Keeping safe going into Finals

Heading into the end of the season, Hockey WA is reminding the hockey community about some key safety initiatives that are in place to keep our sport as safe as possible.

Incident Reporting

Players, Coaches, Team Managers and Clubs are reminded that all accidents, injuries and non-medical incidents must be reported on the Hockey WA website.

The incident report form can be found under the INFO section, then ‘Reporting an Injury/Accident’.

Reporting an Injury/Accident

Incident reporting is an important part of keeping everyone safe, and it’s critical that every incident is recorded so Hockey WA can follow up if required.

Reporting an accident, injury or non-medical incident also allows an insurance claim to be made under the Honan insurance cover which is included in the Hockey Australia levy. Claims cannot be made without an incident report.

Insurance cover

Hockey WA is part of the Hockey Australia National Group Insurance Plan managed by Honan and placed with underwriter Sportscover Australia.

This insurance cover is intended as an insurance policy to cover certain costs on top of the individual’s own private medical cover. It should not be taken as a comprehensive private medical policy.

Full details on the insurance policy can be found on the Hockey WA website.

Concussion Policy

Hockey WA follows Hockey Australia’s Concussion Policy which should be read by all players, coaches and team managers (found on the Hockey WA website).

Concussion is caused by trauma to the brain, which can be either direct or indirect. It is characterised by a range of observable clues and signs (e.g. lying motionless on the ground, black or vacant look, balance difficulties and incoordination) or symptoms reported by the player (e.g. headache, blurred vision, dizziness, nauseas, balance, fatigue and feeling ‘not quite right’).

The effects of concussion change over time and while in most cases the symptoms improve, in some cases the effects can get worse in the few hours after the initial injury.

The risk of complications from concussion can increase when a player returns to sport before fully recovering.

That’s why it is so important to recognise a concussion and if any signs are observed or reported following an impact, the player must stop playing immediately and not return to play until assessed by a medical practitioner.  An incident report must also be completed.

Hockey Australia has developed some useful resources that can help clubs manage concussion and keep players safe. Hockey WA recommends displaying the official Hockey Australia Concussion poster around your club grounds to ensure everyone is aware of how to respond if there is a potential concussion.

Remember: IF IN DOUBT… SIT THEM OUT.

More information can be found under INFO à Policies