Jan Johnson's Pole vault Safety and Technique Newsletter #8

December 2012


ASTM Publishes new Standard Specification for Pole Vault Plant Box Collars



W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Oct 30, 2012 —A new ASTM International standard will help to facilitate a safer environment for pole vaulters. ASTM F2949, Specification for Pole Vault Box Collar, was developed by Subcommittee F08.67 on Pole Vault, part of ASTM International Committee F08 on Sports Equipment and Facilities.


A pole vault box collar is a protective device that covers the hard unpadded surfaces surrounding a pole vault box and may also cover the top edges and side walls of a pole vault box. The new specification establishes requirements for the dimensions and minimum impact attenuation performance of pole vault box collars.


"As pole vault landing pads evolved over the past 50 years, it became obvious that more protection was necessary both in and around the plant box area," says Jan Johnson, founding owner of the Pole Vault Safety Certification Board, as well as Sky Jumpers Vertical Sports Club. "We have had 33 catastrophic injuries in the plant box area since 1971 and literally thousands of lesser injuries and near misses."


According to Johnson, the hard surfaces of the plant box area grew dramatically in 1970 when pole vault rules makers flared the sides and strike plate to accommodate the bending and rotation of fiberglass poles in order to reduce wear and tear on the bottom of the poles. Additionally, the tapering of the current padding around the plant box has resulted in poor protection. Changes such as these have provided the impetus for the development of F2949.


The new specification reduces the potential force impacts by over 80% in the most critical areas surrounding and inside the plant box itself. Additionally it specifies several very important design elements necessary for performance and protection.



All interested parties are invited to participate in the standards developing activities of F08.67.


ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.


ASTM International is one of the largest international standards development and delivery systems in the world. ASTM International meets the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency. ASTM standards are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems and commercial transactions.


Technical Contacts:

Dr Peter McGinnis, State University of New York , Cortland Ny., Phone: 1607 753-4909; pmcginnis@SNYCORVA.CORTLAND.EDU

Jan Johnson, Sky Jumpers Vertical Sports Club, Atascadero, Calif., Phone: 805-423-2363; janjohnson18@charter.net


ASTM Staff Contact: Rick Lake, Phone: 610-832-9689; rlake@astm.org




Note the improved protection in the examples below:


For more information or to register for Skyjumpers Camps visit Skyjumpers.com.


VS Athletics
4035 S. Higuera
San Luis Obispo California 93401
United States


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