Principles of Protective Equipment Flashcards
Why use protective equipment?
- specialized equipment can protect a participant from accidental or routine injuries associated w/ sport/PA
- (ensure it is used properly, fits properly, good condition, used as intended)
What are disadvantages to wearing protective equipment?
- May lead to players feeling too safe and becoming more aggressive/reckless
- Can reduce ROM and visual field
- Discomfort
- Can create a psychological dependance
What are Focal Injuries?
- High speed
- Low mass forces
- concentrated in smaller area
What are diffuse injuries?
- low velocity
- high mass forces
- absorbed over larger area
Equipment design factors that can reduce potential injury (7)
- inc. impact area
- transfer/disperse impact area to another part of body
- limit relative motion of a body part
- add mass to body part to limit deformation and displacement
- reduce friction btwn contacting surfaces
- absorb energy
- resist absorption of bacteria, fungi and viruses
What are 3 ways of reducing forces?
- deflection
- dispersion
- absorption
What is low density material?
Light and comfortable, only effective at low lvls of impact intensity
- gauze padding, foam, neoprene, felt, moleskin
- useful for reducing friction and preventing blisters
What is high density material
Less comfortable
- absorbs more energy by deformation
- protect from direct blows and focal injuries
- plastics, orthoplast, casting material
What are soft materials?
- air in material
- open-cell foam: quickly deform under stress (like a sponge, can absorb fluids)
- closed-cell foam: returns to original shape quickly (less cushioning at low lvls of impact)
What are the 4 casting materials?
- plaster
- fiberglass
- thermoplastic
- 3D printing
Casting material: plaster
- most common
- inexpensive
- easy to mold
- cannot get wet
- heaviest option
- takes a couple of days to fully harden
Casting material: fiberglass
- hardens within a couple of hours
- more breathable
- lighter
- mostly water-resistant
- usually for kids
Casting material: thermoplastic
- hardens within minutes
- easily moldable and adjustable
- most expensive
- most comfortable
- can be removed to clean/shower
- offers less support
Casting material: 3D printing
- experimental
- very comfortable
- breathable
- lightest
- customizable
- waterproof
What are some committees for equipment standards?
- National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE): set standards for equipment to tolerate certain forces (helmets, shin pads)
- Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
- Hockey Equipment Certification Council (HECC)
Liability and Equipment standards
- athletic staff duty to ensure proper use of protective equipment
- duty of manufacturer to deign, manufacture and package safe equipment that will not cause injury when used for intended purposes
What is some protective equipment for the head and face
- helmets
- face guards
- eyewear
- mouth guards
- throat protection