Hazards (Concentrate on the SIGNIFICANT hazards)
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People at Risk and people identified as being especially at risk (e.g. physical or sensory disability, health issues/medication)
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Existing Controls (what measures are in place to reduce risk to a tolerable level)
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Conditions and terrain
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Whole cohort
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Appropriate choice of route for fitness and ability of the group.
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Weather
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Whole cohort
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Pack load should not exceed one third of body weight.
All participants advised on appropriate equipment needed prior to excursion.
Additional equipment provided from the Outdoor stores if poor weather is suspected.
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exposure/exhaustion
hypothermia
hyperthermia
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Whole cohort
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• Instructor to carry additional group safety equipment.
• Check weather forecast before the trip.
• Cancel trip if extreme weather is expected
• Abort the trip if faced with extreme weather.
• Warm clothing (preferably not cotton in winter).
• Waterproof jacket and over trousers.
• Spare warm top (jumper or fleece per group).
• Hat and Gloves.
• Walking/mountaineering boots.
• Adequate food and drink.
• Emergency food (Mars bar).
• Survival bag and/or group shelter.
• Seek shelter or turn back in good time.
• Advice wear sun hats and to put high factor sun screen on.
• Carry and drink plenty of liquids, preferably water (min 1 ltr per day out).
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Sunburn
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Whole cohort
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• Rest frequently and in the shade.
• Remove clothing.
• Give drinks in sips.
• Apply wet clothing or cool water to forehead and back of neck.
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Heat stroke
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Whole cohort
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• Fan vigorously.
• Turn back in good time.
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Rough ground (slips, trips & fall hazards)
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Whole cohort
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• Appropriate choice of route for ability and experience of the group.
• Walking/mountaineering boots or other appropriate footwear.
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Boulder fields and scree
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Whole cohort
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• Staff and volunteers are appropriately experienced and properly trained with current or valid qualifications and/or experience in those areas
• Instruction in safe moving techniques
• Avoid where reasonably possible
• Ascend/descend in a line abreast or arrowhead formation.
• Instruct the group not to stand below each other.
• Move slowly and steadily, talking small paces.
• Descend in steady controlled manner (unless scree running is part of the activity).
Warn others if stones or boulders are dislodged (shout “below”).
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Stone fall
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Whole cohort
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• Avoid areas of high risk where reasonably possible.
• Helmets should be worn if a serious risk exists.
• The group to stay close together, or if the area of risk is short, move past one at a time.
• Shout “below” if stones/boulders fall.
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Steep/vertical grounds (falls)
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Whole cohort
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The group should not venture onto steep ground where there is the possibility of a serious fall.
Stay away from cliff edges
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Slippery ground/surfaces
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Whole cohort
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• Avoid areas of high risk where reasonably possible
• Walking/mountaineering boots should be worn.
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Bog
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Whole cohort
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• Avoid where reasonably possible.
• Move in single file testing the ground.
• Carry a rope if likely to encounter bog which would pose any real risk.
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Flooding
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Whole cohort
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Areas prone to serious flooding should be avoided at times of high or expected high precipitation.
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River crossing (permitted out of bounds activities only)
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Whole cohort
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• Avoid river crossing at times of high risk.
• At times of high risk, walk to the nearest bridge, fording point, or up stream to a point where there is less water.
• Where a moderate risk occurs, the group should be “roped-up” or a river crossing technique such as the “huddle” or “in line astern” be employed.
• Packs should be loosened for quick removal.
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Lightning (permitted out of bounds activities only)
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Whole cohort
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• Check weather forecast before the trip.
• Avoid summits and exposed ridges at times of high risk.
• Stay out of gullies and fissures.
• Stay out of shallow caves.
• Do not shelter beneath overhanging rock.
• Move to relatively flat ground.
• Sit on dry object (pack or rope), not the ground.
Sit on dry object with all parts of the body off the ground and hands in front of the body.
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Poor visibility lost
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Whole cohort
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• Qualified instruction/assistance
• The need for staff and volunteers to be appropriately experienced and properly trained with current or valid qualifications and/or experience in those areas
• Appropriate choice of route for ability and experience of the group.
• Instructor should preferably have personal knowledge of the area being visited.
• Instructor to use map/compass
• Rescue in line with MLTB Award recommendations
• Call out emergency services/mountain rescue
See below
• Qualified instructor and/or appropriate level of instruction in navigation.
• Minimum of two maps and two compasses (see also below).
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Emergency bivouac
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Whole cohort
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• Spare warm top (jumper or fleece).
• Hat and Gloves.
• Emergency food.
• Survival bag and/or group shelter.
• Whistle.
• Torch.
• Mobile ‘phone.
• Time of return and route description/map to be left with a nominated person at base/centre.
• Nominated person to call out rescue services if group fails to return or be in contact by arranged time.
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Drowning Important Note: individuals must stay out of water and away from fast-flowing water unless this forms part of the specific ‘out of bounds’ activities associated with sports or public services.
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Whole cohort
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• Instructor training and experience.
• Assessment of groups’ abilities.
• All participants on or in near the water should wear correctly fitted and checked buoyancy aids.
• Staff using canoe as a safety/rescue boat.
• Ensure raft is secure and stable before allowing it to enter the water.
• Tailor length of raft trip to the condition of the raft.
• Throw line available for use from the canoe.
• Avoid students wearing heavy clothing/footwear.
• Instructor knowledge of weak/non-swimmers.
• Control of groups’ actions whilst on the raft.
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Equipment Failure
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Whole cohort
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• All PPE should be checked before use.
• All equipment meets current specifications and/or accepted standards where applicable and is suitable for its intended use. All Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be of CE standard for the activity.
• Equipment is regularly maintained, serviced and where required tested to current specifications.
• Where appropriate a record of use is kept for specific items of equipment& any damage recorded
• Instructors make a final check of equipment prior to the activity starting; ensuring where necessary, that it is correctly fitted and that all group members are adequately clothed and equipped.
Instructors visually check equipment at time of issue. If group members are using their own equipment the Instructor will ensure it is suitable for the expected conditions and nature of the activity.
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Water - Exposure / Exhaustion (Hypothermia) (permitted out of bounds activities only)
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Whole cohort
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• Good instructor awareness – understanding of water temperatures and seasonal restrictions of certain activities.
• Cag tops and wet suits provided if necessary.
• Survival blanket available
• Buoyancy aids worn on every session -
• Qualified instructors trained in rescues on every session.
• Swimmers forms filled in for all participants.
• A radio and first aid kit taken to the activity base for all sessions.
• Emergency action plans in place
• ‘Overboard’ briefing given to all participants
• First Aid trained instructors on each session.
• • Hot flask brought down at the discretion of the instructor
• Appropriate choice of venue for fitness and ability of the group.
• Cancel trip if extreme weather is expected. Abort the trip if faced with extereme weather.
• Abort the trip if any symptoms of Hypothermia become manifest in the group members.
• Carry a minimum of one survival bag and / or group shelter per group.
Carry a small amount of spare food (Mars Bar).
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Water – Concussion/Head Injury ie struck by paddle
(permitted out of bounds activities only)
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Whole cohort
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• Both on & off the raft, all group members must wear a safety helmet, which meets the appropriate specifications.
• Instruct group of the correct method of holding the paddle, ensure hand is over T-grip.
• Good supervision throughout
Brief group to stay away from obstacles. Ie branches
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Water - Deep Water (Drowning)
(permitted out of bounds activities only)
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Whole cohort
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• All participants advised on appropriate equipment needed prior to water based activity.
• Additional equipment provided from the Outdoor stores if poor weather is suspected. Eg wetsuit
• Instructor to carry additional group safety equipment.
• Check weather forecast before the trip.
• Observe the weather conditions before starting the activity.
• Know the effects of the weather on the lake being visited. Ie cross winds; wind chill
• Avoid areas liable to serious and fast flooding water, which do not have accessible points of safety and / or escape routes.
• Carry a rope or throw line if any chance of participants or group becoming marooned or washed away.
• Cancel trip if extreme weather is expected (unless specifically planned for).
Abort the trip if faced with extreme weather.
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Raft breaking / falling apart
(permitted out of bounds activities only)
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Whole cohort
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• Ensure raft is built with the aims and objectives of the session in mind
• Ensure appropriate safety measures are in place at all times.
• Ensure weight of group is evenly distributed over the raft.
Rafts tested for integrity and poor designs adjusted before being allowed on the water.
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Water - Weil’s Disease and Pollution
(permitted out of bounds activities only)
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Whole cohort
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• Avoid lakes/rivers known to have a high risk of Weil’s disease (where infection has previously occurred).
• Avoid stagnant water.
• Cover open wounds.
• Wash wounds in clean water as soon as possible after the trip.
• Inform group members or their guardians of symptoms of Weil’s disease.
• Avoid areas known to have a high risk of pollution.
• Check rivers and lakes for signs of pollution before entering.
• Exit the river or lake if any pollution is observed.
• Advise participants or their guardians to seek medical advice if they have come in contact with pollution.
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Rope Burns and Entrapament
(permitted out of bounds activities only)
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Whole cohort
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• Group members are briefed on hazards specific to the area being used and are instructed in the skills and techniques needed to avoid them/deal with them. Ie knot tying
• Appropriate instructions and group management
• Brief group to keep limbs away from tied and tensioned ropes.
• Tie away loose ends.
• Instructors to ensure that they are sufficiently close to perform a rescue if needed.
• Groups are briefed and warned of the potential risk of entanglement
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Overdue (permitted out of bounds activities only)
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Whole cohort
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• Appropriate choice of venue for ability and experience of the group.
• Instructor should preferably have personal knowledge of the area being visited.
• Instructor to carry a watch.
• Instructor to hold all participants personal, medical & contact information.
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