Punctured mask at European Jr Championships

[kalivor]

This was in the European Junior Championships, where it is probably not getting the attention it deserves:

Posted on www.fencing.se this morning -- a serious incident with a foil breaking through a lexan mask:

http://www.fencing.se/nyheter/allvar...asken-i-odense

Hi!


ZZ beat me to it.

It says in the article that the Lexan was pierced due to a normal lunge, and that the blade was not broken. The Lexan mask did not show any obvious signs of previous damage. The lexan plate was pierced, causing a 2 cm diameter hole, and the fencer got a profusely bleeding would just over the corner of the mouth

It also says that the medican commission of the European Fencing Federation has recommended that fencers should not use the mask during the remainder of the championships. However, the article also notes that the other users of Lexan masks continued to used their masks as if nothing had happened.

Anybody have an English-language first-hand version of what happened?

[flechewounds]

Anybody have an English-language first-hand version of what happened?

Not firsthand, but the translation from Google Translator - there is some interesting info in here:
----
Yesterday was pierced plexiglasvisiret in a FENCER'S MASK during Mr foil competition at europamamästerskapen for juniors in Odense. Fencer had no life threatening injuries but the incident is assessed as very serious. European Fäktkonfederationens Medical Commission now has "proposed by facts that do not use the mask during the continuation of these championships."

The reason that a hole in the visor could arise should now be investigated but it will take time and probably it may be difficult to find a clear explanation. Plexiglas. or Lexan, which is often called, is very strong and in all stability tests have masks with visors were stronger than the masks of the traditional type. To assess risk, it is important to remember that masks with transparent visors recently been used in hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of training and competition matches.

Reportedly there were no unusual circumstances around the fights when the accident occurred. There was no question of a broken blade. One factor gorda a "normal" outcome that met on the visor. Blow created a hole in the visor by about 2 centimeters in diameter and the attack hit above his mouth and causing substantial bleeding wound.

This season, the mask with transparent visor has a wide breakthrough in the sword is also at the junior part, because new rules have been introduced so that the worm's beard has become a valid strike area. Many have since opted for a transparent face shield on his new mask because this model is mandatory at world championships and in the latter stages of World Cup competitions.

It is unclear what impact the recommendation of the EFC's medical advice will be given. All participants with transparent masks continued herrflorettävlingen yesterday as if nothing had happened.

The total number is over a hundred foil fencers who arrived in Odense with transparent masks. There is still the damflorettävlingen individual and team competitions in both men's and damflorett. Even if the facts would change, there is most likely a very limited number of new foil masks, visors, but the mobilization of Odense.

Mesh model is also used for several years in saber, but this risk must be assessed to be significantly lower. On each, few chosen to move to mesh with a transparent visor.

To Lexan will keep their properties is however proper treatment. The material is sensitive to different types of error treatment which has been known a long time. There are therefore several possible causes for yesterday's event.

Improper installation of visors: Lexanvisiret becomes after a while repigt and needs to be replaced periodically. These exchanges are often made by the facts themselves. When the visor is mounted, it is very important that you do not use any "violence" to get it into place as Lexan may be fragile of tension.
For old visor: Under no visor may be older than two years when Lexanets properties deteriorate with age. It seems that the manufacturers date notice Grand Vizier only in connection with the sale and not when it is produced, creating an uncertainty about the Grand Vizier actual age.
Chemicals: Lexan is sensitive to contact with various chemicals (such as acetone).
Cooling: It is known that the material may be inferior properties at very low temperatures. Since the temperature in aircraft cabins baba can be very low recommended mesh owners never to keep his mask in checked baggage, but to carry it in your hand luggage. It is known that not all follow that recommendation.
The current situation is no test to determine if a mesh visor still retains its original properties, or if for any reason, such as fault processing, lost them in whole or in part. International Fencing Association leadership and SEMI Commission now faces a difficult task to decide how to act.

An earlier accident with mesh visor is known from Venezuela. Where it turned out, however quickly it was an obvious felbehandlad mesh in very poor condition. In the event occurring now, there were no apparent defects on the mask used.

[Agent_V]

Not firsthand, but the translation from Google Translator - there is some interesting info in here:
----
This season, the mask with transparent visor has a wide breakthrough in the sword is also at the junior part, because new rules have been introduced so that the worm's beard has become a valid strike area.
....

heh heh, "worm's beard" for the mask bib. I love Google Translate.

[chris437]

new rules have been introduced so that the worm's beard has become a valid strike area.

Proof that the fencing community has indeed gone crazy!

[edew]

Ow, that's gotta hurt (getting hit in the worm's beard).

[Superscribe]

I'm curious to see results from this investigation, and if there are any policy changes.

What a crappy scar too. Must look like a cigarette burn.

[foibles]

Ow, that's gotta hurt (getting hit in the worm's beard).

Indeed. Hence the widespread use of a protective, rigid worm cup.
Protects the worm, the bearded worm area, and the ever fragile rolly pollies.

[edew]

I'm curious to see results from this investigation, and if there are any policy changes.

What a crappy scar too. Must look like a cigarette burn.

If the tip wasn't broken, I wonder how bad was the injury. Was the lexan shards a factor in the cuts?

[erooMynohtnA]

So who thinks that Roche's real publicity master plan was not increased media coverage due to aesthetics provided by the masks but rather fatalities?

[edew]

Any publicity is good as long as you spell my name right.

[larkascending]

Even if it's in your obituary?

[flechewounds]

So who thinks that Roche's real publicity master plan was not increased media coverage due to aesthetics provided by the masks but rather fatalities?

Works for Motor Sports...

[Soberin]

Works for Motor Sports...

I do hope you are not referring to Senna and Massa, as that would be in very poor taste. Senna is dead, and Felipe is lucky not to have been blinded or brain-damaged.

[notalent]

Any publicity is good as long as you spell my name right.

No problem Ed

[Superscribe]

I do hope you are not referring to Senna and Massa, as that would be in very poor taste. Senna is dead, and Felipe is lucky not to have been blinded or brain-damaged.

he is likely talking about how white people typically go to NASCAR events and watch the news for NASCAR to see the crashes.

Not many people in the states appreciate F1.

[Purple Fencer]

If the tip wasn't broken, I wonder how bad was the injury. Was the lexan shards a factor in the cuts?

That sounds like a good possibility....plastic shatters....steel bends (not that steel can't spaul, but it's more likely in plastic)

This is one of the things I hate about the lexans....I can test the mesh with the probe (and do), but I can't put the probe on the lexan....where this failure was.

A damn good thing it wasn't a few inches higher.

[edew]

No problem Ed

Ba-da-bing!

[Dan H]

If the tip wasn't broken, I wonder how bad was the injury. Was the lexan shards a factor in the cuts?

I think it could leave an annoying scar, and if it had hit the fencer's eye, it could have really caused some damage. I've got a little scar on my shoulder from an epee hit from my clubmate. It was from an action during which I closed distance hard, he took my blade, I ducked slightly and remised, and he stood tall, raised his weapon hand way up, and brought the tip down onto my shoulder. It would have been just any old touch, except that in that awkward position, his hand was pushing down on the epee just the right way so that it compressed rather than bending one way or the other. The blade never broke, the action was hard but not abnormal or brutal, there was no damage to the tip, and the hit was through a standard jacket, and FIE underarm protector, and a cotton tee shirt, none of which had failed. It left an epee tip-shaped depression maybe 3 millimeters deep right in the fleshy part of my shoulder above my collarbone. The scar has since filled in and faded to the point that you'd only notice the red circle on my shoulder if I pointed it out to you, but if it had been on my face instead of on my shoulder, it could have been regarded as damaging my, er, legendary good looks. Anyway, the lesson learned from these sorts of incidents is that, although fencing is statistically very safe compared to most other sports, the equipment can cause injury. The risk of injury really rises if fencers aren't wearing the proper equipment or are misusing it, but even normal fencing conditions with two full sets of good equipment exposes both fencers to some level of risk. Hopefully someone will take a long look at this punctured lexan plate and determine if the manufacturers need to be doing something differently to reduce this risk to an acceptable level.

[Superscribe]

The foiltip had enough energy to blast through protective lexan.

You can infer what kind of damage it might have done to induce "profuse bleeding" from the corner of a mouth. I don't think the foil tip needed any help from the plastic shards.

[misha]

Where is Serge with photo coverage when you need him!?


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