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Paintball Articles > Is Paintball the Safest Game Around? (Or, 6 Ways You Can Prevent Serious Injury When Playing Paintball)

Is Paintball the Safest Game Around? (Or, 6 Ways You Can Prevent Serious Injury When Playing Paintball)

The chance of getting seriously injured while playing paintball is on a par with getting seriously injured while bowling! Bicycle riding and golf both have higher incidents of serious injury. And if you play lacrosse, your chance of being seriously injured is more than 700 times what it is if you play paintball. You can get all the statistics here: http://www.f4og.com/safe.html.

1. Play With People You Know

Get a big group together of people you know from school or work. Playing with people you know reduces the risk of some nut emptying his hopper into your head even after you say you're hit. We've all heard the stories.

That's not to say you should expect trouble if you play with strangers. Trouble is very rare, but as paintball gets more popular and more people join, there will inevitably be a few odd characters mixed in who will cause trouble. They're the same jerks who cause trouble whether they're on a hockey team or on the golf course. Has that stopped anyone you know from playing hockey or golf? Probably not. Just use your common sense and stay out of the way of someone who is obviously looking for trouble.

2. Insurance and Waiver Forms

Regardless of the above, paintball fields will still require you to sign a waiver for insurance purposes. You can find an example of a waiver here: http://www.paintballtogo.com/waiver.htm.

If you're a player or the parent of a player and you're concerned about personal injury insurance, contact your insurance agent. If you're a paintball field owner concerned about insurance, you can check out this Web site: http://www.nsera.com/paintball/index.htm.

3. Eye Injury

Your required equipment includes a mask with built-in goggles. You need a mask for playing on any field or arena where you pay to play. This mask will include coverage of your full head and your eyes (goggles). You can't wear shop glasses, or other types of safety glasses, as the force of the paintball may crack the lens and send glass or plastic fragments into your eye.

When do you have to wear your mask? You need a mask as soon you enter the playing field, when you're waiting for another game to be finished and when you're in the staging area. Masks must be worn throughout the entire game, no matter what. You can't lift or take off your mask, or the referee will take you out of the game.

If you're having problems with your goggles fogging or something obstructing your vision, call for a referee. Do not remove your mask even if there's a bug flying around in it! The one way you can get seriously injured in paintball is if you get shot in the eye. A bug bite will be nothing in comparison!

IMPORTANT: If you or another player gets shot in the eye, immediately call for emergency medical attention. Do not try to treat the injury yourself!

"To minimize damage immediately following the injury, follow these sight-saving tips:

Do not rub the eye. If any tissue is torn, rubbing may cause more damage.
Cover the eye. To do this, secure a shield against the bones surrounding the eye.
Do not apply ointment or medication to the eye. These medications may not be sterile.
Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen or other non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs. These drugs can thin the blood and may increase bleeding." - University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center

Washable field paint is essentially non-irritating to eyes. However, if you do get a little paint splashed into your eye, flush your eye thoroughly with water for fifteen minutes. To be safe, you should also call for medical attention or travel to the nearest medical center, clinic or hospital emergency room.

4. Knee and Ankle Injury

Many paintball sources recommend sneakers, tennis shoes, running shoes or other soft footwear to ensure you can move around as quietly as possible. However, if your ankles are weak, you're playing in really rough terrain, or there are a lot of hills on the field, wear hiking boots!

I've seen a player wreck his knee from running uphill in sneakers. After seeing how much pain he was in, I now recommend choosing safety over stealth every time. After all, it's just a game! And, hey, don't the military wear combat boots?

Fogged-up goggles or glasses can be a safety hazard in paintball. Tripping and falling hard on your knees can cause serious injury. Get goggles that have thermal lenses or a built-in fan to keep them from fogging up.

If you wear glasses, use anti-fog spray on them. Your goggles may have an anti-fog coating, but your glasses don't! You can also buy special inserts made using your glasses prescription that fit inside your goggles. Then you don't have to wear your glasses at all.

5. Sunburn

Remember to wear the strongest sunscreen you can find to the game. A bad sunburn can totally ruin a wonderful day! Even if the day starts out looking cloudy, put on sunscreen. If the weather changes, you're already protected and it's one less thing to think about while you're on the field. You never know when the sun will come out. And in case you didn't know, you can get burned even on an overcast day.

At the least, take a container of the spray-on kind of sunscreen to the game. It's easy to apply so you'll be less likely to "not bother."

If you forgot your sunscreen and you do get burned, apply aloe vera gel to your sunburn as soon as you get home. You'll be glad you did in the morning.

6. Welts

The game of paint ball is quite physical. It's definitely not a game for young children, as paint balls sting when they hit an exposed spot and sometimes leave welts that don't heal for days.

You should wear clothing that covers your legs and arms completely, such as jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt or jersey. Wrap any exposed areas of skin in strips of cloth and wear gloves that at the least protect your hands, if not your fingers. As I mentioned before, a backwards baseball cap gives the back of your neck some protection if your mask lacks adequate neck coverage.

A few welts are an inevitable part of playing any paintball game. Most don't hurt much, but some can feel quite tender after the game. During the game you'll be too busy and distracted to notice! (If you can't handle a little pain, don't play paintball!)

If you do get a few welts, take a hot bath or shower when you get home and apply a soothing gel like aloe vera. Afterwards you'll feel a lot better.

Is Paintball the Safest Game Around?

While there is a slim chance of getting seriously injured playing paintball, it has proven to be one of the safest sports and recreational activities that youths and adults alike can enjoy. Be sensible, play with people you know, follow the rules, buy ASTM F1776 certified equipment and play at fields that follow ASTM F1776 standards. Your chances of having an enjoyable day in the outdoors are better than with virtually any other sport or activity, including walking around the block!

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