Leaders Award

Health and Safety Considerations for Coaches Supervising Leader Sessions

Reasons for Health and Safety

  1. To ensure that UK Athletics (UKA) can continue to provide comprehensive Insurance cover for all its events, coaches and leaders it is crucial that a safe athletic environment is maintained.
  1. The Law
  2. UKA has an obligation to provide risk assessments for all of its activities
  3. Under common law, coaches have a ‘Duty of Care’ for thosethey are supervising and the activities of the leaders.
  1. Good Practice
  2. The application of safe practices will improve standards, make the sport a more enjoyable experience and encourage greater participation.

Insurance and Accident Reporting

1.UKA Insurance provides UKA coaches and leaders with Public Liability and Third Party Insurance, Personal Accident Insurance and Travel Insurance. For fuller details coaches and leaders should refer to the UKA leaflet ‘Insurance Cover for Coaches’ available from UKA.

2.Coaches and leaders should always ensure that they have Insurance cover for any activities that they undertake.

3.In the event of an accident occurring in which a claim is likely to be made, coaches and leaders should ensure that all relevant details of the accident / incident are recorded and that all correspondence is conducted through the Insurers.

4.All accidents and serious incidents must be reported to UKA.

5.Accident report forms can be downloaded from the UKA website or completed and sent on line.

General Considerations

  1. All supervising coaches must be aware of the principles of Risk Assessment and be able to risk assess the activities of the leaders.
  2. All activities which are not covered in the UKA Code of Practice or which are held away from a certified track must have a written risk assessment which is the responsibility of the supervising coach.

N.B. The UKA Code of Practice can be found on the UKA website and covers all athletic events in training and competition. It does not cover activities which are not competition events.

3. When operating outdoors be aware of changing weather conditions.

4. When asking potential leaders to demonstrate ensure that the activity is suited to the age

and fitness of the individual(s). Tutors are responsible for the safety of the course attendees.

Facilities

It is important to ensure that the facility is suitable for the activities.

Outdoors

  1. When using running tracks ensure that they have the appropriate certificate, details of which can be found at
  1. Be aware of the following potential problems:
  2. Grass tracks (uneven surfaces, holes, wet surfaces, debris)
  3. Cinder tracks ( holes, debris, ridges and hollows)
  4. Synthetic tracks (tears, debris, slippery surfaces, danger from skin burns)
  1. During inclement weather, surfaces should be checked for suitability. Rain, snow and frost can render surfaces hazardous and slippery.
  1. When using areas other than a running track the surface of the playing area should be in good condition and level.
  1. The area should be free of any broken glass, cans or rubbish; visually check the area before commencing activity.

Indoors

Indoor facilities present a number of safety issues: restricted space, floor surfaces, walls and wall projections, ventilation, temperature, glare, windows (unbreakable or protected), lighting.

1.Floor should be in good condition, clean, dry and nonslip.

2.Be aware of throwing when lighting is not encased in protective caging.

3.Any sharp edges on walls and doors and any other projections should be protected or given

adequate clearance.

4. The activities should be conducted in an appropriate temperature.

Equipment

1.Damaged equipment should never be used.

2.Equipment should be clean.

3.Equipment should be safely stored when not being used.

4.Leaders should encourage athletes to get involved with safety checks to promote good health and safety

practice.

5.Any equipment that is considered to be unsafe should be labelled and removed from the area and the

facility informed.

6.If equipment is to be used for a purpose for which it was not primarily designed great care should be taken.

Athletes

Clothing

With younger athletes in particular leaders should ensure that athletes are dressed appropriately.

1.Clothing should not be so loose that it obstructs movement, nor should it be so tight that it restricts movement.

2.Clothing should insulate / aerate the athlete comfortably.

3.It may be necessary for athletes to wear tracksuit bottoms and / or long sleeves when using sandpits to prevent friction burns.

4.Depending on the activity jewellery may need to be removed prior to the activity commencing.

5.Specific clothing may include the need for sunhats and sun cream during summer.

6.In the event that an athlete wishes to wear different clothing in accordance with their religion of cultural traditions, this should be discussed and a suitable outcome agreed on, resulting in maintaining respect for the individual’s beliefs at the same time as enabling safe participation.

7.Glasses should be with plastic or unbreakable lenses.

Footwear

Supervising coaches should ensure that athletes wear appropriate footwear.

1. Footwear should provide good traction.

2. Footwear should provide good support and appropriate cushioning for the activity being

carried out.

4.With younger children footwear should be checked to ensure that laces are done up and are not too short or too long.

Athletes

  1. Athletes should be warned of the dangers of chewingsweets and gum when running or jumping.
  2. Ensure that all activities are commensurate with the athletes’ ages and abilities.
  3. Ensure that all athletes are familiar with any safety routines specific to the activity in which they are participating.
  4. Be aware of specific needs and requirements of athletes and any medical conditions which may be relevant to the activities.
  5. Athletes must be sufficiently ‘fit’ to participate in athletic activities. Supervising coaches must be aware of any health issues which are likely to affect an athlete’s ability to take part in any activity or which might restrict the nature, longevity or difficulty of the activity.

Activities

  1. Running

(a)Activities should be so arranged so that athletes are well spaced and the likelihood of collision is limited.

(b)Activities should be laid out so that the risk of running into walls or other obstacles is limited.

(c)Athletes should be involved in assessing whether the activity area is safe in order to encourage future good safety practice.

(d)A race held on an athletics track that is one lap or less should be run in lanes. This is particularly relevant to relay races. Indoors care must be taken that athletes do not collide with each other.

  1. Jumping

(a)Jumping is a high impact activity. Leaders are advised to use mats when necessary.

(b) When jumping indoors supervising coaches must ensure that they use appropriate landing areas. Care should be taken that the mats do not move on the floor.

(c)Landing areas should be large and deep enough for all the activity carried out. Extra precautions may be needed when athletes use longer approaches.

(d)Activities should be so arranged so that athletes are well spaced and the likelihood of collision is limited.

(e)When jumping indoors activities should be laid out so that there is no risk of jumping into walls or other obstacles.

(f)Athletes should never jump when another athlete is in the jumping area.

  1. Throwing

(a) The throwing area should be clearly marked.

(b) Athletes who are waiting to take part or who have taken part should stand in a

clearly designated area whilst the activity takes place.

(c) If there is limited space only one athlete must throw at a time.

(d)There should be a clear drill for lining up, throwing and retrieving.

(e) Athletes should never retrieve their throwing implements without a signal from the Leader.

(f)When using medicine balls ensure that balls of an appropriate weight are used.

(g)When athletes are throwing to each other ensure that correct catching techniques are taught and that implements are thrown correctly.

For further information, please contact Peter Sutcliffe, UKA Health and Safety Manager at