Safety at the 2008 Olympics

Safety at the 2008 Olympics

The Holland Heineken House has been the main hospitality venue for the Netherlands Olympic Committee since the 1994 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. During the Beijing Games in 2008, it received more than 100,000 national and international visitors, including VIPs and members of the Olympic Committee.

Set up in a large exhibition hall in the centre of Beijing, the Holland Heineken House was akin to a small village with numerous restaurants, exhibition stands and entertainment areas. In addition to the cultural and hospitality events, it offered on-site medical support throughout the Games.

“The idea of offering medical assistance really took shape at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin where we had set up an ice rink for the visitors and wanted to be able to respond to any accidents.” explains Erik van Vliet, Heineken’s Group Medical Adviser. “In China we knew the potential health and safety issues would be very different.”

To anticipate the medical support the Holland Heineken House would need in Beijing, van Vliet and his team undertook an exhaustive review of health-related risks, with the support of the local Dutch Embassy. The review covered a broad range of potential problem areas, including respiratory and other infections, road traffic safety, an assessment of local hospital conditions and the challenges of communicating with local medical staff.

Van Vliet was able to advise on the necessary medical facilities for the Holland Heineken House and establish contact between the project team and local health care providers. The project was supported by the Dutch medical volunteer organisation, Service Medical Foundation, and was coordinated with Chinese authorities to secure the services of a local ambulance, doctor and nurse.

Throughout the Games, the Holland Heineken House’s medical staff provided over 700 consultations, including 10 hospital referrals and two hospital admissions. “The feedback was fantastic,” says Erik, “so now we’re seeking to share our experience and expertise in this area with other corporate sponsors of the international Olympic committees, so they can do it too. We’re also busy preparing for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.”