4.5:10,000

This is a ratio of the number of

injuries reported per 10,000

paintball participants which

includes injuries from tripping,

falling, etc.

(Injury Prevention, 2004)

Link to article abstract

Email matt@lfacademics.com for copy of report

The following content is from: The Minnesota Paintball Association which takes data from the aforemention peer-reviewed study and draws conclusions from this.

U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington D. C.
has provided injury estimates through use of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

In the number of estimated injuries per 1,000 participants,
paintball had the LEAST NUMBER OF INJURIES of all the below listed sports.
The number of injuries for paintball is less by far than bowling, tennis, archery, basketball, and many other sports.

The government report warns: "CAUTION.  NEISS data and estimates are based on injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms that patients say are related to products. Therefore it is incorrect, when using NEISS data, to say the injuries were caused by the product." That means that the paintball total injuries include all types of injuries, and would include sprained ankles, cuts, heat exhaustion, etc., on and off the playing field, at organized play sites or otherwise, as well as any eye injuries. The estimated figures are calculated using data from a sample of hospitals in the U. S. and its territories. (APG JAN. 2001).

In Addition The AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS in its sudies on paintball safety concludes that most injuries are recieved when "...playing informally in unsupervised settings and not wearing eye protection" and yet another article stipulates that there are very few injuries in those that were eye protection, "I ithink is happening is thiat adults who (play paintball) go out with their businesses to centers where they require you to wear eye protection," said study author DavidA. Listman, M.D., FAAP. "Children, though, play in the backyard, in the woods and . .. they're often not going to take the appropriate protective measures." (AAP News 2004). All of the fields we utilize INSIST ON CHILDREN WEARING EYE PROTECTION AT ALL TIMES. In addition if any member of the club takes off their goggles during play they are removed immediately from the field and sit out for the following game. If there is a second occurrence they may be asked to leave the club.

At Lake Forest Paintball Club we ensure safety by modeling safe practices...