1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
2.1 A: General Safety Rules
2.2 B: Members’ responsibilities
2.3 C: River conditions, boating and turning
2.4 D: Condition of Equipment
2.5 E: Incidents and accidents
2.6 F: Clothing
2.7 G: Single scullers, coxswains and steersmen
2.8 H: Coaches
2.9 I: Circulation pattern
2.10 J: Experience
2.11 K: Rowing and sculling at night or in poor visibility
2.12 L: On-the-water hazards
2.13 M: Safety equipment
2.14 N: Off the water hazards
3.0 LIMITATIONS
1.0. INTRODUCTION
Hexham Rowing Club committee is pleased to confirm the following to be the club’s general policy in respect of safety. The club, comprising its members, committee members and officers:
- is committed to the safety of its members and visitors whilst they are engaged in club related activities.
- aims to foster a positive safety culture.
- agrees to keep under review, and implement, appropriate protocols, rules and guidance.
- aims to provide an environment in which the sport can be practiced and enjoyed safely by the members.
- aims to foster a culture where members keep themselves individually safe and each other safe
The safety plan identifies the risks involved in rowing at Hexham and outlines the procedures to be adopted by club members and visitors to limit those risks. Contravention of these safety procedures will be taken seriously by the committee.
A copy of this Safety Plan is displayed on the club safety notice board and is available on the HRC website. Details are provided to all new members.
The aim of this Safety Plan is to ensure that all members and visitors are aware of the safety requirements of rowing, sculling and related activities at Hexham so that they may take part in club activities without putting themselves and others at unacceptable risk. The Safety Plan is supplementary to British Rowing’s RowSafe guidelines, in sharing the belief that some thought can go a long way to ensure that the level of risk is acceptable.
The requirements apply to the River Tyne at Hexham and to Club members. These instructions are also to apply to crews visiting Hexham to row.
2.0 SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
2.1 A: General Safety Rules
Hexham Rowing Club operates to the British Rowing RowSafe (updated 2022) guidelines. Successful and safe outings require the focus and concentration of the crew as a whole from lifting the boat of the rack to its safe return:
- Stay on the correct side of the river – north side when travelling upstream, clubhouse side when coming downstream as shown on the circulation plan.
- Give a prompt, clear shout to any crew within two boat lengths.
- Never row at full pressure pas the landing stage.
- Do not allow any boat closer than 10m to the Hexham Tyne bridge.
- Any equipment swept beneath the bridge must be abandoned.
- Boats should be placed in the water bows up-stream.
- Before pushing off from the landing stage the cox, steersman or single sculler must check whether they might be a hazard to any boat moving downstream towards Hexham Tyne bridge.
- Only go out to row when the conditions are safe and in accordance with the rowing matrix which is on the Safety Board.
2.2 B: Members’ responsibilities
- Every club member has a duty of care to ensure that their actions both on and off water do not compromise the safety of others.
- Adults have personal responsibility for their own safety.
- It is the responsibility of the Rower or Parent/Carer to ensure that members are competent and fit enough to train on the water and in any land-based training without putting themselves at risk. The Committee reserves the right to stop any member from training if it feels that they are not competent.
- Rowing members of the club must complete a capsize drill and have the ability to swim at least 50 meters in rowing kit, tread water for a minimum of two minutes and swim underwater for at least five meters.
- In addition to the capsize drill, a safety induction covering issues such as river circulation patterns, where to turn, when to boat, and other rules of the river must be carried out.
- Members must be aware of common risks and the actions to take in the event of the most likely contingency including capsize and hypothermia (more details are provide in the Emergency Action Plan).
- Always wash your hands and face after rowing and before eating or drinking. Cuts and scratches should be cleaned thoroughly on returning to the boathouse and clean dressing applied.
2.3 C: River conditions, boating and turning
- Restrictions on boating apply to everyone boating from Hexham Rowing Club. The Club operates a system to indicate river conditions based on the water levels, wind-direction and wind speed. No system is entirely safe under all conditions – if in doubt don’t go out, apply the precautionary principle.
- Do not go out if the top landing is at risk of becoming submerged during the course of your outing. Club members must not put themselves, colleagues or club equipment at risk by boating contrary to the guidelines. Individuals who boat in private sculls contrary to the guidelines acknowledge that they do so entirely at their own risk.
- Turn appropriately to your experience and conditions between the top of the top landing and the bottom of the bottom landing. Inexperienced crews and ALL juniors should easy at the regatta finish and complete their turn before the top of the bottom landing.
- Experienced crews should complete their turn safely. Once facing upstream exercise caution in backing down, but it is safer to turn and back down if required than risk turning too late.
- If thunder is heard and/or lightning observed before the outing has commenced individuals and crews must not boat and if already out on the water, all rowers should return immediately to the boathouse and not return to row until it is safe to do so.
If in doubt when out, turn above the regatta finish, return to the landing stage and come off the water.
If in doubt when out, turn above the regatta finish, return to the landing stage and come off the water.
Safe River Level Matrix
2.4 D: Condition of equipment
Prior ro use, athletes should check the equipment to be used, and again always following use, to:
- ensure no signs of cracking or exceptional wear and that all is serviceable and appropriate for the purpose for which it is intended.
- Check for hull damage.
- Ensure that heel restraints and bow ball are present and secure.
- Ascertain that buoyancy compartments are sealed and hatch covers are secure.
- Check that shoe fastenings can be released easily with one hand.
- Confirm that rudder, rudder lines and fin are in good working order.
- Be certain that riggers, gates, swivels, seat runners, stretchers are secure.
- Make sure that crew weight is appropriate for the boat to be used.
- Do not remove equipment from one boat to remedy a deficiency or damage in another.Safety is very important to us and whilst rowing is generally a very safe sport you are on the water and any body of water can be highly dangerous.
Never – Ever put a damaged boat back on the rack as if it had never happened. If the boat is damaged it needs to be fixed, not left for someone else to find and deal-with. Not reporting a damaged or unsafe boat is serious matter and could be dangerous for the next person using the boat.
Coaches and authorised club members will periodically check and carry out any maintenance and repairs to equipment and that all boats have a valid identification i.e. HEX123.
Boats that are unsafe or improperly equipped must not be used.
2.5 E: Incidents and accidents
Guidelines on how to deal with emergencies in general and particular selected circumstances are contained in the Emergency Action Plan. The safety board has details of what to do and who to contact in an emergency.
- Notify the Club Safety Advisor, Club Captain(s) or a member of the Committee if you believe that BR’s RowSafe Guidelines have been breached.
- Incidents, including all capsizes and those where equipment is damaged or someone is injured, must be reported to British Rowing via the British Rowing online incident reporting system2 , to satisfy the requirements of the British Rowing RowSafe Guide
- In addition to the online system, members are to bring the incident to the attention of the Safety Adviser and someone in authority at the club: The Captain(s), or a Committee member.
- Members must report incidents where equipment is damaged with FULL details of the damage by e-mail to the Boathouse Steward.
All accidents and incidents will be reviewed by the Safety Adviser and discussed with Captain(s) and where applicable any operation/rowing sub-committee; along with any additional measures that are deemed necessary to avoid a recurrence or mitigate the impact of a recurrence.
2.6 F: Clothing
- Wearing of multiple layers, hats, and thermal clothing is essential during winter months. Coxswains should only boat if they have sufficient warm clothing. In summer members should also take precautions against sunburn and dehydration.
- A towel and dry change of clothing should always be brought in case of capsize.
2.7 G. Single scullers, coxswains and steersmen
In all coxed boats, the coxswain is deemed responsible for the overall safety of the boat and crew. Coxswains must:
- Wear an approved life-jacket or buoyancy aid, properly fitted and adjusted.
- If front-loaders are being used, the lack of familiarity increases the risks. Care is to be taken to ensure that the lifejacket does not prevent a cox from escaping in the event of capsize or sinking.
- In coxless boats, the person occupying the bow seat or the person controlling the rudder (when fitted) is deemed responsible for the overall safety of the boat and the crew.
- Coxes, steersmen and single scullers who wear glasses for sight-correction when driving or at school must wear the same on the river and identify whether that was the case in any incident report.
[The only exception to the foregoing being when the coxswain, or the steersman, is a beginner; in which case responsibility will be transferred to the coach or to the person providing the direct instruction and supervision.]
2.8 H: Coaches
- All coaches, whether casual coaches or employed by the Club, are to ensure that all the safety advice contained within this Safety Plan is adhered to. All coaches must be familiar with the Emergency Action Plan, and the rules of the river.
- Coaches and Captain(s) should ensure that novice coxes and steersmen are appropriately briefed as to the safety policy and circulation pattern and given suitable instruction and supervision when on the water. It should not be assumed that an experienced oarsman is necessarily an experienced steersman or cox.
- Coaches of Learn to Row, Row for Gold or similar ‘taster’ events must be aware of the limitations of absolute beginners and ensure that the conditions are appropriate for their outings. Where appropriate for such outings a pre-outing checklist should be completed and filed with the water- based risk assessments. Coxes must be sufficiently experienced in accordance with the above paragraphs.
2.9 I. Circulation pattern
All members must adhere to the Club’s designated circulation pattern as shown on the plan displayed on the Club safety notice board and on the Club website.
2.10 J. Experience
- Adult Members are not permitted to use private boats or club boats unsupervised and outside of designated sessions without approval of Committee / Club Captains
- Junior Members are not permitted to use private boats or club boats unsupervised and outside of designated sessions without the approval of both Junior Coordinator and Committee / Club Captain.
- Designated session times can be found on our website, via the Club Captain and Junior Coordinators.
- No inexperienced coxes should cox inexperienced crews.
- Explore Rowing outings that may involve inexperienced participants must be arranged in accordance with the guidance and best practice set out in ‘RowSafe’ and as circulated from time to time by British Rowing. Specifically, an ‘explore’ outing involving an overnight trip must be planned and assessed by the event organiser with appropriate records of such planning held by the club.
- New club members shall receive a basic induction from a squad co-ordinator, club coach or committee member and the date recorded by nominated club officers on a list controlled by the Secretary.
2.11 K. Rowing and sculling at night or in poor visibility
Rowing and sculling in poor visibility or the dark is hazardous. In conditions of poor visibility as well as before full light in the mornings and after sunset:
- Hi-viz tops should be worn by bowpersons/single scullers as the outermost layer of clothing.
- Rowing/sculling boats should show a white light mounted to the bow and white or red light to the stern. LED lights are permitted. Lights should not be fixed to the riggers as they can be more easily obscured for example on bends and when turning.
- Do not boat if another crew has already boated independently.
Experienced crews who do row in the hours of darkness do so entirely at their own risk. Crews should question whether they put themselves and potential rescuers at unnecessary risk.
2.12 L: On-the-water hazards
The main hazard to crews on the water is the weir. Although most of the time the weir is not an issue, and the river is relatively benign to row on, there are times when the weir can present a significant danger and has resulted in serious and potentially serious accidents in the past. Please refer to the section on River conditions, turning and boating.
- Check the matrix in the club house if in doubt about whether it is appropriate to go out
- Assess the river level and whether it is rising or falling
- Assess the wind and whether it is a tailwind and likely to blow crews towards the weir
Other hazards at Hexham are the natural hazards of river rowing: the fast water at the island; risks posed by the bank, trees and bushes overhanging from the bank and debris in the water. The severity of the risk increases in the event of rainfall, rising river levels, faster stream and wind from the west. If in doubt don’t go out. Return to the boathouse if conditions deteriorate appreciably while you are on the water.
2.13 M: Safety equipment
The Club provides items of safety equipment, which should be used as appropriate by its coaches, athletes and members.
- The wearing of a lifejacket or buoyancy aid is compulsory for all coxswains; anyone in a training boat or canoe, if any is used in connection with Club activities; all junior members that have not completed and passed a Club organised capsize drill and swim test.
- Where participants are adults and have not undertaken a club swim test/capsize drill, lifejackets/buoyancy aids should be offered.
- Where, due to a medical condition, members are considered to be at risk of becoming unconscious or immobile, as a result of immersion, an automatic lifejacket must be worn.
- All throw lines are kept in the Safety Drawer. A life-jacket with throw-line attachment is also in the Safety Drawer.
- First Aid supplies are located in on the hanger above the whiteboard at the main boathouse entrance, next to the spares and tool supplies for ease of access.
2.14 N: Off the water hazards
Lifting of boats:
- Coaches and crews are to ensure that every care is taken to prevent injury when lifting boats in and out of the racks and the river.
- Not all crews, whether juniors, senior men or senior ladies, are sufficiently competent, tall or strong to lift boats on and off all racks. The precautionary principle applies: if in doubt don’t attempt it, do not be afraid to ask for advice or help.
- One person is to be in charge of the manoeuvre, giving clear instructions before and during the lift.
- Boats should not be lifted with no support between their bow and stern. The correct lifting point for two people lifting a small boat is one third of the way from the bow and stern. Similarly, when turning quads and fours support them half-way along the canvas, not at their extremities.
Land training:
- Informal coaching advice and guidance is frequently sought and given. This frequently extends to land-based training sessions. Members participate equally in such groups and should judge for themselves what is appropriate for them in terms of intensity, duration, warm-up and stretching before and after sessions.
3.0 LIMITATIONS
The club, comprising its members, officers and committee has an obligation to identify risks, highlight safety issues and reduce both the likelihood of incidents and their impact when they occur.
This Safety Plan provides general guidance but it can never be fully comprehensive. The club maintains risk assessments, which are reviewed periodically, and defines and monitors certain of its own safety practices, guidance and procedures specific to our environment and activities. The club takes reasonable steps to publicise them to our members and establish that members comply with the same.
Club members fulfil various roles regularly on a voluntary basis; giving their time to co-ordinate, offer advice and fill officer roles. The club is member-led – run by members for members – and has no paid officials (although the Club may remunerate some approved individuals for coaching).
Whilst we believe that the information and guidance in this Safety Plan, prepared by club members, is reliable and reflects good practice at the time of last review, it is the responsibility of members who refer to it to review critically such information and guidance and ensure any safety information they act upon is applicable and up to date.
Hexham Rowing Club refers all members to guidance from British Rowing and to the fullest extent permissible by law limits its responsibility for the content of this document or third-party websites accessed through links within this publication.
Similarly, informal coaching advice and guidance is frequently sought and given. It is essential to a healthily functioning rowing community. To the fullest extent permissible, an officer, club member or committee member, acting as such, shall have no duty, responsibility or liability to co-members for any direct or indirect action, recommended or suggested by him, in respect of an associated rowing club activity or training. Members should review critically any advice or guidance they receive themselves and ensure coaching information they act upon is appropriate.
Hexham Rowing Club Committee
September 2023
Contact the Safety Officer
Further resources
Avoiding collision
How to check your wing riggers
Life jacket maintenance