Inflatable advertising solution could stop sports injuries

With accidents with advertising hoardings an-all-too-common occurrence during elite sporting matches at major venues, an inflatable advertising hoarding designed in New Zealand could significantly reduce the risk of injury to players.

Peter Roberts, Chief Executive of Wellington-based inflatable sporting products company Packaworld International Limited has highlighted how the risks posed by rigid wood and steel advertising hoardings were brought into the spotlight once more during the Warriors win over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in their NRL clash at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium last weekend.

Kerrod Holland and Tui Lolohea collided with rigid signage placed metres from the scoring zone. Holland landed awkwardly after a backflip, and was lucky to escape injury despite showing some tenderness to his ankle.

Mindful of the dangers rigid hoardings can pose to players, Roberts explains that his inflatable hoardings are soft enough to eliminate the dangers posed by wood-and-steel and electronic hoardings and has called on stadiums, advertisers and event organisers to put an end to the use of dangerous hoardings for the sake of the players.

Roberts explained “this is not a blood sport. Something’s got to change, and someone has to take responsibility.

“It’s the players’ job to score tries out there and entertain, but venues, advertisers and competition organisershave a duty of care to keep them safe while doing it.

“We’ve got to ask ourselves, are we doing everything reasonable to keep players safe? In this case, I’d say no. Packaworlddeveloped Packasign so these situations would be a thing of the past, and it shouldn’t take another injury to make people see the light.”

Roberts said these situations were all too common, andhad proven season-ending for players in the past, such as Kangaroos player Luke Lewis, whose 2013 Rugby League World Cup dreams were ended by a dislocated shoulder after a collision with hoardings.

Packasign hoardings are composed of inflatable poles, covered in easily interchangeable cloth so as to provide a soft surface in case of collisions, and are an attractive, safe and portable solution for advertising at sports venues.

Click here to view video footage of accidents with hoardings at sports matches.

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Under new health and safety laws, venues, competition organisers and providers of advertising in New Zealand businesses have a duty of care to players on the field, andmust take reasonably practicable steps to manage hazards.

For more information on the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, visit the WorkSafe website at www.business.govt.nz/worksafe

To find out more click here to contact Packaworld International Limited via their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.