Recreation Center Advice for Dealing with Member Injuries For Combat Sports

Combat sports like mixed martial arts and boxing are very popular, but they pose a higher risk for injury than other types of sporting activities. If you have a large number of recreation center members that participate in combat sports at your facility, you may want to take very specific steps to protect yourself and your staff from liability. Here are several things you can do to protect your clients and your staff in the event of a combat sports injury.

Have Athletes Fill Out Consent Forms

Before athletes take to the field or ring, it would be wise to have each individual fill out a consent form. That way, if an injury occurs, you have legally covered all of your bases and you won’t be caught off guard.

Be Clear About Insurance Coverage

Somewhere in your registration forms or consent forms, you may also want to make it very clear that your recreation center does not provide health insurance coverage for accidents or injuries obtained at your facility. This will also help protect you from liability issues.

Implement a Strict Code of Conduct

Although it will not prevent all injuries, implementing a strict code of conduct will emphasize the fact that your staff and your facility prioritize the safety of your members at all times and hopefully limit the number of preventable injuries that occur at your recreation center. The policies you create should be regularly enforced to maintain a standard that all members will respect.

Train Staff Members to Provide Limited Emergency Care Until Emergency Responders Arrive

If a serious injury happens to occur at your recreation center, it would be best if your staff members were trained to handle the situation until the emergency responders arrive at the scene. Not only will this help keep witnesses and the injured individual as calm as possible, but it may also prevent very serious injuries or death.

Have the Injured Person and Witnesses Complete an Accident Report

In the event of an injury on your property, you may want to have the injured person and any witnesses who saw the accident fill out an accident report. Recreation center staff members should have a written report of what happened, not just a verbal report. That way, if written confirmation is needed, you’ll have it.

Recreation Center Planning with SFA

Unfortunately, physical injuries are just a part of the game when it comes to combat sports. If you need additional help planning for the opening of your new recreation center, Sports Facilities Advisory can help. Please contact our staff today for additional information.