Recent fan deaths at sports venues in Los Angeles and Chicago have caught the attention of officials in charge of safety at similar sites in Pittsburgh.
"Fan safety is a major priority for us," said Jeff Podobnik, a senior operations director at PNC Park. "We're constantly looking for ways to improve fan safety and security."
A toddler fell to his death from a luxury box during a Lakers basketball game Nov. 21 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. A week later, a 23-year-old man died after falling two stories at Soldier Field during a Bears game in Chicago.
At least six deaths happened at sports venues nationwide since 2007, the Tribune-Review found. The incidents usually involved alcohol, one expert said.
"There are a couple of suicides and a few resulting from stadium design," said Robert Gorman, a baseball historian in Rock Hill, S.C., who co-wrote "Death at the Ballpark" in 2008, "but mostly these were fans engaging in some sort of risky behavior that was alcohol-inspired."
Two fans were seriously injured from falls at Pittsburgh venues in 2009, and Gorman said at least two people have died in stadium accidents here since the 1970s.
In August 2009, a 63-year-old man toppled over a railing along the first base line while trying to get a foul ball at a Pirates game. Two months later, on Oct. 18, a Steelers fan fell about 20 feet over an upper-level railing at Heinz during a Steelers game. Both men survived.
Alcohol is not always a factor in fan accidents, said Jim Sacco, director of stadium management at Heinz Field.
"Sometimes you can fall out of the stands by getting caught up in the moment," he said. "People have to have pride in themselves. They have to behave and care for their own well-being."
PNC Park and Heinz Field opened in 2001. Consol Energy Center opened this year. No one has died from accidents at those venues, officials said.
"If everyone behaves in a reasonable fashion, we have very little to worry about," said Jay Roberts, general manager of Consol Energy Center.
In his book, Gorman chronicled the deaths of two fans at Pirates games at Three Rivers Stadium.
In July 1971, Gary Pettitt, 22, died after he fell trying to jump from one exit ramp to another. On Opening Day the following year, Joseph Farrell, 17, plunged 82 feet to his death after attempting the same thing.
Chain-link fencing eventually was installed to prevent further accidents, Gorman wrote.
Modern building codes and technology increased fan safety, officials said.
Roving security squads, ushers and other staff members look for risky behavior, often because of drunken fans, Roberts and Podobnik said. Texting service also is available for fans to notify stadium staff about unsafe conditions or behavior, among other things.
But venue officials agreed only so much can be done — though that does not stop them from trying to do more.
"Nowhere can ever be 100 percent safe, whether you're at the mall, at a stadium or sliding down the bannister at your house," Roberts said. "Anywhere can be unsafe if you're doing something unsafe."
Additional Information:U.S. fan fatalities since 2007
2010
Nov. 28 ⢠A man, 23, died after falling 35 feet from a ledge outside Soldier Field in Chicago and landing on a small roof. The incident was ruled an accident, with speculation being that he stepped onto the ledge to smoke.
Nov. 21 ⢠A 2-year-old boy died after accidentially falling nearly 30 feet from a luxury box at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
April 25 ⢠A man, 51, died three weeks after falling 15 feet over a railing at Miller Park in Milwaukee and landing on the field. He was attempting to catch a foul ball during a game between the Brewers and Chicago Cubs.
2008
April 15 ⢠A man, 36, lost his balance trying to slide down an escalator handrail at Shea Stadium in New York and fell two stories to his death. Another man died in an escalator accident at the same stadium in 1985.
May 21 ⢠A man, 25, died after falling four stories inside Turner Field during a game between the Atlanta Braves and N.Y. Mets. Witnesses said the man was sliding on a handrail when he slipped off .
2007
Dec. 10 ⢠A man, 31, died at Monster Park in San Francisco after falling 20 feet from an upper concourse during a 49ers-Minnesota Vikings game. Witnesses said he tried to jump on a ledge to sit and fell over.
Source: Tribune-Review research
