Safety Topics for Ice Rinks

Ice skating is a popular winter sport that many people enjoy. Ice skating rinks may be natural or manmade and can be located both indoors and outdoors. Ice rink management teams must prepare for and work to prevent many types of injuries that may occur at these sporting venues. There are many ice rink safety topics for them to consider.

  1. Ice Strength

    • The ice strength of natural outdoor ice rinks is a common concern. According to the Rhode Island Parks website, ice on these types of rinks must be at least 6 inches thick and needs to be frozen for a minimum of five days before it is safe to skate on. Many factors will influence the strength of these types of rinks. For example, the water’s chemistry (freshwater or saltwater), distribution of weight on the ice and signs of expansion cracks should be noted. Other factors that impact these types of rinks’ safety include the presence of natural springs or currents, the depth of the lake or pond and local climate factors such as temperature fluctuations, precipitation and wind.

    Crowd Control

    • Ice rink management teams often have maximum capacity of people or weight rules for their facilities. Overcrowded ice rinks pose many types of safety risks. For example, if there is too much weight on a natural ice rink, there is a risk for cracks or patrons falling through the ice. Ice rinks of all types that have too many people may have more skating injuries due to patrons crashing into each other.

    Skating Injuries

    • According to an article in the “Telegraph,” there are more skating injuries in temporary ice rinks. This is attributed to overcrowding as well as an influx of inexperienced skaters. Ice rink management teams may consider creating different skating time slots for fast, experienced skaters and slow, novice skaters. They must also have first-aid kits on hand and be prepared for common skating injuries. These injuries typically include sprains and strains, cuts and bruises.

    Air Quality

    • Ice rink air quality is a major topic affecting rink safety planning. The main triggers of poor air quality in indoor ice rinks are propane and gas resurfacing chemicals and techniques, as well as faulty air equipment. Indoor ice rink management teams should test their ventilation systems and measure to see if their rinks pose a health risk. Many property management teams explore adding reactor equipment or warning signals as well.