According to Ontario’s Injury Prevention Strategy developed by the Ministry of Health Promotion, “Approximately 95% of all injuries are both predictable and preventable. The injuries result from unsafe environments, conditions and behaviours. By recognizing, changing, and controlling these factors, most injuries can be prevented.” To view the full report visit www.healthyontario.com.

In order to minimize the risk associated with participating in physical education and physical activity, Ophea developed the Ontario Physical Education Safety Guidelines (Safety Guidelines). These are a set of key documents to guide school boards and focus the attention of teachers, intramural supervisors and coaches onto safe practices. There are six components: Elementary and Secondary Curricular Programs, Elementary and Secondary Intramural Activities, and Elementary and Secondary Interschool Athletics. The Safety Guidelines were developed in partnership with the Ontario Association for the Supervision of Physical and Health Education (OASPHE), the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA), the Canadian Intramural Recreation Association – Ontario (CIRA-ON), and the Ontario School Board Insurance Exchange (OSBIE).

The Safety Guidelines have just undergone an entire review. Since 1999, there have been a number of yearly revisions/updates: upward of 30 new pages have been added and numerous revisions have addressed changes in equipment, regulations, etc. This latest, complete revision (2008) will ensure all educators in Ontario are using the most recent, up-to-date version of the documents.

Changes to the documents are made with input from provincial sport organizations, sport specific experts, educators, safety consultants and medical experts. The following partners are involved in the ongoing development/updating of the guidelines: OASPHE, OFSAA, CIRA-ON, and OSBIE.

Even though a teacher/coach/supervisor/administrator is familiar with previous safety practices of an activity, it is paramount for the safety of their students/athletes, that they read the entire document and implement the ‘revised’ safety criteria from the generic sections, sport/activity pages and appendices section of the 2008 revised Safety Guidelines.

The Safety Guidelines are a dynamic set of documents. Changes occur yearly, ensuring that they reflect the latest sport/activity changes and risk management practices. It is important for educators and school boards to check with Ophea on a regular basis to make sure that they are up to date. A newly designed website helps to make this easier.

Highlights of Major Changes:

Changes throughout the three modules (curricular, intramural and interschool):

• The most recent safety information was incorporated
• Inconsistencies were cleaned up
• Language was clarified
• Some activities were renamed (e.g. aquatics to swimming)
• Column content of the activity pages was re-organized

Generic Sections:

Statements have been added on:

• Higher risk management: placed at the beginning of each generic section (in response to OSBIE’s request) addressing: age and ability of students, educational value of each activity, consideration given to weather conditions
• Introductory statements on lightning and concussion
• Mandatory appendices
• Accessing outside activity providers
• Helmets – clarification on certified and alternative choices
• A definition of appropriate running shoes
• A new Daily Physical Activity pull-out section in the Elementary Curricular module

Activity Pages:

• Removal of grades from pages; provided suggested ratios/modifications for grade levels
• Removed ‘not recommended’ wording: activities are either appropriate or not appropriate
• Raised experience of coach/instructor to include involvement within the last 10 years
• Each page indicates the importance of referring to the generic section
• Goggles now mandatory in badminton
• Supervision ratios between instructed and free swim have been raised for aquatics
• The “Swim to Survive” test is now the standard across all water based activities
• Overall more consistency between interschool and curricular
• Teachers/instructors unfamiliar with an activity are encouraged to seek support/assistance before beginning the activity

Appendices

• New appendices added – Lightning Protocol, Sport Related Concussion, and Newly Purchased or Donated Fitness Equipment
• Letter to parents/guardians now collects medical info
• Request to Resume Activity page specific to concussion

New Website: Can be accessed through www.ophea.net/safety

The revised Safety Guidelines along with their associated services are now available in a new, interactive website which allows users to:

• Browse the complete documents
• View single pages
• Use the ‘Ask an Expert’ consultant service
• Search the FAQ database
• Request a new/revised page
• View safety workshop information
• View news and research feeds

How to access the Safety Guidelines and Services

The Safety Guidelines and associated services are available for purchase by school boards as the Safety Services Package. When school boards purchase the Safety Services Package they are provided with the password into the website. This password is provided to the school board’s Safety Guidelines or H&PE contact who has been identified to Ophea. A list of these contacts can be found on www.ophea.net/boardcontacts

Educators must obtain the password from their school board contact. Ophea will not give out the password.

Some school boards may modify the Safety Guidelines, that is, they may raise some of the standards. It is wise to check with your school board contact as to whether your board has done this, and, where they house their version of the Guidelines.

Access for Associate Members

Due to the increasing demand for the Safety Guidelines from groups other than Ontario School Boards, the Safety Guidelines are available for purchase either as a complete set or individual modules.

This may be of interest to;

• Activity providers e.g. climbing, gymnastics, day camps, outdoor education centers
• Educational institutions such as private schools
• University/College libraries (as reference documents only)
• Law firms
• Municipal recreation centers
  

Complying with the Safety Guidelines may assist school boards and schools with their planning and selection of outside activity providers.