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Raymond James Stadium gains GBAC STAR status, WELL Health-Safety campaign launches

Raymond James Stadium has secured GBAC STAR accreditation ahead of its staging of Super Bowl LV, while a host of celebrities have come together in a new integrated ad campaign to raise awareness about the importance of the WELL Health-Safety Rating.

The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA, the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry, has announced that a further 54 facilities across the globe have successfully completed the GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation Program.

These include NFL American football venues Raymond James Stadium in Tampa and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The National Football League (NFL) last week announced that it is planning for 22,000 fans to be in attendance at Super Bowl LV, including around 7,500 vaccinated health care workers.

This season’s end of season showpiece takes place at the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on February 7. The NFL plans to honour health care workers for their service during COVID-19, with 14,500 additional fans to be in attendance at the game.

Lucas Oil Stadium also has a major event on the horizon as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) this month confirmed that the entirety of this year’s March Madness basketball championship will be played in the state of Indiana, with Indianapolis to stage the majority of games.

Launched in May 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, GBAC STAR offers tools and documentation to assist facilities in developing the competencies, procedures, and protocols that meet accreditation requirements. GBAC’s team of scientific experts review and accredit facilities’ readiness for biohazard events.

Raymond James Stadium and Lucas Oil Stadium fulfilled 20 program elements to achieve accreditation and display the GBAC STAR accreditation seal.

Meanwhile, the likes of Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Michael B. Jordan, Robert DeNiro, Venus Williams, Wolfgang Puck and Deepak Chopra have joined forces to raise awareness of the WELL Health-Safety Rating, an evidence-based third-party designation to verify that a building or space has taken the necessary steps to prioritise the health and safety of their staff, visitors and other stakeholders.

In the US advertising campaign, which has been directed by Spike Lee, the ambassadors encourage people to look for buildings and spaces with the WELL Health-Safety seal on their windows or doors to feel more confident in their decision to go inside. 

The campaign, a first from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), will run across TV, digital video and social advertising through early spring. Paul Scialla, founder of the International WELL Building Institute and CEO of its parent company, Delos, said: “This is more than an awareness campaign; it’s meant to ignite a movement.

“These ambassadors and cultural influencers are partnering with us because they truly believe in the mission – and how critical it is – to make buildings and shared spaces centre on health going forward. To succeed at scale means we are improving indoor spaces to help ensure that the people who visit them can be healthier and safer. This is a win for everyone involved.”

The WELL Health-Safety Rating examines 22 features across five core areas – cleaning and sanitisation procedures, emergency preparedness programs, health service resources, air and water quality management, and stakeholder engagement and communication. It requires a minimum of 15 criteria be met in order to achieve the rating and be awarded the WELL Health-Safety seal.

To date, the likes of Yankee Stadium, RocketMortgage Field House, Amalie Arena, Spectrum Center, BB&T Center, and AT&T Stadium have achieved the WELL Health-Safety Rating.