 | Safety Welcome to the Safety section of the Thames website.
New content has been added for the start of the 2009-10 season, so please read these pages carefully even if you have been a member of Thames for some time.
To start with, please have a read through this summary of Thames' key safety points and procedures.
Links to other Thames safety content:
ALL active members of Thames must…
- Be able to swim 400m in rowing kit, or wear a lifejacket on the water at all times.
- Confirm in writing that they have read the Basic Safety Awareness documents.
- Know how to perform an emergency stop.
- Not use a boat without permission.
- Be aware of the responsibilities of their cox, steer and coach.
- Know what to do in the event of an accident, on or off the water.
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Lights for rowing boats
- White lights at both ends, visible through at least 180°.
- Must be attached to the boat, with a proper bracket, and not to the crew.
- Must carry a spare and a means of fixing it to the boat.
- Must be Safety Committee approved lights (not the tadpole style) from http://www.bblrc.co.uk/lights/
- Wear light or reflective clothing.
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All Coxes, Steers, Scullers and Coaches at Thames must…
- Be members of Thames.
- Be certified by the club Safety Committee.
- Only go out in conditions they are certified for, with appropriate supervision.
- Log all their outings out and in.
- Make sure their boats are properly lit.
- Make sure all safety equipment (bow ball, heel restraints, hatch covers, lifejacket, cox box, launch kit…) is in working order.
- Perform a risk assessment before every outing.
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If there is an Accident…
- If you fall out, stay with your boat. Get as much of your body out of the water as possible, and swim your boat to the bank.
- If your boat gets damaged, tell your coach, a member of the Safety Committee, and fill in the damage log outside the changing rooms.
- If you have or see an accident, or even a near miss, tell a member of the Safety Committee immediately. They will help you file the necessary reports.
- If you see an accident happen, offer what help you can, but do not put yourself at risk.
- Use the emergency numbers on the safety noticeboard to call for help. (Save the numbers in your phone now!)
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Seen someone misbehaving?
Crews or launches on the wrong side of the river? Someone stopping or spinning in the wrong place?
Report them to the TRRC at http://onlinerep.vorboss.net/ |
Remember to take your shoes off BEFORE putting your foot in the boat. |
| Risk Assessments
Before every outing, consider the risks that day. This is a list of some of the things you should think about, but is by no means exhaustive!
The Water
- What are the conditions like? Is it windy, is it choppy, is it dark, is the stream running very fast, is the tide very high or very low?
- Is there ice on the hard, or fog so bad you can’t see Fulham FC? If so, don’t go out.
The Crew and Coaches
- Is your coach and cox or steer certified to handle the conditions?
- Does your cox have a lifejacket and working cox box?
- Is everyone appropriately dressed?
- Is anyone sick or injured?
The Equipment
- Do you have a bowball, all your heel restraints and all your hatch covers?
- Are your boat and blades in good condition?
- Do your boat and launch have appropriate lights?
- Does your launch have all its safety equipment (launch kit, bailer, paddle etc.), enough petrol, a kill cord and a lifejacket for the driver?
IF IN DOUBT, DON’T GO OUT! |
Certification Levels for Coxes, Steers and Scullers
This is just a reminder. Please read the more detailed version here, or talk to any member of the Safety Committee for further details.
| Level |
Ability |
| 0 |
Beginner |
| 1 |
Basic |
| 2 |
Competent |
| 3 |
Advanced |
| 4 |
Expert |
| Conditions |
Coaching |
| 1 to 1 |
Group |
None |
| Normal |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Difficult |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Dark or 2 x Difficult |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| Dark + Difficult |
3 |
4 |
n/a |
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Emergency Stop - "Hold it Hard!"
- Slap the blade flat on the water at hands away.
- Carefully rotate the handle slightly towards you until the blade just enters the water.
- With the blade parallel to the surface of the water, raise your hands slowly until the water is half way up the loom.
- If you haven’t stopped yet, keep rotating the handle towards you VERY SLOWLY until the blade is at 90° to the water.
- Keep control of the handle as it comes towards your chest.
- Back down if you need to.
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Basic Tool Kit
- 10mm and 13mm spanners
- Adjustable spanner
- Flat head and cross head screwdrivers
- 5m tape measure
- Permanent marker pen
- Duct tape or electrical tape
- Spare nuts, washers and shoe laces
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Sound Signals
Large cruisers will sometimes use sound signals to let you know what they’re doing…
| - |
I am steering right |
| - - |
I am steering left |
| - - - - - |
What the ****? |
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| These are specific to Thames, but please DO NOT…
…go downstream of Putney Bridge or upstream of Kew Rail Bridge at night.
…do starts or pieces inside the line of moored boats at Putney.
…leave damage unreported. It can’t be fixed it no-one knows about it!
…use parcel tape to tape riggers together. Use cling wrap, Thames tape, duct tape or electrical tape instead.
…steal parts off other boats. Go to the spares cupboards in the workshop to find what you need.
…leave one single sculler to lock up the whole boathouse and put all the launches away.
…use equipment that is not allocated to you without getting permission first.
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Launch Essentials
- At least one life buoy
- A paddle, in case of engine failure
- A bailing device
- A megaphone fitted with a klaxon device or similar device capable of making a warning signal, such as a whistle
- A green launch kit containing: thermal blankets, to cover anyone pulled from the water; a rope of at least 10 metres in length; and a sharp knife.
- A painter (and anchor if appropriate) of sufficient length and strength for the conditions and area
- Kill cord
- Enough petrol for the outing
- Lifejacket or buoyancy aid for the driver plus at least one spare, for anyone pulled from the water
- Proper (PLA compliant) lighting at night
- A driver certified by the Safety Committee!
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| Emergency Phone Numbers
| Emergency services |
999 or 112 |
| Chiswick Lifeboat Station |
020 8995 5534 |
| Charing Cross Hospital |
020 8846 1234 |
| St George’s Hospital |
020 8672 1255 |
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Safety Committee - Contact Details
Chris George (chrisgeorge [at] rowing.atics.co.uk)
Emma James
Graham Redman
Caroline Smith
Email the whole committe on safety@thamesrc.co.uk
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August 2009 | |
