CIV Fitness/S&C Steven Tikkanen – F129 1 Sutherland College Health & Recreation Semester Version 1

SPORT SAFETY AND LAW BEGINNING COACHING THIRD EDITION CHAPTER 7

SPORT SAFETY To be effective in the area of sport safety the coach must be familiar with:  Injury prevention  Injury management  Types and usage of safety and protective equipment  Fluid replacement  Importance of referral  Other personnel involved in injury prevention

SPORT SAFETY Injury prevention Pre-participation screening A sport that suits the athletes physical stature and ability Pre-activity questionnaire Warm-ups, stretching and cool downs Fitness More common when athlete is fatigued. Obeying the rules

SPORT SAFETY Playing areas, facilities and equipment Environmental conditions Fluid replacement Managing existing injuries properly Illness, medical conditions and participation Balanced competitions Unconscious athlete DRABC

SPORT SAFETY Conscious athlete Stop – talk – observe HARM Heat Alcohol Running Massage RICER

COACHING AND THE LAW Duty of care A duty of care is a duty imposed on one person to take care of another. Before you owe a duty of care to another person there are two prerequisites: The harm must be reasonably foreseeable There must be some form of relationship

COACHING AND THE LAW Duty of care A person will only be liable in negligence if the injured person can prove that: The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care The defendant was in breach of that duty of care The defendant’s breach of duty of care was the cause of the plaintiff’s loss The damage suffered by the plaintiff was not too remote

COACHING AND THE LAW  The coach and the duty of care  There are common factors that are considered relevant when deciding if someone has breached the standard of care: ▪ Magnitude of the risk – the larger the risk, the higher the standard of care ▪ The probability of the risk of injury – the higher the probability, the higher the standard of care ▪ The gravity of the harm – either where the activity is dangerous or where the person is particularly susceptible, the standard of care increases ▪ The difficulty and expense of eliminating the risk – the easier it is to eliminate the risk, the less likely a failure to take these steps will be justifiable

COACHING AND THE LAW Standards The standard of care of a coach will be measured against that of the coach’s peers.

COACHING AND THE LAW  Legal responsibilities of the coach 1.A safe environment 2.Activities must be adequately planned 3.Athletes must be evaluated for injury or incapacity 4.Young athletes should not be mismatched 5.Safe and proper equipment should be provided

COACHING AND THE LAW  Legal responsibilities of the coach 6.Athletes must be warned of the inherent risks of the sport 7.Activities must be closely supervised 8.Coaches should know first aid 9.Clear written rules for practice and general conduct are necessary 10.Coaches should keep accurate records

COACHING AND THE LAW Determining negligence Even if a coach owes a duty of care, the damage or injury must be directly attributable to the actions of the defendant. Causation is concerned with establishing whether or not the negligence of the defendant was responsible for the injury.

COACHING AND THE LAW Limiting liability Indemnity form (exclusion clauses) All care, no responsibility The courts take a very dim view of exclusion clauses, and have established a stringent set of rules to limit their scope. This is because, as a matter of public policy, an individual should not have to give away all their rights just to participate.

COACHING AND THE LAW Suggestions Develop a mission statement Establish priorities Audit available resources Review the club’s written safety procedures Evaluate the coach training program Examine your equipment and maintenance schedule Look at the club’s injury record