The purpose of this paper is to look at the area of risk management with reference to the sport of swimming. There is no doubt that the ability to prevent any types of injury to athletes is of the utmost importance. The safety of the athletes should therefore be the primary concern of both facility managers and coaches. By working together, one would hope, that all unnecessary injuries could be prevented.

One of the most severe injuries that can occur is that of a spinal injury. The area of prevention that addresses this issue is that of spinal injury management and it will be looked at more closely later in this paper. Even with all the extra emphasis in this day and age on safety issues, these kinds of injuries are still far too prevalent. In 1996, Michael Berger and Judith Middleton state that in the United Kingdom, there are around 40,000 children each year that suffer from head injuries. Some of these individuals will have received severe injuries, in that they will have been unconscious for at least 20 minutes and so will most likely have suffered brain damage.

The sport of swimming has the obvious danger of drowning. There are also potential risks of spi

Anthony McCaskey and Kenneth Biedzynski (1996) explain that coaches are those principally the defendants in law suits as it is generally agreed that coaches have the most control of those individuals in their respective sports. A coach may be found negligent if he does not follow his duty to conform to a standard conduct that protects others from unreasonable risk of harm. Participants are termed as either those directly or indirectly under the control of the coach. Case law demonstrates that coaches responsibilities include: supervision, training and instruction, safe usage of all equipment, provided high quality assistants, warning of potential dangers, providing prompt and correct medical care, preventing injuries to competing athletes.

If starting blocks are removable, they should be during recreational periods and should be stored in a safe location. If they are not easily removable, then they should be coned off or clearly marking as out of use to recreational swimmers. All kick boards and pull buoys should be stored away in their correct location and not left strewn about the pool deck. Any item left on the pool deck is a hazard. Any risk management program would include keeping the deck clear of obstructions. The American Red Cross (1988) states that all rescue and first aid equipment should inspected on a regular basis. This equipment should also be easily accessible. Any piece of equipment that is found to be damaged in any way should be removed, repaired or replaced immediately. Following an emergency, all equipment that is used should be replaced promptly. Other areas should also be checked on a regular basis, such as the showers, locker rooms and restrooms which should be kept clean and hazard free. Coaches are also responsible for taking all necessary measures to ensure that all equipment used by their swimmers is of an adequate standard. This issue is far more critical in a contact sport such as football where inadequate padding may lead to serious injury.

According to the United States Swimming, Inc., 1998 Insurance Summary, all swimmers registered with United States Swimming are covered by the USS Insurance policy as long as the injury suffered by the member was received during an approved activity under the policy. All USS swimmers are covered when they are participating in competitions, meets or events sponsored or sanctioned by USS, participating in organized, scheduled practice sessions and in organized, supervised travel to and from sponsored and sanctioned events or organized, supervised practice sessions.

The ISTC explains that as a coach, it is your responsibility to know how to raise the alarm, how to get help form other staff members, how to initiate the appropriate rescue, who should summon the emergency services and so on. Qualified lifeguards are trained to act as a team in the case of an emergency, thus it is crucial for a coach or instructor to be able to contribute positively to an emergency situation. The Institute of Swimming Teachers and Coaches (May 1997) states that teachers and coaches must be trained in what to do in the case of an emergency and in turn should make the pupils understand and be aware of the procedures involved in the EAP. The pupils needs to know where to congregate in case of an emergency and possibly if they will be required to stand near a particular doorway to attract the attention of the advanced medical care when it arrives. The Institute of Swimming Teachers and Coaches (1996) stated that 93% of the schools in a survey had a formal emergency action plan. Two schools stated that they did not have one. Most of the schools in this survey had had swimming as part of their curriculum for more than six years.

Remember, consent must be obtained from the victim. To obtain this, the care provider must identify himself to the victim, give his level of training, explain what he thinks is wrong and then explain what he plans to do.

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Approximate Word count = 5107
Approximate Pages = 20 (250 words per page double spaced)