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SIRC Seminar on Severe Weather and Its Impact on Sport a ‘Striking’ Success.
Sept 12, 2007: How can severe weather impact sporting events? What can be done to minimize the impact of severe weather on sport activities? Where should athletes go to protect themselves from lightning? Is the gym the safest place to gather in the school in the event of a tornado? How can sport clubs, tournament or major game organizers, better protect their participants?
Etienne Grégoire from the Meteorological Service of Canada at Environment Canada provided sport leaders and participants of yesterday’s SIRC seminar with valuable information about severe weather. Sport groups learned how quickly and severe weather systems can strike. When tornadoes and mirco bursts blow through your sporting event, the gym roof (or other similar large buildings – arenas, etc) will likely be ripped off easily, thereby exposing your participants to the ravages of the weather. One of the most common causes of injury is exposure to flying debris. Therefore encouraging people to go to a concrete or smaller room where they can be protected is important.
Lightning never strikes the same place twice. Wrong! M. Gregoire quickly dismissed the common myth since lightning definitely can strike the same place more than once. With May to August as the primary months for thunderstorms in Ontario and Quebec, these are the same months many outdoor sporting activities are occurring. Organizers were encouraged to have a lightning policy in effect (ie who has the authority to suspend or cancel the event, coach, referee, administrator etc.), also when should the event be suspended, thus taking into account the 30/30 rule and also to ensure lightning safety tips were well publicized:
· If caught in a level field far from shelter and you feel your hair stand on end, crouch to the ground immediately leaning forward, do not lie flat.
· Keep a safe distance from tall objects such as trees, hilltops, telephone poles.
· Stay away from objects that conduct electricity such as golf clubs, metal fences, bicycles and fishing rods.
· If in a group in the open, spread out, keeping several metres apart.
Several tools and resources were highlighted that would help sport groups be more prepared for severe weather including the weather radio, email notification from Environment Canada, teacher’s resources, website links to recent studies as well as lightning cards specifically designed for sport associations. For more information visit www.sirc.ca/online_resources/weather.cfm or contact Kim Cook at kcook@sirc.ca for a copy of the presentation.
Thank you Etienne,
Debra Gassewitz
President & CEO,
SIRC
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