Please feel free to read this; it’s our way of having safety “out there” rather than something hidden. It could be boring, though.
We need a public risk assessment – one that satisfies the legislation, but one that also means instructors, and trainees understand the risks and what is expected from them.
1) Health of client: Clients must have submitted a PARQ, and if need be, been signed off by their doctor or have signed a disclaimer
2) Slippery floor (sweat created, drink spills): Instructors to check area safe, clients to manage and observe during the session.
3) Equipment check: weekly, in-depth check by Crossfit LondonUK officers system to be set up, spotting loose screwsbolts, fraying bands/ropes/buckles, etc. A visual inspection before each session by the instructors as part of warm up. Clients to be aware.
4) Running outside the gym (as part of a WOD): The facility opens on to a road – albeit a quiet one, but a road never the less. Emphasise walking in and walking out.
open the door to right angles, and clients to run towards bethnal green road ( ie turn right). If possible blue gate to be half closed.
6) First aid: A first aider to be on-site when training is taking place.
7) Instructors to hold insurance cover, Crossfit London to take an interest in such cover.
Movement specific warm ups must preceed dense or intense sessions (dense = typical fast CF work out, intense = heavy weight)
9) Client must know the move and be coached. Trainer must offer an adaptation or scaling alternative if required
10) To avoid over-training and possible injury by failure to consentrate, regular trainees must have a week off from training every 12th week
11) Trainees must have access to water, and be reminded that they may stop and rest at anytime
12) The dangers of rhabdomyolisis must be emphasized and clients taught to watch for danger signs. Intense eccentric training in dense conditions should not be deployed
13) All incidents/suspicions of disrepair, must be written up in comments below
14) A first aid box is required, to be formally checked every quarter by a CrossFit Londonofficer.
15) A member of the group must have an active working mobile phone incase of emergencies.( incase instructor has forgotten their one)
Related posts:
lessons from last nights incident,
During Helen last night, one of our participants left the box and slammed into the side of a van travelling down Gales gardens.
This resulted in some cuts and bruises, but thankfully nothing more serious (but let me say, cuts and bruises are not fun)
Firstly it was great to notice the team spirit of all concerned, that ensured 1st aid and comfort was applied immediately , and an ambulance and police were called.
Our casualty tells me he is ok, and will be back at training next week. (phew)
As a result of this, when a WOD calls for a run out, half of the gate by unit 8 ( on the arch side) will be drawn closed, which means any approaching vehicle will have to stop and climb out to open it, also the door on the box will be weighted open at 90 degrees, so that it also acts as a physical barrier to vehicles.
We have written to the landlord, and via him, rail track, to point out that this is really a pedestrian alley, and whilst vehicles may come up it, it should be seen as something occasional, and done very slowly.
We will continue to emphasize the “walk in the gym, walk out of the gym ” rule”
On a personal level, I noticed I was not as familiar with the content of our 1st aid kit a I thought I was, and I struggled to remember the Post code of the gym, which has now been written on the 1st aid kit
Pull Up Bar Maintenance update.
The fixing bolts were inspected and tightening turns were applied on the following joints.
4,5,15,13,6,11
PULL UP BAR MAINTENANCE.
TESTED IN CHRISTMAS BREAK. NO TURNS REQUIRED ON ANY FIXING BOLT.
GENERAL EQUIPMENT CHECK. ONE 5K weight plate taken out of service due to loose screws on fixing plate.
several bars needed the end screws tightening, which was done.
Incident report for injury to left index finger of client during 0630 session on 5th January 2010
Situation:
Client was jumping onto 20″ box during warm up and struck her hand on the edge of the box whilst swinging arms for momentum prior to jumping.
Injury:
Small cut/bruising on left index finger. Treated with sticking paster. Client was able to continue warm-up and workout unhindered.
Analysis:
I checked with the client prior to the warm up what hight of box she would be comfortable doing a warm up on. She suggested the 20″ box (ours are in fact currently 19″ without the mats on top) and stated that she this is what she used at her gym in Chicago.
Client’s jumping style was slightly unorthodox. Rather than making a vertical jump to land on the box, she tended to make a horizontal jump (at the box) whilst tucking her legs to land in a squat position. As a result of the horizontal jump her arms swung closer to the box than would be the case in a vertical jump i.e. they swung at the box.
The top edge of the box is wooden, and although not sharp to the touch, it is pointed and hard enough to break the skin during a hard impact. It is possible, had the box been equipped with a rubber mat on top that the injury would have been lessened to bruising only.
Action taken:
Treated injury with sticking plaster. Shared observations on jumping style with client. Emphasised need to get to full extension of hips in the jumping motion, and jump upwards rather than forwards. Remainder of jumping was incident free and more in line with orthodox vertical jumping style.
Suggested further action to take:
1. Cover tops of box with rubber matting to cover the wooden top edge of the boxes
20 jan, pull up bar check. 1/2 turns on 3 and 2.
pull up bar check
tiny turn needed on 1, 11 half turn on 6
checked high bar. ok.
ends of all bars checked, all nuts tight.
Accident report from Thursday 28th Jan
1. Client strained/tore muscle in upper arm/shoulder performing kipping pull-ups
Treated will cold/wet towels to reduce inflammation and sent home.
Lessons learned: Client was in second round of pull-ups, following two rounds of thrusters and was warm at the time of injury. Was possibly pushing self a little too hard.
2. Client tore calluses on hands during pull-ups
Washed chalk and dirt from hands with cold water, and covered with bandages. Client went home to continue treatment of injuries.
Lessons learned: check calluses at end of each workout (before the next) and advise on hard maintenance i.e. shave down calluses.
bar systems checked. no turns required. no visible causes for concern.
need wipes for the 1st aid kit and formal written callus maintenance advise.
mislaid report, from oct/nov, client missed a box jump in FGB , and scrapped shin. nastt scrap, plaster applied, continued training. Can scar quite badly
bar system check. 1/2 turn on number 1
bar system check turns on 14, 13, 6
Bar check 25 march.
no turns required
bar check, turns on 6, 2, 11.
have been doing weekly checks, but forgetting to record on line.
last checked on 29th april, no turns required
client scrapped, twisted ankle during an abortive snatch drop. had been snatching beautifully weights between 10 to 25kg. lost balance backwards.
first aid applied (RICE).
analysis. she not only landed badly but pulled the bar close and managed to land the bar on her foot as she turned it. had the wooden ends been on the bar, any impact from the bar would have been less; ( assuming that that the disk itself did not land on the foot!).l
whilst its common practise to practise snatching with the bar + fractional weight, perhaps we should insist that technique wooden disks be used.
obviously this cannot apply to the collection of 5 to 10kg bars we have. this is the 1st time ive seen anything like this is 5 years of teaching.
perhaps more dumping practise?
10 may bar check . no turns required
there was apparantly a no injury incident on saturday with a collapsing saw bench. in the squats. can someone write it up?
Saturday 8 May
Client was performing max effort back squats on the heavy rack with two saw horses providing cover for a dropped lift.
Client descended into the squat too quickly to recover and lost control of load (130kg?). Right side of barbell dipped first and struck saw horse, causing the device to experience total failure (smashed). Spotters were able to hold barbell and rescue client.
No injury.
Plastic saw horses are not designed to deal with a dynamic load, especially a dropped one. Suggestion: full squat rack or power cage.
plaster stock take.
I noticed we have gone through a lot of plasters mainly for callus 1st aid.
ill leave a note book on the top of the 1st aid box and would like you to record name with the word “callus”.
we are aware that callus rips happen, but i want to make sure we have some note of it.
olympic bar ends.
please check the bolts at the end of the olympic bars to make sure they are tightened.
ill check once each week.
One of the bolts from 20kg bar came out. The bar is now in pieces at the back of the gym safely tucked away!
This happened on Thursday 13th may.
handstand spotting accident. i managed to clonk sally on the side of the head falling out of a handstand. need to emphasise possibility of leg falling when teaching spotting technique. cold towel applied. no obvious bruising, but a good chance of a black eye. sorry sally
While not paying full attention to one of the weight racks I managed to crush my finger! Swelling and bruising makes for good story to tell this wkend though.
To prevent further injuries in the future no day-dreaming in the gym!!!!!!!!!!!!
4th June, pull up bar system check. no turns required. i checked last week too, but forgot to record. probably need a tick box record at the gym and write up very month
olympic bars check… a lot of loose bolts, made easier to fix as the bottom of the old fashioned wrench has a 12mm allen type square that fits the bolt. new allan key has also arrived but seems a bit loose.
weekly checks carried out, no turns required.
last check on monday 21st June.
1/4 turn on 7
1/2 turn on 12
check, friday 2nd july no turns,
temporary, 5 sec, light failure in sallys 7.30pm class. attributed to temporary network failure. no internal fault.
Bar system checked by AS today. No turns required