Prevention and awareness-raising of the risks of mild traumatic brain injury or concussion
To develop or maintain a healthy and safe environment, each citizen and location needs to adopt a preventive approach. To do this, follow the procedure suggested below to reduce the risk of a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) or concussion:
Step 1
Identify the nature of the risks associated with the situation or activity:
falls, or collisions with objects
collisions with another person
authorized physical contacts
authorized blows to the head (e.g. certain combat sports)
Step 2
Analyze the risk of MTBI/concussion related to the situation or activity by considering:
the physical environment (facilities, playgrounds, shared equipment, etc.)
personal equipment (current standards, protective equipment, etc.)
supervision (workplace health and safety standards, laws and regulations, game rules, severity of penalties, safety instructions, supervision, first aid services, refereeing, etc.)
participants’ behaviour and attitudes (conditions for participation or for a return to work or school, compliance with game rules and safety instructions, etc.)
Step 3
Verify if the situation is satisfactory or if preventive measures should be added to reduce the number or severity of MTBIs/concussions. Preventive measures should:
be adapted to the context
be concrete and efficient
not change the nature of the activity or sport
be personally, athletically, socially and economically viable
Step 4
Monitor yourself or monitor the participants. Monitoring is a responsibility that is shared by everyone present. Remove a participant—or recommend their removal to those with the authority to do so—in any one of the following situations:
if the participant presents any concussion symptom(s)
following an impact to the head or body, or a sudden movement of the head that could cause an MTBI/ concussion
if there is any doubt regarding information provided by the participant
