Topic: Effective: June 2016 Cross-Reference: Review/Revision Date: May 2019 Responsibility: Risk Management Minimum Standard of Care for Interschool Athletics Halton District School Board Elementary and Secondary Physical Education Safety Guidelines Generic and Activityspecific pages); s: Environmental Factors and Physical Activity; Identification and Management of Concussions Superintendent of Education (School Programs, Secondary) INTENDED PURPOSE: The Halton District School Board is committed to the safety of all students while participating in inter-school athletics (practices, competitions, tournaments) both on and off school campus as part of an HDSB co-instructional program. In the interests of safety, the following minimum standards, as set by the OPHEA Provincial Safety Guidelines, HDSB Safety Guidelines and HDSB administrative procedures, must be followed. PROCEDURES: Risk Management: The following elements of risk must be taken into consideration by the teacher, coach, supervisor: age-appropriateness for the students'/athletes physical/mental abilities and behavioural patterns knowledge/experience and certification (where applicable) required of teachers/coaches in accordance with the HDSB Safety Guidelines appropriate supervision of activity as outlined in the HDSB Safety Guidelines (activity specific pages) environmental factors (e.g., thunder and lightning, high winds, extreme temperatures and inclement weather) in terms of site appropriateness and/or cancellation/postponement minimum standards required of each sport/activity. These can be found in the HDSB Elementary and Secondary Safety Guidelines (Interschool modules) which are reviewed annually. Specifically, they include information on: o Guidelines o Equipment: Personal/Non-Personal/Helmets o Clothing, Footwear and Jewellery o Facilities o Special Rules/Instructions o Supervision o Coaching Certification Each school must appoint a Department Head or Administrator who is responsible for the Interschool Athletic program, this includes ensuring that each coach is familiar with the school board s coaching philosophy and relevant documents, as well as to ensure each coach meets the specific coaching certifications and first aid requirements.
The IPL for Secondary HPE and K-12 Safety will schedule the regular inspection/repair of all gymnasium facilities and associated equipment as indicated in the following schedule: Secondary Schools annually K-8, 1-8, Middle Schools every second year Junior Schools every third year There are many common guidelines for inter-school athletic safety that apply to all sports/ activities. Such commonalities are: A. Coaching Qualifications and Expectations o All new coaches must go through an approval process by school administrator/designate to determine the individual s ability to coach the activity and ensure that the individual has the knowledge and experience, and, where required, the necessary qualifications (e.g. higher risk sports) to safely coach the activity. o All current coaches should maintain and possess the minimum coaching qualifications for their activity/sport as outlined in the HDSB Safety Guidelines (Interschool Module) o Each season, coaches must attend the HSSAA Coaches Meeting to obtain important information about the upcoming season and safety updates o Volunteer coaches must go through a formalized application process and be approved by the school administrator/designate. All volunteers require a Criminal Reference Check with Vulnerable Sector Search B. First Aid Requirements and Expectations (Higher and Lower Risk Activities) The minimum requirement for first aid coverage of lower risk activities is the presence of an individual who takes responsibility for providing first aid to injured participants throughout the entirety of a practice and competition. Effective September 1st, 2016, the minimum requirement for first aid coverage of higher risk activities is the presence of a supervisor that must have current first aid certification, which includes training in CPR, AED, and spinal injury. Athletic activities are categorized as follows: Higher Risk Sports Alpine Skiing/Snowboarding Archery Broomball Ice Cheerleading Acrobatic Cycling/Mountain Biking Diving Springboard/Tower Dragon Boat Racing Fencing Field Hockey Football Tackle Gymnastics Hockey Ice Lacross4e Field/Box Ringette Ice Roller (inline) Hockey Rowing Rugby
Swimming and Synchronized Swimming Track and Field Discus Track and Field High Jump Track and Field Javelin Track and Field Pole Vault Track and Field Shot Put Track and Field Steeplechase Triathalon Swimming/Running/Cycling Water Polo Weight Lifting/ Olympic Weight Lifting Wrestling Lower Risk Sports Badminton Baseball - Hardball Basketball Bowling / Lawn Bowling Cricket Cross-Country Running/Orienteering Cross-Country Skiing Curling Floorball Football Flag/Touch Golf Handball Wall Soccer Indoor/Outdoor Softball Fastpitch Softball Lob-ball/Slo-Pitch/Three Pitch Squash Table Tennis Team Handball Tennis Track and Field Hurdles Track and Field Track Events Track and Field Triple Jump/Long Jump Ultimate Disc Volleyball Volleyball - Beach For the purposes of providing first aid at practices and competitions (on or off school sites), the team coach or designate is responsible for the following for each of their own students/athletes: having access to the students Interschool Permission Form and Medical Information Form inclusive of parent/guardian/emergency contact information; identifying athletes with medical condition(s) (e.g., allergies, asthma, diabetes, previous concussion, etc.) managing those medical conditions and providing for any emergency first aid as needed
ensuring first aid kits are available, appropriately stocked and accessible (see Appendix D: Sample First Aid Kit) ensuring there is a suitable means of communication on site (e.g., phone) in event of emergency, e.g. contact parent, call 911 being knowledgeable of the board or sites Emergency Action Plan identifying and managing a suspected concussion and following up with parents/admin/ems using HDSB Concussion Protocol implementing universal precautions when dealing with blood or bodily fluids (e.g., first aid gloves) completing Board/school required student injury/accident reports and OSBIE Incident Reports as required and notifying the parent/guardian, Principal, Health and Physical Education Department Heads (if applicable) and the appropriate Board official(s) NOTE: The team coach or designate must not be involved in running the practice /coaching the game while first aid is being administered. For the purposes of providing first aid when hosting a competition/tournament (on or off school site) the team coach or designate/convenor of a competition or tournament is responsible for the following: being knowledgeable of the board or sites Emergency Action Plan providing for first aid coverage ensuring that first aid kits are available, appropriately stocked and accessible (see Appendix D: Sample First Aid Kit) ensuring that there is a suitable means of communication on site (e.g., phone) in event of emergency, e.g. contact parent, call 911 implementing universal precautions when dealing with blood or bodily fluids (e.g., first aid gloves) NOTE: If possible, the competition convenor should be free of coaching duties in order to deal with emergencies. C. In-charge persons Prior to the start of any practice/competition, an in-charge person must be identified to all players/teams/ coaches/groups involved in the activity. Examples of who might assume this role include: coach of the home team convenor of the tournament game official HSSAA convenor IPL for Secondary HPE and K-12 Safety While the in charge person may be responsible for first aid, as per above, the in-charge person also has the responsibility to ensure: the locations of the fire alarms/exits and alternative exit routes, known to all participants; the environment in which athletes will play is safe for practice/competition. This can be done by completing a pre-activity check of the facilities (e.g.; playing field, floor, ice, etc.); game/match officials are certified in all high risk sports; consideration is given to all environmental factors -- Thunder and Lightning, High Winds, Extreme Temperatures, and Inclement Weather[1]. Safety precautions and protocols must be communicated to all participants and spectators in response to environmental risks.
D. Interschool Permission Form and Medical Information Form The Interschool Permission Form and Medical Information Form must be completed and signed by the parent/guardian on behalf of their child PRIOR to the first try out for EACH sport in which their child is a participant. Coaches shall have access to the completed Interschool Permission Form and Medical Information Form at all practices and competitions. Coaches shall inform parents/guardians and discuss with students/athletes, the risks associated with the sport prior to the start of the season and outline ways in which the risks can be minimized, including concussion prevention. E. Medical Conditions At the beginning of the school year, teachers/coaches need to be aware of the medical background and physical limitations of their student athletes. This will include, but is not limited to, knowledge of conditions such as heart disorders, asthma, diabetes, severe allergies, anaphylaxis, previous concussions. Each school has a process by which medical information is made available to teachers/coaches at the beginning of the school year and throughout the year as needed. Coaches are to ensure familiarization with their school s process. Based on the information provided by parents/guardians of the Medical Information Form, coaches should review the board s medical condition protocols (e.g., Concussion Protocol, Asthma Protocol, etc.). Students who demonstrate signs or symptoms of a concussion while at school will be required to seek medical examination through a medical doctor or nurse practitioner. Contact will be made with parents and the proper forms will be sent home with the student. Students will not be able to participate in any physical activity until the required minimum 24 hours has passed, no sign or symptoms have been observed, and Form C-3 has been signed and returned to the school. Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome (SADS) refers to a variety of cardiac disorders which are often genetic and undiagnosed that can be responsible for sudden death in young, apparently healthy people. Because physical activity is a common trigger for many sudden cardiac deaths, it is important for teachers/coaches to recognize possible symptoms/warning signs: fainting or seizure during physical activity fainting or seizure resulting from emotional excitement, emotional distress or being startled (e.g. a sudden loud noise such as a school fire alarm system) For more information visit the SADS website. F. Return to Physical Activity after Injury or Illness If a student-athlete is returning from an injury or illness that did not involve a concussion, but required medical attention, parents/guardians are to complete and submit the Return to Physical Activity: Non-Concussion Medical Illnesses and Injuries Form (Appendix B) as found in the HDSB Elementary and Secondary Physical Education Safety Guidelines, Interschool Module. If a student-athlete misses a practice/game due to a concussion related injury, then the HDSB Concussion Protocol must be followed. Transportation and Travel Coaches must be aware of and adhere to the procedures for the transportation of students and ensure that parents/guardians have completed the required permission forms prior to transporting student-athletes.