Kardinia Park Trust
The Kardinia Park Stadium Trust is a statutory authority established under the Kardinia Park Stadium Act, 2016. The Trust, governed by a board of seven Trustees, has been established to administer, promote, and manage the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust Land more commonly known as GMHBA Stadium. The Kardinia Park Precinct that surrounds the 36,000-crowd capacity stadium is an icon of Geelong and is steeped in history. Due to the Stadium’s iconic light towers, it is visibly present no matter which direction you enter the city from.
- Location: Kardinia Park Stadium Trust
- Complete: October 2022
- Visit: https://www.kardiniapark.vic.gov.au
The Problem
Barrier Group has worked alongside Kardinia Park Trust on a number of occasions, providing safety products and solutions throughout the precinct.
Safety concerns were raised after a number of tripping incidences occurred on the staircases in one of the stadiums main stands, a bespoke solution was required to overcome this escalating hazard.
The Solution
A ‘Grab Rail’ system was deemed necessary to assist patrons being able to safely navigate the staircases, particularly at events where large crowds meant a higher risk of accident or injury.
Barrier Group created three alternative prototypes for the Kardinia Park Trust to consider. Two were variations of a large letter ‘P’ shaped design, with differing mounting styles, and the third an option of a hooped bollard. Ultimately the hooped bollard was deemed the most practical and suitable option.
The Challenges
A number of factors had to be considered when creating a suitable and fully functional custom design. The two major areas of concern were that the safety grab rails must not hinder a patron’s view of the ground and a minimum one metre point-to-point clearance had to be accessible across each stair to ensure the Stadium was complying with the Australian Standard AS1428.1-2021 ‘Design for Access and Mobilty’.
Client Response
Kardinia Park Trust are satisfied that the custom designed Barrier Group Grab Rails are going to benefit the safety of all visitors attending events at the stadium. Similar options are now being considered for other areas of the stadium to eradicate all safety concerns.