'Tis the Season for Sport and Recreation Risk Management

Winter months are prime season for all sorts of accidents and injuries. Winter weather is a prime source of accidents and injuries. Any sport that requires transporting participants, spectators and others means the possibility that motor vehicle accidents will occur from snow, ice, rain and fog conditions. Parking lots and walkways can become skating rinks, resulting in slip and falls. Water tracked into facilities can also lead to slip and falls. Employees and volunteers of sport and recreational facilities can be injured from chores and activities related to snow removal and in the course and scope of their duties in bad weather.

All of the aforementioned risks have nothing to do with the actual participation in sports and recreation. There are certainly risks that are associated with sports that are designed for cold weather and there are risks associated with sports and recreation that are incidentally played in poor weather.

Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, hockey, ice skating and other winter sports are designed to be enjoyed in snow or ice. However, poor risk management planning can increase the risk of these activities. For example, a blizzard can make visibility on the ski slopes very limited. Avalanches can make the ski slopes deadly. Thin ice or poor ice conditions are hazardous to outdoor skating. On the other hand, there are sports like football that are played partly during the winter season and cold, snow and ice can be factors.

Careful consideration should be made to weather and consequent hazardous conditions when conducting risk management planning. Some of the general questions that should be asked are as follows: 1. What weather conditions should be considered? 2. How can hazards from weather conditions be avoided? 3. Are there rules that should be implemented for certain weather conditions? 4. What conditions must be present before play or participation is stopped? 5. Does insurance cover hazardous conditions? 6. Have known hazards been warned against? 7. Are participants using equipment appropriate for weather conditions? 8. What precautions can be made to protect participants and patrons from adverse weather conditions?

With additional risk management planning before cold weather approaches, organizations can go a long way to prevent accidents and injuries.