Several English football clubs have banned vuvuzelas from their grounds on match days on account of safety concerns.
Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Arsenal are the highest-profile clubs to announce that the plastic horns will not be allowed inside their stadia. The instrument came to prominence during the recent FIFA World Cup in South Africa where it was described as a symbol of African culture. But television stations airing the matches were flooded with complaints from viewers about the ‘droning’ noise created by thousands of fans continuously blowing the instrument during the games.
A number of fans have called for vuvuzelas to be banned at all football grounds across the country, claiming the noise could pose risks to public safety. Spurs banned the horns amid fears that the noise could prevent fans from hearing safety announcements. A statement on the club’s official website said: “We are concerned that the presence of the instruments within the stadium poses unnecessary risks and could impact on the ability of all supporters to hear any emergency safety announcements.”
West Ham United have also introduced a ban stating that the instruments could potentially be used as a weapon. A club statement said: “Under the current health and safety regulations at the stadium, which already disallow musical bands, we would not allow them (vuvuzelas) into the stadium as they could be considered a weapon.”
The HSE would not be drawn on whether it supports calls for a widespread ban, but acknowledged that the horns could potentially cause hearing damage. An HSE spokesman said: “As with any source of high sound levels, vuvuzelas could potentially cause hearing damage under certain circumstances, and where there is such a risk we would expect an employer to take proportionate, sensible measures to protect their staff.€ﾨ€ﾨ Anybody concerned about noise levels in their workplace should visit our website for advice.”
One club which will be allowing fans to bring vuvuzelas to matches is Oxford United, who won promotion back to the Football League in May. The club’s communications officer, Chris Williams, told SHP: “We will not be banning the vuvuzela at the start of the season but will monitor the situation as we go along. Obviously, the noise is what people focused on at the World Cup but there may be safety issues as well.”
As well as effecting people’s hearing, the noise from vuvuzelas could have an impact on the players and their ability to communicate among themselves effectively. We raised this on the IEHF website a couple of weeks ago, see http://iehf.org/articles/receiving-end-vuvuzelas
As an Arsenal fan and season ticket holder I suppose I ought to point out (before someone else does) that its not very surprising that something which creates noise has been banned from the Emirates Stadium….
Doubt it’ll be a problem at little clubs like Oxford as the gates they get aren’t big enough. The pressure for the ban is always going to come from high-profile clubs and those that are featured on the box!
Safety getting blamed for banning a harmless plastic toy at football matches, if clubs want to ban them because it’ll annoy the TV companies, then let them say so.
The bans have nothing to do with safety, or they would have to ban singing and chanting too.
If I was standing next to several vuvuzela “players” while trying to watch and enjoy a match the only risk to health would be to the players in so much that they would have to have them surgically removed!
There is interest elsewhere in Europe: Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA) measured noise levels. At a distance of half a meter they recorded levels up to 100 Dezibel (A). At a distance of 10 cm levels were 125 bis 130 Dezibel (A). The IFA concluded that the use of vuvuzelas could lead to permanent damage for hearing for amateurs and workers in sports areas, and other places were they are used. They also recommended the use of hearing protection, for example adequate and appropriate ear plugs, and for workers to keep a… Read more »
There are too many daft bans in the name of “Health and Safety” just because a killjoy has decided they simply do not like something. So a spurious excuse is made up, yes we know its an awful droning noise and yes it is noisy . But we don’t ban Glastonbury or other noisy pop concerts where the noise generated is going to be above the thresholds. What next ban people from going to pop concerts if they are not wearing ear defenders. Get real “Health and Safety” is important and is there to protect, not be a simple excuse… Read more »
Oh Come on!
“On Safety grounds”. How gutless, why not come out and just say that so many people loath them that we are not having vuvuzelas in the place. let’s not blacken the name of health and safety with such lilly livered statements.
So we cannot even blow our own trumpets now – are we not offending the African Culture by our lack of inclusion of their culture? Mmmm…
These tuneless trumpets can emit sounds in excess of 130 decibels (equivalent to
a jumbo jet taking off) and as the national charity concerned with deafness
research and related issues, Deafness Research UK would like to see an urgent
ban on these instruments.
We urge other football clubs to silence the vuvuzela before it causes permanent hearing damage. For facts and guidance about hearing loss and deafness-related conditions, e-
mail [email protected] or call free on 0808 808 2222.
Let’s be honest this has got nothing to do with safety. It’s more to do with the fact that these things are viewed by some people as annoying and detract from the usual football match atmosphere. If noise is the problem, then are we saying that we cant cheer goals or sing songs very loud as at that particular time there may be a safety announcement?
Think this is from the same fringe as let’s ban conker matches, rolling cheese down hills, and kids making models out of egg boxes.
Why is everything always banned on “health & safety” grounds? I found the noise from vuvuzelas at the work cup really annoying, and that is the issue rather than a health issue. So why don’t clubs just come out and ban them because they don’t want them spoiling spectactors pleasure instead of hiding behind “health & safety fears” Another Myth being formed methinks!!
I agree with Vivienne, it is the level of noise that these things produce that is the issue here and i for one would not want to be next to one for the duration of a match let a lone a statdium full as i quite cheerish my hearing. That said banning them should not be the first action, we are not out to spoli peoples enjoyment are we? a quite word (pardon the pun) with the importer/manufacturer about restricting the noise they are capable of producing to a resonable level would solve the problem surely?
Yet another “for health and safety reasons” cop out. No wonder people think safety is to blame for everything wrong in the world!!!! Can’t they just admit “we’re banning them coz they make an awful, annoying sound”?!?!!?
How bad is hooliganism these days in England that there is a significant risk of this horn becoming a weapon. It will soon be that keys will be taken off us at the gates.
It does sound a bit conkers-bonkers from this end though.
Banning vuvuzelas because of elf’n’safety?
Nothing to do with them being a b****ing irritating racket then..
Could be used as a weapon, a bit like the deadly pop bottle, which we all know is lethal in the hands of irresponsible people (especially when someone has shaken it up before you open it)…
Wait for the next episode of top gear and watch clarkson get on his soap box about elf and safety stopping people having fun. I support the ban but why not be honest and state they are banned for being an irritating noise and stop using H&S to legitamise something that may upset a few selfish individuals.
So many people have pointed out that they are annoying etc… I would say that its unlikely that they would be used by a weapon, but I know that at my club (Derby County)and many others there are some nutters who will give you a slap if you start blowing it or maybe even just for a laugh (not my idea of a laugh) … thats where the danger is, the drunken people who dislike them. After the first game you wont see/hear them again.
Only in this country could people enjoying themselves be frowned upon by the safety authorities at football grounds. No drinking, no smoking, no musical instruments, NO STANDING…..
I’m sure at some point “No Over Celebration” will creep into the stands too. After all there was about 500 people injured in the stands when Mikey Owen scored that late, late, LATE winner against Man City last season. Now surely that must be looked upon as a high risk for injury. Maybe they should ask Man Utd to stop scoring late goals as it presents a safety risk in the ground???
How many decibels are there when 70,000 supporters jump up screaming their heads off when an important goal is scored?
Just curious as I go to the football all the time and I get a ringing in my ears after a goal sends the crowd into hysteria. Am I damaging my hearing??
Looks like H&S being used to prevent a not very loud or dangerous instrument. Mine is a light flared plastic tube similar in weight and density to the plastic toys sold at funfairs for children to hit each other with. The effort needed to make a noise of any significance is more bother than most UK football fans could be bothered to muster. Singing is easier, more entertaining and they wouldnot have to learn a new skill. Why dont the clubs just admit it’s a blooody annoying, unwanted noise?
What a load of nonsense, this is an utter joke. They simply want to ban the instrument from their stadiums and are using health and safety as an unpopular scapegoat. If the ban the vuvuzelas because fans wont be able to hear safety announcements then they would have to ban air horns, drums and fans singing and cheering! As for the argument of banning it as it could be used as a weapon, then they would have to ban almost everything that could conceivably be used as a weapon.
I think you will find Oxford United took 33,000 fans to Wembley in May in a game shown live on Sky. The club was also used as an example by the FA as part it’s official World Cup bid after attracting a 10,000 attendance for a midweek game when the club was in the Conference.
As you might have guessed SHP’s web editor is a fan of the mighty Yellows!
Good to see Oxford and most other clubs are not reacting to the pathetic hysteria created by some people. These things won’t catch on enough to be a safety concern…ok maybe they will at Millwall and West Ham for other reasons!
I wouldn’t ban people bring these instruments of doom to the ground. I would simply seek permission from the courts to be allowed to set them on fire.
You wouldn’t blow one of these things in a church so don’t blow them in grounds. Football is a religion too!
Finally some support. All hail Ms Michael good luck on your quest to ban this monstrosity of an instrument.
What a load of ……..! It doesn’t make any sense to ban these items of fun under the grounds of “Safety” – weapons, noise, drown out safety announcements. we are becoming risk averse and stopping people having some fun. On a serious side, we are happy to allow “ipods” and mp3 players delivering up to 130db in each ear without any action against the manufacturers. We are also allowed to put high power speakers in small cars that will cause hearing damage. Safety is a personal construction, an individual view. it has nothing to do with a hazard or risk… Read more »