Sports Field Safety Presenta2on Amy Sa5erfield, Director of Business Development
Who Is IEA? A consul2ng company providing trusted health and safety solu2ons
Presenta1on Take-Away Goals Understand the impact of field maintenance on concussions Learn the field tes2ng that meets the standard Iden2fy how districts can manage their turf hardness and concussions
Surface Impact Basic Physics: When a player falls the impact is absorbed either by: Playing surface The player s body The harder the surface: > amount of impact absorbed by the player = >chance of injury from fall Concern when head is body part impac2ng the turf
Summary of Reported Concussions Research indicates that 10% to 15% of concussions in American football are caused by head-to-surface contact. Between August 1, 2014 and June 30,2015, a sample of 39 public high schools in Minnesota reported 704 sports-related concussions. Number of concussions reported by gender August 2014-June 2015 Sport Male Female Alpine Skiing 2 2 Baseball 8 NA Basketball 25 68 Cheerleading 0 13 Cross-country 0 1 Dance Team 0 4 Football 261 NA Gymnas2cs 0 8 Hockey 36 49 Lacrosse 17 15 Nordic Skiing 2 3 Soccer 30 57 Soaball NA 6 Swimming & Diving 2 8 Tennis 0 1 Track & Field 0 6 Volleyball NA 42 Wrestling 37 1 Concussions Number of Concussions per Grade 187 167 158 149 9TH 10TH 11TH 12TH Grade
Athle1c Field Surfaces NATURAL GRASS TURF Natural grass turf that are overused or not maintained properly will result in thinning of the grass, compac2on, and exposing more soil resul2ng in a harder surface Surface hardness levels of natural grass fields can vary throughout the year depending on thickness and height of the grass, moisture levels, temperature and field use ARTIFICIAL SYNTHETIC TURF Ar2ficial synthe2c turf (maintained or not) may appear acceptable; however the cushion infill can be lost or redistributed resul2ng in a harder surface Ar2ficial synthe2c fields harden less than natural grass in freezing temperatures The infill and crumb rubber have been found to degrade as field use increases and hardens over 2me Significant compackon can occur on both natural and arkficial synthekc fields in high use areas
Turf Maintenance NATURAL GRASS TURF ARTIFICIAL SYNTHETIC TURF Traffic Pa5ern Zones Irriga2on System Design Aera2on Turf Health Weed Control NATURAL/ARTIFICAL TURF Surface Drainage Subsurface Drainage Surface Brushing every 4-6 weeks or aaer heavy rainfalls Surface Aera2ng 2x - 3x annually Surface Raking every 4-6 weeks Surface Sweeping as needed
What Is G-Max G-max tes2ng measures the shock absorbency of a field. The higher the G-max ra2ng =harder the field = greater risk to the athlete Ra2ng above 200 G-max is considered unsafe and the field should be taken out of play. (Per ASTM F-1936 Standard) Industry References Suggest: Recommended Fields maintained below 165 G-max Op2mal field between 80 and 150 G-max
Field Ra1ng Guide-Concussions AIS Severity Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) Severity Concussions Injury Proposed g range (Newman, 1989) 0 None 0-50 g 1 Headache, Dizziness 50-100 g 2 Unconscious < 1hr 100-150 g 3 Unconscious 1-6 hrs 150-200 g 4 Unconscious 6-24 hrs 200-250 g 5 Unconscious > 24hrs 250-300 g *Dynamic Research Inc.
Tes1ng Standard ASTM F1936 applies to the field tes2ng standard Tes2ng Equipment meets ASTM F355-10 Test Point loca2ons for mul2ple sport configura2ons Performance Requirements: Average g-max at each test loca2on less than 200 G s Test Procedure meets standard
Determine Tes1ng Frequency May be required for warranty May need to monitor a field with higher g-max for safety Need to determine maintenance program
ROI Tes1ng the Field: Maintenance Aspect Protect your investment Annual Tes2ng Benefits Install and Warranty Tes2ng Requirements Push Out Replacement Timeframe Establish a baseline measurement for poten2al future legal defense
ROI Tes1ng the Field: Safety Aspect Coaches aware of the playing condi2ons Maintain a safe playing surface and reduce injuries Create a management tool for tracking concussion training, incidents and field maintenance
Ques1on of the Day.. ARE TESTING & MANAGEMENT COSTS FUNDABLE??? LTFM UFAR 384 Site Projects
Thank You! Amy SaWerfield QUESTIONS? 763-315-7900 Amy.Sa5erfield@ieasafety.com www.ieasafety.com