Safety & Incident Procedures

Officer of the Day (OOD) and Training Officer duties

The Officer of the Day (OOD) is responsible for all aspects of safety whilst boats are on the water. The safety boat crews will take their instructions from the Officer of the Day or the Training Officer (during training sessions) The Officer of the Day or Training Officer shall delay racing or training until there are sufficient safety boats available, they are adequately crewed, there is a person on ‘watch’ by the base station in the club-house or an instructor is present on shore in the case of training session.

The number of safety boats on the water shall reflect the strength of the wind and the experience of those sailing and when possible a safety boat shall be moored at the jetty ready for use.

The Officer of the Day or Training Officer should increase the number of safety boats where he feels there is a need for more cover, ensuring there are enough safety boats deployed across the sailing area taking into account the prevailing conditions, numbers of craft sailing and experience of crews to provide a quick, safe, response with priority given to gybe mark areas. If conditions are such that adequate safety cover cannot be provided by the available safety boats, racing/instruction must be abandoned and craft recalled to the shore.

Race management safety guidance

The club’s OOD Safety Card and Racing Safety Framework provide practical guidance to support consistent race management safety decisions and complement these existing safety procedures.

• OOD Safety Card
• Racing Safety Framework

Safety Boat Manning

The safety boats must be crewed by two people who shall be:

1. A driver who is qualified in one of the following:
2. RYA Safety Boat Certificate (plus First Aid certificate).
3. RYA Level 2 Power Boat Certificate (plus First Aid) who is approved by the Club.
4. Locally approved driver who has undergone sufficient training and assessed competent by the Safety Officer, the Officer of the Day, or a Powerboat Instructor.

A Crew Member: who shall be competent around the boat and capsized dinghies.

Please note that most of our rescue crew are not sailors; they are there to save lives and may not be able to rescue your boat.

Please report any accidents, near misses or safety concerns to: [email protected]

Serious Accidents and Incidents off the water involving persons.

In the event of a serious accident or incident off the water the following procedure should be followed

a. The affected person should be made comfortable and given First Aid by a competent person. Priority should be given to the affected person without compromising the safety of others.
b. Summon the Emergency Services where necessary and advise them of the location of the incident, the condition of the injured person, whether the injured person is conscious or not and the name of the injured person if known.
c. Arrange for the site access gate to be manned to meet the Emergency Services and to escort them to the casualty.
d. A trained First Aider should accompany the casualty to hospital if there is no requirement for the Emergency Services to attend the incident.
e. The casualty’s next of kin shall be informed of the situation as soon as possible.
f. The accident or incident shall be recorded in the accident book and a report of the incident filed in the Club’s records.
g.  The Officer of the Day or other responsible person shall isolate and take statement from those involved where appropriate
h. The Officer of the Day or other responsible person shall arrange a de-brief immediately for all those concerned in the incident before they speak to anyone not involved.
i. The Sailing Club Council shall prepare a brief statement for issue to outside agencies.
j. All enquiries from the press shall be referred to the PRO or his nominee.
k. Any kit or equipment that has been involved in an incident should also be isolated pending any future investigation.

Procedure for land-based persons during a serious water-based accident/incident

In the event of a serious accident or incident on the water, land-based persons should:

1. Phone ambulance if necessary when call comes through VHF radio.
2. The land based personnel shall summon the Emergency Services where necessary and advise them of the location of the incident, the condition of the injured person, whether the injured person is conscious or not and the name of the injured person if known.
3. Arrange help to assist getting the casualty on shore including finding a first-aider. Remember to take ‘Ambu Kit’ from first aid locker.
4. The land based personnel shall arrange for assistance to recover the casualty to the shore from the rescue craft and for a trained First Aider to be present when the casualty is brought ashore.
5. Open the gate and press the stopper to keep it open and stay at the gate if possible.
6. The land based personnel shall arrange for the site access gate to be manned to meet the Emergency Services and to escort them to the casualty.
7. Make sure the route is clear for an ambulance to get to the casualty.
8. Move launching trolleys, boats etc out of the way.
9. A trained First Aider should accompany the victim to hospital if there is no requirement for the Emergency Services to attend the incident.
10. The Officer of the Day or other responsible person shall arrange a de-brief immediately for all those concerned in the incident before they speak to anyone not involved.
11. The Sailing Club Council shall prepare a brief statement for issue to outside agencies.
12. All enquiries from the press shall be referred to the PRO or his nominee.
13. The casualty’s next of kin shall be informed of the situation as soon as possible.
14. The accident or incident shall be recorded in the accident book and a report of the incident filed in the Club’s records.