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Introduction

(This article is written from the UK perspective, but should be of some use ginkgo biloba nutritional supplements online every martial arts instructor.)

Health and Safety is important in literally all aspects of life, both personal and professional. However, due buy wholesale d-glucosaminte sulfate potassium the nature of what we do, it is especially vital in the martial arts. As responsible instructors, we need to ensure the security and safety of our students as effectively as possible, in accordance with the and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Instructors

All instructors should be properly qualified (Black Belt buy wholesale cinnamon powder extract equivalent) and insured, and have undergone some form of specialised training, such as a coaching award, in order to become a club instructor. In addition, they should all be first aid qualified and CRB checked. This is the minimum criteria, and buy wholesale gamma aminobutyric acid to be adhered to for quality assurance purposes. Being a teacher of any kind, in any subject, carries with it a great deal of responsibility, and this is even more imperative with something so ancient, beautiful and (potentially) dangerous as the martial arts.

Risk Assessments

This would begin with the instructor carrying out regular Risk Assessments on the room/building in which the dojo is situated, in order to identify any and all real purchase bulk ginkgo biloba nutritional supplements potential hazards.

If any hazards, be they real or potential, are identified, then appropriate measures must be taken to minimise/neutralise these safety risks at the earliest possible opportunity (certainly BEFORE any training is permitted to take place!) with accurate records of these procedures being taken and carefully filed every step of the way.

Such risk assessments would include the obvious (Fire Hazards/Slips, trips and falls/Structural damage/Trailing cables, etc) and the less obvious (Appropriate lighting/Heating and cooling/Toilet facilities, etc) so this isn't going to be an easy ten-minute job, by any means! An instructor needs to take the time and trouble required to do this job properly if Health and Safety is to be taken at all seriously. As already stated: This is where effective Health and Safety starts, so don't skimp on it.

Insurance issues

The next consideration would be the insurance: Again, it is vitally important that appropriate insurance cover covers all instructors and students! buy wholesale arginine hcl ornithine hcl is far too easy for us to become complacent and lulled into a false sense of security, allowing our own policy to lapse and/or failing to check our students grading books to ensure they are up-to-date. BUT, this is completely unacceptable behaviour! It is a legal requirement that martial arts instructors of any bona fide association or organisation MUST have all relevant insurance policies in place. So keep on top of this!

Equipment

The amount and type of equipment required will tend to differ depending upon the type of martial art being taught. For example: Gloves, bags and focus mitt's for kickboxing, padded mats for judo and weapons and protective clothing (PPE) for Kendo, etc. However, whatever the martial art being practiced it is the instructors responsibility to ensure that all materials and equipment utilised (Including clothing) is appropriate and in a good state of repair. To clarify this point: if you are teaching a forward roll, and a student gets a toe caught in one of those annoying little tears that occur every now and then in our mats, and that toe ends up broken, and the student has to take time of work/school because of this, THEN IT IS THE CLUB INSTRUCTOR WHO IS TO BLAME!

Naturally, if all of buy wholesale creatine powder ester hcl insurance is in place and up-to-date, then at least you will have some protection from certain legal repercussions: But you still have to come to terms with the fact that someone placed under your care has ended up being injured, and that this might well put them off any future training altogether!

PLUS: We are only talking about a toe in this hypothetical situation. It could just as easily have been a spine. Could you live with the fact that you had paralysed or killed someone due to negligence?

The arts we practice are beautiful, graceful and powerful. But they can also be extremely dangerous if the correct precautions are buy bulk glycine online taken. Yes, accidents do happen. But an accident is something which takes place AFTER all of the safety aspects have been covered. An accident is something OUTSIDE the instructors direct area of responsibility and control (This would include students doing something other than what they have been instructed to do) however, this is a very "grey" area legally, and so needs to be avoided whenever and wherever possible. Check, check and check again. Remember: "Prevention is better than cure!"

Fire Safety

Fire is major cause of injury, damage and death. It can strike faster and with more ferocity than you would believe possible. Your fire safety precautions will need to include the following:

- Smoke Detectors (Check regularly that they are working)
- Fire Alarms (as above)
- Fire extinguishers (Check type, date, function and location)
- Fire Blanket (Where appropriate)
- Fire escapes (Make sure they are easily accessible at all times)
- Display fire safety information in a conspicuous location
- Carry out regular Fire Drills
- Keep accurate records of all of the above, and file these carefully for future reference.

First Aid

As martial art instructors, it is required for us to acquire a basic competency in emergency first aid. This means that you need to get trained and qualified by an approved organisation, and that you should re-new this certificate as and when necessary. You should also encourage other club members to pursue such training, depending upon the size and frequency of your classes. Make sure that you have a well-stocked first aid kit, and that you promptly replenish any items you have had to use: there is nothing worse than going to a professional looking first aid box, only to open it and find empty packets and boxes. And this happens all to often. If you use it REPLACE IT! It's that simple.

Tailoring Health and Safety

Your Health and Safety precautions will need to be modified depending upon the type of techniques being taught, and the ages and abilities of the students. Obviously, when teaching young children, you will need to ensure that the dojo is a happy and healthy area for them. This means not leaving weapons or kickboxing equipment lying around where small hands can find and misuse them. These will have to be cleared away and stored in a securely locked cupboard/storeroom.

If weapons are being taught, then make sure this is done in a secure, safe and strict manner, and that you maintain control throughout. If students bring their own weapons and/or equipment, then these too must undergo a thorough safety check each and every time they are used.

Health and Hygiene

Health and hygiene are very important in the martial arts. Everyone, students and instructors alike should try and make themselves as presentable as possible for training sessions. Personal hygiene means that you and your clothing are clean and tidy (Nobody wants to train with a partner who has smelly feet because they haven't washed them, or bad breath because they haven't brushed their teeth, etc) Practitioners will also need to keep their clothing clean and in a good state of repair. If you don't wash your kit regularly, then it will stink! Use your head and get a spare budogi if you need one.

Finger and toe nails need to be trim and tidy, there should NOT be loads of Gel in the hair, and all jewellery should be removed (on the rare occasions where this is not possible for some reason or other, then they must be "taped" over") this helps to both reduce the risk of possible injury while at the same time helping to buy wholesale fos online valuable items from becoming damaged. So, no blood or tears shed! It is also important for instructors to become informed about certain health issues such as athletes foot and varucas, as well as the much more serious issue of Hepatitis, asthma, diabetes and epilepsy, etc. Needless to say: food and drink should not be allowed, unless express permission is given from the club instructor.

If a student turns up with an injury or illness which might effect their training and/or the security and well being of other people on the mat, then it falls to the instructor to refuse them entry to the class, no matter how much they might protest: You can end up compromising literally all of your Health and Safety measures, including your insurance arrangements, if you let someone train who is not fit to do so. Be careful. If in doubt, then err on the side of caution. Cleaning materials and utensils will be required in order to keep the dojo in a clean and tidy state. However, most cleansing agents can be dangerous, and so need to be stored in accordance with the law. The club instructor must ensure that any and all substances kept upon the premises remain in there original containers with the relevant hazard data attached, and that they are stored in a secure area well out of the way of young hands. The aspect of Health and Safety Law that deals with such materials is called COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) and this should be referred to for any clarification. It should also be remembered that any area undergoing cleaning may have to be cordoned off by the appropriate hazard signs if it poses any kind of potential threat to other people e.g. a wet floor, etc.

Health and Safety Policy

Most martial arts associations will have their own Health and Safety policy securely in place. However, quite often the ordinary club instructor, who seems to think these requirements don't apply to him or her at an individual dojo level, can overlook this information. Some instructors operate independently from any large organisation, and there is nothing wrong with this as long as they understand all of the implications this involves, including having to design there own Health and Safety policy (this isn't compulsory, but is highly recommended!)

A Health and Safety policy should be a working document, which is used both in the induction and training of students and instructors. It should be regularly revised and updated in order to ensure that it remains relevant to the activities taking place within the dojo, and that procedures are being executed as intended. It should also be made readily available for inspection.

A Health and Safety Policy document consists of three parts:

1- General Statement of Policy
This is the statement of your level of commitment to Health and Safety, put down on paper, signed and dated.
2- Responsibility for carrying out the Statement of Intent
This identifies those persons with specific areas of responsibility (Club Instructor(s)) such as those in charge of fire safety precautions or first aid provision, etc.
3- Arrangements and Procedures.
The system you have designed in order to comply with you Statement of Intent forms this part of the document. For example: Your fire procedures, Accident report book, copies of regular Risk Assessments and any other specific procedures you may have made.

Duty of Care
An important aspect of Health and Safety is "Duty of Care" which is a legal duty on both individuals and organisations to avoid carelessly causing personal injury or damage to property. This is a duty under what is termed "Common Law", which we all owe toward our fellow human beings. This is especially important in the "No win, no fee" culture which is now so prevalent.

If someone is injured in a dojo training session, the club instructor might be liable if...
- They failed to show the Duty of Care owed to the student
- They broke the Duty of Care
- That injury, loss or damage was suffered as a result of either of the above.

Instructors need to take Health and Safety issues extremely seriously if they are to present themselves in an honest professional and dependable manner. Health and Safety is a very large subject area, containing numerous different aspects and specialist know- how. We have covered the most useful and relevant of them here, but if you are unsure as to how to go about any of the advice contained, then you must seek help and guidance as soon as possible (Senior instructors, First aid organisations, Fire Brigade, Solicitor, etc.) For the most comprehensive information, have a look at the Health and Safety Executive website: www.hse.gov.uk

And remember...

HEALTH AND SAFETY IS EVERYONES RESPONSIBILITY!

Prof. Lee-Barron is the Head of the Faculty of Martial Arts at Knightsbridge University.