April 28, 2004

By: Carl Pousset
Website: http://www.paintball-guns-n-equipment.com

As Paintball Moves from Extreme to Mainstream, Eye Protection for Children is a Must

In just two decades, paintball has quickly established itself as one of the world’s fastest growing and most exciting outdoor participation sports.

According to statistics from SGMA International’s 2003 Superstudy of Sports Participation, paintball has grown 47.5% from 5.9 million players in 1998 to 8.7 million in 2002. In the process, it has become a $370 million market. Nearly 90% of frequent paintball players are aged 12-24 years, while the average age is 17.9 years. The study defines a frequent participant as somebody that plays an average of 15 days a year.

By exercising common sense and following all safety rules, paintball can be a safe sport for participants. Nevertheless, the primary catastrophic injury from paintball -- serious damage to the eye, in some cases, resulting in blindness – could have been preventable if the appropriate safety headgear had been worn.

With the increasing number of children playing the sport, the ophthalmologists at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children urge parents to pay special attention to making sure their children have and wear the proper safety headgear when playing paintball.

Paintball markers are not toys, says Sharon S. Lehman, MD, Chief, Division of Ophthalmology, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. Dr. Lehman also holds faculty posts at both Jefferson Medical College and the Wills Eye Hospital. Paintballs can deliver an incredible amount of force and cause serious eye injuries that can lead to permanent visual loss.

A paintball is a gelatin sphere 17mm in diameter and weighing 3.5 grams that can travel at velocities up to 205 mph. It is filled with a water soluble, non-toxic dye.

According to the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, which monitors incidents seen in 100 hospital emergency rooms across the United States, in the last two years, 64 children were brought to emergency rooms with paintball related eye injuries.

If parents are going to allow their children to participate in this sport, they must supervise them to ensure that they wear the proper safety equipment at all times, says Dr. Lehman.

Children playing paintball should be wearing a specially designed paintball mask made to withstand the impact of a paintball. Most come with face shields and eye armor that offers further protection by covering the forehead, ears and jaw.

The duPont Hospital for Children reminds parents to:

* ensure children know that masks aren’t an option; they are a must

* purchase eye protectors that conform to ASTM F1776 or carry the Protective Eyewear Certification Council’s PECC certification seal

* make sure children know to never remove goggles for any reason while playing paintball or cleaning their markers

* make certain all persons in the vicinity of the paintball marker are wearing protective eyewear because of the potential for inadvertent discharge

* make sure children are well versed in proper safety techniques, for example using a plastic insert – called a barrel plug -- that prevents paintballs from accidentally being discharged while players are not playing in the actual game.

About The Author:

Carl Pousset is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.paintball-guns-n-equipment.com.  Find all the paintball gear, masks, jerseys, guns, pistols, protection, paint supplies, accessories and more.