We all love the roar of the crowd while taking in a football game, or the rush we get while watching players blaze down a basketball court. The sensations that sports illicit in both spectators and participants can sometimes make us forget about everything that went into the design and production of the courts, bleachers and other athletic products used on a daily basis.
Before these products hit the floor of any gymnasium or grace the sidelines of any football field or soccer pitch, they oftentimes have gone through years of research and development. While technological and design elements are forever changing, making our lives easier, safety is still the top priority for equipment and infrastructure manufacturers like us and the customers we serve.
With that in mind, here are a few products that were designed and manufactured to ensure the safety of spectators and athletes around the world.
Gym Divider Curtains
These curtains are mainly used to effectively separate a chosen space, and their designs have changed immensely over the past decade or so. What used to be large, heavy structures, gym dividers of the past although effective in theory, did not always address necessary safety concerns.
After a number of injuries and in some cases, deaths, these curtains came under fire and quickly were put under the microscope. Today’s gym divider curtains boast a variety of designs such as vertical closures paired with safety systems such as dual key ignitions and obstruction sensors, guaranteeing a safe and easy operation.
Basketball Safety Straps
Acting very much the same as a seatbelt or a safety harness, these simple yet effective devices are secondary safety mechanism typically used in over-head basketball system installations. In the event of support structure failure, the AUT-O-LOC instantly locks the free-falling backstop.
This system prevents both damage to the basketball system, as well as any inherent danger to participants and spectators below.
Wall Padding
This is another potential dual-purpose safety product. Permanent or temporary wall padding, strategically placed in specific areas of a gymnasium is a key line of defence when it comes to high-speed sports such as basketball and volleyball.
Absorbing the impact of players rushing toward a wall, wall safety padding has prevented more injuries than anyone will ever know.
Barrier Netting
What has become a hot topic in the professional sports arena lately (pun intended), is the amount of barrier netting required, specifically for the National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Baseball (MLB). Both professional leagues have acted on proposed changes to the amount of barrier netting needed to properly protect their fans.
With that in mind, amateur sports organizations have taken notice and now too are taking a long hard look at the protection their current barrier netting provides. This being said, spectators are not the only ones in need of protection. Netting covering practice areas used by players has long since been a safety precaution and is one that is also undergoing some changes.
Bleacher Hand Rails & Guard Rails
No longer reserved for large-scale grandstands, bleachers of all shapes and sizes are now getting the proper safety treatment. Stairways are now adorned with helpful and safe hand rails spectators can use to guide themselves into their seats. The perimeter of these seating structures are also constructed using galvanized guard rails, keeping spectators safe from falls and other accidental risks associated with bleacher seating structures.