A positive decision at last

By: T. Wasilewski

On 19 July 2011 the ceremonial handover took place of the permit for the use of the PGE ARENA Gdańsk.

The Poviat Construction Supervision Inspector, Mr Władysław Wróbel, handed the decision to permit use of the structure to President Paweł Adamowicz, this following the expression by the State Fire Service on 18 July 2011 of a positive opinion concerning the use of the stadium. This opinion supplemented the earlier documents on a lack of objection or remarks by the State Poviat Sanitary Inspector and the National Labour Inspectorate.

While this is admittedly the sixth time, the opinion is at last positive, although today too the firefighters left no illusions: "ideal it is not". The fire service have pointed out successive oversights and faults. These chiefly concern the improper functioning of the fire ventilation system, marking of evacuation routes and a certain non-adjustment of fire routes. The scope for removal by the general contractor of faults and inadequacies indicated by the fire service is vast, which is why further realisation of the directives of the fire service will be verified through inspection before the first mass event.

On 9 June 2011 the opening of the structure was to have been inaugurated by a meeting between the teams of Poland and France. For reasons of safety, Gdańsk police did not give permission for the organisation of the match, which was transferred to Warsaw. The first match played at the stadium was the meeting between Lechia Gdańsk and Cracovia, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

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