GCSE Physical Education Risk Assessment & Preventing Injuries

Learning Objectives By the end of this lesson pupils should: Know the risks associated with participation in physical activity Have strategies and plans to reduce these risks Understand the need for a PAR-Q to reduce risk when participating in physical activity

Risks in Physical Activities Most physical activities and sports have some element of risk attached to them Some sports and physical activities have less risk attached to them than others Risks in sports not only mean how frequent accidents happen, but the severity of possible injuries

Warming-Up / Cooling-Down

Warming-Up / Cooling-Down One of the main reasons for warming up is that warming the muscles gradually helps to prevent injury Cooling-down helps prevent injury, but also to disperse lactic acid, preventing soreness and aches Warming-up not only reduces the risk of injury, but also has mental benefits by preparing the person for physical activity

Checking Equipment & Facilities

Checking Equipment & Facilities Organisers, officials and participants need to check for safety before a competition Organisers have to check that facilities have to be safe and secure, and that equipment is in good condition Specific checks for specific sports must be carried out concerning the field of play, facilities and participants

Protective Equipment & Clothing

Protective Equipment & Clothing Many sports and activities require the wearing of protective equipment and clothing. In some sports you cannot play unless you wear them Wearing protective clothing can vary depending on the position you play in a certain sport, for example in hockey and cricket It is also important not to wear clothing or other items which might cause injury to an opponent or team mate

Footwear

Footwear Most sports require specialist footwear or boots. Apart from helping performance, it is always safer to wear the correct footwear Footballers wear boots for grip, sprinters wear running spikes for speed and triple jumpers wear specific shoes for protection Runners need special footwear not only for comfort and protection, but also to prevent injury

Balanced Competition When creating a balanced and fair competition, numerous factors need to be considered: Weight Gender Age These must be considered in order for competition to be fair and balanced

Weight Categories

Weight Categories In sports such as boxing, the competitors are matched according to their weight as well as ability This is necessary to protect a participants safety Weight lifting is divided into weight divisions in order to equalise competition, but not for safety purposes

Mixed / Single Sex

Mixed / Single Sex In most sports, men play against men and women against women This is due to either safety or on the grounds of fair competition or both Games such as hockey and racket sports such as badminton and table tennis give a clear opportunity for men and women to compete fairly in open competition

Age

Age people is a controversial issue due to Competitive sport for very young people is a controversial issue due to some thinking it is bad for children Children’s competitions are grouped by age with some talented performers do play above their age group Some sports have veteran and senior categories, such as rugby, football and tennis for safety reasons as well as to balance competition

Physical Readiness

Physical Readiness Anyone who takes part in any physical activity, must make sure they are ready to do so Completing a PAR-Q should highlight any potential problems that could determine which activity to chose and how often to take part

Learning Objectives (Revisited) By the end of this lesson pupils should: Know the risks associated with participation in physical activity Have strategies and plans to reduce these risks Understand the need for a PAR-Q to reduce risk when participating in physical activity

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