Several councils in Australia are inspecting or topping up their synthetic turf pitches following the death of a cricket player on one of their field. Although the freak incident is currently being investigated, it should serve as a wake up call to owners and managers of sports facilities and remind them of their legal duty to deliver a safe surface.
By: Newsdesk
Cricket player Nathan Fitzgerald passed away early July from head trauma he sustained during a cricket match. Fitzgerald reportedly first knocked his head in a collision with another player before his head received a blow when it struck the knee of another player as he fell. A third blow was dealt when his head hit the cricket pitch in the middle of the oval.
The cricket pitch was made of concrete that was covered with synthetic turf.
Although the exact circumstances are under coronial investigation, several councils have started subjecting their (cricket) pitches to extra testing and safety measures. Others have already topped up the infill (back) to the levels the installing company describe.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Hume Council responded to their questions to say that “it had tested the hardness of its 19 covered concrete wickets. While the nine soil-covered wickets were well below the AFL’s recommended levels, all 10 synthetic covers exceeded it.” Grounds with readings above this limit are considered unacceptably hard, with a significantly increased risk of player injury, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The newspaper also reported that Lalor Football Netball Club, whose home ground was the site of Fitzgerald’s fatal accident, told them that previously, there had been issues with people pulling the cover off in the winter to play cricket – which can cause covers to lose some of their rubber cushioning – but it was not aware of this having happened in a while.
Dangerous development
Modern synthetic turf surfaces use shock pads over maintaining a thick layer with infill to guarantee the shock absorbing properties of the surface. Over time, the infill will compact or even migrate out of the field, thus rendering the field dangerous, unless properly maintained. As most municipalities or clubs lack the time, budget, equipment or expertise to maintain the surfaces adequately, the use of a shock pad is the easiest way to guarantee the performance and safety of the surface.
Back to square one?
Although the use of shock pads or e-layers has become the norm, some synthetic turf suppliers have started talking openly again about abandoning these layers. This includes the biggest advocate of non-fill synthetic turf. They claim that they are busy working towards a non-fill synthetic turf carpet that “would also be adequate enough to deliver the required shock absorbing characteristics.”
To date, none of these manufacturers have succeeded in developing such a carpet. Nevertheless, this development has alarmed several national FAs, which have started warning their members about installing non-fill synthetic turf without a shock pad.
Liability
While occupational health and safety legislation differs per country, it is safe to say that owners or caretakers of sports facilities who knew or should have known about the lack of safety (of their surface) can be held (personally) liable for damages if an incident occurs.
Installing companies have the habit of questioning the maintenance activities and their frequency conducted on the surface when something has happened. As very few caretakers or owners will (be able to) strictly abide by the maintenance instructions the installing company has left them with, these installing companies usually win their case.
The actual developer of the synthetic turf system will also claim innocence, as they will point to the maintenance instructions given by the installing company.
Therefore, sports governing bodies and industry associations recommend the use of a shock pad or e-layer (according to EN 15330-4:2022). Although this comes at additional cost, these products guarantee the performance of a field and the adherence to certain safety and quality criteria for a considerable period, often exceeding the lifespan of at least one synthetic turf carpet.
The use of a validated engineered layer like a shock pad or e-layer that has been designed to deliver shock absorbing properties usually absolves the property owner or caretaker from (immediate) liability, as they can show the implementation of mitigating measures.
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