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Is Paintball the Safest Game in Town?
5 Ways To Prevent Serious Injury When Playing Paintball
The chance of getting seriously injured while playing paintball
is on a par with getting seriously injured while bowling! Bicycle
riding and golf both have higher incidents of serious injury. And
if you play lacrosse, your chance of being seriously injured is
more than 700 times what it is if you play paintball. You can get
all the statistics here: http://www.f4og.com/safe.html.
1. Insurance and Waiver Forms
Regardless of the above, paintball fields will still require you
to sign a waiver for insurance purposes. You can find an example
of a waiver here: http://www.paintballtogo.com/waiver.htm.
If you're a player or the parent of a player and you're concerned
about personal injury insurance, contact your insurance agent. If
you're a paintball field owner concerned about insurance, you can
check out this Web site:
http://www.nsera.com/paintball/index.htm.
2. Eye Injury
Your required equipment includes a mask with built-in goggles.
You need a mask for playing on any field or arena where you pay
to play. This mask will include coverage of your full head and
your eyes (goggles). You can’t wear shop glasses, or other types
of safety glasses, as the force of the paintball may crack the
lens and send glass or plastic fragments into your eye.
Masks are not often found in exact sizes. However, you can wear a
knit hat or baseball cap under a mask to keep it from sliding
around if it’s too big. A backwards baseball cap also gives the
back of your neck some protection from paint as many masks lack
adequate neck coverage.
When do you have to wear your mask? You need a mask as soon you
enter the playing field, when you’re waiting for another game to
be finished and when you’re in the staging area. Masks must be
worn throughout the entire game, no matter what. You can’t lift
or take off your mask, or the referee will take you out of the
game.
If you’re having problems with your goggles fogging or something
obstructing your vision, call for a referee. Do not remove your
mask! The one way you can get seriously injured in paintball is
by getting shot in the eye. If this happens, immediately call for
emergency medical attention. Do not try to treat the injury
yourself!
Washable field paint is essentially non-irritating to eyes.
However, if you do get paint splashed into your eye, flush your
eye thoroughly with water for fifteen minutes. To be safe, you
should also call for medical attention or travel to the nearest
medical center, clinic or hospital emergency room.
3. Knee and Ankle Injury
Many paintball sources recommend sneakers, tennis shoes, running
shoes or other soft footwear to ensure you can move around as
quietly as possible. However, if your ankles are weak, you’re
playing in really rough terrain, or there are a lot of hills on
the field, wear hiking boots!
I’ve seen a player wreck his knee from running uphill in
sneakers. After seeing how much pain he was in, I now recommend
choosing safety over stealth
every time. After all, it’s just a
game! And, hey, don’t the military wear combat boots?
Fogged-up goggles or glasses can be a safety hazard in paintball.
Tripping and falling hard on your knees can cause serious injury.
Get goggles that have thermal lenses or a built-in fan to keep
them from fogging up.
If you wear glasses, use anti-fog spray on them. Your goggles may
have an anti-fog coating, but your glasses don’t! You can also
buy special inserts made using your glasses prescription that fit
inside your goggles. Then you don’t have to wear your glasses at
all.
4. Sunburn
Remember to wear the strongest sunscreen you can find to the
game. A bad sunburn can totally ruin a wonderful day! Even if the
day starts out looking cloudy, put on sunscreen. If the weather
changes, you’re already protected and it’s one less thing to
think about while you’re on the field. You never know when the
sun will come out. And in case you didn't know, you can get
burned even on an overcast day.
At the least, take a container of the spray-on kind of sunscreen
to the game. It's easy to apply so you'll be less likely to "not
bother."
If you forgot your sunscreen and you do get burned, apply aloe
vera gel to your sunburn as soon as you get home. You'll be glad
you did in the morning.
5. Welts
The game of paint ball is quite physical. It’s definitely not a
game for young children, as paint balls sting when they hit an
exposed spot and sometimes leave welts that don’t heal for days.
You should wear clothing that covers your legs and arms
completely, such as jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt or jersey.
Wrap any exposed areas of skin in strips of cloth and wear gloves
that at the least protect your hands, if not your fingers. As I
mentioned before, a backwards baseball cap gives the back of your
neck some protection if your mask lacks adequate neck coverage.
A few welts are an inevitable part of playing any paintball game.
Most don't hurt much, but some can feel quite tender after the
game. During the game you'll be too busy and distracted to
notice! (If you can't handle a little pain, don't play
paintball!)
If you do get a few welts, take a hot bath or shower when you get
home and apply a soothing gel like aloe vera. Afterwards you'll
feel a lot better.
Is Paintball the Safest Game Around?
While there is a slim chance of getting seriously injured playing
paintball, it has proven to be one of the safest sports and
recreational activities that youths and adults alike can enjoy.
Be sensible, follow the rules, buy ASTM F1776 certified equipment
and play at fields that follow ASTM F1776 standards. Your chances
of having an enjoyable day in the outdoors are better than with
virtually any other sport or activity, including walking around
the block!
About the Author
Andrea Wilson is a writer and mother of a teenage paintball
fanatic! To learn more about paintball, she recommends the
following Web sites: http://www.PaintballPicks.com and
http://www.PaintballHeroes.com.
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