Management of Concussion and Other Head Injuries Policy

The Graduated Return to Play Programme

A record of pupils on the Return to Play Programme will be kept in the School Information Management System (SIMS). The progress of pupils through the programme will be monitored and recorded by an appropriate member of the games staff.

Under no circumstances will the pupil be allowed to return to play until the 23-day period is completed.

Communication Staff

Staff should follow the advice outlined in the Concussion Protocol. The teacher in charge of the activity will notify the pupil and their parents/guardians, and all school personnel involved in supporting the pupil in his/her school sport. A Concussion Report will be sent to the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the pupil.

The School Nurse will inform staff of pupils who have a suspected or confirmed concussion. An updated list will be issued to staff at the start of each school week.

At the start of each academic year staff will be made aware of this policy and the standards of care relating to the management of concussive injuries. They will be provided with concussion awareness training that includes recognising the signs and symptoms that may suggest a concussive or other head injury. They will be provided with a copy of the Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool.

Pupils and Parents/Guardians

Pupils and parents/guardians should report suspected or known concussion or other head injuries that occur outside of school related activities to the College nurse. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to inform the school of signs and symptoms related to concussion or head injuries that are recognised while the pupil is not in school.

At the start of each academic year all pupil and parents/guardians will be provided with information about:

• The risk of concussion and other head injuries and the dangers associated with continuing to participate when a concussion or other head injury is suspected;

• The signs and symptoms associated with concussion and other head injuries; and

• The school’s protocols for:

◊ the removal of a pupil from an activity when the pupil is suspected of having sustained a concussion or other head injury,

◊ the evaluation of a concussion or other head injury, and

◊ the pupil’s return to participation in school activities, including classes

Please see the Policies section of our website for full list of appendices.

IRFU Mouthguard Guidelines

Background

Mouthguards or gumshields are typically worn in contact sports to protect the mouth from injury. The purpose of a mouthguard is to distribute the impact of a contact situation evenly throughout the mouth, potentially reducing the chances of injury. Previous studies have indicated that the wearing of mouthguards reduces the incidence of hard and soft oral injuries, jaw fractures and neck injuries (Ranalli 2000; Knapik et al, 2007; Newsome et al, 2001). A study in New Zealand rugby union has reported a 47% reduction in dental injury claims following the introduction of compulsory wearing of mouthguards (Quarrie et al, 2005).

IRFU Guidelines

From the beginning of pre-season training in the 2015/16 season, the wearing of mouthguards is strongly recommended by the IRFU for players at all levels of the sport during training and games (including leisure rugby i.e. tag and touch rugby).

The IRFU advise clubs and schools to adopt an approach of ‘No Mouthguard, No Play’. Should a player have a legitimate medical reason for not being able to wear a mouthguard, this should be communicated and supported by a submission in writing and confirmed by a recognised medical practitioner/ dentist to the club or school.

Implementation

Role of the Player

It is the player’s responsibility to ensure that they wear adequate equipment to play the sport under World Rugby’s Laws of the Game, Law 4.1. The type of mouthguard a player should wear is a matter of personal preference, however failure to fit a mouthguard properly may reduce the effectiveness of the device. The IRFU advise that all players attend their dentist to get fitted for a player specific mouthguard.

Policies

Irish Hockey Association Safety Statement

The Irish Hockey Association would like to draw the attention of all its members to the safety guidelines in relation to playing equipment in Point 4 of the FIH Rules of Hockey 2013. These rules are implemented in the interest of player safety first & foremost and provide clarity on issues that may be deemed as safety concerns. All IHA Competitions are played in accordance with the FIH Rules of Hockey.

Players Clothing and Equipment

Competition Regulations available from the FIH provide additional information and requirements about players’ clothing, personal equipment and advertising. Refer also to regulations established by Continental Federations and National Associations. Field players of the same team must wear uniform clothing. Players must not wear anything which is dangerous to other players

Field players:

• are permitted to wear gloves for protection which do not increase the natural size of the hands significantly;

• are recommended to wear shin, ankle and mouth protection;

• are permitted to wear throughout a match for medical reasons only a smooth preferably transparent or white but otherwise single coloured face mask which closely fits to the face, soft protective head-covering or eye protection in the form of plastic goggles (i.e. goggles with a soft-covered frame and plastic lenses); the medical reasons must be assessed by an appropriate authority and the player concerned must understand the possible implications of playing with the medical condition;

• are permitted to wear a smooth preferably transparent or white but otherwise single coloured face mask which closely fits to the face when defending a penalty corner or penalty stroke for the duration of that penalty corner or penalty stroke and when they are inside the circle they are defending;

• other than players with goalkeeping privileges, are not permitted to wear protective headgear (face mask or other protective head covering) in any other circumstances.

Policies

Irish Hockey Association Safety Statement

Goalkeepers and players with goalkeeping privileges must wear a single coloured shirt or garment which is different in colour from that of both teams. Goalkeepers (i.e. wearing full protective equipment) must wear this shirt or garment over any upper body protection.

Goalkeepers must wear protective equipment comprising at least headgear, leg guards and kickers except that the headgear and any hand protectors may be removed when taking a penalty stroke.

The following are permitted for use only by fully equipped goalkeepers: body, upper arm, elbow, forearm, hand, thigh and knee protectors, leg guards and kickers.

A player with goalkeeping privileges may wear protective headgear when inside their defending 23 metres area; they must wear protective headgear when defending a penalty corner or penalty stroke.

Protective headgear incorporating a helmet with full-face protection and cover for the entire head and throat is recommended for goalkeepers and players with goalkeeping privileges.

Clothing or protective equipment which significantly increases the natural size of a goalkeeper’s body or area of protection is not permitted.

Other Policies

Parents should read the following policies, which can be found on our website:

• Involvement of Parents and Guardians Policy

• Child Protection Policy

• Positive Behaviour Policy

• Attendance Policy

• Regulations for Pupils taking part in School Trips

• Mobile Phone Policy

• Complaints Policy