For those who play paintball to live dangerously, the statistics may come as a bit of disappointment. According to the US National Safety Council, paintball is safer than bowling with both scoring less than one accident in every 1,000 participants. This compares to sports such as tennis and football, which respectively have 23 and 11 accidents in every 1,000 participants.
The UK’s Royal Society of Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) estimates that out of a million paintballers in the UK, there are only about 900 accidents a year. The majority of these mishaps being knee, ankle or foot sprains. However, RoSPA points out that in the US the most common injury is to the eye, largely caused by paintballers not wearing masks or removing the mask, inappropriately
International paintballer Chris Edwards, who has 20 years experience paintballing, says: ‘When you consider injuries per 1,000, paintball is no more unsafe than playing any other sport.’
The fact that paintball in the UK is generally organised and regulated may be one reason for the low level of injuries. Steve Bull, chairman of the UK Paintball Sports Federation (UKPSF), which used to be known as the European Paintball Sports Federation (EPSF), and promotes best practice in the sport, said: ‘Paintball is like a lot of so-called extreme sports, because there is the possibility of injury, safety is taken more seriously. Most of the injuries that occur are not paintball related.’
Steve believes the best way to prevent injury in paintball is: ‘to book through a reputable site’. He adds: ‘Look for a well-known chain and check they have three to five million public liability insurance. Most of these sites will also offer chest protectors for women or children as well as organising the games to minimise close shots, which can cause bruising.’
The UKPSF’s Code of Practice outlines that a paintball area must be free from potential hazards, as far as is reasonably practicable, and that hazards have to be clearly marked and pointed out to players in a safety talk before they begin. Issues paintball providers need to consider include:
- Stability of any buildings/structures on site
- The equipment: meeting legal requirements, maintenance
- Accessibility of the play area by general public
- · Public liability insurance is essential.
BOTTOM FIVE YEARLY INJURIES PER 1,000 SPORT PARTICIPANTS
1. Paintball 0.31
2. Bowling 0.50
3. Archery 0.66
4. Boating 0.92
5. Wrestling 1.09
TOP FIVE YEARLY INJURIES PER 1,000 SPORT PARTICIPANTS
1. Lacrosse 223.79
2. Baseball 27.67
3. US Football 27.50
4. Tennis 23.14
5. Basketball 22.04
Source: US National Safety Office
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Useful websites: https://www.ukpsf.com
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