The Ohio State University

Home SportsNotes Jarod's Law, passed by the General Assembly in 2005 and named after Jarod Bennett, requires county health department inspectors to spend one day each year inspecting Ohio schools for safety and sanitary hazards, a change from the shorter biennial inspections that focused on disease-causing hazards in the school. Inspections will not just focus on the inside of schools, but also on the athletic facilities and grounds.

Turf managers that are looking to formalize their safety checklists, either to be in compliance with Jarod's Law or to work towards an IPM Program Certification, or even to work towards "Certified Sports Turf Manager" status should have formal and up-to-date records of each athletic field and its safety status. Having formal documentation on the state of athletic fields protects not just the athlete but the turf manager, particuarly if field conditions need to be improved.

There are a couple of purpose made check-lists out there that can be used in their entirety, or used as a base for turf managers to make their own:

Ohio State Field Evaluation Guidelines & Report Card

STMA Safety & Maintenance Checklist

Posted by Pam Sherratt