Abstract des Autors

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to present a model policy on lightning safety for athletic trainers. Background: Among college athletic programs in the United States there is a serious lack of written policy on lightning safety. Available evidence shows that most National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I institutions, even though they are located in high lightning activity areas of the country, do not have formal, written lightning safety policies. Clinical Advantages/Recommendations: The policy presented herein, which is at the forefront of such policies, is the lightning safety written as part of a policies and procedures manual for the division of sports medicine at a public NCAA Division I university. This is a policy based on practicality that utilizes the "flash-to-bang" method for determining the distance of lightning activity from the observer. The policy begins with the importance of preventing, including the daily monitoring of weather reports. The policy defines a "safe shelter" and specifies the chain of command for determining who removes a team or individuals from an athletic site in the event of dangerous lightning activity. Verf.-Referat