Spcbc Saftey Information Sheet

SAFETY INFORMATION SHEET It is very important for the safety of yourself and others that you read and understand this information. If there is anything you don’t understand, please ask your coach or one of the Boat Club captains. The word 'rowers' within this document refers to any rowers, scullers or coxes who go on the water. Coaches may also be included in some cases. 1.

The Amateur Rowing Association (ARA) issues a Water Safety Code which contains very clear guidelines on safety. This code should be read and understood by all rowers. It can be found at http://www.ara-rowing.org/rowsafe. A hard copy is also displayed by the Boat Club in the Boat House.

2.

Oxford University Rowing Club’s (OURCS) also have their own set of agreed rules. These should also be read and understood by all rowers and can be found at www.ourcs.org.uk.

3.

Your Boat Club’s water safety advisor is Jack Keevill. His role is to educate and inform the club’s rowers of safety practice and information.

4.

Caroline Dobbin is the captain of coxes. She holds information on flag status, local navigation rules and navigation rules for other stretches of water, such as the Tideway. The Captain of Coxes also exists to help all college coxes, whether via advice information or training.

5.

The ARA notes that all persons participating in rowing or sculling, including coxswains, must be able to swim. All new rowers at Oxford University are required to pass a swim test within their first term.

6.

The Isis: There is a list of emergency contact telephone numbers (including the lodge) displayed in the Boat House with the First Aid Kit. The nearest telephone is in the houses on Abingdon Road. The first aid cabinet is on a shelf by the entrance to the Boat House. There are Life Buoys found along the river, the nearest one is directly in front of the Boat House on the river side. If an incident does occur which requires the use of the First Aid Kit, this must be reported to Thomas Eaton (07742061683) The Water Safety Adviser. Please take a note of who is present and what has happened. Paper to do this is inside the First Aid Kit

7.

Radley: The launch accompanying all crews must have a lifejacket worn by each rider and an emergency bag containing: an anchor, life buoy, first aid kit, torch, whistle. The nearest Telephone is found upstairs in the Radley Boat House, and in the workshop.

8.

Before going out on the river or as soon as practicable after the outing, the Outing Log must be filled in. This is kept together with the first aid kit in the Boat House.

9.

Coxes must wear lifejackets at all times when out on the river. Coaches (and any other launch occupants) must wear lifejackets when accompanying crews in launches.

10.

You should not row or cox if you feel unwell. Ideally you should inform another member of your crew prior to the outing so that a substitute can be arranged.

11.

If you have a condition such as epilepsy, diabetes or asthma, it is your responsibility to take your medication in the most appropriate manner. You should consider whether your condition should be advised to the coach. Those with asthma are strongly recommended to ensure that they have an inhaler with them for the duration of the outing.

12.

Prior to going onto the water, the coach and crew should make their own safety risk assessment. This is generally a verbal procedure. The opinions of all individuals will be respected – any one person who feels that the conditions are, at that time, unsafe may cancel the outing, although there should be some allowance for experience and advice.

13.

Weather conditions may warrant a change in Outing Plan. Conditions should be assessed before each outing, Conditions such as mist, fog, heavy rain, the onset of darkness or high winds might require actions such as the cancellation of the outing, switching to a more experienced cox, postponing boating, changing shells, putting lights on the boat or spinning earlier (though still in accordance with local navigation rules)

14.

Where a coach is present, the coach takes responsibility for safe conduct on the water, except that a cox also has responsibility for situations where the coach may not see a potential problem and for maintaining the boat along its proper course. Novice coxes under OURCs rules are not allowed on the water without a coach.

15.

Before getting into a boat, check that safety equipment (eg. bowball, heel restraints, seat hatches, steering equipment) are all of an appropriate standard as in the ARA Water Safety Code.

16.

Once in the boat, the ‘safe’ position is to sit at ‘backstops’ with the blade handle either drawn into the body or held at the ‘hands away’ position, with the blade held flat on the water surface and with all blade handles at the same height along the length of the boat.

17.

Should a boat begin to tilt, balance can almost always be restored by adjusting the handle height from the edge of the boat – generally to between 2 and 10 inches aiming for uniformity along the length of the boat. Balance adjustment

is counter-intuitive – if your rigger is down, then the solution is to raise the hands and vice versa. 18.

All rowers and coxes should be familiar with basic commands for stopping the boat and for adjusting the boat’s position on the water. The following terms in particular should be understood: • Take a stroke (= place the blade in the water and pull the blade handle towards the chest) • Back it down (= place the blade in the water when the blade handle is close to the chest then push the blade handle away from the chest) • Easy oars (= stop rowing) • Hold it up (= rowers drop oars flat onto the water and gradually rotate the blade until it is square in the water – thus acting as a brake) • Hold it hard (= rowers place square blades into the water to stop the boat more quickly. Be aware that the rower needs to brace himself for this manoeuvre) Always ask a coach or more experienced rower if you are unsure. Should a boat capsize, try to stay calm. REMAIN WITH THE BOAT, using it as a float and take instructions from the cox and/or coach. Coxes who have to leave the boat should inflate their lifejackets as soon as practicable. OURCS recommend that those who will be rowing in a shell smaller than a four (ie. a 1x, 2x, 2-, 2+) should attend a capsize drill. It is also an OURCS rule that any single scullers out during the morning must have made personal contact with one of the boatmen at the boat houses to inform them that they will be out on the water.