Guidelines for Arena Dasherboard & Shielding Systems
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Guidelines For Arena Dasherboard & Shielding Systems May 2009 Notice This document is a preliminary draft. It has not been formally released by the ORFA and should not at this stage be construed to represent Association recommended best practice. It is being circulated for comment on its technical accuracy and policy implications. ORFA Guidelines for Arena Dasherboard and Shielding Systems v.09 Content Part-I – UNDERSTANDING ICE ARENA BOARDS & SHIELDING SYSTEMS 1.1 - Introduction 1.2 - Dasherboard History 1.3 - Current Trends 1.4 - CSA Guidelines for Spectator Safety in Indoor Arenas (CAN/CSA-Z262.7-04) 1.5 - CSA Definitions 1.6 - ORFA Definitions 1.7 - Protective Shielding Systems 1.8 - Dasherboard Anchoring Systems 1.9 - Dasherboard Cladding Systems 1.10 - Player, Penalty and Timekeeper Boxes 1.11 - Gates and Hardware Selection 1.12 - Minimum Protection Requirements 1.13 - CSA Protective Netting Testing Guidelines 1.14 - Suggested Guidelines for Selecting Protective Netting 1.15 - Signage and Warning 1.16 - Dasherboard Advertising 1.17 - Etching of Dasherboard Shielding 1.18 - Conversions 1.19 - Ice Floor Covers 1.20 - Conclusion Part-II SUGGESTED GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING and MAINTAINING ARENA BOARDS & SHIELDING SYSTEMS Part-III SLEDGE HOCKEY ACCESSIBILITY: DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR ARENAS 1 ORFA - SUGGESTED GUIDELINES FOR ARENA DASHERBOARDS AND SHEILDING V.09 checklist of items that need to be PART I – UNDERSTANDING ICE considered as part of an ongoing systems ARENA BOARDS & SHIELDING review process. SYSTEMS The Ontario Recreation Facilities Association (ORFA) has attempted to collect information on the almost 60-year history and evolution of ice arena dasherboard and shielding systems. The ORFA is not an authority on these systems. It has however called upon a variety of manufacturers and professional dasherboard system installers to ensure the accuracy and correctness of these materials. The intent of this document is to provide facility owners and those responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of ice arenas with a strong background of proven dasherboard 1.1 Introduction systems, installation and design best Protecting patrons and workers while practices. providing a consistent playing environment in Ontario sport arenas continues to be a Changing technologies, advancing building priority for those who design, construct and techniques and increased governance operate these facilities. Since the original through local, provincial and federal release of this information in 2001 and legislation changes makes it impossible to subsequent release of the CSA “Guidelines guarantee the accuracy of this information. for spectator safety in indoor arenas It is the sole responsibility of the owner to (CAN/CSA-Z262.7-04)” in 2004 many arena diligently research the precise needs, owners have taken action to reduce the proper design and most applicable materials opportunity of harm and liability by for the specific building that the upgrading their aged facilities. When dasherboard system is to be installed in. installing new dasherboards the owner must carefully consider the best dasherboard There continues to be a variety of suppliers installation practices and methods as part of of dasherboard systems. The available the design process. These efforts have options, hardware and professional significantly reduced injury and litigation installation requires an owner to be diligent claims from items that have accidentally left in researching what system best meets their the playing surface. immediate and long term needs. This document will review different systems but The Ontario Recreation Facilities should not be considered a complete technical text for tendering or design Association (ORFA) in harmony with the purposes. Measurements are given as members of the Canadian Recreation reference only and should be verified prior to Facilities Council (CRFC) continues to using the stated information. promote the need to continually evaluate and maintain current dasherboard This document is designed in two parts. installations while providing “industry best Part I gives the reader full information on practices” for operations that are the subject while Part –II includes system considering upgrades or new construction of risk assessment documents and sample dasherboard and spectator protection 2 ORFA - SUGGESTED GUIDELINES FOR ARENA DASHERBOARDS AND SHEILDING V.09 systems. Further “industry standards” for dialect added from the area where the first the regular inspection and repair of these boards were constructed. systems are also recommended in this document. • First mechanical ice rink – London England 1876 The following “guidelines” should not be used in isolation. Users of this document • First North American ice rink – must ensure that any changes to the Madison Square Garden, New York industry or emerging issues are researched 1879 and considered as part of the review process. Some key points of the CSA • Madison Square Garden receives document are outlined and referenced in patent in 1893 for first multi-purpose these guidelines. Readers are encouraged floor to access the most recent CSA Standard to ensure the information they are using is • First successful poured concrete current. The CSA can be contacted at 5060 floor – Ice Casino in Rye, New York Spectrum Way, Suite 100 Mississauga, – 1929 – no expansion joints Ontario Canada L4W 5N6 1-800-463-6727, 416-747-4044 or www.csa.ca • First indoor rink to use plastic pipe instead of steel pipe– Hamilton Arena 1953 Dasherboards play a key role in the protection of participants, spectators and workers during sporting events, which have an object in play. Concern for spectator safety continues to be an issue, and litigation-surrounding lack of protection mounts, the dasherboard system will continue to be analyzed and evolve. Although boards and shielding are a primary part of a protection system, they must be enhanced with protective netting when human occupancy is potentially exposed to 1.2 Dasherboard History items that can leave the playing area. Dasherboards are a key component of Originally designed for the sport of ice every ice arena with little appreciation of hockey, they now are used in other sport their purpose and design. The word setups such as lacrosse, broomball, indoor dasherboard has always been questioned football and tennis. as to its origin and what it means. History suggests that it is derived from the word There has been roughly a twenty-year cycle dashboard, which is defined as a screen on in the major construction of rinks. These the front of a horse-drawn vehicle to cycles have consistently brought new intercept water, mud, or snow. This word technology and designs improving the arena was created in 1846, which would make it a environment and especially dasher current term used when the first rudimentary construction. boards were erected around outdoor rinks. Like anything else, standard materials 1950’s would have been used for a new application • Dasherboards were constructed like a rink. The “er” is probably the local much like the wooden fences used 3 ORFA - SUGGESTED GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING DASHERBOARDS AND SHIELDING outdoors with the main purpose • A 50mm – 150mm (2in. x 6in) being to contain the puck wooden board was secured on top and 19mm (¾in.) plywood was • Materials used were the off-the-shelf placed on front, covered with 6mm wood materials with basic hardware (¼in) polyethylene that was adapted to the boards • Systems were built on the perimeter • Systems were considered high pad. maintenance requiring annual painting and repairs • Variations of this basic design were introduced with a wide variety of • Chain link fencing was introduced to hardware, supports and anchoring keep the puck from going out of play systems being experimented with 1960’s • Tempered glass was introduced as a • Plastic industry provides arenas with more durable shield, and the design acrylic (Plexiglas) panels to replace of shield supports continued the chain link fences • In the U.S., the Fiberglas system • Custom aluminum extrusions were was introduced and formed a experimented with to hold the acrylic template for many rinks large and panels in place small across the country. • Shield height of 60cm (2ft)on the • Manufacturing became a more sides and 120cm- 150cm (4 to 5ft) acceptable means of building on the ends was standard dashers in the U.S., than in Canada • 6mm (¼in.) polyethylene began to • First pre-manufactured was installed be used to cover the plywood, at the Winnipeg Arena improving the boards and reducing maintenance 1980’s • There were various manufacturers 1970’s building systems that were still • Government funding assisted the primarily built in place (B.I.P.) in development of leagues and Canada, and a pre-manufactured construction of rinks across Canada variation of the BIP system or Fiberglas in the U.S • Companies with experience in supplying rinks worked closely with • As a way to reduce weight, the first communities to build what was aluminum system was released in considered a “complete system” Western Canada • This system was referred to as the • Advertising was introduced onto the “Vallance” system named after its face of the dashers in the NHL designer Doug Vallance • The first seamless glass dasher • Vallance systems are comprised of a system was designed by an post on 120cm (4ft) centers with engineering firm and built at Sask three stringers (originally wood) Place in Saskatchewan 4 ONTARIO RECREATION FACILITIES ASSOCIATION INC. • This was