Ice skating is going through a surge in popularity in Britain at the moment, due in large part to the success of the ITV programme, Dancing on Ice. During the winter months, temporary open air ice skating rinks spring up in city centres across the country, and are visited by thousands of skaters. Studies carried out by the British Medical Journal at local hospital casualty departments show that the opening of a temporary ice rink leads directly to a significant rise in emergency admissions. Accidents at ice rinks usually involve slips, trips, falls and collisions. The most common resulting injuries include broken and dislocated bones, cuts, bruising and concussion.
As open air ice rinks are essentially commercial premises, the owners owe a duty of care to their visitors, and must take all reasonable measures to prevent accidents and injuries occurring. In the case of ice rinks these responsibilities are particularly onerous. Ice skating could be said to be an inherently dangerous activity, and ice rinks attract skaters of all different ages and skill levels. The majority of injuries are self-inflicted, caused by skaters losing balance of their own accord, and falling on the ice. In other situations however accidents may be the fault of ice marshals charged with supervising the skating, or the owners of the ice rink.
Supervision is of primary importance at ice rinks. There should never be too many skaters on the ice at any one time. The UK’s National Ice Skate Association sets a maximum of 1 skater per 3 square metres of rink floor. Marshals and other staff at ice rinks should also monitor the behaviour of skaters. Excessive speed can cause accidents, as can dangerous behaviour, such as groups of skaters forming long chains or trains. Skaters who are intoxicated are likely to pose a risk to others, as are those who wear incorrect clothing, such as hoods, which prevent them from seeing other skaters, or those who take bags and rucksacks onto the ice. Medical staff and first aid facilities must be available to handle injured skaters, as injures can be significantly worse in the long-term if they are left untreated for any length of time.
The other main area of responsibility for the owners and operators of temporary ice rinks is proper maintenance of their premises and equipment. Skates may be defective, and if a buckle breaks for example, while a person is skating at speed, they are very likely to have an accident, injuring themselves and possibly others. It is important that the ice itself is cleaned at regular intervals, to ensure that surface imperfections do not present a hazard to skaters. We have recently handled cases on behalf of clients injured at temporary ice skating rinks through no fault of their own. Contact us today for free legal advice if you have been involved in an accident at an open air ice rink.
>> Our No Win No Fee Contract Covers Ice Skating Accidents
>> Read More About Claiming Compensation For Accidents On Ice
