Rex Boat Club - Safety and Emergency Action Plan

All members have both a duty of care to others and personal responsibility for ensuring that their actions, both on and off the water, are conducted in a way that does not compromise the safety of themselves or others.

Location of Rex Boat clubs launch and landing stage - adjacent to the Kings School Boat House

Should an external party such as a Doctor or Ambulance need to be called to the landing stage it is located adjacent to the Boathouse and Riverside Rooms and accessed via the Boathouse's car park. The Boathouse and Riverside Rooms address is:

21 The Groves, Chester, England, CH1 1SD,

Incidents at the landing stage / Kings School Gym (located above the Kings School Boat House

Medical emergencies sustained at the club are likely to be caused by slips, trips or falls. They may also occur during a gym sessions - for example a member having breathing difficulty during exercise.

Rex benefits from many member being able to offer First Aid on account of their profession as health professionals and if present such members should take charge of a medical emergency.

General guidance / advised treatment:

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA): Members should not hesitate to summon the ambulance service with the minimum of delay if they suspect a cardiac arrest is taking place. A competent person should attempt basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (particularly chest compressions) and use an AED to provide a high energy electric shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm. An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is mounted on the outside wall of the Kings School boathouse. A Defibrillator is designed to be used by lay persons; the machines guide the operator through the process by verbal instructions and visual prompts. They are safe and will not allow a shock to be given unless the heart’s rhythm requires it. A link to a Defibrillator Guide is included at the end of this document.

Cuts and grazes: if the injury is minor clean the affected area thoroughly, stopping any bleeding and cover with a suitable plaster or dressing as required.

Those in attendance should not give the patient any form of pain relief as the patient may be susceptible to an allergic reaction to certain medicines. The patient should seek to take responsibility for administration of their own pain relief.

Minor Burns: if these are superficial (minor) action to cool the skin with running cool or tepid water for at least 10 minutes is advised, ideally within 20 minutes of the injury happening. Do not use ice, iced water, creams, or greasy substances (such as butter) to soothe the burn. If appropriate actions to remove clothing and jewelery from around the affected area should be taken unless they are adhered to the area affected. Cover the burn using strips of cling film, rather than wrapping it around a limb. A clean plastic bag is suitable to use for burns on your hand.

Do not interfere with the burn, or break any blisters. If the burn is very painful, or seems to be getting worse,call NHS 111, or visit your GP for advice.

If you're in any doubt whether you need further medical assistance, call 999 and ask for an ambulance. Deep, or large burns, or burns to the face, hands, or across joints, must always be checked by a doctor and may require hospital treatment.

Breathing Difficulty sustained during gym session: If shortness of breath is experienced during exercise, you must stop immediately, and seek medical advice. It is advised that an accessible mobile phone is always available / visible during gym sessions in order to call for assistance if needed. An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is mounted on the outside wall of the Kings School boathouse. A Defibrillator is designed to be used by lay persons; the machines guide the operator through the process by verbal instructions and visual prompts. They are safe and will not allow a shock to be given unless the heart’s rhythm requires it.

Incidents on the Water

Collision or Incident with Motor Launch

If you are involved in an incident, including a near miss, with a motor launch, the incident should be reported as soon as possible to the clubs safety officer. Do get the name of the club which the motor launch is associated. Safety related incidents, including collisions, capsizes, injuries and boat damage should be reported to British Rowing using the clubs Accident Reporting process - it is advised that members report the incident to the clubs safety officer or any committee member who will then make a formal incident report to BR. This does not prevent club members reporting directly to BR if they believe this to be a more appropriate action.

Capsize

• If out of your depth & unable to wade ashore, hold onto the capsized hull as a buoyancy aid & attempt to swim it to shore.
• If the water is cold, get as much of your body out of the water as soon as possible, draping yourself over the upturned hull (if necessary turning over the hull for this purpose).
• If possible, "buddy-up"; holding on to each other until rescued to provide mutual warmth and support and to help ensure all are accounted for.
• Other boats in the vicinity should fetch help or a launch if one is available. ASSIST BUT DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RESCUE FROM ANOTHER ROWING SCULL - such action risks putting more people in the water.

Injury or Medical Emergency

• IN A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, INCLUDING A CREW MEMBER BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY ILL OR BECOMING UNRESPONSIVE, IMMEDIATELY:
  • Raise the Alarm with a launch or with other boats if available.
  • Use a mobile phone to dial for emergency assistance 999; OR if no phone is available row to the nearest location where a safe landing can be made, gain access to a telephone, and make a 999 call, indicating the closest access location you are aware of.

Possible serious incidents /conditions associated with rowing

Leptospirosis (Weil's disease) is an infection you can catch from animals. It's rare in the UK.but is spread in the urine of infected animals – most commonly rats, mice, cows, pigs and dogs. If during a row and having made contact with river water you have:

• a very high temperature, or feel hot and shivery
• a headache
• feeling and being sick
• aching muscles and joints
• red eyes
• loss of appetite

seek the advice of a doctor as a matter of urgency

Hypothermia

The symptoms of hypothermia depend on how cold the environment is and how long you are exposed for. Severe hypothermia needs urgent medical treatment in hospital. Shivering is a good guide to how severe the condition is. If the person can stop shivering on their own, the hypothermia is mild, but if they cannot stop shivering, it is moderate to severe.

Mild cases: in mild cases, symptoms include:

• shivering,
• feeling cold,
• low energy,
• discomfort at higher temperatures than normal, or
• cold, pale skin.

Moderate cases: the symptoms of moderate hypothermia include:

• violent, uncontrollable shivering,
• being unable to think or pay attention,
• confusion (some people don't realise they are affected),
• loss of judgment and reasoning,
• difficulty moving around or stumbling (weakness),
• feeling afraid,
• memory loss,
• fumbling hands and loss of coordination,
• drowsiness,
• slurred speech,
• listlessness and indifference, or
• slow, shallow breathing and a weak pulse.

Severe cases: the symptoms of severe hypothermia include:

• loss of control of hands, feet, and limbs,
• uncontrollable shivering that suddenly stops,
• unconsciousness,
• shallow or no breathing,
• weak, irregular or no pulse,
• stiff muscles, and
• dilated pupils.

Although hypothermia is defined as occurring when the body temperature drops below 35°C (95°F), mild hypothermia can start at higher body temperatures.

As the body temperature decreases further, shivering will stop completely. The heart rate will slow and a person will gradually lose consciousness. When unconscious, a person will not appear to have a pulse or be breathing.

Emergency assistance should be sought immediately and CPR provided while the person is warmed. CPR is an emergency procedure, consisting of 30 chest compression followed by 2 rescue breaths.

How to treat hypothermia

As hypothermia can be a life-threatening condition, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Hypothermia is treated by preventing further heat being lost and by gently warming the patient.

If you are treating someone with mild hypothermia, or waiting for medical treatment to arrive, follow the advice below to prevent further loss of heat.

Things to do for hypothermia:

• Move the person indoors, or somewhere warm, as soon as possible.
• Once sheltered, gently remove any wet clothing and dry the person

· Wrap them in blankets, towels, coats (whatever you have), protecting the head and torso first

· Your own body heat can help someone with hypothermia. Hug them gently

· Increase activity if possible, but not to the point where sweating occurs, as that cools the skin down again

• If possible, give the person warm drinks (but not alcohol) or high energy foods, such as chocolate, to help warm them up
• Once body temperature has increased, keep the person warm and dry

It is important to handle anyone that has hypothermia very gently and carefully. Things you should NOT do:

• Don't warm up an elderly person using a bath, as this may send cold blood from the body's surfaces to the heart or brain too suddenly, causing a stroke or heart attack;
• Don't apply direct heat (hot water or a heating pad, for example) to the arms and legs, as this forces cold blood back to the major organs, making the condition worse
• Don't take a hot shower to try to warm up quickly, as this will also make the condition worse

· Don't give the person alcohol to drink, as this will decrease the body's ability to retain heat

• Don't rub or massage the person’s skin, as this can cause the blood vessels to widen and decrease the body’s ability to retain heat. In severe cases of hypothermia there is also a risk of heart attack

Near-Drowning

The goal is to safely rescue the victim and begin first aid.

In a near-drowning emergency, the sooner the rescue and first aid begin, the greater the victim's chance of survival. Do not endanger yourself in rescuing the victim during this process.

Rescue options to reach the drowning victim in the water:

• Use a Throw Line
• Throw a rope with a buoyant object
• Use a long stick
• Bring a boat alongside the victim and tow the victim to shore. Do not haul the victim into the boat because it may cause the boat to capsize. Note: Cold water may render the victim too hypothermic to grasp objects within their reach or to hold while being pulled to safety
• As a last resort, and only if you are sufficiently trained in water rescue you could attempt a swimming rescue . Do not attempt a rescue beyond your capabilities.

• for a swimming rescue, approach the person from behind while trying to calm the victim as you move closer.
• grab a piece of clothing or cup a hand or arm under the victim's chin and pull the person face up to shore while providing special care to ensure a straight head-neck-back alignment especially if you think the person has spine injuries