WESTHAVEN YACHT CLUB RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN
FOR ALL CLUB EVENTS
Recent well publicised accidents and incidents involving organised yachting and other sporting events run by voluntary organisations have highlighted the need for clubs such as the Westhaven Yacht Club (WYC) to be more proactive in ensuring the safety of all those who compete in club events. No longer is it acceptable for the club’s event organisers to only rely on skippers knowing and taking personal responsibility as to whether they and their boat are capable of competing in any particular water based event.
Current trends, backed by recent legislative changes and court sentences imposed on event organisers, are for the club officers to be held accountable for ensuring the health and safety of all participants in their organised events. This is potentially an issue for WYC organised events where a variety of boats compete in a variety of weather conditions. Inaction or inappropriate actions by club officials that result in significant consequences could make those individual officers liable.
This accompanying Risk Management Plan for water based activities identifies significant risks and appropriate actions. This includes sports days, cooking and fishing contests as well as Old Foxes. It is intended to identify all known significant risks to the WYC and appropriate measures to counter them. The primary object of the plan is to have safety policies that ensure that the club does everything reasonable to ensure the safety of participants in its events. It is important to be able to show that every attempt was made to identify significant risks and derive appropriate mitigation measures for those risks.
If there is a significant incident or accident, the question will be asked of the club officials, “Did they do what was reasonably expected of them to foresee such incidents/accidents and did they do what could be reasonably been expected for them to do in their position to ensure the safety of participants?” This Risk management Plan in effect puts into place a set of safety policies.
General Expectations of Members
Members participating in club events, including Old Foxes, sports days and fishing contests, are expected to arrive at a destination often at a certain time. How they get there and where they start their journey from is at the skippers discretion. What they do and where they go after an event is also up to the skipper. Club officers cannot and do not take responsibility for members getting to, or leaving from water based WYC events other than as outlined below.
Skippers and their boats are expected to comply with all relevant regulations, local byelaws etc. This includes meeting mandatory and recommended safety requirements. In effect participants in WYC events are expected to follow all the requirements outlined and referred to in the AYBA Boaties Handbook. This book is issued annually, free to all boaties. Other Publications that may be helpful include, The Maritime Safety Rules, Safety in Small Craft, YNZ Rule Book and YNZ website below.
It is up to the individual skipper to decide on the day whether they and their boat are capable of safely participating in a WYC event, including the journey home (or elsewhere).
Members are urged to join Coastguard, attend boating education courses and give trip reports to Coastguard when travelling to and from events.
Water based events will be automatically cancelled if the Met Service’s Auckland Marine Weather predicts winds of 25knots and stronger, heavy rain, etc during the period of the evident. Usually the Sailing Committee will ring around those indication they will be participating on the morning of the event to advise of the cancellation.
Skippers are expected to check the marine forecast and / or contact a sailing committee member before setting out on an event where there is any doubt about the weather and whether the event is still on.
The Sailing Committee wishes to ensure that these events continue to be fun events and not involve members in overly bureaucratic procedures, but are aware of the responsibilities now imposed on them as individuals. It is expected that Club officers will take appropriate action where they are aware of significant safety issues to be addressed. Although most unlikely, this could for example result in boats missing essential safety equipment being excluded from participating in certain events.
The WYC does not take responsibility for members who do not turn up at events. Skippers having previously indicated they intend participating in an event and subsequently withdrawing should notify the Officer of the Day (OOD) or a Sailing Committee member. As from 2004 the committee will have an OOD who will try to listen on channel 16 until at least 1500hrs for any calls from members unable to contact him / her by other means. Where calls are received on channel 16, the OOD will recommend an appropriate channel to go to e.g. 65, or 85, to talk.
It is expected, as mentioned earlier and where appropriate, members will take advantage of the Coastguard services when making their way to and from events. When members get into serious trouble participating in an event, particularly travelling to or from the event, they are expected to contact Auckland Coastguard for assistance. Normally WYC members would offer help if they were nearby and able to assist but Coastguard would be the primary source of assistance for serious incidents.
Notwithstanding the responsibilities and liabilities under present legislation of individuals within the Sailing Committee and others, it is essential for the safety of members, particularly less experienced sailors, that the club have an organised approach to risk management for its events. The requirements of this plan are generally the same as required under present ARC regulations for all Auckland boaties ad those recommended by Yachting NZ on their website www.yachtingnz.org.nz
Land based activities are subject to the normal laws of the land and any special requirements put on by the Officer of the Day or event organiser where appropriate. This may include a head count where appropriate.
Colin Gibson.
Safety Officer Sailing Committee.
FULL RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN BELOW FOR DOWNLOAD
WESTHAVEN YACHT CLUB RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN
FOR ALL CLUB EVENTS
Recent well publicised accidents and incidents involving organised yachting and other sporting events run by voluntary organisations have highlighted the need for clubs such as the Westhaven Yacht Club (WYC) to be more proactive in ensuring the safety of all those who compete in club events. No longer is it acceptable for the club’s event organisers to only rely on skippers knowing and taking personal responsibility as to whether they and their boat are capable of competing in any particular water based event.
Current trends, backed by recent legislative changes and court sentences imposed on event organisers, are for the club officers to be held accountable for ensuring the health and safety of all participants in their organised events. This is potentially an issue for WYC organised events where a variety of boats compete in a variety of weather conditions. Inaction or inappropriate actions by club officials that result in significant consequences could make those individual officers liable.
This accompanying Risk Management Plan for water based activities identifies significant risks and appropriate actions. This includes sports days, cooking and fishing contests as well as Old Foxes. It is intended to identify all known significant risks to the WYC and appropriate measures to counter them. The primary object of the plan is to have safety policies that ensure that the club does everything reasonable to ensure the safety of participants in its events. It is important to be able to show that every attempt was made to identify significant risks and derive appropriate mitigation measures for those risks.
If there is a significant incident or accident, the question will be asked of the club officials, “Did they do what was reasonably expected of them to foresee such incidents/accidents and did they do what could be reasonably been expected for them to do in their position to ensure the safety of participants?” This Risk management Plan in effect puts into place a set of safety policies.
General Expectations of Members
Members participating in club events, including Old Foxes, sports days and fishing contests, are expected to arrive at a destination often at a certain time. How they get there and where they start their journey from is at the skippers discretion. What they do and where they go after an event is also up to the skipper. Club officers cannot and do not take responsibility for members getting to, or leaving from water based WYC events other than as outlined below.
Skippers and their boats are expected to comply with all relevant regulations, local byelaws etc. This includes meeting mandatory and recommended safety requirements. In effect participants in WYC events are expected to follow all the requirements outlined and referred to in the AYBA Boaties Handbook. This book is issued annually, free to all boaties. Other Publications that may be helpful include, The Maritime Safety Rules, Safety in Small Craft, YNZ Rule Book and YNZ website below.
It is up to the individual skipper to decide on the day whether they and their boat are capable of safely participating in a WYC event, including the journey home (or elsewhere).
Members are urged to join Coastguard, attend boating education courses and give trip reports to Coastguard when travelling to and from events.
Water based events will be automatically cancelled if the Met Service’s Auckland Marine Weather predicts winds of 25knots and stronger, heavy rain, etc during the period of the evident. Usually the Sailing Committee will ring around those indication they will be participating on the morning of the event to advise of the cancellation.
Skippers are expected to check the marine forecast and / or contact a sailing committee member before setting out on an event where there is any doubt about the weather and whether the event is still on.
The Sailing Committee wishes to ensure that these events continue to be fun events and not involve members in overly bureaucratic procedures, but are aware of the responsibilities now imposed on them as individuals. It is expected that Club officers will take appropriate action where they are aware of significant safety issues to be addressed. Although most unlikely, this could for example result in boats missing essential safety equipment being excluded from participating in certain events.
The WYC does not take responsibility for members who do not turn up at events. Skippers having previously indicated they intend participating in an event and subsequently withdrawing should notify the Officer of the Day (OOD) or a Sailing Committee member. As from 2004 the committee will have an OOD who will try to listen on channel 16 until at least 1500hrs for any calls from members unable to contact him / her by other means. Where calls are received on channel 16, the OOD will recommend an appropriate channel to go to e.g. 65, or 85, to talk.
It is expected, as mentioned earlier and where appropriate, members will take advantage of the Coastguard services when making their way to and from events. When members get into serious trouble participating in an event, particularly travelling to or from the event, they are expected to contact Auckland Coastguard for assistance. Normally WYC members would offer help if they were nearby and able to assist but Coastguard would be the primary source of assistance for serious incidents.
Notwithstanding the responsibilities and liabilities under present legislation of individuals within the Sailing Committee and others, it is essential for the safety of members, particularly less experienced sailors, that the club have an organised approach to risk management for its events. The requirements of this plan are generally the same as required under present ARC regulations for all Auckland boaties ad those recommended by Yachting NZ on their website www.yachtingnz.org.nz
Land based activities are subject to the normal laws of the land and any special requirements put on by the Officer of the Day or event organiser where appropriate. This may include a head count where appropriate.
Colin Gibson.
Safety Officer Sailing Committee.
FULL RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN BELOW FOR DOWNLOAD
| westhaven_yacht_club_risk_management_plan_july_2018.doc |
