Sports Turf Safety

Athletes currently experience concussions at a rate of approximately 2 per 100 athletes, according to a 2015 Minnesota Department of Health study. Football players sustain the highest number of concussions—football accounts for 38% of all concussions reported during the 2014-15 school year. Similar statistics are found throughout the U.S., indicating the importance of turf safety to reduce concussions.

When a player falls, either the player’s body or the playing surface absorbs the impact of that fall. When turf surfaces are too hard, there is a greater chance of increased injury and higher rates of concussions. Research indicates that 10-15% of concussions in American football are caused by head-to-surface contact. Maintaining the appropriate hardness of the sports surface is a controllable way to minimize the risk of concussions.

IEA’s safety consultants have the knowledge, experience, and tools necessary to help you manage your turf safety – natural grass or synthetic. Our process, known as GMAX testing for turf standards, aims to identify the shock absorbency of a field. The higher the GMAX rating, the harder the turf and the greater the risk to your athletes.

Testing your field annually can ensure proper maintenance of your synthetic field which can extend the life of your field as well as meet manufacturer warranty testing requirements. Through our F1936 ASTM-based testing practices, equipment, and reporting for turf safety, we help protect your players and your liability.

There is an exhaustive list of benefits that come from turf GMAX testing standards and routine maintenance of your sports turf but we consider these the top five reasons for turf safety.

1. Reduces injury by ensuring you are maintaining a safe playing surface
2. Creates a tool by which you can track concussion incidents, and field maintenance
3. Protects your investment by preventing compaction and maintaining the field’s condition
4. Protects your legal defense in the event of injury or legal questions regarding your safety practices
5. Meets warranty requirements required for new fields

Everyone Is Responsible For Turf Safety

As a field designer or installer, your diligence in ensuring the fields meet the proper design standards will provide your clients with the safest playing conditions.

As a facilitator of turf playing fields, you have a responsibility to provide safe facilities and playing conditions for your athletes. You also want to ensure you are not exposing your school or other organization to liability.

As a coach or athletic director, you have a responsibility to be knowledgeable of the conditions of the turf your athletes play on. The more aware you are, the more you can do for your athletes to avoid concussions.

At IEA, we help field designers, facilitators, and coaches ensure the fields they are designing, providing, and playing on will help reduce sports-related injuries.