TCDSB Ophea Contact: Ed Cooling
Presentation Format
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History of Ophea Safety
Guidelines
Organization of Safety
Guidelines
2008 New Version – What
has changed !
Safety Services Package
The Future - Reviews and
Updates
History of Ophea Safety Guidelines
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1986 – Development of initial safety document
1996 – Advisory Committee set up to develop
new guidelines based on Risk Management
Theories
1999 - New guidelines published and updated
regularly
2008 – Most recent version of guidelines
published
Organization of Safety Guidelines
Three Modules
1.Curricular
2.Intramural
3.Interschool
2008 Ophea
Safety Guidelines
• New Standards for School
Sports and Activities
Ontario Physical Education Safety Guidelines
Revised
 most recent safety information
available
 inconsistencies between activities
and pages cleared up
 activities streamlined (e.g. aquatics
becomes swimming)
 language clarified
 reorganization of column content
Organizational Change
1.
The Generic Section
2.
Activity Pages
3.
Appendices
Generic Section
•
Background, Intent, Impact &
Scope
•
Risk Management
•
•
Generic Issues
Specific Components
Specific Revisions
to the Generic Section
 Risk Management Statement
 Introductory information on:
Lightning, Concussion
 Activity Provider Requirements
 Elementary – Special Pull-Out
section on Daily Physical Activity
(DPA)
Risk Management Statement
 The educational value of the activity
must be addressed and the inherent
risks identified and minimized
 Consideration must be given to
environmental factors
 The activity is appropriate for the
students’ age, physical/mental abilities
and behavioural patterns
Risk Management Statement
(continued)
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Specifically for Curricular/Intramural
modules:
 The teacher has the knowledge and ability
in accordance with the activity page(s) to
teach/manage the activity safely.
Specifically for the Interschool module:
 The teacher/coach has the
knowledge/experience and certification
(where applicable) in accordance with the
activity page(s) to instruct/coach the
activity safely.
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Concussion and Lightning Protocols
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Introductory information statements about
Concussion and Lightning protocols have
been added to all Generic Sections.
Detailed information for both areas are
located in two new appendices.
Activity Provider Requirements
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A statement has been included to
remind teachers to provide outside
activity provider(s) with the
relevant safety guideline activity
page(s), (e.g., climbing pages).
The activity provider must
guarantee to fulfill all of the
‘mandatory minimum standards’
outlined on the activity page(s) prior
to program instruction.
Activity Page
Revisions
Each revised activity page reflects
current best practice and mandatory
changes.
Sport/Activity Page Revisions
“Also see Generic Issues and
Introduction to Activity Page
Components Section to view
complete safety requirements.”
Curricular Activity Pages:
Not Recommended Status
The ‘Not Recommended’
designation given to certain
activities has been removed.
Activities are either:
Appropriate
Those in which students
can participate and that
have a safety guideline
activity page.
Not Appropriate
Those in which students
cannot participate.
Unfamiliar Activity - Seek Assistance
Under the supervision column, on some
activity pages, the following
statement has been included:
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“It is advisable that any teacher who is
unfamiliar with an activity/technique seek
assistance from appropriate staff and/or
refrain from teaching the activity until help
is received.” (e.g., high jump)
Activity Pages
Specific Changes
A number of specific changes have been made
to individual activity pages.
• ‘Swim to Survive’ Test - now the standard
across all water based activities
• Swimming - supervision ratio for free swims
has been raised:
2 lifeguards: 0-125 bathers
3 lifeguards: 126-250 bathers
• Badminton – protective eye wear mandatory
for singles and doubles play
• High jump – mat/landing surface
requirements
Intramural Activity Pages
Specific Changes
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Direction to reference the curricular safety
module is included in: Supervision of Sport
Imitations and Supervision of Clubs.
Direction as to who can make ‘school made
equipment’ is included.
Martial Arts Club – new activity page.
Interschool Activity Pages
Specific Changes
• Higher risk activities – change to one of the
coaching requirements: ‘experience as a
player or coach in that sport in the last 10
yrs.’
• Basketball - portable basketball systems
described.
• Ice Hockey – prior to first game multiple
practices on ice must have occurred.
Appendices
Sample Letter to Parents/Guardians
contains:
- curricular information
- collects medical information
Note: Intramural permission form is in
Intramural Module.
Appendices (continued)
Two new appendices:
 Lightning
 Concussion
Appendices (continued)
Lightning information includes:
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Chain of command
Planning evacuation and safety measures in
advance
Detection and response
‘If you see it, flee it;
If you hear it, clear it.’
Resumption of activity
Appendices (continued)
Concussion
Concussion information includes:
 Common signs and symptoms
 Initial response
 How long for student to ‘get better’
 When student can return to physical activity
 Second impact syndrome
 Concussion Management
 Minimizing the risk
Appendices (continued)
Concussion cont’d…
Appendix B-2 “Request to Resume Athletic
Participation – Concussion Related Injuries”
This is a form specific to returning to play
following a concussion.
It includes a step by step process for
returning to play
It is mandatory for students with a
suspected concussion to have a medical
doctor sign this form
Implementation Timelines
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For some items implementation can
be immediate
Changes requiring significant
financial cost may be done in stages
over a period of years
The Safety Guidelines are purchased
as part of the
Safety Services Package (SSP)
The SSP includes more than the
Safety Guidelines however the Safety
Guidelines access has been improved.
Safety Guidelines
New
Some of the features included:
 Ability to quick search and print
individual pages
 Ability to browse all documents
 Immediate alerts to new/changed
information
 Ability to download the documents in
sections or as a whole
 Ability to search/browse FAQ’s database
Safety Services Package
Spring 2008
Other features will continue:
 Ask an Expert feature – timely email
response to questions
 New/revised pages highlighted
 Discounts on Ophea Safety Guidelines
workshops
 Safety news and research
The Future
THE
UNDISCOVERED
COUNTRY
Safety Guidelines
Maintenance
The guidelines are
reviewed in their entirety
every 10 years
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Yearly updates are made to
activities as
required/requested
Reviews and Updates Timeline
 September
Request for revision or new pages
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Individuals wishing to request a new activity page,
or a revision to an activity page are asked to
complete a Request for New/Revised Activity Page
form.
Contact: safety@ophea.org
Ophea is always looking for volunteers with an
interest in safety and physical education to be part of
the Safety Writing Team. Inquiries:
safety@ophea.org
Reviews and Updates Timeline
 November
Writing team reviews requests
 November
– December
Writing team drafts changes and
writes new pages
Reviews and Updates Timeline
January
Drafts sent to Safety Advisory Board for
review and feed back
 February
“Final” pages created by Ophea
 March
Safety Technical Committee makes final
decision
 May
Final copies sent to School Boards and
added to website
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THE END