A safe night at the opera in Lyon

Securitas has been responsible for fire safety and public protection at the Lyons Opera House since 1999. The service it provides in this role is tailor-made for the requirements of the site, focusing on the competence and autonomy of the security guards.

The Lyons Opera House is a monument to French architectural heritage, and the company has made security one of its top priorities. “Security is essential for our work to run smoothly, both on a day-to-day basis and during our 110 annual performances,” says Dominique Chambaz, Managing Director of Lyons Opera House. 42 metres high, divided into 18 storeys, this immense cultural building is subject to two sets of regulations: IGH for high-rise buildings, and ERP for establishments open to the public. Securitas has fully catered for the needs of the site by setting up a competent, autonomous team to handle its responsibility for fire safety and public protection.

A well-qualified team

The main strength of Securitas’ approach is the constant presence of three SSIAP (Fire Safety and Personal Protection Services) level 1 and 2 qualified guards during the day, supported by a level 3 SSIAP guard from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm and during performances. “This measure goes beyond legal requirements. It was needed in order to apply our company policy: delegating security to our service-provider,” Dominique Chambaz adds.

There are several different tasks involved, from supporting the fire safety team leader to developing the safety mechanisms during meetings of the safety committee. “This means that Securitas’ role includes making proposals when mechanisms get out-of-date and need to be modified or modernised,” Dominique Chambaz notes.

The high quality of the 16-strong Securitas team is also demonstrated by the level of qualification of the team members, who are all SSIAP-qualified, meaning that they are trained for emergency intervention. “They provide a constant security presence on the site in the form of four guards during the day and two at night,” Dominique Chambaz explains.

The work of the security team, from controlling access to monitoring the public during performances, is adapted to the life of the opera house. This means avoiding stampedes if the building needs to be evacuated, providing first aid, preparing for the arrival of fire-fighters, stepping in when a major technical failure takes place during a performance, etc. In all this, the competence of the guards has proven its worth.

Certified competence

During performances, the Lyons Opera house is under the control of the Securitas team. The three guards, including the team leader, are supported by an SSIAP level 3 qualified guard. This comprehensive mechanism enables a high-performance fire safety and public protection service to be provided. Bomb alerts and illnesses in the auditorium are both frequent and likely. For this reason, all Securitas guards hold the emergency first-aider certificate which is frequently renewed so that they can intervene immediately if there is a problem in the auditorium. This on-site service leaves nothing to chance, especially given that the auditorium can hold up to 1,200 people.

Vital statistics

Lyons Opera House in figures:

  • The building is 42 metres tall and covers 18 floors, 5 of which are below ground. Its volume is approximately 77,000 m3
  • 350 people work on the site: artists (singers, musicians and dancers), technical staff (machine operators, lighting engineers and props staff), and administrative staff
  • 110 performances are put on annually
  • The auditorium can hold up to 1,200 people
  • There are 16 guards in the Securitas team, including three SSIAP level 3 guards, 5 SSIAP level 2 guards and 8 SSIAP level 1 guards
  • 1 SSIAP level 3 guard is on site during the day from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm and during performances

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