Safe physical activity environments - to what extent are local government authorities auditing the safety of grassed sporting grounds?

Physical activity (PA) participation is influenced by the safety of the settings in which it is undertaken. This study describes the grounds assessment practices of Local Government Authorities (LGAs) in Victoria, Australia to ensure the safety of grassed sporting grounds. It also makes recommendations for improving these practices to maximise the safety for all users (sport and other forms ofPA) ofLGA grounds. Forty~seven (60% of all Victorian) LGAs participated in the study. Of these, 23 (49%) had no sports ground safety policy or guidelines. Where LGAs ranked grounds, those used for higher standards of play received better maintenance regimes and more regular safety assessments than those considered to be of poorer quality or for general community use. Minimal standards for grounds assessment, including safety checl<s, and maintenance need to be developed and adopted as regular practice for all sporting grounds used for sport and other forms of PA