Guidelines for Retrofitting Bleachers

Bleachers are structures that provide tiered or stepped seating, generally without backrests, that come in various configurations and sizes.

These guidelines provide recommendations for retrofitting bleachers to prevent falls from the bleachers. They are appropriate for use by facility owners and operators, including school officials and parks and recreation personnel, as well as manufacturers, designers, inspectors, and regulatory officials. They can be used by anyone concerned with safety while using bleachers.

These guidelines were developed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in response to recommendations made at a Roundtable on Bleachers and Grandstands that was held on December 8, 1999 at CPSC. This Roundtable included consumers as well as representatives from industry and government. It was convened in response to tragedies in which two childrenwere fatally injured and five children were severely injured due to falls from bleachers in 1998 and 1999.