SAFETY & EQUIPMENT

Sport Safety Through Risk Management

By its very nature, physical activity can present some risk of injury. At Football Canada "Safety" is our number 1 priority. One of the key responsibilities to be considered is to manage the potential risks that present themselves during practice or competition.

The main risk factors can be categorized as follows:

ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
Factors related to the weather and/or its effects on the site or location where the sport takes place.

Examples: Lightning, rain, puddles/mud on the playing surface, heat and humidity, cold

EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES RISKS
Factors related to the quality and operating conditions of the equipment and the facilities

Examples: ill-fitting helmet, debris on the playing surface, goal posts not padded

HUMAN RISKS
Factors related to the participants and to the people who are associated with them, such as parents, coaches, officials, and event organizers. Human risks may also be related to a participant's individual characteristics (e.g. height, weight, level of physical preparation, ability) or behaviour (e.g. carelessness, panic, aggression). Human factors related to coaches include their training and experience, their supervision of the participants, as well as their decisions they make about situations in which they place the participants.

Examples: matching participants of uneven strength and ability, failure to use proper teaching progressions for contact skills, like tackling & blocking.