GENERAL SAFETY (West London Minor Hockey)

ALLIANCE HOCKEY Digital Network

PrintGENERAL SAFETY
GENERAL SAFETY  (Check the website frequently for other safety notices sent out by Hockey Canada and/or the Alliance.)


Hockey Helmets

On Ice Staff & Helmets

All team officials and on ice helpers must wear a CSA approved helmet during all sanctioned on ice instruction and activities.

Water Bottles

Over the past year there has been concern shown over the potential health risks related to the sharing of water bottles by players, officials, coaches and other participants. The Canadian Hockey Safety Program recommends the following protocol as it relates to the use of water bottles:

"Good team hygiene includes ensuring all players and staff have their own water bottles to prevent the transmission of viruses and bacteria. Bottles should be labeled and washed after each practice or game."

It is further recommended that officials avoid the practice of drinking from the goaltenders water bottle. If officials require water during a game, we suggest they have their own water bottle at the penalty bench.

Good hygienic practices will help to maintain a healthy team atmosphere and ultimately assist in keeping all participants healthy throughout the season.

Mouth Guards

In 2000-2001 it began that all West Hockey Players from Tyke to Midget were required to wear a mouth guard.  Unfortunately as this is not a mandatory requirement from either the Alliance or any of the other Associations within London the Board feels that we can no longer enforce this as a mandatory requirement within West London.  We do however continue to support this as a recommendation for the reasons noted below.

Advantages of Mouth Guards:

They prevent the tongue, lips and cheeks from being lacerated against the sharp edges of the maxillary teeth.

They lessen the risk of injury to the anterior maxillary teeth by about 90%.

They lessen the risk of damage to the posterior teeth of either jaw following a blow delivered to the inferior aspect of the mandible, which causes traumatic closure of the mandible to occur. Such impact can cause cusp fractures and tooth infractions.

They lessen the risk of jaw fractures by absorbing the energy of a traumatic blow to the chin.

They help protect against concussions by serving as a shock absorber. A mouth guard can reduce the rate of concussion by preventing the condyle (lower jaw hinge) from being forced into the base of the brain (temporal bone) at impact.

A hockey helmet does not prevent the above injuries!

Head off Trouble

Your Hockey-playing child crashes into the boards. The smack of their head against the ice sends shivers up your spine, but they quickly stumble to their feet, shake it off and race toward the puck. He/she must be fine, you think. Maybe not....

"A lot of people still think about concussion as a loss of consciousness but that is only one of may possible signs," says Michael Collins, a neuropsychologist at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, who has studied head injuries in college football players. Symptoms can also include confusion, dizziness, nausea, lethargy, memory loss, slurred speech and personality changes.

Concussions, even seemingly mild ones, can affect the ability to think and reason, especially if the player suffers a number of injuries over time and if he returns to play before he has completely recovered.

Coaches, parents and athletes need to be aware of the signs and treatments of concussion.

For more information check out the Ontario Brain Injury Association site at www.obia.on.ca or

www.hockeyinjuries.com