Sports clubs may pay for first aid

Press, 28 January 1986, Page 8

Sports clubs may pay for first aid

PA Wellington A two-year campaign to get sports clubs involved in first aid is to be promoted by St John Ambulance and the Accident Compensation Corporation.

If results are not satisfactory stronger methods are promised, with the possibility of sports clubs being levied by the A.C.C. for injury compensation. The corporation pays $25 million a year for sports injuries. Starting next month, St John and the A.C.C. Will approach sports club administrators to have club members trained by St John officers in first aid.

The St John Wellington district commissioner, Mr Gary Salmon, said that ambulance officers this year would attend only larger sports grounds and several scheduled games. The big increase in sporting fixtures placed unreasonable demands on St John officers and

eroded their ability to service all sports venues. Mr Salmon said first-aid officers were traditionally as much a part of sport in New Zealand as players, but their services no longer could be taken for granted. Because serious injuries could become more frequent without first-aid facilities, the campaign would concentrate on the prevention and treatment of accidents common to body-contact sports. A similar campaign, run on a smaller scale last year by St John officers, met a "dismal response by sports clubs loathe to accept the added responsibility," said the St John director of training, Mr Ken Treanor. Many clubs were too involved with their sport, or doubted the need to train club members in first aid. He cited a South Island city where a safety display attracted only two sports club members, in spite of being promised

20. Rugby clubs were the least Interested in accepting responsibility, he said. They occasionally made comments to the effect that “a good game is a rough game.” Recent A.C.C. sports injury figures show that in 1984 rugby injuries cost $4,815,000, making it easily the most expensive sport. The corporation’s safety and recreation officer, Mr Andrew Bullen, said the A.C.C. was paying $25 million a year on sports accidents. The A.C.C. and St John were being realistic about the campaign and aimed for a 25 per cent attendance by all sports clubs this year. It was hoped 40 per cent of clubs would have trained members by next year. If the campaign did not get the results set by the A.C.C. after two years, the situation would be reassessed and stronger methods adopted.