The logistics of hosting the London Olympic Games a cause for concern
London Olympic Stadium
When the new stadium for the 2012 London Olympic Games is complete it will stand as a testament to the hard work of thousands of construction workers, plumbers, electricians and engineers, and it won’t look too bad either. Not only is the iconic Olympic construction designed to seat 80,000 spectators, host the opening and closing ceremonies and serve as a launch pad for Usain Bolt’s ridiculous speed, it is also intended to leave a lasting legacy for the British public.
If the UK manages to maintain the stadium as a financially viable resource (which they intend to do by converting it to a 25,000 capacity stadium for other international athletics meetings and possibly football and rugby events), they will be one of the few Olympic hosts who make a profit out of the expense and effort that goes into Olympic construction.
The stadium’s lasting legacy as a sports centre is perhaps less important to the British public than the permanent employment opportunities that result from the London Olympic Games. According to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), construction of the London Olympic Park for the 2012 Games will create a total of 30,000 jobs. Between 9,000 and 10,000 construction workers will be needed when construction for the Olympic Park peaks in 2009/2010. In October, 7,270 were at work on the both the Olympic Park and Olympic Village and that’s not counting the people involved in the Aquatic Centre.
Construction Workers at Rockerfeller Center
Imagine, for a minute if you will, the demands that so many workers place on the work environment. It must be a logistical nightmare ensuring that all the health and safety requirements are met at each site, that there is proper sanitation and that there are enough HR officers available to manage all of the employee-related work issues that are part and parcel of such a large workforce.
The ODA has already had to deal with some pretty serious issues, such as the report on health and safety by the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) members who work on Olympic construction sites. According to the report, many employers are failing their workers in terms of health and safety conditions, particularly with regard to lack of appropriate signage, unprotected excavations and not reporting accidents. In addition, construction for the 2012 London Olympic Games has been marred by reports of intimidation and harassment of workers by employers and police.
Safety First
The ODA has hit back at reports of malpractice, saying “The ODA claims that it is a wonderful employer, but because of the system of subcontracting out to dodgy employers, workers’ lives are being put at risk … it shows how dedicated, skilled and watchful these workers are when faced with such conditions. Workers deserve to work in conditions dictated by their needs, not by what employers think they can get away with.”
However, not everyone is happy with the ODA; the British Toilet Association (BTA) first raised concerns about the number of portable loos and fixed units at Olympic construction sites in 2008. The London Development Agency consulted with the BTA in June of 2008, but nothing much came of it. Mike Bone, BTA director, says, “The Olympic Delivery Authority wasn’t hugely receptive to our ideas.”
Apparently, one of BTA’s members was told that there would be no need for portable loos at the London Olympic Games because all toilets would be fixed. Later it emerged that at least 10,000 portable loos would be required to cope with the millions of people who are expected to attend the 2012 Games in London. It wouldn’t be the first time that Olympic hosts have under-estimated the sanitation requirements of such a large international event. The Olympics in Athens, Sydney, LA and Barcelona all lacked sufficient fixed, portable and disabled toilets.
No Toilets
Bones says, “A supplier of portable toilets received a late emergency order for a large number of toilets for the 2008 Beijing Olympics because the Beijing authorities had overlooked the fact that Western toilets are very different from the type used in the Far East. We may face the same problem in reverse in 2012.”
While those attending the London Olympic Games may be left in the lurch when it comes to portable toilets, at least workers on the Olympic construction sites haven’t had cause to complain about sanitation – yet.
Other sites of interest:
UK Stage Hire: UK stage hire covers all of the UK counties
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