The document provides a summary of the top 10 measures for ice rinks to minimize risk. It discusses: 1) Using strong ice rental agreements that require proof of insurance and additional insured status for the rink. 2) Requiring all participants to sign liability waivers releasing the rink from liability related to on-ice activities. 3) Posting clear signage about risks, conduct policies, and restricted areas. 4) Maintaining logs and checklists to document important tasks like ice resurfacing and air quality readings. 5) Providing supervision for public sessions and lessons with trained monitors and instructors.

1. TOP 10 MEASURES TO
Minimize
ARENA RISK
SKATER S
SKATER RESPONSI KATER
ASSUMP ASRESPONAND P
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ASSUMPTION OF TIONUMPT SIBILITY AN
ION
RISK OF RISK O ONSIBIL
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AGREEM ITY A
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Skaters agree to and
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accept
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ain
1. Maintai responsibility for all of the followingponsibi
not sto reaso ibility for all :of the lity
n
for all
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where you speed, of you ob
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2. of your
follow
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Readobstruc course anded, cou ur sp
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ing
obstruct other skaters. t other skat uct oth rseDo ee skate in groups. :
not
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2. Rea
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er sk and direction
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ide by
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aters. cours. Do not Do
abide by
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2. Read and abide
Maint all posted
direc e in groups.
by all
ain a warnings and sted sig
tion.
Do
3. Maintai posted signs andpro signs and cooperat
Re
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Do no
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3. Maintain a proper ort
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4. to avoid out to avoid to
and co aren
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Report any hazards
r skat condition
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4. Accept to arena its pt respons staff.
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th the
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arena
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bility for knowing y for t ability an knowing
that abili
5. Re ty the range ing the
nditio surface.
d as
the
limits of that ability
ns on
frainand as appof your range of yourranskates;
ability while on ge
fro
ropriate appro
the ice
5. Refr and as appropriate sk the session the priate abilityof yoskate within the
to which to
e ab
ain fromsubstance m toating
on session are whilur on skat
surfa
youon skating. ilit es;
the se
skating whil
wh
ce.
s.
5. Refrain from substan
which you y wh skate with
ssion are ile
skating6.
in the
ces. under the e under theile under
while
on
on skating.
Leav
influence of drugs, the inf
influence
substances.
e
alcohol or other control which yo skates; sk
luenc
of drugs,
not sit the ice su
6. Leave
ate
e of dru
alcohol or impairing u are
rfa
the
skating within
on
gsother control
the
, alcoh
6. Leave the ice surface ice surfacethe dash ce when res
e
not sit 7.
.
whe er
on the das
ol or impairing
when resurfaci n resuboard
rfacing mai
other
not sit on the dasher Refrainher boang maintenance isurfacing ma
s.
nten place. Keep
taking
contr
from rds. Befo
boards. Before getting re gett Before ance inten
no
exits
7. Refr
ol im
on
ing on the oncomin plac
ain from t carry ch taking foo the rink, lookgettingis takingce e.clear and do
pairin
forrink,on an skaters. p
Kee exits
is tak
taking food ren
d
ild
g
look g onc ing
7. Refrain from taking
not carry
thefor
or drink or drink on
8. food or drink
or ite
rink, oming place clear and do
children
onto the
look
to
or onto
. Ke
not carry children or Refrain fro items the rinkms whileor the the rin
surface
for skaters. ep ex
items whilem ac while skating. rinkati surrounding dasher or caprail.
onco
pe
sk surface or surfa
k the surr
8. Refr
its cle
skating.
mi
ting in
ng.
Do
ain fromrson.
ce ounding
ar an
or the dasher ng skate
acting in
a ma
d do
8. Refrain from acting
person.
rs.
nner
or
surro
9. in a manner a manner
that ma
Refra
undin caprail. Do
that
person.
in fro that may cause may cause or to
g dash
or contributey ca
injury of
m thr
contribute yourself or any
use or
er or
9. Refr
owing
other
to injur
10 Re
capra
ain. from
contr y of
or lea
throwing
il. Do
ibute yourself
9. Refrain from throwing frain fro
or
to inj
m or
or sp leavingins leaving objeving objec
or
ury of any other
10. Refr
tigati
rink surface.
ain from ectator. objects on the cts on the ts on the
yours
ng or
rink surface.
instigating
elf or
rink su
be
or 11
10. Refrain from spe.ctat
or
any oth
instigating or becomin becoming coming
rface
Asor.
sump
er
involved inv
g involved in any type olv
r
or spectator.
tio
inof altercation with .
ed in
as
any type
11. Assump sume n of Risk
any altercat other skater
of typ any
the
: By
tion
e of ion with any
assume a. of Riskinherent ris
alterc
11. Assumption of the Injuries : By engaginengaging
Risk: By engaging
ation other skater
ksgof skat in
b. inherentthat
in
skating, skaters skati
with
ing, skat
assume thea. InjuriesInjuries risksin ult
any oth
inherent risks of tha res skatm skating, are deemed to have
ers are dee
c. that resu resof fro ing, whic wh ng, skate
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er sk
b. Inju Inj
rs med to
ich
a. Injuries that ries uries thaltt from which includeh includeinc limited are knowledge of and
but are
collisions
ater
result from t
that resu inv ult from fal llisions or not lude
de have know
to the following
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lt from falls
c. Inju
b. Injuries that riesintended collisionseor contact with tactconta arebut are ed ed to : ledge of and
skaters.
with ct wi
result from falls. olv objec ls.
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that invo th
.
pa
othethskat not lim
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r oth ers.
lve objects
ts
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c. Injuries that nded
inteinvolve
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:
ite
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or
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path
icial
aters. d to the fol ledge of
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intended path of travel of travel of the of the sk structures properly
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erly with
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thin the
© Ice
© Ice Skatin Skating
© Ice Skating Institute g Institut Institute
e 2011. 2011.
2011. All rights reserved.
All rights
Allreserv
rightsed.
reserved
.
by Dan Foster
n ice rink’s largest area of exposure to loss comes from
the very people it serves. Skaters, spectators, coaches and
others who frequent your venue may seek restitution if
they believe you are at fault for an injury they sustain. Hockey
and ice skating are high-risk activities, and those who participate
in them need to understand the risks and assume the liability
associated with them. It is imperative that everyone who skates
at your rink agrees to these risks before you allow them to step
onto your ice. Here are the top 10 ways to protect your rink from
losses and ways to provide a safe venue for patrons.
A
favor, not yours. In
all cases, seek legal
counsel for contracts to ensure they
adequately protect
your interests.
ISI has code of conduct
and assumption of risk signs
for skaters and additional
versions for hockey players
and spectators. To receive
copies of these codes, send an
email to orders@skateisi.org.
2. Waivers
Skaters need to sign
a waiver releasing the rink from liability related to the activity
they participate in. Whether it is hockey, figure skating, learn-to1. Ice Rental Agreements
skate, broomball, curling or some other activity, a waiver should
be on file for each participant. As with the ice rental agreement,
The strongest protection you have as a rink operator is a welldrafted contract. Contracts should be in place for every group the waiver should be drafted under the direction of legal counsel.
that rents ice from you. They should also provide proof of insur- State laws vary with regard to the strength of a waiver for youth
participants, but having a signed waiver on file presents a stronance AND additionally insure your rink on their insurance policy.
ger defense for you should a claim end up in court.
Use your in-house contract whenever possible, since it will have
specific provisions based on your rink operations. Avoid using
another party’s contract because it is usually drafted in their
3. Signage
Ice sports participants
need to understand
the risks and assume
the liability associated
with them. A signed
waiver should be on file
for each participant.
You have a duty to put patrons on notice of the risks they may
encounter while on your premises. Skaters must be made aware
of the code of conduct expected while on the ice. Skate renters
need to know the risks of renting skates — and assume those
risks. Patrons in stands need to be made aware of possible
flying pucks. Signs should be posted at restricted areas. Locker
room rules should be posted as well. These are just some of the
common areas where signage is needed. There may be a need
for more signage if alcohol is served or if other activities such as
dry-land training are provided.
4. Logs and Checklists
Certain activities performed by your rink need to be documented. This is best done on a log or checklist. Just the act of
resurfacing your ice or sharpening skates is not sufficient proof
that these services were rendered. In a court of law, this can be
dismissed as hearsay without documented proof or adequate
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I S I E D G E FA L L 2 0 13

2. TO P 10 M E A S U R E S TO M I N I M I Z E A R E N A R I S K
witnesses. At a minimum,
Background checks can also help you screen for other risk
logs should be kept for ice factors that could have a negative impact on your rink. For cancuts, skate sharpening and didates who will handle money or other assets, you may wish to
compressor readings. If screen for convictions such as fraud, embezzlement and theft.
your rink uses gas-powered If you discover any previous charges of financial mishandling
resurfacers, you should — even a case of personal bankruptcy — you may want to invesalso keep a log measuring tigate further to mitigate your risk. Background checks will also
the carbon monoxide and reveal factors such as convictions for drug offenses, domestic
nitrogen dioxide levels in violence, assault and more. While these may not necessarily
your building.
prevent you from hiring the candidate, they may be important
factors to consider with your legal counsel.
Logs should be kept for ice
cuts, skate sharpening,
compressor readings and interior
air quality measurements.
5. Supervision
Rink-sponsored activities such as public
skating, broomball and
learn-to-skate, among
others, require supervision. For public skating this
means utilizing trained skate monitors on the ice. They need to
watch the skaters closely and engage anyone whose conduct is
inappropriate. They are also the first ones to respond in the event
of an injury. Instructors should be present for group activities,
making sure there are enough staff members on hand to properly
supervise.
7. Training
Employee training encompasses more than just job shadowing.
Many duties employees perform will require formal training.
Here are a few examples: Employees that service compressors
need training on refrigeration systems. Mechanics repairing
resurfacers need training on the equipment they maintain.
Servers of alcohol need training on alcohol management. Since
your rink is open to the public, your employees will need to
be trained in first aid and CPR (as well as the AED, if one is
provided). Coaches may also need formal training to properly
instruct skaters at different skill levels. OSHA has requirements
for training with regard to hazardous chemicals, fall protection
and more.
6. Criminal Background Screening
When it comes to child molestation in sports, the headlines
speak for themselves. Again and again, communities are shocked
to learn that one of their trusted coaches or instructors has been
accused of sexual misconduct. Increased awareness of this risk
has led to changes throughout youth sports — and ice sports
are no exception. Providing your patrons and your community
with a safe place to enjoy sports includes ensuring that your
employees do not pose a foreseeable risk for inappropriate
actions. Protecting children begins with knowing who is working at your rink. It’s important to conduct criminal background
checks on every employee or volunteer, while keeping in mind
that these checks are but one part of a broader range of hiring
and employment practices.
As a general rule, employers should:
• Create a sexual abuse policy that outlines the boundaries to
prevent inappropriate conduct.
• Create a screening policy that defines how your screening
process works.
• Notify all job applicants that a background check is a condition of employment.
• Screen all current employees and volunteers to create a
baseline of background checks.
• Review information from the background checks for any
reported criminal activity.
• Make a decision based on information found in the report.
8. Recordkeeping
Maintaining appropriate
and thorough records is
one of the major weaknesses experienced in our
industry. Recordkeeping
not only preserves critical
information; it provides
proof of activities important to your operations.
With this in mind, the
following records and documents are just some of the
important items you must
maintain:
• Contracts, waivers and
agreements
• Legal notices
• Incident reports
• Personnel records
• Medical records
• Training records
• OSHA logs
• Ice resurfacer logs
• Skate-sharpening logs
Recordkeeping preserves
critical information and
provides proof of activities
important to your operations.

3. • Air quality logs
• Compressor readings
• Fire alarm and sprinkler inspections
• Building maintenance and inspections
Equipment service records
Safety meeting records, inspections and self-audits
The length of time you retain these records depends on various factors. State and federal laws dictate how long personnel
records and legal documents are kept. For example, incident
reports involving minors need to be retained until the minor
reaches the age of majority, then up to the state statute of limitations. As a general rule, all records should be retained for at
least seven years.
•
•
9. Emergency Response
Emergencies are rare, but they do happen at ice rinks. Events
such as fires, ammonia leaks or weather conditions can put
your patrons at risk. Be sure to have a plan for common emergencies, and review it periodically with staff. Post evacuation
maps throughout your building to inform patrons of exit locations. Partner with local fire response to get their input on best
practices for evacuations. Finally, train your staff on first aid,
CPR and AEDs if provided. Trained and educated employees
not only help with response, but also bring calmness and order
to a crisis.
10. Maintenance and Housekeeping
Housekeeping is more than picking up the garbage around
the facility. It encompasses the overall physical safety of the
arena. The focus is on providing a safe venue for patrons and
employees. Cleanliness, maintaining safe walking areas, adequate lighting, working bathroom fixtures, clearance around
electrical panels and accessible emergency exits are just some
of the major areas of concern for a responsible rink operator.
You do not need to go about this task alone. ISI, your legal
counsel and your insurance representatives can assist you.
Many of these measures require very little expense or time,
yet go a long way in protecting patrons and your rink from
avoidable losses.
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I S I E D G E FA L L 2 0 13
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