancy levels, escape routes, evacuation procedures and access to firefighting equipment. The responsible person must ensure that fire safety remains a key consideration throughout the planning and delivery of tournament-related events.
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is advising businesses to:
- Review and update fire risk assessments to reflect any temporary changes.
- Ensure all emergency exits, escape routes and fire doors remain serviceable unobstructed and available for immediate use.
- Avoid positioning screens, furniture, staging or temporary structures where they could hinder evacuation.
- Check that temporary electrical installations are safe, suitable and do not overload existing electrical systems.
- Use appropriate fire-retardant materials for decorations and displays.
- Review occupancy levels and implement suitable crowd management measures.
- Ensure staff are fully trained and understand emergency procedures and their roles in the event of an evacuation.
- Maintain clear access to firefighting equipment and fire alarm call points.
The Service says that fire safety officers and operational crews may conduct inspections before and during the World Cup tournament period to ensure compliance with fire safety legislation and to provide advice where required.