Whether for training or competition, ensuring the safety of short track speed skaters on the ice requires safety padding. Speed Skating Canada establishes standards of protection required for skaters of different ages and abilities. These standards are based on the body mass and speed of the skaters who will be training or competing on the ice surface. Different amounts of padding are required in different areas of the rink, depending on the likelihood of falls resulting in contact with the boards in that area of the rink.

These resources from Speed Skating Canada provide specific direction concerning these requirements:

Speed Skating Canada Red Book

Speed Skating Canada Crash Protection Thickness Requirements August 2022

For a technical discussion of the design of safety padding, see this 2010 presentation by Sean Maw "The Design of Foam Crash Pads for Short Track Speed Skating on Boarded Rinks".