By Maurice Logue - Education and Welfare Manager
The welfare of industry participants is particularly important to Racing Queensland and we have embarked on a new Injury Management Strategy to help improve the recovery of injured Jockeys.
Racing Queensland understands that if a Jockey sustains an injury it can affect their family, friends, their income and their total wellbeing.
In recognising this, Racing Queensland is focusing on having a network of Queensland’s leading Medical Specialists and Allied Health Professionals that understand the Racing Industry and have the experience and expertise to implement an early intervention process.
That is, early diagnosis and then the appropriate treatment as soon as practicable. Along with this, Racing Queensland has identified that upskilling a Jockey while they are recovering from an injury will greatly assist in their overall wellbeing and their long term recovery while offering them an alternate career path should the need arise.
Another important part of recovery is providing Jockeys with suitable duties that are geared to assist with their recovery and any upskilling educational processes that they are participating in.
To this end, Racing Queensland believes that we are implementing an Injury Management process that will benefit the Racing Industry as a whole.
Racing Queensland is also in the process of developing what is believed to be Australia’s first Jockey Task Analysis in association with Medical Specialists, Specialist Allied Health Professionals, Queensland Jockeys Association, Licensed Jockeys and Industry experts.
When developed the Task Analysis will be used to determine what type of employment will assist the injured jockey’s recovery.
Unfortunately, not every injured worker will return to preinjury duties, but it is important they received the opportunity to be reskilled and find meaningful employment and the Jockey Task Analysis will play a critical role with such outcomes.
The Racing Queensland Education and Welfare Department are pleased to announce one of the first to benefit from the new approach is former jockey Ben Saunders, Ben received career ending injuries in April 2017.
Ben is currently being reskilled as a qualified workplace trainer and assessor and will be based at Toowoomba.