If
You Cannot Measure It You Cannot Manage It .....
"A
number of countermeasures have been introduced by sporting bodies in
an attempt to reduce injury. Rules have been modified in a
number of sports to enable children and / o r older persons to
participate more safely with their physical and physiological
capacity. Playing areas and duration have been reduced;
equipment has been modified in size and substance; rules have been
changed to provide more involvement and reduced chance of
injury. In addition, there has been a concerted effort to
encourage attendance at educational courses for coaches, sports
trainers and administrators.
The
use of protective equipment is far more vigilantly monitored than
previously was the case both during competition and training.
Why would one not expect an injury to take place where training
simulates competition? Many injuries have been avoided in sports
such as cricket with the introduction of helmets and faceguards and
extra padding for forearms, chest and hands. Mouthguards in
contact and some court sports and eye protection in squash and indoor
cricket are essential.
There
is undoubtedly some way to go in the design and use of protective
equipment. The soft helmet in football will not protect from the
concussive injury and, in fact, may contribute to heat and vision
problems as well as providing something else for opposition players to
grasp. The false sense of security offered by a soft helmet
might lead to more reckless behaviour by the wearer.
Pre-participation
screening is proving to be more accepted as individual weaknesses are
increasingly being identified as predisposing factors
to injury. It is, therefore, important for sporting clubs to
have access to a Sports Medicine team that can look after it's
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participants in the areas of prevention, management and rehabilitation
of injuries.
Parents
should be increasingly selective as to which sport and to which club
or organisation they entrust their children. They should
identify a club that has a good administrative structure from the
state level down and that has well-maintained playing, changing and
spectator areas; qualified and experienced coaches throughout the
grades and not just at senior level; an experienced sports medicine
professional in charge of safety; and a qualified sports trainer present at all competitions
in all grades".
As
risk managers, IEA plays an active role in working with its
sports clients to collect injury data. From this data trends can
often be identified and intervention strategies adopted to reduce the
incidence of injuries occurring in the sport. The result is a safer
sports environment, not just physically but also legally, financially
and ethically.
Note:
For the May 2000 edition of the QISU injury bulletin, and other
material, refer to their website at www.qisu.qld.gov.au
Written - By Rod Hughes, IEA Sport
IEA has offices in every state. National freecall
number 1800 SPORT 1
(1800
77678 1)
Email:info@ieasport.com.au
The editor of
the IEA Sport Monthly Update is joint Chief Executive Officer,
Rod Hughes.
Disclaimer The
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used as a reference only. IEA accepts no responsibility for the
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views of contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent
the views of IEA
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