By ISSA and R.V. Baugus
With the Major League Baseball regular season returning on April 1, many fans may be wondering what a day at the ballpark will be like this season. The Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, today announced that Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla., home to the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals during spring training; American Family Field in Milwaukee, home to the Milwaukee Brewers; Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, home to the Cincinnati Reds; and T-Mobile Park in Seattle, home of the Seattle Mariners have achieved GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation.
“GBAC is proud to be working closely with many MLB stadiums so their teams know how to prepare, respond, 
and recover from infectious disease risks,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “Spectators, players, and employees can rest assured that accredited facilities prioritize cleanliness at every opportunity to enable safer sports.”
The three MLB stadiums join Oracle Park in San Francisco, home of the San Francisco Giants, in completing the performance-based program, with four other stadiums currently in the process of accreditation. Accredited facilities follow GBAC STAR’s strict 20-step program, which includes the proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques, and best practices to combat biohazards and infectious diseases, such as the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19.
Target Center in Minneapolis and Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix, both with seating capacity for nearly 20,000 attendees, also join the list of newly accredited stadiums and arenas.
The latest accredited facilities include:
Convention Centers
Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Conn.
Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau in Grapevine, Texas
Infinite Energy Convention Center in Duluth, Ga.
Spokane Convention Center in Spokane, Wash.
Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo, Utah
Performing Arts Center
Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago
Stadiums and Arenas
American Family Field/Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club in Milwaukee, home to the MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers
Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla., home to the MLB’s Houston Astros and Washington Nationals during spring training
ExtraMile Arena at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho
Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, home to the MLB’s Cincinnati Reds
Infinite Energy Center Arena in Duluth, Ga.
Palmer Event Center in Austin, Texas
Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix
Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., home of four minor league baseball teams
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Wash.
T-Mobile Park in Seattle, home to the MLB’s Seattle Mariners
Target Center in Minneapolis
“GBAC STAR accredited facilities have the proper procedures, training, chemistry, equipment, tools, personal protective equipment, and infection control in place,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “Organizations around the world, including many professional sports venues, have found value in the program and are making facilities safer for everyone who walks through their doors.”
Learn more and apply for GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation at gbac.org/star.
Find accredited facilities and those pursuing accreditation via the GBAC STAR Facility Directory at gbac.org/directory.
IAVM members seeking to apply for accreditation through GBAC, please use the link https://gbac.issa.com/iavm/!
