| Safety is a concern to education
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| | or lying atop deflated balls. The result
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| administrators in today's lawsuit-happy
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| | can be torn covers, reduced cushioning in
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| society. It should be of particular
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| | mats and the need for frequent
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| concern around a school gymnasium because
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| | replacement.
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| the gym is an area that generates a large
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| | A few minutes spent educating your
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| number of student injuries.
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| | students on proper replacement of
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| Unfortunately, injuries are often the
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| | equipment could prevent some of this
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| result of common but inconspicuous
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| | damage.
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| equipment and facility hazards.
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| | 4. JUNGLE GYMS AND CLIMBERS
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| To identify some typical injury risks, I
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| | Hazards include exposed hardware such as
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| contacted Cliff Knuff, a consultant who
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| | nuts, bolts, and worn or loose pulleys,
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| performs school safety checks as part of
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| | fasteners, cables and locking devices.
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| his duties with The Vinyl Doctor out of
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| | All hardware should be tightened and
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| Val Caron, Ontario. Described below are
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| | exposed fasteners can sometimes be
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| some of the safety hazards Cliff often
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| | relocated or given a protective plastic
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| sees in the course of his safety
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| | covering. Also check that mats - not just
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| inspections.
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| | carpeting - are placed beneath such
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| 1. VOLLEYBALL NETS & FIXTURESa. The welds
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| | climbers.
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| that connect the angled supports to the
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| | 5. Gymnasium Walls
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| bottom of volleyball posts often become
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| | Hazards on gym walls include fi re
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| broken and jagged. These can be re-welded
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| | extinguishers and their fastening hooks,
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| and covered with a protective plastic
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| | electrical panels with doors that pop
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| covering.b. The crank used for tightening
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| | open, unpadded walls and stage edges
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| the volleyball net is often at a
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| | beneath basketball backboards, and
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| student's eye-level. They can be replaced
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| | storage doors beneath stages that pop
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| with a collapsible handle and lowered to
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| | open or have exposed hardware that can be
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| an area near the floor, within the angled
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| | bumped against.
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| supports where they will cause little
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| | INSPECTION TIPS
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| damage.c. The holes in the gym floor that
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| | If you plan to perform a walk-around
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| accept the volleyball and badminton posts
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| | inspection yourself, Cliff has a good
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| are often lost or left flipped up. They
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| | tip. Look at your facilities from the eye
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| can trip students and break fingers if
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| | level of your students - even if it means
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| fallen upon.
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| | getting down on your hands and knees.
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| 2. MATS
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| | Schools were built and are maintained by
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| The vinyl covering on mats often cracks
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| | adults, and it's easy to overlook
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| and becomes worn, exposing the rough,
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| | situations that are safe for us but are a
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| webbed "scrim" beneath. This rough
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| | hazard for people half our size.
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| surface can cause cuts and abrasions. And
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| | A PROFESSIONAL INSPECTION - ADVANTAGES
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| the covering on old mats often flakes
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| | You might also wish to have a
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| off. These flakes can end up in a
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| | professional safety inspection performed.
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| student's eye. The solution is to either
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| | There are several advantages to having
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| replace these mats or to have them
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| | professionals perform your inspection.
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| re-covered.
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| | First, such companies know what hazards
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| 3. STORAGE AREAS
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| | to look for and may identify situations
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| Equipment is often hastily and
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| | you have overlooked.
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| dangerously put away. A good example is a
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| | Second, in the event of a lawsuit, you
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| volleyball standard placed upright on a
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| | can use a professional inspection as
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| mat. Any student tugging on the mat is in
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| | evidence that you do take careful
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| danger of being struck by the volleyball
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| | precautions to ensure a safe building.
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| standard. Another problem is placement of
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| | Third, some schools have apparently
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| equipment on the floor, requiring
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| | received reductions in insurance premiums
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| students to walk on top of it to access
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| | as a result of having an inspection
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| the rest of the room.
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| | performed.
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| In addition to safety hazards, improper
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| | And finally, you'll know yourself that
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| storage may cause hundreds of dollars of
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| | you've done everything possible to ensure
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| damage to equipment each year. A common
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| | a safe environment for your students.
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| example is equipment left on top of mats
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