Staples Center in Los Angeles has become the first U.S. arena to receive The Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s Star facility accreditation. The GBAC Star facility accreditation ensures the public that Staples Center — the first NBA, NHL and WNBA arena to receive the award — has created and implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention throughout the arena.
“We know that when the time is right for our guests, athletes, artists and our team members to experience the incredible energy within Staples Center again that our GBAC Star accreditation demonstrates that we are taking the proper precautions to protect everyone once it is safe to host events again,” said Staples Center president Lee Zeidman in a release. “We are honored to be one of the first GBAC Star accredited arenas leading the way in maintaining cleanliness and continuing to make the safety of everyone our number one priority.”
To achieve GBAC Star accreditation, Staples Center was required to demonstrate compliance with the program’s 20 core elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures.
GBAC Star helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offers expert-led training and assesses a facility’s readiness for biorisk situations. The program verifies that Staples Center implements best practices to prepare for, respond to and recover from outbreaks and pandemics.
“GBAC Star accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to maintain clean and healthy environments,” said GBAC executive director Patricia Olinger in a release. “By taking this important step to pursue GBAC Star, Staples Center has received third-party validation that it follows strict protocols for biorisk situations, thereby demonstrating its preparedness and commitment to operating safely.”
Staples Center’s sanitization protocols will continue during live events, with or without guests inside the arena and throughout the office work spaces. Dedicated restroom attendants will be equipped with enhanced products and constantly work to keep these high-touch areas clean.
A team of “sanitization monitors” will constantly be auditing and evaluating all areas, especially high-touch guest areas such as arena seats and arm rests, escalator and stair handrails, faucets, soap dispensers and restroom fixtures which have been modified, where appropriate, to be touchless.
Staples Center’s heating ventilation and air conditioning system is equipped with AtmosAir Bipolar Ionization. Unlike most air purification systems, AtmosAir seeks out and neutralizes the contaminants at their source. The arena is also equipped with BluEco LCT System, the proprietary Liquid-Crystalline Turbex (LCT) technology, which is a molecular level airflow indoor climate management system. This innovative processor produces the highest quality of water while at the same time efficiently managing the interior airflow, cleansing the air of particulates, and allowing for significant energy savings.
Learn more about GBAC STAR accreditation at www.gbac.org.
