Cody Sailing Club Safety Management Policy

The Safety Management Policy includes the following policies and information

Controls and Procedures

1. Overview

The organisation

Cody Sailing Club. We are Family Camping and Fleet Dinghy Daysailing experts. We adventure in the Solent and beyond. We are a virtual club based at Southampton SC and Frensham Pond SC.

Constitution, Club Rules and Policies

Safety policy – statement of intent

Cody SC Committee Commitment to Safety Management

Camping Safety Management

The club operates both camping based events and sailing holidays. We do not risk assess the fields and environments around the camping aspect of our operation as the risks of camping will be specific to each family or individual. We make it clear that we do not risk assess camping events to participants as part of the sign-up process for events which involve camping.

Sailing Safety Management

For the dinghy cruising aspect of our sailing we ensure that there is a sailing plan which has been developed by experts, we assess the weather and other factors as detailed below.

Since club members provide their own boats, and they are undertaking an activity where they hold the ultimate responsibility, we assess the participant’s competency and the seaworthiness of vessels and will provide advice if we think that there are concerns, but we are not enforcers of any standard – the skipper holds the ultimate responsibility.

2. Pre-session

Resources and people needed
A safety plan

Daysail Leader considerations and recommended actions.

Resources that a Daysail Leader will need

Tide times (high & low water) for the launch point and goal (they will be different).
Weather forecast for the day (Met Office inshore waters forecast is the standard that we initially use, and then any other sources of weather forecasting as applicable).
Tide tables and charts tor the area to be sailed in.
List of participants and Emergency Contact details.

Considerations

Have you planned your briefing before starting it?
Who are the weakest sailors in the group?
Which are the weakest vessels in the fleet?
How many experienced sailors are there in the group?
How can we spread the experience around as many boats as possible (and keep everyone happy).
All club boats require someone with a minimum qualification of seamanship skills as helm in charge.

Likely sea conditions (now and later) (wind over tide etc).

Likely weather conditions (now and later)
Tidal conditions and strength.
Difficulty of planned activity.
Personal familiarity with the departure point and goal (and the waters in between)?
What are the backup (escape) plans (this will be constantly changing as the day progresses)

Has everyone got suitable clothing / food for the conditions?

Sunscreen and water for drinking in every boat?

Observations that the Daysail Leader can make

Are the boats rigged correctly including bungs and hatches?

Is the required safety gear in the boats (smoke flares, etc.)

Maintaining good group control throughout the day (don’t let it lapse as you near your destination or home)

Keep a good lookout for shipping – always err on the side of caution and wait for shipping to pass.
Keep an eye on the beginners, make sure they don’t get too cold or too hot.

Key Points for briefing

Hypothermia (clothing, immersion post capsize) and effects of wind-chill and spray
Dehydration drink plenty during the day (if you are thirsty it’s too late)
Sunscreen. Recommend that everyone wear it (you can get burned on a cloudy day at sea)
Does everyone know where the planned destination is and likely Refuge Locations in case of a change of plan? Use charts and tide tables during the briefing showing the tidal flow and departure point and goals. Show the weather forecast for the day.

Confirm everyone’s understanding of the briefing (especially the beginners) rules for sailing in close company.
Allocate someone to write article for the newsletter.

Daysail Leader Decision Making

Keep a good lookout for changes in the weather (upwind and downwind). The forecast is never perfect.
Decide early and make your decision then stick to it (consult another experienced sailor if not sure).
Don’t let other more experienced sailors bully you, YOU are in charge and your decision is final, and yet, every skipper is responsible for their vessel and crew, and if they choose to do something you are not recommending they are fully entitled to do so.
If another more experienced sailor recommends you abandon or change the venue consider this advice carefully and ask for their reasoning.

The committee will always back up any sensible decision you make.

Responsibilities of the skipper when taking a sailing dinghy on tidal waters.

As skipper of a dinghy, you are responsible for the safety of the vessel and all people aboard.

You need to understand and be able to apply the COLREGS to reduce the chances of collision (1).
You need to understand distress signals. An illustrated table describing the life-saving signals must be studied in advance of sailing. (2)
You must pass on information about navigation dangers (if they have not already been reported) to the Coastguard by any means possible.
If you are in a position to be able to provide assistance on receiving information from any source that persons are in distress at sea, you are bound to proceed with all speed to their assistance, if possible informing them or the search and rescue service that you are doing so.
Your passage will be planned (3)
You will not misuse a distress signal
Where a VHF radio or other maritime radio equipment (such as an EPIRB, AIS, ATIS, Radar etc.) is carried, the equipment must be licensed.
Where in force, you must follow local byelaws and local regulations

The RYA publication G2 – International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, available from the RYA shop, has been prepared with the pleasure craft skipper in mind and includes notes to help sailors interpret and apply the rules.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1035412/Life_Saving_Signals.pdf
https://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge/safety/have-a-plan
https://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge/dinghy-trails

Lastly but not least, make sure that you enjoy your day out as well.

Final Note

This is a guide and is only provided to help ease the process of being the Daysail Leader. Use it wisely and consider all points. It is not a comprehensive list of what needs to be done, considered or taken

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3. Operating areas

This aspect of the standard Safety Management Policy would be applicable if we were an RYA Recognised Training Centre for the area where we would be conducting RYA training, and is not applicable to our operations. When we choose to sail from a location in an area we conduct research to understand the specific concerns as part of the pre-cruise planning.

4. Participants

Identifying needs
Booking / registering
Joining instructions
Risk statements and choosing to take part

5. Manual handling

Manual handling is defined by the HSE as “…transporting or supporting a load by hand or bodily force. It includes lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving loads.” Manual handling is an intrinsic part of any sailing activity but Cody SC’s operating model – involving dinghy transport to, and launching/recovery from numerous remote locations – leads to potential greater exposure to this hazard than may be the case for some other sailing clubs.

Examples of manual handling during Cody SC’s operations include:

Manoeuvring dinghy, trolley and trailer in any combination
- Dinghy on trolley
- Dinghy and trolley on trailer
- Empty trolley
- Empty trailer
- Dinghy alone
Manoeuvring and connecting dinghy and trolley to trailer
Launching of dinghy from the trolley at a slipway or beach
Lifting/dragging a dinghy (without trolley) e.g. up or down a beach
Stepping or unstepping the mast
Lifting and fitting/removing an outboard motor or other heavy items e.g. rudder
Maintenance activities (e.g. rolling a dinghy over or upside down on land to inspect/repair the centreboard or hull.)
Lifting / transporting of non-sailing items e.g. tent, camp toilet, kit bags.

Each of these activities may be undertaken in difficult circumstances, including:

uneven/rocky/slippery terrain (seaweed, mud, slime, wet grass)
in wind/rain
reduced visibility (e.g. dark)
in restricted spaces (car park, boat park, etc.)
by people who are working under reduced capacity e.g. due to tiredness, wearing drysuits and buoyancy aids.

The Hazards associated with manual handling are described in the relevant Risk Assessments (See Section 8 – Generic Risk Assessment). Measures to control this hazard comprise:

An emphasis on the individual to assess any manual handling task and to take the steps necessary to undertake it safely
To minimise any manual handling activity, including by using trolleys where possible, by reducing the weight of any items to be moved (e.g. by emptying out heavy items from the boat), etc.
The sharing of good practice between members (e.g to avoid dragging a boat up/down a ‘sailed to’ beach by ‘anchoring off’ when appropriate and permitted by local bylaws)
To understand their own capacity to complete the task
To follow manual handling ‘good practice’ (e.g. lift with the legs, straight back)
To ask for help (extra assistance and advice) when required and to offer help to others
Not to undertake any manual handling activity that cannot be completed safely

6. Roles

Competency

We act in an advisory capacity when assessing the competency of a skipper and crew, and the seaworthiness of a vessel.

Crewing levels

If there is a higher risk of capsize (generally if there is a F5 in the forecast) we will arrange crew to have more in a boat than usual – for a Comet Trio, 2000, GP14 and so on we will recommend three in the boat, which allows for additional people to help with righting a boat if the crew are unable to do so.

Equipment and clothing required (personal or provided)

We recommend drysuits if the conditions suggest it, wetsuits if the conditions suggest it, and we expect club members to wear buoyancy aids while sailing as a fleet.

7. Club Vessels and equipment

Dinghy Section Information, Rules and Guidance

8. Generic Risk Assessments for the types of activity we do

Risk Assessments associated with Cody SC activities comprise:

The Generic Risk Assessment. This Risk Assessment is summarised in the table below and is intended to cover generically the hazards and associated risks which are relevant to Cody SC operations. This Risk Assessment draws directly on Cody SC members’ experience, on wider ‘good practice’ (e.g. as advised by the RYA or other competent bodies), recognised training (e.g. RYA Advanced Seamanship Skills), etc..

The Daily (or Dynamic) Risk Assessment. This Risk Assessment is the ongoing assessment of risk undertaken by individuals participating in Cody SC organised events. This Risk Assessment is by its nature dynamic and is driven by the conditions on the day.

{https://www.rya.org.uk/water-safety/guide-risk-assessment}

Terminology:

A Hazard is something that may cause harm or damage.
A Risk is the harm that may occur from the hazard.

Who is at risk?

Generally the individuals who may be ‘at risk’ due to Cody SC sailing activities are:

i) Club members (including family members)
ii) Non-Club members – this may include members of the public, other sailors, etc.

Generic Risk Assessment

What Hazard is identified? What are the associated risks?	Who is at risk?	How are the risks already controlled?What additional controls (if any) are required?	What has changed that needs to be thought about and controlled?
Drowning	Cody SC members	All persons afloat (in Cody boats, their personal boats or other craft e.g. kayaks) to wear buoyancy aids. Individuals are responsible for choosing (and wearing) a suitable buoyancy aid (or the correct size, fit, level of buoyancy, etc.) RYA guidance is available.
Capsize (with or without inversion)	Cody SC members	Capsize recovery training is part of RYA qualifications. We sail in company.When there is a likelihood of capsize, we will take fewer boats and more people per boat to allow the offer of additional help to get boats recovered. For skippering club boats in tidal waters we require the RYA Seamanship qualification to ensure that a dinghy inversion has been recovered, or confirmation that a dinghy inversion has been recovered.
Entrapment underwater (from capsize or inversion)	Cody SC members	Best practice is to right the boat as quickly as possible. All boats to sail to the vessel and by all possible means right the vessel as quickly as possible. All skippers on tidal waters must have RYA Seamanship or equivalent as this assures that the skipper has personally righted an inverted vessel.
Exposure (cold weather/windchill) and potential hypothermia	Cody SC members	Participants are expected to understand the prevailing weather conditions and to wear suitable clothing. Extra layers (e.g. spray tops) can be carried/stowed aboard when necessary. All participants expected to be alert for signs of hypothermia in others and to act accordingly.
Exposure (heat stroke/sunburn)	Cody SC members	Participants are expected to understand the prevailing weather conditions and to wear suitable clothing. To include hat and suncream as necessary.
Dehydration / hunger	Cody SC members	Water bottles and snacks to be carried, sufficient for the planned sailing activity.
Cold water shock	Cody SC members	Participants are expected to understand the prevailing weather conditions and to wear suitable clothing. Guidance (e.g. RNLI “Float to Live”) shared with membership via newsletter, etc
Head Injury / concussion	Cody SC members	RYA training. Wind and boat awareness.
Other physical injuries (e.g. trapped finger)	Cody SC members	RYA training. Appropriate level of boat and equipment maintenance.
Delay to treatment of injury due to remote sailing locations	Cody SC members	Planned sailing activity can be shortened if required. Any health issue requiring urgent treatment to be treated as an emergency (radio/mobile phone call to emergency services). In-date Orange Smoke distress device to be carried in club boats.
Collision of boats causing injury (covers interaction between dinghies and risk associated with larger vessels e.g. using shipping channels)	Cody SC members, other sailors	RYA training. Understanding of the ‘rules of the road’. Maintaining a good look out. Passage planning to minimise ‘time at risk’ e.g. by crossing busy shipping areas efficiently.
Collision with other water users e.g. swimmers when approaching a beach	Cody SC members, other members of the public	Maintaining a good look out. Following good practice e.g. dropping mainsail and jib for controlled shore landings.
Manoeuvring of boats ashore (trips, slips, strains, sprains)	Cody SC members	Awareness of best practices, training and shared good practice.
Lifting a boat down a beach	Club Members	Appoint a lift master to oversee the lifting of each boat. Ensure sufficient people to lift the boat safely. Ensure that the speed of the movement is regulated to ensure that the lift is controlled. Ensure that only people fit enough to lift and carry do so. If not fit or able, keep out of the way. Use roller bags to minimise the weight carrying aspect.
Moving a dinghy on it’s trolley across unconventional surfaces (rocky, slippery foreshore)	Club Members	Ensure that the trolley and tyres are fit for purpose. Consider if moving is required (can the boat be floated by the incoming tide to minimise the hazard?) Appoint a move master to oversee the movement of each boat. Ensure that sufficient people can move the boat. Minimise the weight carried by removing heavy items. Ensure that the speed of the movement is regulated to ensure that the movement of the boat is controlled. Ensure that only people fit enough to move the boat do so. If not fit or able, keep out of the way.
Injuries from rigging boats ashore	Cody SC members	Training, familiarity with boats being rigged
Lack of visibility from poor daylight or fog	Cody SC members	Checking of local weather forecast. Awareness of changing conditions. Use of hand-bearing compass to ensure correct direction of passage home if required.
Challenging / unsuitable weather conditions (including too much or too little wind to complete planned voyage)	Cody SC members	Checking of local weather forecast. Awareness of changing conditions. Training. E.g RYA Seamanship skills for Reefing. Sail plan to include contingency options. We do not sail if there is a F6 in the Inshore Waters forecast for the area we are sailing in.We will strongly consider the safety of sailing if there is a F6 in the IWF upwind of our IWF Coastal Area
Wildlife		Stay away from swans/geese at launch/recovery locations. Attend to local bylaws to ensure minimised disturbance of wildlife.
Entanglement (e.g. fishing lines, seaweed, mooring lines)	Cody SC members	Maintaining a good look out. Understand how to free oneself of entanglement – use of emergency knife.
Collision with submerged object e.g. rocks		Passage planning. Maintaining a good look out. Awareness of where to beach if holed.
Running aground (e.g. getting stuck in shallow water)	Cody SC members	Passage planning and understanding of expected tidal range, water depth throughout the day sail. Maintaining a good look out.
Strong tidal streams leading to inability to complete sailing plan	Cody SC members	Passage planning and understanding of expected tidal streams and wind conditions. Sail plan adjustments if required. Alternative means of propulsion (paddles carried as routine, carriage of outboard considered dependent on expected conditions on day of sail
Distress/assistance required	Cody SC Members	Personal VHF radio (and licence) and/or charged mobile phone to alert emergency services.
Gear failure / equipment damage	Cody SC members	Condition of club boats checked regularly, with any known faults repaired promptly. Boat ‘booking’ arrangement includes option for quarantining of non-servicable equipment.
Outboard engine manual handling / lifting / lowering	Cody SC members	Training & sharing of good practice. Condition of outboards & mountings maintained.
Management and control of outboard fuel (leak, fire risk, environmental damage)	Cody SC members	Use of acceptable receptacles. Fuel stored in small-ish quantities.
Outboard engine failure when required.	Cody SC members	Alternative means of propulsion always carried i.e. sails and paddles. Engines appropriately maintained, serviceable and checked for functionality at the start of any voyage when they are carried.
Propeller causing injury to people in the water	Cody SC members and other water users esp swimmers	Kill cord use required. Training (RYA) offered.
Trailer/winch mechanism causing injury	Cody SC members	Training in the use of the trailer mounted winch.
Falling overboard	Cody SC members	RYA training – and practice – of man-overboard recovery. Cody cruises involve sailing in company, and in the case of a person in the water other vessels will assist.
Towing hazards (e.g. trapped fingers, tension in towing lines)	Cody SC members	Towing should be usually facilitated by experienced club members. Training and opportunity to practise offered as part of club training programme. Boats have ‘towing scheme’ planned e.g. suitable rope carried and a way of arranging the ropes for that given vessel.
Anchoring hazards	Cody SC members and sometimes other beach users	When anchoring at a busy beach, Cody cruise participants will be mindful of other beach users. Anchors and tripping lines will be positioned considerately where possible. Cody members are expected to have a level of experience/training in anchoring (and can ask for help from more-experienced club members).
Navigation error / getting lost	Cody SC members	Cruise planning is usually a team effort, with any proposed sail plan discussed and reviewed by those sailing.
Communication issues	Cody SC members	Maintain fleet discipline, don’t sail off on your own beyond hailing distance. Come back to the fleet if you get well ahead.
Inexperienced sailors / crew	Cody SC members	Any of the hazards in this Risk Assessment may be exacerbated by a lack of experience of individuals in participating boats. The day’s sail plan will include consideration of the experience of all participants, to ensure a suitable level of experience across the fleet. Club members are encouraged to speak-up if they are unsure about any activity. Training and knowledge sharing are available.
Biohazards (Blue green algae, Weil’s disease, contact with pollutions)	Cody SC members	This hazard exists in many of the locations at which the club operates. Good practice is to wash hands after sailing, to keep any minor cuts covered up where possible, and to be alert for symptoms after any sailing activity. Boats and equipment should be rinsed down (e.g. between coastal sailing & sailing at FPSC). Consider special attention to feet if wearing wet boots in a blue-green algae location.
Pre-existing medical conditions requiring treatment while afloat	Cody SC members	Members are encouraged to divulge pre-existing conditions that may be relevant (noting a need to respect personal privacy). Members are responsible for carriage of any medication (e.g. inhaler). Any emergency condition during a Cody event will be treated as such.

Dynamic Risk Assessment

*Hazard* is something that may cause harm or damage. *Risk* is the harm that may occur from the hazard.	*Mitigation*
Too windy for the fleet to sail safely	We do not sail if there is a F6 in the Inshore Waters forecast for the area we are sailing in. We will strongly consider the safety of sailing if there is a F6 in the IWF upwind of our IWF Coastal Area
There is a capsize and the crew cannot right the boat by themselves	We sail in company.When there is a likelihood of capsize, we will take fewer boats and more people per boat to allow the offer of additional help to get boats recovered.
We have a capsize and someone is entrapped.	Best practice is to right the boat as quickly as possible. All boats to sail to the vessel and by all possible means right the vessel. All skippers on tidal waters must have RYA Seamanship or equivalent as this assures that the skipper has personally righted an inverted vessel.
Collision of boats causing injury	Deploy First Aid as required Contact the Emergency Services, as required
Vessel breaks, can no longer be sailed but hull is intact	Take vessel under tow
Vessel breaks, is holed.	Use refuge to recover vessel, collect by road laterContact Emergency Services, as required

Information to use to train Club Members on the ways to safely lift and move dinghies.

Lifting, Pushing and Pulling https://www.aus.com/security-resources/lifting-pushing-and-pulling-safety

Manual Lift Training https://youtu.be/Nt4PEss3Ppk < 4 mins.

9. Incidents

Report incidents to the committee using the format found on https://codysailingclub.co.uk/incident-reporting/

The Commodore will report incidents worthy of bringing to the attention of the National Sporting Body at

https://www.rya.org.uk/about-us/policies/safety-management/accident-and-incident-reporting-form

Accidents and incident reporting

Any good safety management system must have a mechanism for recording accidents and near misses.

An accident book must be used. It will be reviewed regularly and action taken to prevent repetition of injuries. In the case of a major serious incident the Commodore should contact the RYA, who can provide advice and assistance, as well as disseminate any lessons learned.

A record of near misses will be kept. These are events that could have caused an accident or injury. The record should be similar in content to an accident book entry. Such incidents should be reviewed regularly and the lessons learned recorded along with the actions taken to avoid reoccurrence.

When reviewing near misses, the severity of the missed outcome must be considered. Where this is of a serious nature the RYA should be informed. The RYA maintains an incident log which is reviewed regularly by senior management to identify trends or areas where improvement may be needed.

First aid
Head injury
Recording accidents, incidents and near misses
Dealing with a major incident
Emergency Action Plan Flow Chart

Downloadable Accident/Near Miss Reporting form. https://codysailingclub.co.uk/incident-reporting/

10. Communication

Regular Member comms, newsletter, etc. Plus planning for events, email pre-briefs (show evidence of thinking), etc.

Briefings – participants and safety crew
On the water
- Sail in close company (guideline being close enough that you can read the sail no. of the other boats in the fleet)
- Heave to and everyone stops and joins
- Mustering at the start and typically at corners
- Radios where carried. Mobile phones for emergency calls.
Training
- Providing training to uplift and maintain club member’s skills and expertise.
Wash-up
- Post-sail conversation and debrief – what went well and what was difficult
- Newsletter
- Reporting Communication channels to the Commodore and Committee.

11. Post-session

There is often a post-sail meeting – sometimes it looks very much like a group visit to a cafe or pub, where the sail just undertaken is discussed.
Accident or incident reporting completed by anyone involved. If an Accident, the person suffering injury should report the accident themselves, and if unable to do so, someone else report the accident on their behalf. See the Accident Reporting policy.