Providing Safety Cover for Rowing Races

What We Need to Know

Tony MarshallBritish Sub Aqua Club

Introduction•Information: Prior to Event

•Information: On the Day

•At Finish of Event & Debrief

•Observations in Hindsight

Prior to Event: First Contact•Event Name: e.g. British Rowing Event

Workshop •Date: e.g. Saturday 14th. January 2012•Location: e.g. Henley Rowing Museum•Contact Details

▫Organisation / HQ full address, postcode▫Organiser’s name, address, telephone

numbers, email address•Number of safety boats required

Prior to Event: Venue Details•Directions to Venue

▫Any specific instructions•Parking

▫Car parking: restrictions? permit required?▫Trailer parking: security, proximity to

launch site•Launching

▫Type of slipway: soft/hard, width, length, duration of tide

•Positioning and ID of safety boat(s) on course

Prior to Event: Event Details•Pre-event briefing time

▫Early enough for Safety Boats to get on Station on time

•Time required on station•Event start and finish times•Safety radios: Collection point / Sign Out•Safety boat licence requirements

▫e.g. Upper Thames, Environment Agency, Tideway, PLA accreditation

Prior to Event: Miscellaneous•Accommodation (if provided / required)•Refreshment Arrangements

▫Bacon Butties / Lunch Bags / Tea / Coffee▫Vouchers / Hospitality Passes

•Convenience Breaks•Agree Responsibility of Casualty Boat

Recovery▫Safety Boat or Event Organiser to manage

Prior to Event: Briefing on the Day•Contact Details

▫Confirm Organiser’s contact mobile telephone no.

•Radio Communications▫Confirm event radio collection point▫Safety channel: specific, or single channel

for all traffic▫Contact details: Race control / Safety

control▫VHF channel: Requirement to contact other

traffic

Prior to Event: Briefing on the Day• Safety Boat Cover Times

▫Event start and finish times▫Cover requirements prior to start / after finish▫Number of competitive boats

• First Aid Locations▫Which organisation, availability of Doctor▫Ability to attend to casualty at water’s edge

• Course Information▫Segmented / zoned river chart, if available▫Rowing Clubs, Landmarks▫Number and location of all safety boats

During the Event•Race information

▫Instructions to referees, competitors, safety boats

▫Risk assessments – Wind / Tide / Wash / Other Craft / Debris

▫Precise location of incident/casualty▫Incident reporting

•Radio Checks▫Regular, hourly checks by Safety Control

•Event Radio Network▫Close down after safety boats stood down

The Role of the Safety Boat•Clear Understanding of What’s Required•Safety Control to Direct Safety Cover•Competence of Safety Boat Crews•Patrolling

▫Line of Sight between Safety Boat Stations•Response

▫Incident Severity Grading – Gold/Silver/Bronze•Rescue Management

▫Priority – Casualty First▫Status Reporting – Safety Radio net

Post Event: On the Day•Clear Instructions on Stand Down Timing•Handover of Event Equipment e.g. Radio•Debrief•Incident Report Forms•Feedback between Organiser,

Competitors and Safety Boats•Administration - Payment

Post Event: Observations in Hindsight•Organiser to feedback any relevant

comments to Safety Boat•Safety Boat to feedback any relevant

comments to Organiser•Follow Up Written Incident Reports•Improvement Suggestions for Future

Events

Summary•Full Information Prior to Event

•Confirm Details on the Day

•Debrief and Feedback at End of Event

•Follow Up – Improvements & Observations

Any Questions?Tony Marshall

British Sub Aqua Club