How to Design Golden Safety Rules

Sand crabbing, or hand fishing for example, can require golden safety rules.

Designing "golden" safety rules can make the difference when allowing children and friends to do challenging activities that could lead to injury if guidelines are not in place. Begin by working backwards, i.e.; ask yourself what is the most likely way to become injured in this activity. Next, determine the best ways to allow this activity with a safety measure. Once a safety measure has been determined; make this into a rule to be followed by those wishing to engage in the activity.

Things You'll Need

• Activity to review
• Familiarity with the actions
• Means to ensure safety

Instructions

1. 

   Boogie boarding often requires wet suits and board handles for enhanced safety.

   Ensure safety for boogie boarding by having the means and ability to obtain boards with handles, and wet suits if the water is especially cold where the activity is being done. Ensuring safety also involves keeping swim partners in full site of each other at all times. Making check-in moments using hand signals can be another safety measure. Use these tips for safety to think more critically about the sport and activity of your concern. Use examples like this to showcase the need for "golden safety rules."

2. 

   Skateboarding often requires a helmet for the more dangerous stunts.

   Skateboarding evolved and has developed, and so has the market for safety gear. Learn from this history. Sport boards that have no slip pads are part of this history. Skateboarders leaving the sidewalk, entered the skate park. Help any new sport industry in this way: kids and parents helped the industry move from helmets to gloves and knee and elbow guards, as well. Designs for no-slip enhancements emerged onto boards, and the sport continues to change and evolve even today.

3. 

   Follow the development of relatively new sports, for guidance.

   Design your golden rules by working backward. Imagine all the different ways the sport could cause injury, and talk about them with the participants. Use imagination and love of excitement to protect the true point of the adventure, while enhancing the feeling of safety for everyone involved. Be prepared to design features for the sport, and perhaps even have new gear developed.

Tips & Warnings

• Never edit out the fun, too much prevention can kill a good time.

References

• Kids Health.org: Sport Safety