Danger Areas in School Gymnasium and Sport Facilities

Safety is a concern to education administrators ineach year. A common example is equipment left on
today's lawsuit-happy society. It should be oftop of mats or lying atop deflated balls. The result
particular concern around a school gymnasiumcan be torn covers, reduced cushioning in mats and
because the gym is an area that generates a largethe need for frequent replacement.
number of student injuries.A few minutes spent educating your students on
Unfortunately, injuries are often the result ofproper replacement of equipment could prevent
common but inconspicuous equipment and facilitysome of this damage.
hazards.4. JUNGLE GYMS AND CLIMBERS
To identify some typical injury risks, I contacted CliffHazards include exposed hardware such as nuts,
Knuff, a consultant who performs school safetybolts, and worn or loose pulleys, fasteners, cables
checks as part of his duties with The Vinyl Doctorand locking devices. All hardware should be tightened
out of Val Caron, Ontario. Described below are someand exposed fasteners can sometimes be relocated
of the safety hazards Cliff often sees in the courseor given a protective plastic covering. Also check that
of his safety inspections.mats - not just carpeting - are placed beneath such
1. VOLLEYBALL NETS & FIXTURESa. The welds thatclimbers.
connect the angled supports to the bottom of5. Gymnasium Walls
volleyball posts often become broken and jagged.Hazards on gym walls include fi re extinguishers and
These can be re-welded and covered with atheir fastening hooks, electrical panels with doors that
protective plastic covering.b. The crank used forpop open, unpadded walls and stage edges beneath
tightening the volleyball net is often at a student'sbasketball backboards, and storage doors beneath
eye-level. They can be replaced with a collapsiblestages that pop open or have exposed hardware
handle and lowered to an area near the floor, withinthat can be bumped against.
the angled supports where they will cause littleINSPECTION TIPS
damage.c. The holes in the gym floor that accept theIf you plan to perform a walk-around inspection
volleyball and badminton posts are often lost or leftyourself, Cliff has a good tip. Look at your facilities
flipped up. They can trip students and break fingers iffrom the eye level of your students - even if it
fallen upon.means getting down on your hands and knees.
2. MATSSchools were built and are maintained by adults, and
The vinyl covering on mats often cracks andit's easy to overlook situations that are safe for us
becomes worn, exposing the rough, webbed "scrim"but are a hazard for people half our size.
beneath. This rough surface can cause cuts andA PROFESSIONAL INSPECTION - ADVANTAGES
abrasions. And the covering on old mats often flakesYou might also wish to have a professional safety
off. These flakes can end up in a student's eye. Theinspection performed. There are several advantages
solution is to either replace these mats or to haveto having professionals perform your inspection.
them re-covered.First, such companies know what hazards to look for
3. STORAGE AREASand may identify situations you have overlooked.
Equipment is often hastily and dangerously put away.Second, in the event of a lawsuit, you can use a
A good example is a volleyball standard placed uprightprofessional inspection as evidence that you do take
on a mat. Any student tugging on the mat is incareful precautions to ensure a safe building.
danger of being struck by the volleyball standard.Third, some schools have apparently received
Another problem is placement of equipment on thereductions in insurance premiums as a result of having
floor, requiring students to walk on top of it toan inspection performed.
access the rest of the room.And finally, you'll know yourself that you've done
In addition to safety hazards, improper storage mayeverything possible to ensure a safe environment for
cause hundreds of dollars of damage to equipmentyour students.