During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK halted most recreational activities. But as things moved into the new-normal, the British and Irish Lions returned to match play at BT Murrayfield Stadium, the largest stadium in Scotland with a capacity of over 67,000.
This meant the Scottish Rugby Union, the second oldest rugby union in the world dating back to 1873, had to prepare the stadium - which, for the team in charge of preparations, meant much more than just addressing the physical building.
Electricians were coming in to install cables, contractors were set to build marquees and rebrand the stadium for television, and stadium staff were scheduled to return in larger numbers than pre-COVID.
In the past, contractors with a long-term relationship with the organization and stadium did not have to specify individuals attending the stadium. Staff would have notified the gatehouse that a contractor was coming, and those contractors would be given access to do their work.
Evolving security with a workforce security platform
Ensuring security was the driving force behind the Scottish Rugby Union’s decision to deploy Sign In Enterprise’s workforce security platform at BT Murrayfield Stadium and their head office. The security team wanted to get greater overall control of the security at the stadium; that meant more insight into the people coming in.
Daily, at 4 p.m., visitors scheduled to come on-site the following day are uploaded into the Sign In Enterprise platform. Those contractors receive a registration link with a health screening questionnaire. Once completed, the contractor receives a QR code, which they use at the gatehouse to scan in, making it a touchless entry for contractors and staff.
Getting in front of the security curve
Prior to the return of large sporting events across the United Kingdom, the independent inquiry into the Manchester Arena attack was released. This report, which outlined security risks at large-scale sporting and concert events, heightened the security concerns for the Scottish Rugby Union and BT Murrayfield staff.
Those security concerns were another reason why the Scottish Rugby Union wanted to deploy a system that would offer greater security measures for anyone entering the stadium. It was important for them to be in front of new security measures that would be highlighted in the inquiry that other major stadiums and arenas across the United Kingdom would be trying to find solutions to. Sign In Enterprise offered a chance to get in front of those security concerns before they became mandatory.
Increasing security by increasing visibility
The Scottish Rugby Union has seen wide adoption from the contractors coming on-site to do work. Over 80% of contractors comply with the new system and fully understand the security reasons for deploying Sign In Enterprise.
Regardless of their long-term history with the stadium or Rugby Union, contractors coming to the stadium must now register through the Sign In Enterprise platform and scan in with their QR code. From a security standpoint, there is greater visibility into the contractors inside the stadium, giving the BT Murrayfield security team an actual log of who is on-site in case they need to track them down.
The Scottish Rugby Union was able to welcome back fans to BT Murrayfield for the return of rugby to Scotland. The new streamlined process for contractors and staff enhanced the stadium’s security measures, provided a greater insight to the security team into who was coming into their facility and got them in front of the security curve for large sporting events in the United Kingdom.
Download Scottish Rugby Union names Sign In Enterprise as a new cap for stadium security to learn more.