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Safety Factors in the Modern Ice Hockey Skate Blade Pages: 24 Published: Jan 1989
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View License Agreement Concern for injuries associated with modern hockey skate blades occurred during the 1950s and was related to the rear open-end design of the all-steel tubular blade. Sharpening procedures produced a sharp point at the end of the blade, which was associated with saber-like injuries to opponents. As a result, the plastic (or metal) safety tip was invented and its use was made mandatory in hockey rules. The advent of the modern plastic-metal blade with its closed end appeared to eliminate the problem, but the high breakage rate produced new types of potential hazards, as well as the inconvenience of broken blades and associated extra costs. This report describes the evolution of today's hockey blades and their relationship to the ASTM Performance Specification for Ice Hockey Skate Blades (F 737-86). | ||
