TRAFFORD MV RFCC

Youth Rugby Injuries

Accident and Incident Reporting Guidelines

To ensure the health, safety and welfare of its volunteers, members and visitors to the club TMV RFCC recognises its duty to report and record specific incidents that occur during the course of its activities. In addition where required the RFU and Enforcing Authorities will be notified.

To enable a monitoring system to be established and to show the commitment by the club towards a safe system we have produced the following instructions that must be complied with.

These guidelines apply to all youth rugby coaches and other youth rugby volunteers at Trafford MV who are required to familiarize themselves with the guidelines and apply them. The procedures outlined apply not only to accidents and injuries sustained at the Club’s ground but also when youth players are at away matches or on tour.

Therefore would all Appointed Persons to include Managers, First Aid Representatives, Physios, Coaches, Referees and those in authoritative roles on the day please ensure the following is adhered to.

Dealing with incidents/accidents

When dealing with an incident/accident in which a youth player is injured:

  1. Stay calm but act swiftly and observe the situation.
  2. Take measures to avoid danger of further injuries.
  3. Listen to what the injured person is saying.
  4. Alert a first aider who should take appropriate action for minor injuries. (Remember – When training or playing matches at the Club on Sundays, as well as the first aiders in each age group, there will usually be a nominated first aider ‘on duty’ providing cover across all age groups.)
  5. In the event of an injury requiring specialist treatment, call the emergency services.
  6. Keep the injured person warm and keep onlookers at bay.
  7. DO NOT move someone with major injuries. Wait for specialists from the emergency services.
  8. Deal with the rest of the squad and ensure that they are adequately supervised.
  9. Contact the injured person’s parent/guardian.
  10. If the injured person is taken to hospital, ensure that all his/her personal belongings are collected up and returned to the injured person or his/her parent/carer in due course.

What constitutes an accident/incident?

There is no all encompassing definition of what constitutes an injury/incident that necessitates the completion of a Youth Rugby Injuries Report – a common sense approach is needed. It is therefore suggested that a report is always completed where the injured person:

-needs to have blood cleaned off or strapping etc applied before playing on after an injury

-appears to have suffered a dislocation or a broken bone

-appears to be concussed in any way

-has to see a doctor or physio or similar following the injury.

The above list is not exhaustive – if in doubt, the incident should be reported.

After the incident/accident

  1. The person administering first aid or the age group’s most senior coach present should ensure that the incident is recorded in the Accident Book which is kept behind the bar, or captured using the attached form below.
  2. Details can then be reviewed and any action that is required i.e. reporting to RFU will be carried out through the correct channels by an Official of the Club.
  3. Ensure that arrangements have been made to replenish any first aid supplies used.
  4. In the case of a serious injury, ensure that the injured person or his/her parents are contacted for ‘updates’ and arrange visits if appropriate.
  5. Ensure that the injured person does not resume playing until fit to do so.

Notification to Chairman/CSO

It is a mandatory RFU requirement that certain injuries/incidents are reported to the RFU promptly.

To meet this requirement, reportable matters must be notified to Greg Hawkins(Chairman) or Andrew Lord (CSO) within 24hrs. Reportable matters re TMV players are:

-any head or neck injury that requires a player to be transported directly from the ground to an accident and emergency department

-an injury that results in admission to hospital as an in patient after a game/training has finished and is game/training related

-any injury which prevents a player from playing or training for 8 weeks or longer

-deaths which occur during a game or within 6 hrs of the game finishing.

An incident where an individual who has sustained an injury results in their being admitted to a hospital (not include those taken to an A&E Dept and allowed home from there) must be reported to the RFU Serious Injuries Dept. on 0800 298 0102.

Likewise any player dying within 6 hours of the game or training session finishing must be reported to the RFU Serious Injuries Dept.

Accidents/injuries at the Club’s ground NOT involving a youth player

If such an incident occurs, these should also be recorded in the Club’s Accident book whichis kept behind the bar so that a full investigation and risk assessment can be carried out in order to eliminate, reduce or isolate the risk in order to control the situation.

Aug 2012