Utah Local Governments Trust urges yearly inspections, code compliance for bleachers and grandstands

Jason, presenter with the Utah Local Governments Trust, told a May webinar that bleachers and grandstands “can cause serious injuries” and that jurisdictions and facility operators should follow the International Code Council ICC 300 (2023) consensus standard and related codes when installing, altering or maintaining seating.

The guidance matters because the Trust has seen “very large losses” from injuries and damage connected to bleachers and grandstands, and because national data show tens of thousands of emergency‑department visits each year tied to these structures, with many injuries affecting young people.

At the start of the presentation Jason defined bleachers as “tiered seating supported on a dedicated structural system and two or more rows high,” and said that the term grandstand is used interchangeably in the standard. He noted seating can be portable or fixed, indoor or outdoor, and can be constructed of wood, aluminum, steel or cast‑in‑place concrete. The webinar emphasized that standards apply to new construction and to significant alterations of existing seating and that manufacturers’ installation and maintenance instructions matter for compliance.

Jason cited several standards discussed during the webinar: ICC 300 (2023) as the primary reference incorporated into the building code; the International Property Maintenance Code for repairs…