Safety Instructions 2009

The following notes are distributed to competitors, their coaches, organisers, marshals, umpires and safety personnel.

They must be read by every person taking part, and in association with the Competitors’ Instructions and Row Safe: A Guide to Good Practice in Rowing.

Race Safety

Wallingford Long Distance Sculls is run under the ARA Rules of Racing

It cannot be emphasised too strongly that it is the responsibility of Clubs, their athletes and coaches to ensure that their equipment complies in all regards with the requirements of Row Safe.

Race officials will inspect boats chosen at random. Boats that fail to comply with Row Safe will be excluded from the event. All crews attending Wallingford Sculls must comply fully with the Wallingford Long Distance Sculls rules as laid out in the Instructions to Competitors. Specific attention is drawn to competitors and coaches that boats designed to have watertight hatches and/or bungs must have these in place and fitted correctly.

Participants who have any potential health problems that might cause problems to themselves or other competitors e.g. epilepsy must advise the race officials of their condition prior to going afloat. The race committee retains the right to not allow a competitor to go afloat if the condition in their opinion constitutes an unacceptable risk.

Conditions

The Race Committee will decide if weather conditions are too dangerous to permit racing to start or continue.

Suspending/Stopping the Race

The primary duty of every Race Official is to care for the safety of competitors and others. It may be necessary to stop the race should conditions alter significantly through the course of the race or a major event occurs (e.g. multiple collisions). Racing will be abandoned or postponed if the Safety Advisor and/or a Race Umpire decide that conditions are unsafe. The Safety Advisor and/or Race Umpire making the decision to abandon or suspend the race shall immediately inform all marshals and Umpires using both Umpire radio network and Marshal radio network.

Marshals, mainly club members with knowledge of the river, will immediately instruct racing boats to stop by shouting “STOP RACING” on megaphones and guiding boats into the most sheltered part of the river adjacent to one of the banks. If conditions are equal on each bank, preference should be given to bringing crews in to the towpath bank where assistant can be given easily.

Launches are to stay in position so as to give cover over the entire course and drivers are to be vigilant and respond to any request for help from Marshals. All launches are equipped with Safety Boxes which include emergency foil blankets which should be used to ensure scullers remain warm.

The Safety Advisor and the Chairman of the Race Committee shall decide on terminating the event or re-starting if conditions improve.

On the Water

All launches will carry radios and safety equipment as specified by Row Safe. Safety cover will be provided for the reach bounded by the old Wallingford Bridge and the marshalling position of the last boat in each division. Cover will commence 90 minutes before the start of each division, with limited cover provided by safety boats initially. Full cover will be in place 20 minutes before the start of each division.

Bank marshals will be in place to provide line of sight cover for the whole course from 20 minutes prior to the start of the division, until the last boat in that division has cleared the area for which that marshal is responsible. A safety launch will follow the last crew in each division. On the water safety cover will terminate for each division as the last crew arrives at the rafts.

First aid kits are located at Wallingford Rowing Club, with the catering facility in the boating area and on board all launches.

A radio system will be in operation. The radio system covers the bank marshals along the course, the start, the safety boats along the course and the finish. This is supplemented by use of officials’ mobile phones as a backup in the event of radio failure. Separate radio networks will be used by Marshals and by Umpires.

In the event of an on the water incident, competitors should firstly ensure their own safety, then ensure a race official is aware of the problem and offer assistance if required.

If any persons suffer any injuries, the nearest race official will determine whether these are minor and are treatable by the event’s first aid staff, or whether they are serious enough to require the emergency services via a 999 call.

Persons suffering minor injuries will be taken by rescue launch to Wallingford Rowing Club or the nearest landing stage, notifying race control by radio or by phone. Race Control will then organise appropriate medical support. First Aid kits are in all launches, at the Finish, at Wallingford Rowing Club and at Registration.

In the event of a person being injured on land, Race Control should be informed. Qualified first aiders or the duty medical staff will be called to assist. Further medical assistance may be summoned through race control.

All accidents, collisions or capsize must be reported to Race Control and an ARA incident report form filled in prior to leaving the event. Copies of Incident Forms will be held at Race Control.

In a serious incident call the Emergency Services on 999.

Do not wait for the event's first aiders or Medical Officer to arrive.

Remember that a conventional Ambulance will probably not get close to the riverbank. Do not hesitate to ask for the Air Ambulance if at a position inaccessible by road. Safe landing areas, clear of obstructions are shown on the map.

Clothing

Do think of conditions and the fact that you may be sat at the start area for some time. Ensure that scullers have suitable clothing, particularly Juniors.