Spectators at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games may be allowed to bring their own bottled drinks into event venues, marking a major departure from past security procedures, organizers indicated Thursday.

The proposed step is among a raft of countermeasures outlined by the local organizing committee to protect the health of visitors, volunteers and athletes who may experience extreme heat and humidity during Tokyo's summer.

Other measures include patrols of venues by staff with first-aid training, as well as the installation of "cool spots" for spectators that provide shade and cooling fans.

Ticketholders have been prevented from carrying liquids into past Olympic and other major sporting event venues due to anti-terrorism concerns, as well as to uphold commercial arrangements with sponsors.

[Getty/Kyodo]

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Tokyo Games organizers will still consider safety issues and the branding rights of major sponsors, including Coca-Cola Co., in formulating rules on the use of drink bottles, according to Tokyo 2020 Games delivery officer Hidemasa Nakamura.

"We have set a number of conditions to allow spectators to bring their own bottled drinks," Nakamura said.

"This is all aimed at making spectators feel as comfortable as possible, given they have come to see events in a very hot and humid environment."

Nakamura said that while Tokyo's average summertime temperatures are similar to those of other recent host cities, including Beijing, the Japanese capital's high humidity presents a unique challenge.

To reduce the time spectators wait to undergo security checks outside of venues, organizers will distribute transparent plastic bags for their belongings in advance, Nakamura said.

They will also provide information about weather conditions and safety precautions through the official mobile app.

First aid staff will be able to provide treatment for heat-related conditions on site, or arrange rapid transportation to outside medical facilities where necessary, Nakamura said.

Nakamura emphasized that the countermeasures are still a work in progress, with the organizers continuing to consult athletes and sports governing bodies.

Some of the steps will be trialed at upcoming games test events, as well as at the popular Koshien summer high school baseball tournament, he said.

"We alone cannot come up with the best ideas. That's why we've invited athletes and other groups, so we can get all kinds of comments about the best ways to fight the heat," he said.

"The countermeasures include a specific focus on the elderly, children and international visitors," Nakamura said, adding that the organizers will survey visitors to Japan to get a better idea about the kind of information foreign spectators may need.

Nakamura said provisions would be made to cancel or reschedule events if extreme weather were to pose a significant safety risk.

"Generally speaking, if it becomes difficult to continue due to weather conditions, we do have some provisions, but they are not strictly defined by temperature or humidity levels," he said.

The organizers announced in April that the men's and women's Olympic marathons would start at 6 a.m. to minimize the runners' exposure to the heat.