Industry Notice: Queensland-first harness Concussion Protocol now in effect

Tuesday 9 April, 2024

From Monday 8 April, a Queensland Concussion Protocol is in effect for Queensland harness racing.

What is the harness Concussion Protocol?

The Concussion Protocol applies to any driver who incurs head trauma while performing their role, either prior to, during or following a race or trial, and/or where an incident occurs which may result in the driver being diagnosed with concussion.

This includes circumstances where the driver may incur head trauma in the stabling area, even if the driver is not driving on that day but is due to drive in the days ahead.

The Concussion Protocol lays out a process for drivers to follow if they have incurred head trauma.

The Protocol’s key principles are:

(i)              Medical Rescue personnel must undertake an initial assessment for clinical signs of concussion using the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) Form;

(ii)            if a driver is showing clinical signs of concussion as per the HIA Form, Medical Rescue personnel will provide the completed HIA Form to the stewards and the stewards will stand the driver down from their remaining engagements;

(iii)           stewards will provide the driver with a Notice for Medical Assessment (NMA) form and a copy of the HIA form providing full details of the incident;

(iv)           the driver must present the forms to a medical practitioner for formal assessment and, if diagnosed with concussion, the driver will be subject to a mandatory 12-day stand down period; and

(v)            seek approval from stewards to resume driving commitments.

Note that any driver who does not receive the appropriate medical clearance from a medical practitioner to resume driving commitments must continue their prescribed recovery plan until cleared to return to work.

Will I be compensated if stood down?

In the event of an injury and stand-down for concussion, drivers are eligible for a loss of income benefit under the terms of the policy with V-Insurance.

Drivers stood down under the Concussion Protocol are eligible to claim 85% of your combined income (harness racing and non-harness racing income) or up to a maximum of $1,000 per week, whichever is the lesser.

Unlike other injuries, there is no wait period to claim this compensation.

Why is the Concussion Protocol important?

The Concussion Protocol is an effort to make harness racing safer for drivers.

In recent years, there has been growing concern about the incidence of sport-related concussion and the potential health ramifications.

If managed appropriately, most symptoms and signs of concussion resolve spontaneously.

However, complications can occur, including prolonged symptoms and increased risk of further injury.

With that in mind, we encourage all drivers to comply with the Concussion Protocol, and to report to stewards and racing related concussions or suspected concussions.

This includes injuries sustained and training, jump-outs and trackwork.

Please also report any non-racing related concussion or head trauma injuries.

Self-reporting is your responsibility as a driver, not just for your own safety but for the safety of your fellow drivers.

If you have any questions about the Concussion Protocol, please contact stewards@qric.qld.gov.au or visit https://qric.qld.gov.au for more information.

Thank you for your support to keep our industry as safe as possible.