Trois-Rivières, May 2, 2003 - The occupational health and safety of physical educators at the primary, secondary and collegiate levels is the subject of an exploratory investigation. On the occasion of the 8th conference of the Fédération des éducateurs et éducatrices physiques enseignants du Québec (FÉÉPEQ) which is being held in Trois-Rivières, the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) has announced that it is funding a survey of 500 physical educators in order to document the extent of the injuries and trauma that they suffer in doing their work. This research project is directed by François Trudeau and Louis Laurencelle, professors at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.
Comparable to construction workers
In the education field, physical education is the discipline that demands the greatest expenditure of energy: walking or running over long distances, support for students during gymnastics on the floor or on apparatus, excessive effort or eccentric contraction in cushioning students' falls, heart rate that can reach 150 beats/minute, etc. According to a Swedish study, the requirements inherent in a physical educator's career compare to those of forestry, agricultural or construction workers. These physical requirements could explain a higher rate of musculoskeletal problems in instructors than in the general population, despite a better physical condition.
Important consequences
In Québec, physical educators represent approximately 3,000 people, the majority of whom are men, even though the proportion of women choosing this profession is growing. In addition to all types of injuries and trauma, including degenerative changes in the spine, physical educators have to deal with potential hearing problems made worse by the reverberation produced by the acoustic environment of gymnasiums and swimming pools. It is not surprising that in Sweden, career shifts or early retirement of physical educators are noted as soon as they reach their forties. In Québec, a good number of physical educators have made a change in career to school principals or classroom teachers. Did they make this change due to accidents, occupational diseases or for a new challenge? According to the IRSST's president-CEO, Diane Gaudet, "The researchers' work will allow occupational health and safety problems to be documented, while identifying new avenues of research that will eventually help reduce the high rates of injuries and attrition in physical educators." Funded by the IRSST, this project is supported by the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) and by the Fédération des éducateurs et éducatrices physiques enseignants du Québec (FÉÉPEQ). To learn about the results of this study, subscribe free of charge to Info IRSST by visiting the site's home page: www.irsst.qc.ca.
