TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements

SECTION1 Introduction

SECTION2 Event Planning

SECTION3 Safety Management

SECTION4 General Site Issues

SECTION5 Race Day Organisation

SECTION6 Safety Case

APPENDIXA The Incident Prevention Strategy - Why People Drown?

APPENDIXB National Water Safety Signs

APPENDIXC Checking Water Quality

APPENDIXD Sample Safety Case (including Risk Assessment Documentation)

APPENDIXE Boats and Equipment

APPENDIXF Radio Procedure

APPENDIXG Event Timescales

APPENDIXH Event Checklist

APPENDIXI Sample Event Conditions

APPENDIXJ Qualifications & Experience

APPENDIXK Beaufort Wind Scale

APPENDIXL Athlete’s Check List

APPENDIXM Reference List

APPENDIXN Contacts

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Composition of the open water swimming working group (‘the group’)

Mr Sam Greetham (BritishSwimmingRepresentative)

Mr Alan Capstick (ASARepresentative)

Mr Alan Bircher (FormerInternationalAthlete)

Dr Ian Gordon (MedicalExpert)

Mr Mark Perry (BritishDevelopmentandOpenWaterCoach)

Mr Dennis Freeman-Wright (FacilitiesDepartment)–Health&Safety

Mr Tom Mukherjee-Neale (FacilitiesDepartment)–Health&Safety

Mr Ashley Cox (ASA/BritishSwimmingDepartmentofRegulatoryandLegalAffairs)

TheGroupwasadministrativelysupportedbyGemmaRyder,OperationsDepartment.

Organisations that have assisted or have been consulted in the production of this document:

• Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS)

• British Canoe Union (BCU)

• Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)

• British Triathlon Federation (BTF)

Words importing a particular gender (including neuter) include all genders.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | TABLEOFCONTENTS

Safety is of paramount importance to the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and British Swimming (together ‘the Organisations’) in the conduct of any Open Water Swimming event/competition hereafter referred to as an ‘event’. The first step in planning an Open Water Swim is to consider all safety factors. At all times, the priority must be to safeguard the health and safety of athletes/participants, hereafter referred to as ‘participants’.

Thispublicationisnotdesignedtopreventtherunningof,ordevelopmentof,OpenWaterSwimming,ithasbeendesignedwiththeintentionof,andcommitmentto,ensuringthattheriskofharmtoparticipantsinOpenWaterSwimmingisminimisedtothefullestextentpossiblegiventheriskinherentinthesportofOpenWaterSwimming.

ThispublicationfurtherprovidesguidanceonthesafemanagementofOpenWatereventsandprogrammedOpenWaterSwimmingtrainingforthepersonsorbodyineffectivecontroloftheevent(the“operator”)forallsiteswherethepublichaveaccesstoOpenWaterbothininlandwatersandcoastalwaters.

TheOrganisations,throughtheGroup,haspreparedtheseguidelinesfollowingacomprehensivesafetyreviewofplanningandeventorganisation.TheguidelinesareintendedforusebytheOrganisationsandtheNationalAssociations(ASA,SASAandWASA)whenorganisingevents.Theyareapplicableatalllevels;theeventcouldbealocaleventrunbyacluborRegionoraNationalorInternationaleventrunbyBritishSwimmingoroneoftheNationalAssociations.

Thedocumentisintended to assisteventorganisers,safetyofficers,refereesandotherofficialsrunasafeandsuccessful

event.Itisfor guidance only andalthougheverycarehasbeentakeninitsdevelopment,BritishSwimmingcanacceptnoresponsibilityforanylossornegligencearisingoutofitsuse,althougheverycarehasbeentakeninitsdevelopment.

Theadvicegivenprimarilyconcernsthesafetyofthepublictakingpartinorviewingcontrolledprogrammedevents.Thisdocumentprovidesguidance,eventoperatingproceduresandagenericriskassessment.

TheLawsandRegulationsgoverningOpenWaterSwimmingarepublishedbytheNationalAssociations,andapplyasappropriateunlesstheeventconditionsspecifyFINARules.TheRegulationsarepublishedintherespectiveNationalAssociationhandbooksannuallyandcanbeaccessedfromtherelevantNationalAssociationwebsites.TheASA’sisavailableatwww.swimming.org/asa/clubs-and-members/asa-handbook-2011/.

Thispublicationisaguidancedocumentandshouldbereadinconjunctionwiththerelevantsportingrules.

Duetotheuniquefeaturesofbothinlandandcoastalsitesthisdocumentdoesnotattempttoprovideprescriptiveanswerstospecificquestions,whichwouldbeaddressedwithinthesiteriskassessment.However,thedocumentwilladdressgeneralissuessuchastheupperandlowerparametersofwatertemperaturesandcompetitormanagement.

Thisdocumentisa‘livingdocument’andassuchisupdatedperiodicallyinthelightofexperienceandtoreflectbestpracticeandimprovementsinsafetyprocedures.

UsersofthispublicationarewelcometocommentoncontentandusabilityandtosendanynewandrelevantmaterialthatmaybeincorporatedinsubsequentissuestotheOrganisationorifthereareanyconcernsfollowinganeventtofacilities@swimming.org.

INTRODUCTION

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

OpenWaterbathinghasalwaysbeenapopularactivityprimarilyasarecreationalpursuitlinkedtotourismandsunnyweather.OpenWaterevents,althoughnotanewphenomenon,haveincreasedsignificantlythroughoutthe1990’sbothinfrequency,sizeandlocation.OpenWaterSwimmingeventshavebeenrecordedwithparticipantsinexcessof10,000;thissortofeventobviouslyhasserioushealthandsafetyimplicationsparticularlyintermsofspanofcontrolandsupervision.

ThesportofOpenWaterSwimmingisoneofthefastestgrowingwatersportsinthecountry.SinceitbecameanOlympicsportin2008itspopularityhasincreasedyearonyear.Inpartthispopularitycomesfromthegrowthinmassparticipationeventswithsome5000participantstakingpartoveroneweekend.Triathlonisanothersportthatisanexponentofthesport,itisreportedthatinthe2009seasontherewere803registeredracesacrossEngland,ScotlandandWalesaccountingfor120,620participants.Clearly,toaccommodatesuchalargenumberofeventssafelyrequiresdetailedriskassessment,parametersforoperationanddetailedproceduresforsettingupandimplementingthem.However,notallopenwateractivityisforaspecificevent,avastmajorityoftheswimsinOpenWaterwilltakeplaceintrainingsessions,wherethenumbersarenotavailableduetotheunstructurednatureandfrequencyoftheoccurrence.

InadditiontothesizeoftheeventOpenWaterSwimmingisalwayssubjecttoagreaterorlesserdegreetofluctuationsinweatherconditions,tides,currents,windforceetc.resultinginthepossiblecancellationoftheeventatshortnotice.

This section provides information and guidance for those involved in the organisation of an Open Water Swimming event.

LAWS AND REGULATIONS

TheRegulationsforOpenWaterSwimming,aspublishedbythethreeNationalAssociations,shallapplyasappropriateunlesstheeventconditionsspecifyFINARules.TheLawsandRegulationsarepublishedintherespectivehandbooksandcanbeaccessedfromtheirwebsites.

PLANNING AN OPEN WATER SWIM EVENT

TheorganisationofanOpenWaterSwimeventiscomplexandtimeconsumingandrequiresdetailedplanninginorderforittobeasuccess.Thefollowingisguidanceonwhatneedstobedoneandwhoshoulddoit.

ORGANISING TEAM

TheOrganisingTeamshouldtypicallyconsistof:

• Event Promoter: ultimateresponsibilityforthesuccessoftheevent,thepromoterislikelytobetheleaderoftheOrganisingTeam.

• Event Administrator: responsibleforday-to-dayadministration,principallythiscoversthesecretarialresponsibilitiesandisthepointofcontacttooutsideagencies.

• Technical Director:recruitstheTechnicalOfficialsandJudges.

• Safety Officer:responsibleforallaspectsofsafetybefore,duringandaftertheevent.

• Course Officer:responsibleforeachcoursetobeusedfortheevent.TheEventPromoterwillnormallyselectthelocation,buttheCourseOfficermustagreethatitissuitableandsafe.TheCourseOfficerwillplaneachcourse,ensuringtheyarethecorrectlength,thatstartandfinishareasareaccessibleandcorrectlymarkedandthatallturningpointsareclearlyvisibletotheswimmersandmannedbyappropriatelyqualifiedracejudges.

ORGANISING TEAM RESPONSIBILITIES

TheOrganisingTeamareresponsibleforallaspectsoftheeventincluding:

• siteselection

• liaisonwithlocalauthoritiesandservicesincludingthelocalhospitalA&Eunit

• authorisationstoholdtheeventatappropriatelevel–local,county,districtornational

• administration

– promoter’sconditions

– budgetcontrol

– entryforms

– entryclosingdate

– entryacceptance

– preparationofstartlists

– resultsservice

• eventpublicity,mediabriefingtopress,TVandradio

• appointingtechnicalofficials

• managingtheeventontheday

• posteventreports

• equipment(wristbands,PAsystemetc)

EVENT PLANNING

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | EVENTPLANNING

PLANNING TEAM MEETINGS Muchoftheworkinvolvedcanbeconductedindividuallyoncecleardelegationofresponsibilitieshasbeengiven.However,teammembersmustensurethatcommunicationismaintainedandarecordkeptofdutiesandactionsthathavebeenfulfilled.Whilstmuchofthisworkcanberecordedusingwrittencommunications,includinge-mail,itisrecommendedthatOrganisingTeamsmeetatleasttwicebeforeanevent.Thefirstmeetingwillestablishlinesofcommunicationanddelegateresponsibility.Ifthesiteisanewsiteitisadvisabletoholdthefirstmeetingatthesite.Itwillalsoresultinadetailedplancoveringtheperioduptoandincludingtheeventdayaswellasanyposteventactivities.Asecondmeetingisadvisableapproximatelyonemonthbeforetheevent,orearlier,toensurealllocalpermissionsandcontingencieshavebeencovered.ItisrecommendedthatiftheOrganisingTeamhasnotalreadyvisitedthesitethissecondmeetingbeasitemeetingifatallpossible.Localconditionscanbeviewed,intimateknowledgeofthelocalauthoritiesandserviceswillbeavailableandliaisonestablishedwithboatowners,canoeclubs,accommodationproviders,police,coastguardandmedicalservices.SeeAppendix Gforafullerchecklist.Thischecklistshouldbetailoredforeacheventandthecompletedchecklistwillformpartofthesafetycase.

TheEventPromoterisresponsibleforcallingmeetingsandissuingagendasandminutes.Agendasshouldbecarefullyplannedinordertocoverallaspectsdetailedinthisguidance.

Followingtheeventafinalmeetingshouldbecalledinordertoconfirmresults,discussprocedures,eventoutcomeandiftheeventisanationaleventareportshouldbemadetotheNationalAssociationOpenWaterSwimmingCommitteeassoonaspossibleaftertheevent.Ifallhasgonewellandtheteamhavecompletedalltheirdelegateddutiesthismeetingwillbeshortanditshouldbepossibletoholdthepreliminaryplanningmeetingforthenextyeareventatthesametime.

ADVANCE PREPARATION › Permissions

Localenquiriesneedtobemadetoestablishwhohasaninterestinthechosensiteandwhatformalitiesneedtobeobservedinobtainingpermissiontoruntheevent.Typicallythelocalauthorityisthefirstpointofcontact,followedbytheownerofthesiteandlocalemergencyservices(includinghospitalsandcoastguard).

Preliminarynotificationoftheeventshouldinclude:

• proposeddateandtiming

• proposedvenue

• safetyconsiderations

• proposedstartandfinishareas

• proposedcourseandalternatives

• anestimateofthenumberofcompetitors

Itislikelythatthelocalauthorityalreadypublishesaneventplanningguide.Ifthisisthecasethatdocumentshouldbefollowedbutaugmentedwithparticularinformationthatyoudecideshouldbeincludedforthesafetyofyourevent.

COURSE PLANNING

CoursePlanningisoneofthemostimportantaspectsandmustbestartedearly.Aproposedcourseshouldbepartoftheinitialnotificationprovidedwhenseekingauthorisationforaneventtobeheld.Thisisparticularlyimportantforseaswimsandwherecoordinationwithotherwaterusersisrequired.DetailedplanningmustbeconductedinconjunctionwiththeSafetyOfficerandtherecordoftheplanningwillformpartoftheSafetyCase.

Thecourseshouldbemarkedwithbuoysthatareclearlyvisiblewheninthewater.Turnbuoysshouldbeatleast1metrehighinthewater.Allmarkersshouldbefixedsotheywillnotmoveinprevailingwaterconditionsortides.

COURSE MEASUREMENT AND MARKING

Itisimportantthatthecourseisdeterminedfollowinglocaladviceandhistoricaldataandmeasuredwellinadvance.Thisistoensurethatchangestothecoursecanbemadeshouldweatherorwaterconditionsdeteriorate.Considerationshouldbegiventoplanninganalternativecoursethatcanbeputintoeffectwiththeminimumofdelay.CoursemeasurementshouldbeconductedusingaGPSreceiverwherepractical.

ON-SITE SURVEy

Adetailedsitesurveyisaveryimportanttask.Itmaybepossibletoconductthisatthesametimeastheplanningmeetingheldonemonthpriortotheevent(orearlier),butonlyifthelocationiswellknownandhasbeenusedforeventsinpreviousyears.Foranewlocationthepreliminarysitesurveyshouldbeconductedbeforeanydetailedplanningcommences.

Accesstotheareaisveryimportantasthiswillnotonlydeterminehoweacheventshouldtakeplace,butalso,intheeventofanemergency,howemergencyserviceswouldgainaccesstothestartandfinishareasandtothecourse.

Thestartandfinishareasshouldbeclearlydefined.Thestartshouldbewideenoughsotheproposednumberofcompetitorscanmakeasafestartfreefrominterferencefromothers.Thefinishareashouldbemarkedsothatthereisnoconfusionastoexactlywherethefinishis,andwhenthecourseiscompleted.Ifthereareahighnumberofentriesitmaybenecessarytostarttheeventin‘waves’toaccommodatethenumberssafely.

ENTRy FORMS AND RACE INFORMATION

Competitors,aswellasofficialsandotherinterestedbodiesneedtohaveinformationaboutthevenue,eventandthecourse.Thisinformationneedstobeasaccurateaspossibleandincludedontheentryformorinformationpack.Thebasicinformationshouldinclude:

• where:eventlocation

• type: openorrestrictedentry

• race distance(s)

• event categories:e.g.agegroups,masters,county,district,national.

• when:eventsdate(s)andentryclosingdate

• times: briefings,starts,presentations

• entry fee

• water type:freshorsalt,riverorsea,still,tidalorrivercurrent

• locations:ofregistration,briefing,start,finish,presentations.Includingdirections,mapsandinformationonparking,publictransportandaccommodation

• refreshments:before,duringandaftertheevent

• health and safety information: speciallocalconditions,likelywatertemperature,amountofdaylight,anticipatedwaterconditionsandforseaswimsofhighandlowtidevariationsinwaterdepth,tidalflowandoff-shorecurrents

• starts:mixed,separatemenandwomen,master’sagegroupsetc.

• declaration:adeclarationmustbemadeonanindividual’sabilitytocompletetheswim.Itshouldbequitecleartotheswimmerthattheyaredeclaringthattheyarenotonlyfitenoughandhavethestaminatocompletethedistance,butalsothattheswimmerismedicallyfittodoso(seeCompetenciesbelow)

Note: anypre-existingmedicalconditionincludingmedicationand/orsensitivitytoparticulardrugsshouldbeincludedontheentryformsandnotifiedtotheEventAdministratorofthecourseontheday.Intheeventofapre-existingmedicalconditionand/orsensitivitytoaparticulardrug,thentheformshallbeforwardedtotheeventMedicalSupportTeam.

Anyalterationstothepublishedinformation,includingsafetyissues,willbepostedinaprominentpositionattheeventsiteandincludedinthecompetitor’sbriefing.

CATERING

Considerationshouldbegiventotheprovisionoffoodanddrinkforthecompetitors,technicalofficials,helpersandVIPs,eitherintheformofpre-packedmealsiftheofficialsarelocatedawayfromtheraceheadquartersorsitdownorbuffettypemeals.Liquidisveryimportant;waterand,ifpossiblehotdrinks,shouldbeprovided.Itmaybepossibletoprovidefoodanddrinkforspectatorsandcoaches;inthiscaseitisdesirabletoadvertisethisinadvancewiththeentryformsandtoindicatethecosts.

PLANNING AN OVERSEAS OPEN WATER SWIM EVENT

FurtherinformationonoverseasOpenWaterSwimmingcanbeobtainedfromtheFacilitiesDepartmentonfacilities@swimming.org.OrganisersshouldbeawarethatthisdocumentreferstoUKLegislationandthereforewhenparticipatinginotherjurisdictionsotherlawswillapply,whicharenotcoveredinthisdocument.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | EVENTPLANNING

SAFETy MANAGEMENTTHE UK AND EUROPEAN LEGAL FRAMEWORK

UnderUK Common Lawliabilitytonegligencemayarisefromthebreachofafundamentalduty,knownasthe‘dutyofcare’.Thedutyisdescribedasfollows:arequirementthatapersonactstowardothersandthepublicwithwatchfulness,attention,cautionandprudencethatareasonablepersoninthecircumstanceswould.Ifaperson’sactionsdonotmeetthisstandardofcare,thentheactsareconsiderednegligent,andanydamagesresultingmaybeclaimedinalawsuitfornegligence

Owners,operatorsandoccupiersofopenwaterswimmingsitesmustfollowthegeneraldutiesandresponsibilitiesintheUKHealth and Safety at Work Act 1974andtheManagement of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.Theyareobligedtotakeallreasonableandpracticablemeasurestoensureteachingandcoachingactivitiesareconductedsafelyandthatanyprogrammedeventsaremanagedinasafeandpropermanner.Theyhavetheoverallresponsibilityforeverypersononthesite.

TheUK Occupiers Liability Act 1957 as amended 1983 imposesadutyofcareupontheoccupiertoanyvisitorsusingthepremisesforthepurposesforwhichtheyarepermittedorinvitedtobethere.Sinceitisnotalwayspossibletofenceoffmuchinlandwaterandmostcoastalwatersitisimportanttounderstandthattheoperatormayberelievedofliabilityifadangerisclearlybroughttotheattentionofallvisitorsattention,coupledwiththeoperator’sappropriateprecautions.

TheUKPublic Health Act 1936isanenablinglawofferinglocalauthoritiesthepowertoregulatewaterusersthroughthecreationofbylaws.Suchbylawsmayinclude:

• regulationoftheareasinwhich,andthehoursduringwhich,publicswimming,jetskiing,waterskiingetc.shallbepermitted

• regulationstoprovidelifesavingappliances

• regulationsforthenavigationofvessels

WHy EVENTS GO WRONG?• complacency

• makingassumptions

• insufficientresearch

• failingtoseekadvice

• lackofplanning

• lackofresource(s)(financialand/orvolunteers)

WATER SAFETy MANAGEMENT

TheCompetitionManagementcanrarely,ifever,solvetheirproblemsbyintroducing‘one-off’measuresfollowingaccidentsorincidents(thereactiveapproach).Thisstrategynormallyfailstoexaminethecausativechainoftheaccidentandtheunderlyingweaknessesintheoperator’smanagementsystemsorlackofthem.

Anotherfailureistoassumethatjustbecauseasitehasbeenaccidentfreeforaconsiderabletimeindicatesa‘safesite’.Suchaviewrarelyconsiderschangesintheenvironment,competitorsandevent.

AllOpenWatereventoperatorsneedtoadoptaproactiveapproachtomanagingtheireventriskshowevertheymayariseandthestartingpointistoestablishasafetymanagementsystem,whichrequiresaneffectiveapproachtoRISK ASSESSMENT.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | SAFETYMANAGEMENT

TheOrganisingTeam,inparticulartheSafetyOfficer,shouldprepareaplanformanagingsafety.ThisplanwillformpartofaSafetyCasefortheevent.Thefollowingpointsshouldbeconsidered:

• swimmer safety:theswimmersarethemostimportantfactorinanyOpenWaterevent.Somepointsrelatedspecificallytothecompetitorsare:

– swimmersmustbeidentifiablewithclearlymarkednumbersandbrightlycolouredswimhats,whichmayalsobenumbered.Thepromoterwillnormallyprovideswimhats;

– maximumentry-safenumberofswimmerstohaveinthewateratanyonetime;

• boats: essentialforallopenwaterevents.Thenumberandtypewilldependonthelocationandtypeofevent.AppendixEdetailstheroleofthedifferenttypesofboats,essentialequipmentandthepersonneltheyshouldcarry;

• number of officials and helpers and boats: thenumberswillbedeterminedbythe:

– typeofevent;

– experienceandageofthecompetitors;

– location;

– proximityandnumberofwateregresspoints;

Note: Theratioofboatstoswimmersisakeyconsideration.Forinstanceforalakeswimwhereswimmersarenomorethan10metresfromashore,youmaywishtosetaratioof1boatto20swimmers,whereasforaseaswimwherethereisnoeasyaccesstoalandingplaceawayfromthestartandfinishareasitmaybebettertoallocatearatioof1boattoevery6or8swimmers;

• communications:theSafetyOfficerwillestablishthelevelofcommunicationsrequiredwhencarryingouttheriskassessment.ThetypeofcommunicationsrequiredandwhoshouldbeincludedwillbedetailedintheSafetyCase;

• multi-tasking: administrativepressuremaymeanthatmorethanoneofficial’sroleisundertakenbyoneperson.InsomecasessuchastheStarterthismaybepossible.However,undernocircumstancesshouldtheSafetyOfficer,lifeguardsandspottershaveadditionalrolesthatmaydistractthemfromsupervisingthesafetyoftheswimmers;

• first aid cover:provisionoffirstaidcoverisessential,considerationshouldbegiventowherethisislocatedandwhetherthereisaneedforfirstaidexpertiseinthesafetyboats;

• emergency procedures:includingthetriggersforshorteningthecourseorabandoningtheswim.Thesetriggerswillinclude:

– themaximumsafeseastate,

– maximumwindspeed,

– forecastofanimminentelectricalstorm

– interferenceonthecoursebyotherboatusers.

• event cut off point:thetimeafterwhichallcompetitorsmusthaveleftthewater;

AlldecisionsregardingthemanagementofsafetywillberecordedintheSafetyCase.

RISK ASSESSMENT

ThecircumstancesandconfigurationofOpenWaterareasvarygreatly:astandardsolutiontocovereveryopenwaterareaisnotpracticable,soriskassessmentistheessentialfirststepwhenorganisinganOpenWaterevent.

RiskAssessmentmust:

• identifyhazards

• assessrisks

• indicate,asfarasispracticable,themeasuresrequiredtocontrolthesehazardsandrisks

ThesecontrolmeasuresshouldthenbeincorporatedinwrittenOpenWaterSafetyOperatingProcedures(OWSOP),whichconsistsofaNormalOperatingPlan(NOP)andanEmergencyActionPlan(EAP).Whenpreparingthese,theOpenWaterareaoperatorand/ortheEventManagershouldconsultfullywithswimmersandcoaches,BritishWaterways,LocalWaterBoard,localauthority,coastalauthorityandcoastguardserviceand/oranyotherappropriateregulatoryormanagingauthority.

TheOWSOPmustclearlystatethesafetyandsupervisoryrequirementsforallactivitiesinthedesignatedOpenWaterarea.

SwimmersandCoachesmustbefamiliarwithandpracticedintherelevantaspectsoftheOWSOP.Thishelpstoensuretheconsistencyofstandards.

SAFETy FACTORS IN RISK ASSESSMENT

EachdesignatedOpenWaterareawillhaveuniquefeaturesthatmakeparticulardemandsonsafety.

Thissectionhighlightssiximportantfactors.

› Open Water Area Configuration

• shapeandblindspots

• typeofentryandexit

• layoutoftheswimmingcourse

• blindspotsresultingfromthepositionofnaturalfeatures

• noisetogetherwithglare,reflectionandlightingfromthesun

• placingofturnbuoysorboats

• underwaterinlet/outletsources

• placingoffeedingstations

› Depth

Itsimportanceinrelationtotheabilityoftheswimmersincludes,butnotlimitedto:

• thedepthandextentofshallowwaterareas

• theextentofdeepwaterareas

• theopenwaterareafloorprofile,inparticularsuddenchangesindepth,possibledebrisandtypeoffloormateriali.e.sand,rocks,seaweedetc.

• thepossibilityofbeingabletosegregatetheshallowwaterareaandhazardousfloorareas(e.g.ropingoffandusingaboom)

WATER AND AIR QUALITy

Thefactorsthatneedtobeconsideredare:

› Water Temperature

Thetemperatureofthewaterisamajorfactorinthesafetyoftheswimmers.Temperaturesbothhighandlowcanhaveseriouseffectsontheswimmerandthereforerecommendationsforbothmaximumandminimumtemperaturesareexplainedandincluded.

› Minimum Temperatures

Currently, there are more existing standards surrounding minimum temperatures that swimmers should be allowed to swim in competition. The current FINA Rules state that a minimum temperature of 16°C to be achieved in order for the event to be run. For the National Associations this temperature is also 16°C with a minimum average temperature of 18°C for masters swimming.

UndertheFINARulesandNationalAssociationLawsandRegulationsofOpenWaterSwimming,wetsuitsarenotpermitted,whereasinTriathlonevents,whereonethirdofthesportisthedisciplineofswimming,wetsuitsareallowedwhenthewatertemperatureisbelow20°Cforopenandelitecategoryathletesand22°Cforamateurandagegroupathletes.

ItisrecommendedthatparticipantsinanOpenWaterSwimmingevent,thattakesplaceinwaterwherethewatertemperatureisbelow16°C,shouldwearawetsuit.

ForlowlevelOpenWaterSwimmingeventsandmassparticipationOpenWaterswimeventsthatarenotlinkedtoFINAoraNationalAssociationcompetitivestructure,event

operatorsmaywishtorelaxtheprohibitionofwetsuitsforsafetyreasonsparticularlyincoldwaterenvironments.However,thereisadangerwhenwearingwetsuitsinhotwaterorwarmairtemperaturesasthereisthepossibilityofoverheating.

Thereisaguidancedocumentthatsuggestswetssuitsshouldandshouldnotbewornwithinthefollowingparameters.

The use of wetsuits is forbidden or mandatory if the following combinations of distance and water temperature are attained:

Swim Length Forbidden Above

1500m 22ºc

1501-3000m 23ºc

3001-4000m 24ºc

*Raceswherewetsuitsarewornwillnotcounttowardsregional,nationalorinternationalqualifyingcompetition.

› Hypothermia (see also Facilities in case of Hypothermia below)

Hypothermiaisapotentiallyfatalconditionthatoccurswhenthecorebodytemperaturefallsbelow35°C.Theeffectsofthecoldonthebodyaremoresignificantinswimmersasthewateractsasamajorconductorofheatfromthebodyandtheeffectsofhypothermiacanbeacceleratedwhensubmergedinwater.Heatconductanceis26timesgreaterinwaterthaninair,thereforethespeedwithwhichthehumanbodycoolstodangerouslevelsisfarmorerapid.

› Maximum Temperatures

Currentlytherearenointernationalrulesstatinganupperlimitforthewatertemperature.However,thereisaneedforanupperlimitofwatertemperaturesandthisisrecommendedforanumberofreasons:

• Whilstitiscomfortabletobatheinwarmwater,performingvigorousexerciseisverydifferent.Thehumanbodyreactstotheambienttemperaturesurroundingit,andinhighertemperaturesittriestosweattomaintainacoretemperatureofaround37°C.Whenthewatertemperatureishighsweatingbecomesineffectiveandthecoretemperaturecanbegintorise.

• Inwarm/hotwaterthebodytemperaturebeginstoriseandtheheartrateincreases.Whenvigorousexerciseisfactoredintotheequation(aswillbethecaseincompetitiveswimmingevents)thebodytemperaturecanraisetosuchalevelthatsymptomssuchasheatexhaustionandheatstrokecanoccuroftenleadingtounconsciousness.Inwaterthiscanbefatalunlessarescueisaffectedinaveryshorttimescale.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | SAFETYMANAGEMENT

The recommended maximum water temperature for the conduct of an Open Water Swimming event, irrespective of distance, is 28ºC. If the water temperature is above 28 ºC an event should not be held.

Where the water temperature exceeds 27ºC (80.6°F) and the ambient air temperature is 5ºC or more higher than the water temperature, the event, no matter the distance, will be postponed until the ambient air temperature has decreased by a minimum of 2ºC.

Considerationshouldalsobegiventothetimingoftheeventaswatertemperaturescanfluctuatedependingonwhenthetemperatureofthewateristaken.Forexample,thewatermaybecoolerinthemorningthanintheafternoon/evening.

› Overheating (see also Facilities in case of Overheating below)

Ahumanbodysuffersheatstrokewhenthebodytemperaturerisessohighthatitoverheatsthebrain,causingunconsciousness.Thereisahigherpropensityforthistooccurwhenthebodyissubjectedtoexercise,particularlyinhotweather,becausefoodisconvertedtoenergybyaseriesofchemicalreactions,eachofwhichreleaseheat.Thesumofthereactionsconvertmorethan80%oftheenergyintoheat,whilelessthan20%isactuallyusedtodrivethebody’smuscles.Thatmeansthatthehighertheintensityoftheexercise,thehigherthebodytemperaturecanrise.Thus,thecirculatorysystemhastoworkveryhardtokeepthebodyfromoverheating.Duringexercise,notonlymusttheheartworkhardertopumpoxygenfrombloodinthelungstothemuscles,itmustalsopumpheatinbloodfromthemusclestotheskinwherethebodyperspiresanditevaporatestocoolthebodyoff.

Severalfactorsincreasethechancesofdevelopingaheatstrokesuchaswhentheoutsidetemperatureandhumidityarehigh;theswimmersarenotinshape;theswimmertakescertainmedications;orissick;orisdehydrated.Aspirindoesnotkeepthebodytemperaturefromrisingduringexercisebecauseaspirinlowersfeverbymakingapersonsweat.Aspreviouslyhighlightedexercisecanmakethebodysweat,takingAspirinwillnotencouragethebodytosweatatanincreasedrate.

Toprotectswimmersfromheatstrokewhentheyarecompetingortraining,theyshouldstartoutslowlyandgraduallyincreasetheirpace.Thisgivesthebodytimetocirculatetheheattotheskinwhereheatcanbedissipated;thisismuchmoredifficultinhotwaterthanhotair.Theyshoulddrinkfluidslongbeforetheyarethirsty.However,incompetitiveOpenWatereventsfeedingstationsarenotpermittedbelow10kmevent.Considerationshouldbegivenformassparticipationandlongeventstoincludefeedingstationsandalsoreviewthenumberofstationsonacoursefortheeventof10kmoroverandthedistancesbetweenthem.Oncesomeoneisthirsty,theyarealreadydehydrated,havinglostatleast2poundsoffluids.Itisrecommendedto

drinkwhateverispreferredatleastevery15minutesandbeawareofthesymptomsofrisingbodytemperature.Itmightnotbepossibletoachievethisinaswimmingeventbutithighlightsthefrequencywithwhichhydratingshouldbeconsidered.Whenthebodytemperaturerisesabove38.8°Cthemusclesoftenstarttoburn,whenthetemperatureisover40°Citusuallyresultsinshortnessofbreathandwhenyourtemperaturerisesabove45°C,signsofbraindistressbecomesapparent,suchasaheadache,blurredvision,ringingintheears,dizziness,nauseaandpassingout.

Itisimportantthattheswimmerisidentifiedpriortothelaterstagesofbraindistress.Atthisstagetheactivityshouldbestoppedandthesignalmadetothenearestrescuevessel,kayakorlifeguardtoperformarescueandadministeremergencyfirstaid.Source: Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

› Existing guidance on temperatures for Swimming Pools in the UK

Thereisfarmoreguidanceaboutsafepracticeofswimmingwhenintheenvironmentofanindoorswimmingpool.Althoughthetemperaturesinwhichwenowswimhavebeensteadilyincreasingovertheyearsguidancestillexiststorecommendtemperaturesfordifferenttypesofusage.

IntheUKtheguidancecomesfromthePoolWaterAdvisoryGroupintheformofaPubliclyAvailableStandard39(PAS39)publishedbytheBritishStandards.Currentguidanceisasfollowsforthemaximumrecommendedtemperatures:

Recreational, adult teaching, conventional main pools

29°C

Leisure Pools 30°C

Children’s swimming lessons, school swimming lessons

31°C

Babies, young children, disabled 32°C

Hydrotherapy Pools 35°C

Spa pools and Jacuzzis 40°C

› Measuring Water Temperatures

ThewatertemperatureshouldbemeasuredbytheCourseOfficerinthecompanyoftheSafetyOfficeratthestartpointandateachturningpointalongthecourseonthedaybeforetheraceandcheckedagainonthedayoftheraceapproximately1hourbeforethestart.Preferably,thetemperaturesshouldbetakenat40cmdepth.

› Air Temperature

AirtemperaturesarenotascriticalforOpenWaterSwimmingastheyareinanindoorswimmingpoolwheretheycanaffecthumidity,causecondensationandcorrosion.

Thewatertemperaturewillgenerallybeinbalancewiththeairtemperatureandwillbecoldwhenthewateriscoldandwarmwhenthewateriswarm.Therefore,concernsfortheswimmerrelatedtoexcessivelywarmorcoldwaterapplyequallytotheair.

Hazardousvariationscandevelopwhenthewaterandairtemperatureareoutofsynchronisation;forexamplewherewarmairaboveverycoldwatercancausevapourmistabovethewatercausingpoorvisibilityandlifesaverobservation.

However,themainhazardinrelationtoairtemperatureisexcessivelyhightemperaturesandsolarradiationontheheadoftheswimmerthatcancauseheatstroke.

› Air Temperatures and Shade

Thetemperatureoftheaircanaffecttheofficiatingstaffsupervisingtheevent.Caremustbetakentoensurethatthestaffhasadequateshadetoprovidecoverfromthehotsun.Ithasbeendocumentedinpreviousliterature,includingManagingHealthandSafetyinSwimmingPools,(publishedbytheHSE)thatworkinginhotatmospherescanreducetheconcentrationofthestaffmember.Whilstthisisreferringtotheindoorenvironmentitappliesequallyifnotmoresotooutdoorevents.Feedingstations,turningboats,lifeguardandofficialstationsshouldallbeconsideredifexcessivesolarheatisafactor.

› Humidity

Highhumiditylevelscancausediscomfortandheatexhaustionanditisrecommendedthatswimminginequatorialclimateswithhumiditylevelsinexcessof70%shouldberestrictedtoshorterdistances.

› Minimum Visibility Standards

Eventsshouldnottakeplacewhereswimmerscannotseethenextturningpointandwherelifeguardscannotclearlyseealltheswimmerswithintheirzoneofcontrol.

› Water Quality

Waterqualityisofprimeimportance.OpenWatereventorganisersmustresearchthewaterqualityofthedesignatedcompetitionareaasadvisedbyDefra.(SeeAppendixC).

TheEnvironmentAgency/NationalRiversAuthority/Coastguardsshouldbecontactedbeforetheeventforadviceontheareaofwatertobeused.WatertestingshouldbearrangedandtheresultsforcompetitorstoviewpriortotheeventandacopyofthewatertestcertificatelodgedintheSafetyCase.

› Ice

Generallyswimminginwaterswithformediceisnotrecommended,neitheristhebreakingoficetoenterthewaterrecommended.ObviouslywaterwithformediceissignificantlybelowtherecommendedwatertemperatureforOpenWaterSwimmingandthedangerofaccidentallyslippingbeneaththeiceispotentiallyfatal.

ItisrecognisedthatsomeOpenWaterSwimmersspecificallydesiretoswiminexcessivelycoldwaterandalthoughitisnotrecommendedsomeguidanceisavailable.Thisisspecificallyrelatedtoacclimatisationoftheswimmersbodytocoldwateranditissuggestedthat

swimmerswhowishtoswiminexcessivelycoldwatershouldimmersethemselvesincoldwatereverydaysothatthe‘shock’tothesystemisminimised.

› Algae

Algaearealargeanddiversegroupofsimple,typicallyautotrophicorganisms,rangingfromunicellulartomulticellularforms,suchasthegiantkelpsthatgrowto65metersinlength.Thelargestandmostcomplexmarineformsarecalledseaweeds.

Whenconditionsarerightforexampleinthesummermonthstheyhaveahabitofrapidgrowth,whichcancausebloomsacrosslargeareas.

Whiletherehavebeennoreportsoflongtermillnessordeath,thetoxinsthealgaeproducescanbetoxicandcancausesickness.

WhenpickingvenuesforOpenWaterSwimmingeventseachvenueshouldbechosenbasedonitsenvironmentandsusceptibilitytoAlgalBloomsandotherpotentialcausesofpostponementorcancellation.

Althoughnotalwaysharmfulitisasensibleprecautiontoavoidcontactwithblue-greenalgae,henceiflargebloomsdooccur,theEventOrganiserandtheSafetyOfficershouldlookatpostponementorcancellationforthesafetyoftheswimmer.

› Bacteria

Bacteriaaresingle-celledmicro-organismswhichcanexisteitherasindependent(free-living)organismsorasparasites(dependentuponanotherorganismforlife).

OpenWaterSwimmingeventsareprimarilyconcernedwithbacteriathatcanliveinwaterandthatcanenterthehumansystemeitherthroughopenwoundsorbyswallowing.

Forexample,faecalcoliformsandfaecalstreptococciaretypesofbacteriafoundinsewageandanimalexcretawhosepresenceinhighnumbersindicatespoorwaterquality.Althoughnotnecessarilydisease-causingthemselves,highlevelsoftheseindicatorbacteriaatasiteindicatethatdiseasecausingorganismsmaybepresent.

Amicro-biologicalwatertestcanascertainthelevelofharmfulbacteriainthewatersampleandindicatewhetheranOpenWaterSwimmingeventissafetotakeplace.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | SAFETYMANAGEMENT

› Leptospira

Leptospirosis(alsoknownasWeil’sDisease)isabacterialdiseasethataffectshumansandawiderangeofanimals,includingmammals,birds,amphibians,andreptiles.

Leptospirosisisarelativelyrarebacterialinfectioninhumans.Theinfectioniscommonlytransmittedtohumansbyallowingwaterthathasbeencontaminatedbyanimalurinetocomeincontactwithunhealedbreaksintheskin,theeyes,orwiththemucousmembranes.Outsideoftropicalareas,LeptospirosiscaseshavearelativelydistinctseasonalitywithmostofthemoccurringAugust–September/February–March.

AnypotentialOpenWaterSwimmingsitethatshowsawidespreadinfestationofratsshouldbecarefullyscreenedforthisbacterium.

›Tarry Residues

Tarryoilresiduesaredumpeddeliberatelyandaccidentallyinbothinlandandmarineenvironmentsbyships,boatsandindustrialprocess.Signsoffloatingoilandpetrolindicateanunsuitableswimmingenvironment.

› The Maximum Safe Sea State

Currentspeedanddirectioncanbeverylocalised,varyinggreatlyovershortdistancesasbottomcontoursandshorelineconfigurationalterboththecurrent’sspeedanddirectionofflowaswellasspinningoffeddies.TheinformationtheOpenWaterSwimEventOrganiserneedsisusuallyavailablefromtheCoastguardorBritishWaterways.AminimumcurrentisdesirableforanOpenWaterSwimeventbutisunlikelytobeachievedinariverwithaconstantcurrentandinoff-shoreswims.Acircuitouscoursecancanceloutthealternativeeffectofspeedingupandslowingdowntheswimmerbutgenerallyswimmingintoacurrentorswimmingatanangletoacurrentcanbeverytiring.Theeffectsofwavesandswellhavesimilareffectsandaneventshouldtakeplaceatasufficientdistancefromtheshoretoavoidundertowsandriptides.

› Maximum Wind Speed

AnOpenWaterSwimeventshouldnottakeplaceingaleforcewindconditionsanditiscertainlyimpossibletoconductanOpenWaterSwimeventwithwavesinexcessof0.2m.Therefore,itisrecommendedthatOpenWaterSwimeventsshouldnottakeplaceinconditionsabovetheBeaufortScale2,unlessthecourseisshelteredfromprevailingwinds. (See Appendix K)

› Forecast of an Imminent Electrical Storm

Theweatherforecastfortheeventdayshouldhighlightthepossibilityofelectricalstormsandthisinformationshould,beconveyedtotheparticipantswiththeappropriateplansforcurtailingtheevent.Avisualwarningofanimpendingelectricalstormusuallygiveatleast15minuteswarningofelectricaldischargesreachingtheEventcourseandsuchavisualwarningshouldimmediatelyactivatetheevacuationproceduresoutofandawayfromthewater.

› Interference on the Course by Other Boat Users

Thecoursemustbemadesafefrompossibleinfringementfromotherboatusersandinparticularfastboatsandjetskis.Ifrequired,securitycraftmustbeemployedtopreventotherwatercraftenteringtheeventarea.Thesesecuritycraftarenottobeconfusedwithswimmersafetyboatswhosesoleresponsibilityisswimmersafetyandwelfareandsecuritycraftshouldnotexerciseamulti-purposesafetyrole.

PHySICAL CONTAMINATION

› Glass

Discardedglass,particularlybrokenglass,canbeamajorhazardinshallowwaterandattheentryandexitpointstoOpenWaterSwimmingevents.Theareamustbesearchedandifnecessaryclearedbeforetheeventisallowedtogoahead.

› Plastics

Hardplasticsarealsocapableofcuttingskinandthesamediligenceasappliedtoglassshouldbeobserved.SoftplasticsandpolythenethatfloatscanbeanentanglementandatrawloftheswimmingareashouldbeundertakenpriortotheOpenWaterSwimmingeventtoremoveanysuchhazards.

› Waste/Litter

Inadditiontoglassandplasticstheremovalofallotherhazardouswasteshouldbeensuredandinparticularpaper,cardboard,rubberproducts,tincansandcanpullsetc.

› Sewerage

Likeoil,dieselandpetrolshipsandboatsfrequentlydischargeuntreatedsewerageintowater.Visualsignsoffloatingsewerageindicateanunsuitableswimmingenvironment.Considerthefollowing:

• pollutionlevels

• currentsandtides

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

TheRiskAssessmentwilldetailexpectedconditionsandidentifyatwhatpointachangeinconditionsshouldtriggersomeactionbytheSafetyOfficer.Deteriorationintheweatherorlightconditions,areductioninwatertemperature,changeintidalfloworwaveheightwillallcontributetoanydecisionbytheSafetyOfficertoalterthecourse,curtailorcanceltheevent.

TheminimumtemperatureshouldbetakenasspecifiedintheNationalAssociationorFINARulesasappropriate.ForallOpenWaterSwimmingalternativeplansshouldbemadeincaseenvironmentalfactorsmaketheswimunsafe–theseplanswilldictatewhethertheeventiscurtailed,postponedorcancelled.

OPEN WATER AREA ORGANISATION

Thearrangementsoftheeventmustbeconsidered:

• whohastheresponsibilityfortheOpenWaterSwimmingarea?

• isthereexclusivityofuse?

• istheresharedusewithotheractivities?

• ifuseissharedwhataretheimplications?(e.g.lifeguardingresponsibilities)

STAFFING

Theskillsandexperienceofstaffandtheratioofswimmerstocoaches(training)andlifeguards(trainingandcompetition)areimportantandconsiderationneedstobegivento:

• competencies,qualificationandnumberofcoachesandlifeguardsrequired;

• competencies,qualificationandnumberoffirstaidersrequired;

• skillofcoachesandlifeguards;

• degreeofsupportandhelpprovidedbyappropriatehelpers;

SWIMMERS AND ABILITy

Thefactorstobeconsideredinclude:

• ageofswimmers;

• rangeoftheirswimmingability;

• abilityofswimmerstocomprehendinstructions;

• numberofswimmers;

AfullRiskAssessmentwillbecarriedout.TheresultsofthiswillbeanintegralpartoftheSafetyCase.TheOrganisingTeamwillmakesurethatthechoiceofwaterforanOpenWaterSwimmingeventissuitableforthepurposeandthatthecompetitorsarenotbeingplacedinanydangerduetothelocationorconditionoftheselectedwater.BeforeanareaofOpenWaterisusedforanevent,dependingonwhetheritisasea,lakeorriver,thefollowingpointsmustbeconsidered:

• site conditions:

– accessforcompetitorsandofficialsandemergencyservices;

– startandfinishpoints–entryandexithazards,particularlyunderfoot;

– proximityofstartandfinishpointstochangingandbriefingfacilities;

– provisionoftoiletfacilities;

– emergencyexitpoints–laterexitpointswhereswimmerscangetashoreinemergency.

• water conditions:

– temperature–likelytemperatureonthedayandminimum/maximumacceptabletemperature;

– currentsortides;

– waterquality(toEECstandard);

– clarityofwater;

– minimumdepth–notlessthan1matanypoint;

– maximumwaterdepth;

– otherwaterusers.

• weather conditions:

– normalweatherforthetimeoftheyear;

– likelihoodofelectricalstorms;

– wind,effectonthewaterconditionsandriskofwindchill.

• other hazards:hidden,overhangingorunderwater;

TheRiskAssessmentwillformpartoftheSafetyCase,whichwillalsonoteresultsofconsultationswithregularusersofthechosenwater,includingbutnotlimitedto–fishermen,lifeguards,canoeists,recreationalboaters,divers,windsurfers,waterskiersandjetskiers.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | SAFETYMANAGEMENT

GENERALSITE ISSUESTRAVEL TO AND FROM VENUE

TheRiskAssessmentprocessforthedayoftheeventmuststartwiththeaccessibilityoftheeventsite.OpenWatersitesareoftennoteasilyaccessiblebyconventionaltravelarrangementsandcanbequiteremotefromtraditionaltrafficroutes.Therefore,itisessentialthattheapproachestothesitearewellsignpostedbytheEventOrganisersandthatthereissufficientspacetoaccommodatecarparkingandcoachparkingatareasonabledistancefromtheeventstart/finishpoint.Volunteersmayberequiredtomanthecarparkandsupervisetrafficflowsintoandoutofthesite.

CONFIGURATION OF COURSE

Theconfigurationofthecoursewillbedeterminedbythesitegeographyandthedistanceoftheevent.Variationswillincludeatraditional‘loop’courseusuallywithalapdistanceof1,000m.Thishastheadvantageofthecoursebeingabletobeadjacenttothebankorbeachwithlandbasedlifeguardsbeingdeployed.

Attheotherendoftheconfigurationwillbethesinglelineardistanceswim,whichcannormallyonlytakeplaceinaverylargelake,maritimebayorestuary.Fromasafetyperspectivethisistheworstscenariotosuperviseastheswimmerscanbeataconsiderabledistancefromlandduringthemiddleperiodoftheeventandonlymarinecraftsupervisionisavailable.

ACCESS AND EGRESS

Therewillbeavarietyofavailableaccess/egresspointsforOpenWaterSwimmingevents.Fromahealthandsafetyperspectivethesafestinvolveawadeintothewaterandan‘in-water’start;inthiscaseabeachentryisoftenuseful.However,thisassumesthatthebottomprofileoftheOpenWateraccesspointisasafe,solidandanunrestrictedarea.Theavailabilityofajettyor‘pontoon’extendingintothewatermaybeanadvantageforcontrolledstarts.

AstartthatrequiresloweringorjumpingintodeeperwaterismorehazardousandtheEventOrganisersmustbesurethatthebottomprofileoftheeventareaissafeforthisentrymethodtobeemployed(seeDivingandJumpingintoswimmingpoolsandOpenWaterareas).

Theremustalsobeasuitable,safeandfaireventfinishpointthatallowstimestobeaccuratelyrecorded.FINARulesrefertoaverticalwallpreferably5mwidebutnotlessthan2.5mwide.Videofootageofthefinishisalsodesirable.

Specialconsiderationshouldbegiventoanywaterareabetweenthefinishpointandtheexitfromthewaterasthismay,bydefault,beanunsupervisedwaterarea.

Additionallyatthestart/endoftheeventtheremustbesufficientdrylandareatomanagetheentryandexitcontrolsystem.

SHALLOW WATER

Shallowwaterisgenerallyadisadvantageasitincreasesthepossibilityofcollisionswithunderwaterobstructions.Awaterdepthoverthelengthofthecourseinexcessof2misdesirable.However,FINARulesstatethataminimumdepthof1.4matanypointinthecourseisrequired.Alternatively,inthecaseofmassparticipationeventsandjunioreventsitmaybeapositiveadvantageforswimmerstobeabletostandwhenfatigued;therefore,itisimportanttobeawareofthebottomconditionandensuretheyarenothazardousandprovideafirmfooting.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | GENERALSITEISSUES

FEEDING STATIONS

Feedingstationsmustbesecurelyfixedandnotsubjecttotide,windorothermovements.Feedingpolesarenottoexceed5minlength.Noobjects,ropeorwiremayhangofftheendofthefeedingpolesexceptnationalflagswithadimensionof30cmx20cm.Theswimmer,whenfeeding,maystandonthebottomifpossible.Accordingly,itisessentialthatthedeptharoundthefeedingplatformisindicatedtotheswimmersandthatanyshallowwaterareaissafeandclearofdebris.

Thenumberandsizeoffeedingstationswillbedeterminedbyariskassessmentthatwilltakeintoconsiderationthewaterandairtemperatures,waterconditionsandthenumberofparticipantsandtheirsupportcoaches.

Forexample:

• for races less than 5 km: nofeedingstationsarerequired

• for races between 5 km and 10 km: aminimumof1(one)feedingstationisrequired.

• for races of 10 km (or longer):aminimumof2(two)feedingstationsarerequired

EVENT ADMINISTRATION

EventadministrationmustobviouslycomplywithFINARulesand/ortheNationalAssociationsLawsandRegulationsbutinadditioneventadministrationmustensurethatEnglishHealthandSafetyLegislationorsafetylegislationofanyotherrelevantauthorityorjurisdictioniscompliedwith.TheprimerequirementistoundertakeawrittenRiskAssessmentoftheeventandtheeventsiteandadministertheeventwithintheparametersoftheOpenWaterSafetyOperatingProcedures.

VACCINES

NocompulsoryvaccinationsarerequiredforOpenWaterSwimmingintheUKbuthepatitisA,polio,typhoid,andtetanusarerecommended.RecommendedvaccinationsforotheroverseassitesarelistedontheForeign&CommonwealthOfficewebsiteatwww.fco.co.uk.

TRAVEL OVERSEAS

Travellingtoeventsoverseascanbeeffectedintwoways;eitherwitharecognisedBritishSwimmingTeam,NationalAssociationorclubteam,orasanindependentindividual.Travellingwitharecognisedteammayprovidesignificantsupporttotheswimmerandmayprovideadministrativeandsafetysupport.

Travellingandenteringaneventabroadasanindividualcanoftenmeanthattheswimmerisleftoutofthebriefingsystem.

HOW TO DETERMINE IF THE EVENT SHOULD PROCEED

The obvious responsibility as to whether an event should proceed or not is the responsibility of the Event Organiser in the persons of the Chief Referee, Safety Officer, Medical Officer and Course Officer who will normally make a decision collectively; although in the event of disagreement the final decision shall be made by the Safety Officer.

DecisionstoabortaneventwillnormallybemadeiftheRiskAssessmentoftheeventindicatesthatsafetyguidelinesarenotmetandthattheOperatingProcedurescannotbeadjustedtocreateasafeenvironmentfortherace.AdvicegiventotheEventOrganisersbylocalexpertsintheeventsitei.e.Coastguard,localEnvironmentalHealthOfficerandParkRangershouldbegivenseriousconsiderationanditwouldbenormalpracticetoabortaneventifsuchadvicesuggestedthatcourseofaction.

Itisunderstoodthatinvariouscircumstancesswimmers,teamleadersandcoachesmaybeuncomfortablewiththeEventOrganisersdecisiontoproceedwithanevent.Thisconcernmaybecausedbyalackofcommunicationorbecausethevariouspartiesdisagreeoverthesafetyparametersoftheevent.ForthisreasonitisimportantthattheOperatingProceduresfortheeventareclearlyidentifiedandthattheRiskAssessmentoutcomeisclearlyrecordedandavailabletoview.

If a swimmer decides that the conditions for the event are unsafe even though the Event Organiser has decided to proceed; the swimmer is entitled to withdraw.

Equallyduetoaswimmer’sdesiretomeetqualificationstandards,pressuremaybeappliedtocontinuetheracedespiteunsuitableandunsafeconditions;thesepressuresmustberesisted.

At all times, the priority must be to safeguard the health and safety of participants. The outcomes of the event must never influence such decisions.

SAFE SUPERVISION

› Types of Supervision and Roles

SupervisionoftheOpenWatereventsitecanbeachievedbyavarietyofmethodsbutgenerallythecloserandmorepersonalthesupervisionthesafertheswimmeris.Forexample,aerialsupervisionfromahelicoptercangivesomestartlingandimpressiveviewsoftheraceandmaywellbeusedbytelevisionformajoreventsbuttheabilitytospotaswimmerindifficultiesispoorandthemeanstoaffectarescueevenless.

› Land Based Lifeguard

Ifthelocationoftheeventpermits,landbasedlifeguardsarepreferredbecausetheyareonstablegroundcancommunicatequicklyandeasilywithotherlifeguardsandeventorganisers,canberelievedeasilyandcanbeprovidedwithequipmenttoassisttheirrole.Zoningoftheeventareacanbemorelogicallydefinedwithabetterunderstandingbythelifeguardofhisspanofcontrol.

› Supervisory Craft

Dependingontheenvironment(off-shoreorinlandwater)therecanbeavarietyofsafetycraftstationedalongthecourse.Itisimportantthatsupervisorycraftcanreachastrugglingswimmerquickly;sosmall,lightboatsaremoreusefulasafirstcontactcrafti.e.canoesofvarioustypes.However,thecanoeorcraftmustbesufficientlyrobustandbalancedtoallowaswimmerattheveryleasttoholdonsecurelywhilstbeingtakentotheshore.

› Spotters

Aspotterisanunqualifiedhelperassistingthelifesavingsupervisionpersonneltoobservetheraceparticipants.Thespottersmustbeadditionaltothequalifiedandcompetentlifesaversandnotbeseenasasuitablereplacementforlifesaversoraspartofthecalculationforadequatespanofcontroloftheevent.Thespottersshouldbesupervisedbyanallocatedcompetentlifesaverinhisallocatedzone.

› Safe Supervision

ToachievesafesupervisionofanOpenWaterSwimeventthereshouldbeanadequatenumberofcompetentlifesavers.Thiscanbeinterpretedasaratiooflifesavers to swimmers;orlifesavers to area.

Thisisthedefinedspanofcontrol.

› Span of control & the number of safety staff

LifesavertoSwimmer:theUKhasseveralexistingspansofcontrolexpressedintermsoflifesaver:swimmerthesecan

befoundinthedocument“SafeSupervisionforSwimmingTeachingandCoaching”andtheserelatetoprogrammedswimmingactivitiesinswimmingpools.Themostsignificantratioreferstocompetentclubandcompetitiveswimmersbeingsupervisedbyacoach/lifesaverataratioof30:1.

Lifesavers:Area:theUKhasseveralexistingspansofcontrolexpressedintermsoflifesaver:area.Thesecanbefoundin“ManagingHealthandSafetyinSwimmingPools”andtheserelatetoun-programmedswimmingactivitiesinswimmingpools.Themostsignificantratioreferstoaswimmingpoolareaof1000m²andsuggestsaminimumlifeguardprovisionof4andaminimumnumberoflifeguardsinbusyconditionsas6.

ItcanimmediatelybeseenthatthesespansofcontrolarenotappropriateforOpenWaterSwimmingfortworeasons.

1. thenumberofparticipantsinanOpenWatereventfarexceedanycurrentlifesaver:swimmerratio;and

2. anOpenWatereventgenerallytakesplaceinanareanolessthan50,000m².

Applyingthelogicasappliedinswimmingpoolswouldsuggestalifesavingprovisionof300lifeguardsper5kmevent!

Logicdictatesthatthespanofcontrolmustinevitablyrelatetoareaandtheinternationallyrecognizedconceptof10:20(Ascannedsupervisionzoneof10secondsandanincidentresponsetimeof20seconds.However,althoughthe10secondzonescanisfeasiblethe20secondresponsetimemaynotbeduetotheconfigurationoftheOpenWatercourse).Thecoursemustbezonedtocreateidentifiablesectionsoverviewedbythecompetentlifesaver.Thesizeofthesezonesisopentointerpretationastheconditionsofthecoursewillinfluencevisionandreactiontime.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | GENERALSITEISSUES

Anadditionalwaytoreducethespanofcontroltomanageableproportionswhenalargenumberofswimmersareparticipatingistosendthecompetitorsawayinwaves,eitherbyagegroupingorsex.Itisrecommendedthat‘waves’shouldnotexceed100swimmersintotalandthisshouldcontainthenumberofswimmersineachsupervisedzonetomanageableproportions.

Byusingthisassessmentmethoda1kmcoursewouldneedapproximately20lifeguardsspreadalongthecourse.

Thisshorelifeguardrequirementcanbereducedifkayakorjet-skimountedlifeguardsareplacedontheoppositesideofthecourse.

Morecomplexcourselayoutswouldneedtoplacelifeguardsatappropriatepoints.

Forexample:

Turning Boat & Lifeguard

Feeding Station & Lifeguard

Jet Ski Spotter

Feeding Station & Lifeguard

Turning Boat & Lifeguard

Start & Finish

Spottersandlifeguardsonboatswillincreasetheirsupervisioncapacitybyoperatingoninteriorlineswherepossible,thusreducingdistancestoswimmers.

› Competencies – Lifeguarding

AswiththespanofcontrolthereareindoorswimmingpoollifeguardandlifesavingcompetenciesthatarenotentirelyappropriateforOpenWaterSwimmingconditions.ThemostappropriateUKqualificationistheRLSSBeachLifeguardqualificationbutagainitisprimarilyforun-programmedactivities.Additionally,itisunlikelythatsufficientlifeguardswiththeappropriatequalificationswillbeavailableforanyindividualevent.

However,itisnotinappropriatetoutiliselifeguardswiththeRLSSNationalPoolLifeguardQualificationforSwimmingPools,particularlyinmorebenigninlandlakes,andgeneralRLSSLifesavingqualificationsthathavesufficientrescueskillsincorporatedintotheircompetencies.

Equivalentqualificationsandcompetencieswouldexpecttobeappliedforeventsinothercountriesbytheagenciesprovidingtraininginlifesaving.

› Response times

Rescueresponsetimeswillvarybasedontheconditionsonthecoursebuttheobjectivemustbetominimisetheresponsetoareasonabletime.Thisisachievedwherethelandisfarfromtheeventcoursebytheuseofrescueboatsandcanoes.

PARTICIPANT PROFILE

JustlikeinmajorlandbasedmarathonracesparticipantsinOpenWaterevents,especiallythelongerdistanceswimsmustacceptthatthereisagreaterelementofpersonalriskandresponsibilitybytheswimmerandthismustbeanimportantconsiderationwhenriskassessingtheeventandcommunicatingthehazardstotheswimmers.

AstheprofileoftheparticipantsiscriticaltothesafetyoftheeventitisnecessaryfortheEventOrganiserstotakeprecautionsby‘vetting’theparticipantstoestablishtheirsuitabilitytotakepart.

› Age

FINARulesrequireswimmerstobeatleast14yearsofageforanyevent.

ASARegulation(410.4)requiresthefollowingminimumagestoapplyforeachevent:

Events up to and including 1,000m 11 years

Events up to and including 2,000m 12 years

Events up to and including 10,000m 13 years

Events over 10,000m 16 years

› Competence – Participant

Forcertaineventsqualifyingtimesfromswimmingpooltimetrialsareacceptedasanindicatorthatacompetitoriscompetenttoswimatthedistancerequired.However,inmassparticipationeventsthereisnosuchrestriction.Promotersareadvisedtoseeksomeindicationoftheswimmerscapabilitiespriortotheeventeitherbyaself-certificationprocessorbycoachcertificationprocess.

ItmaybeappropriatefortheEventOrganisertostipulateaConditionofEntry.Forexample:

• Byenteringthe1kmswim,youwilldeclarethatyoucanswimatleast2000mnon-stopinapool(theequivalentof60lengthsina25mpool)

• Byenteringthe5kmswim,youwilldeclarethatyoucanswimatleast75000mnon-stopinapool(theequivalentof240lengthsina25mpool)

• Byenteringthe10kmswim,youwilldeclarethatyouhavealreadyswuma5kmevent.

› Experience

ArecordofaswimmersexperienceatswimmingOpenWaterdistancesisagoodindicatorofcompetence.

OpenWatereventsdonothaveturnsandshortswimmentalityi.e.25m&50m;organisersandswimmersshouldbeawarethatswimmingadistanceinaswimmingpoolandswimmingthesamedistanceinOpenWaterisnotnecessarilycompatibleanditisrecommendedthatcompetitorsshouldbeabletocomfortablyswimdoubletheopenwaterracedistanceinapool.

CONTROL OF SWIMMERS

AnunderstandingofFINARulestheNationalAssociation(ASA)OpenWaterSwimmingLawsandRegulationsisessentialforofficials,swimmersandcoaches.

› Visual

TheprimarycontrolofswimmersduringaneventwillbevisualbytheEventOrganiser’sofficialsandlifeguards.Theuseofbinocularsmaybeanessentialtooltoaidvisualawareness.Additionalcontrolscanenhancesafetysuchastheuseoftechnology,theregistrationprocessandheadcountsatturningboatsorfeedingstations.

› The Use of Technology

TechnologyisausefultooltocontrolanOpenWatereventespeciallythosewithlargenumbersofparticipants.Obviouslytimingequipmentisimportantandanyelectronicsystemthatrecordsthecompletionoftheswimandexitoftheswimmerfromthewaterisavitalindicatorofcompletion.Recordingtheentryandexitofswimmersfromthewaterbothatthestartandfinishbutalsoatintermediatepointswhereswimmersretirefromtheevent.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | GENERALSITEISSUES

› Registration

Fromasafetyperspectiveitisimportantthattheregistrationdetailsarecorrectandthatregistrations,competitorsandissuedracenumbersandhatscorrelate.

DURING THE RACE

› Start

ThestartofanOpenWaterSwimracecanbefromafixedplatformorfrominthewater,shallowwaterdepthordeepwater.FINARulesand/orASALawsandRegulationsdonotstipulatethemethodofentryintothewaterbytheswimmer,butfromasafetyperspectiveitisessentialthattheswimmersareawareofthedepthatthestartparticularlyifthestartisfromaplatformandwhetherornotadiveissafe.EventOrganisersshouldestablishasafemethodofentryandindicatethistotheswimmers,coachesandteammanagerspriortotheevent.

› Finish

Wherepossiblethefinishshouldbeaverticalwallatleast5mwideandshouldbeclearlymarkedbyarowofbuoyswhichnarrowastheygetclosertothefinishwall.

AutomaticOfficiatingEquipmentusedfortimingcompetitionsthatincludeatransponderwornonthewristofeachswimmerisanadditionalsafetyfeaturethatensuresallcompetitorsareaccountedforattheendoftheevent.

› Finish to Water Exit

Supervisionofswimmersmustcontinueacrossthisarea.

› Course

Whereverpossiblethecourseshouldbedesignedtomaximisesafesupervision,thiswouldpreferablypermitbothlandbasedandwaterbornelifeguardingthatminimisesthespanandzonesofcontrol.

› Entrance to/Exit from Water Procedure for not Finishing the Race

Fromasafetyperspectiveswimmersthatdonotfinishtheracehaveanincreasedriskfactorasthereasonfornotfinishingtheracemaybedue,forexample,tofatigueand/orillness.TheproceduremustensurethattheEventOrganiserrecordsthatthenumbersinthewaterhavereducedandthisinformationshouldberelayedtotherelevantlifeguardingpersonnel.Areviewofswimmersthatdonotfinishtheraceshouldbeundertakenpost-racetobuildupaprofileofswimmerissuesanddevelopanawarenessofdifficultiesthatswimmersexperiencebothwiththeirownperformanceandtheeventcourse.Thisinformationmaybeinvaluableforfutureevents.

› Types of Equipment/Craft

Thenumberofboatsandtheirrolesaredefinedbythecourseconfiguration,sizeandnumberofswimmers.Inadditiontothereferee’sboat,theracejudge’boatsandtheturnandfinishboatsanumberofallocatedrescueboatsandcanoesarerequiredtoeffectrescuesofswimmersintrouble.

BoatsusedinOpenWatercompetitionsundertheNationalAssociationLawsandRegulationscanbeidentifiedbytheirroles.Thethreemainrolesare:

Safety Boat: hasaremitcoveringthewholeofthecourseandcompetitors.Theywillbeusedtocarryeventofficialssuchas,referees,thecourseofficerandracejudges.Ineventsofover10kmracejudgesinsafetyboatswillbeallocatedtoanindividualswimmerandwillcarryouttherolesoftheescortsafetyboat.

Escort Safety Boat:aspecialtypeofsafetyboatusedonlyineventsover10km.Ithasthesamefunctionsasageneralsafetyboat.However,itisdedicatedtoasingleswimmerandwillcarrytheswimmer’scoachorrepresentativeaswellasaracejudgeandtheboatcrew.

Rescue Boat:afastboatcapableofnavigatingthewholecoursequickly.Theobjectwillbetomonitorthewholecourseandbecapableofrescuinganyswimmer,boatcreworspectatorwhomaygetintodifficultyduringtheevent.Noraceofficialwithadutyofjudginganytechnicalaspectoftheeventshouldbecarriedonboard.

Communicationswillbebyradio,keepingintouchwiththeSafetyOfficer,refereesandotherbodiessuchasthecoastguard.Personnelontherescueboatsshouldbecompetentlifesaversanditmaybeadvisabletohaveatleastonerescueboatwithtrainedrescuescubadiversaboardtoaffectdeepunderwaterrescue.

Boatscarryingofficialsareusuallypoweredcraftandallboatsshouldbenavigatedbyasuitablecompetentperson.

Kayak:Inadditiontodedicatedfastrescuecraftitmaybedesirabletoemploykayaksmannedbyqualifiedcanoelifeguards.ThesecanbedeployedaroundthecourseatthedirectionoftheSafetyOfficer.Theywillactasextraeyesandearslookingforactualorpotentialsafetyproblems.Theycanbeadistressedswimmer’sfirstlineofaid,providingbuoyancyandtheabilitytotowthedistressedswimmerawayfromthepacktoapositionwherearescueboatcantakeover.Ineventsof10kmandunder,akayakmaybedesignatedasescortsafetycraft.Inthiscasethekayakbecomes/actspurelyasaguide,safetyboatandfirstlineofrescue.

Jet-Skis: Jet-skishaveapoorreputationandaregenerallybannedfromswimmerareas;thisisprimarilybecauseofalackofcompetenciesoftheusersandlimitedmanoeuvrability.However,ifthecompetenciesofthejet-skierscanbeverifiedtheycanbeusefulsafetycraftsandhavetheabilitytotowfloatingstretchers.Singlemanjet-skishavelimitedvalueanditisrecommendedthattheidealjet-skiisatwomancraftwherethepassengercanbealifeguardwhocanaffectarescueifrequired.Thejet-skicanthentowanytiredorinjuredswimmertotheshorebyuseofaharness.

› Safety features of craft

SeeAppendixE–BoatEquipment

CHANGING

Changingandtoiletfacilitiesshouldbesufficientforthenumbersinvolvedandbesafeandhygienic.Thereshouldbeasuitablesystemofsecuringclothesandpersonalbelongings,whichareleftattheriskoftheowner.

MEDICAL

Firstaidandmedicalcoverareessential.Itisnormaltoprovidefirstaidfacilitiesonsitewhilstmedicalcovermaybeprovidedbyanemergencycalltoalocalhospitaliflocatednearby.However,itispreferabletohaveaqualifieddoctoron-site.

The Safety Case should highlight a worst-case scenario and recommend a minimum number of competent first aid helpers. As a guide there should be at least one qualified first aider to 40 competitors and where conditions dictate this ratio should be reduced accordingly. It should be noted that RLSS NPLG Lifeguards have first aid competencies and contribute an effective support to the first aider complement. However, with mass participation events such a ratio is clearly unrealistic but it is absolutely essential in such events to have a qualified doctor and emergency services on site.

› Siting of Medical Facilities:

• firstaidcovershouldbeincloseproximitytothefinisharea;

• additionalfirstaidcovercanbelocatedatsuitablepointsonthecourseifthereisadequateaccessandthesafetycasehashighlightedapotentialriskarea;

• itmaybeadvisabletohavearescueboatwithtrainedfirstaidstaffonboard.Thisisparticularlylikelyinthecaseofalongseaswimwhichhasnoshoreaccessapartfromthestartandfinish;

• allfirstaidstationsshouldhavedirectcommunicationwiththeEmergencyServicesaswellastheracecontrol.

› Re-hydrating

Themainreasonforfeedingstationsistomaintaintheswimmersenergylevelsandpreventdehydration.Thisisparticularlyimportantinboththelowerandhighertemperaturerange.Thecoldwaterenvironmentcansapaswimmer’senergyquicklyandhotwaterandhotairtemperaturescandehydrateaswimmer,neitherconditionisreadilyapparenttotheswimmer.Theroleoftheswimmer’scoachisoftenvitalinensuringthattheswimmermaintainsanenergyandfluidintakethroughouttherace.Re-hydrationisoftenatacticaldecisionatelitelevelandmustbehandledbyboththeswimmerandcoachcarefully.Manyswimmersattheelitelevelcarrygelpacksasanalternativeorinadditiontofeeding.

› Facilities in case of Hypothermia and Overheating

Facilitiesforhypothermiashouldincludeadequatetowelstodrytheathlete,blanketstowrapandspaceblankets,warmdrinksaswellasappropriatemedicalequipment,suchasalowreadingdigitalthermometer.Foroverheating(apotentiallyveryseriousmedicalconditionleadingtohyperthermia/heatstrokewithhighmorbidity/mortality)thereshouldbefacilitiestore-hydrate,conductivecoolingtechniqueswithicepacks,useoffans/airconditioningandmistingtheskinwithtepidwaterwhilstavoidingvasoconstrictionorshiveringwhichwillexacerbatetheproblem.

Topreventoverheatingisbetterthantreatmentandswimmersmustbeadvisedoftheneedtoacclimatise,haveadequatefluidinput/hydration,keepcoolwithappropriateshelter/hatspre-race,tepidshowerafterandensuringtheraceisnotatthehottestpartoftheday.

COMMUNICATION

Generalefficientcommunicationaroundthecoursebetweenofficialsandsafetystaffisessentialandisusuallyachievedbymeansofradios,althoughinsomecircumstancesmobilephonesareuseful.Thereshouldbeatechnicalbriefingfortheofficialsandstaffandaracebrieffortheswimmersandcoaches.Theseareseparatemeetingstoensuretheinformationiskeptconciseandrelevanttothoseattending.

› To Athletes

Thetimingofthebriefingsforcompetitorsshouldbeincludedontheentryform.Thecompetitorsbriefingshouldtakeplaceinanareathatallowstheexpectednumberofcompetitorsandswimmers’representativestogatherandheartheinformationclearly.Itshouldbeheldwithsufficienttimeallowedforswimmerstocompletetheirpre-racepreparationsandifnecessarytotraveltothestartposition.Anyinformationupdatescanbepassedonatthebriefing.Ifnecessaryapublicaddresssystemshouldbeused.IfthebriefingisintheopenairaPAsystemisessential.TherefereewillleadthebriefingwithassistancefromtheSafetyOfficerandtheMedicalOfficer.

› Among Safety Staff

Thesafetystaffshouldbemadeawareofthecourselayout,thenormalandemergencyproceduresrelatingtothecourse.Theyshouldbeawareoftheirdutiesandhowthesafesupervisionoftheswimmersistobemaintained.Alltheinformationrelatedtotheswimmerswillalsobegiventothesafetystaffandofficials.(SeetheOfficialsbriefing)

› To Emergency Services

TheemergencyservicesthatcoverthelocationoftheOpenWaterSwimmingeventneedtobeinformedwellinadvanceofthedayofthenatureoftheeventandthepotentialhazardsandrisksinvolvedsothattheycanplantheirresponse.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | GENERALSITEISSUES

› Equipment/Control of Communication & Limits/Barriers to Communication Language

Ininternationaleventslanguagemaybeabarrier.AlthoughtheofficiallanguageofFINAeventsisEnglishandFrenchthepossibilityofbriefingscoveringamultiplicityoflanguagesispossibleandswimmersandcoachesmustensurethatallsafetyaspectsoftheeventarefullyunderstoodpriortothestart.

› Lack of Competence to Use Equipment

AllequipmentusedatanOpenWaterSwimmingeventshouldonlybeusedbyofficialswhoaretrainedandcompetentinitsuse.Thisisofparticularimportancewithregardstocommunicationequipmentandsafety,medicalandfirstaidequipment.

› Contingency Plans

TheEmergencyActionPlanfortheeventshouldincludecontingencyproceduresintheeventoftheswimnotgoingaccordingtoplan.

RACE FACILITIES – SHORE SIDE

Thefollowingaresomeofthefacilitiesthatshouldbeconsideredintheplan:

• parkingforcompetitors,spectatorsandofficials,suitablysignposted;

• registrationarea;

• briefingfacilities;

• toiletfacilities;

• changingfacilities;

• secureareatostowclothesandpersonalbelongings(atowner’srisk);

• refreshmentfacilitiesforcompetitors,officialsandspectators;

• dopingcontrol(ifrequired).

DRUG TESTING

TheEventOrganisersmaybeinformedthatadopingcontrolteamwillbepresent.TheOrganisationTeamshouldprovideadditionalpersonneltoassistandarrangeforasuitablesecludedareafordopingcontrolinaccordancewiththeBritishSwimmingAnti-DopingRules.Race technical officials should not be withdrawn from their duties to assist doping control.

COMMUNICATIONS

EveryOpenWatereventwillhavetechnicalofficials,boatsandsafetyorganisationspreadoutoveraconsiderablearea.Itisessentialthatkeypersonnelareabletocommunicatewitheachother.Thefollowingisalistofkeypersonnelwhomayrequiretobeprovidedwithcommunications:

• referee(s);

• assistantreferees;

• safetyofficer;

• courseofficer

• turnjudges;

• racejudgesinboats;

• racejudgesonlandatremotelocations;

• racecontrol;

• announcer;

• chieffinishjudge;

• chieftimekeeper;

• firstaidlocations.

TheSafetyCaseshouldidentifythelevelofcommunicationrequired.Mobilephonescanbeused,however,theyarenotidealastheSafetyOfficerneedstobeabletocontactallkeypeoplequicklyinthecaseofemergencyorworseningconditionsandthatisnotpossibleiftheyhavetocalleachoneseparately.Radiocommunicationisthepreferredmethod.Smallpersonalradioscanbehiredforthedayorpurchasedforlongertermuse.Moreover,waterproofcasingsshouldbeobtained.Duringinternationaleventssometeamschoosetheirownradiostocommunicatewithotherteammembers.Theseradiosshouldnotinterferewiththeradiofrequencyoftheeventandiftheydotheremaybearequirementtouseraceeventradiosormobilephonesonly.Intheeventofteamsusingtheirownradiostheywillneedtofitintothecommunicationplan,anditmaynotbepossibletousetheseradiostocommunicatewithraceofficials,thereforetheoperatorofthepersonally/teamownedradiomustbeabletobalancethecommunicationstoensuretheydonotmissimportantraceinformation.

› Setting up the System

Whatevercommunicationmethodischosenthereisaneedtoensurethatitwillworkefficientlyoverthewholeofthecourse.Smallportableradioswillnotcommunicatesuccessfullyoveradistancegreaterthan2-3kmunlessthereisaboosterstationonthenetwork.ThesitevisitcarriedoutbytheSafetyOfficer,CourseOfficerandPromotershouldcarryoutasurveyoftheareatoidentifyanyradioblackspotsorrangelimitations.

› Communications Plan

PriortotheeventtheSafetyOfficerwillnominateallpersonnelwhoaretobeusingradios.Acallsignwillbeallocatedtoeachofthem.Acallsignlistwillbeproduced

andproduceacallforallofthem.Thiswillbethecommunicationplan(orcomplan).Thecomplanwillalsonoteanyimportanttelephonenumberssuchascoastguard,hospitalorpolice.Anykeypersonnelwhoarewillingtousetheirmobilephonescansupplythenumberforinclusiononthecomplan.Thesewillthenensureabackupfacilityincaseofradiofailure.AnexampleofacomplanisincludedwiththesamplesafetycaseatAppendix D.

› Public Address

Somemeansofmakingannouncementstoswimmersandspectatorsshouldbeprovided.Thiscanalsobeusedforbriefingsiftheseareheldintheopenair.APublicAddresssystemcanbehiredforthispurpose.RacecommentarycanalsobebroadcastoverthePAsystem;thecommentatorshouldbeaknowledgeablepersonwhounderstandsthesport,theswimmersandlocalpersonalities.Aloudhailer/megaphonemayalsobeused.

FINANCE

› Event Budget

TheEventOrganisersneedaracebudget.Withoutthisitisnotpossibletocalculateincome,expenditure,committedfundsorthebalanceoftheaccountattheendoftheevent.Aracebudgetwillneedtobeapprovedinadvancebytherelevantgoverningofficersandthefinancialresponsibilitiesclearlydelegated.Possibleexpenditureitemsinclude,butarenotlimitedto:

• hiringthevenue;

• hiringtemporarycompetitorfacilities(tentsforchanging,secureareas);

• hiringtemporaryspectatorfacilities;

• insurance;

• publicaddress(PA)system;

• firstaidhelpers;

• boathire;

• canoeclubs;

• communicationsnetwork;

• policefortrafficorcrowdcontrol;

• refreshments;

• swimcaps;

• publicity;

• promotionalmaterialsuchaspoloshirtsforofficials.

› Entry Fees: ThesettingofanentryfeeisadecisionmadebytheOrganisingTeam.

› Insurance:InorderforanindividualtoreceivethebenefitofASAinsurance(iftheeventisanASAevent)theindividualmustbeamemberoftheASA/SASA/WASAinfullorasatemporarymember.

AnyPromoterstaginganeventshouldensuretheyhavetherelevantandappropriateinsuranceinplacefortheeventpriortorunninganyevent.

› Sponsorship:Important,asentryfeesareunlikelytocoveralloftheexpensesofstagingasafeOpenWaterevent.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | GENERALSITEISSUES

RACE DAy ORGANISATIONREGISTRATION

Theregistrationprocedureshouldbeincludedontheentryformorinaninformationpack.Allcompetitorsshouldknowtheprocedurebeforethedayoftheevent.

Anareashouldbemadeavailableforregistrationthatcancopewithanumberofentries.Thereshouldbeaclearlydefinedentranceandexitpointwithmarshalstoensurenounduedelayoccurs.

Theregistrationofficialsshould:

• checkcompetitorinformationiscorrect;

• ensurethatthedeclarationissigned,andincludesrelevantmedicalinformationandabilitytoswimthedistance;

• checkthecompetitoragainstlistofentrantstodeterminestarters;

• issueracenumbers;

• issueracehats.

Note: The registration area is also a good place to have a race information board with race details and any last minute changes to the published programme.

EVENT BRIEFING – COMPETITORS

Thereshouldbeaseparatebriefingforcompetitorsandtheircoaches.Whereonlythecoachispresenthe/sheshouldberesponsibleforcommunicatingtheinformationtohis/herathletes.Thetimingofthebriefingsforcompetitorsandcoachesshouldbeincludedontheentryform.Thecompetitorsandcoachesbriefingshouldtakeplaceinanareathatallowstheexpectednumberofcompetitorsandswimmers’representativestogatherandheartheinformationclearly.Itshouldbeheldwithsufficienttimeallowedforswimmerstocompletetheirpre-race

preparationsandifnecessarytotraveltothestartposition.Anyinformationupdatescanbepassedonatthebriefing.Ifnecessaryapublicaddresssystemshouldbeused.IfthebriefingisintheopenairaPAsystemisessential.

TheRefereewillleadthebriefingwithassistancefromtheSafetyOfficerandtheMedicalOfficer.

› The briefing will cover:

the race: thespecificaspectsdictatedbythevenueandtheeventincluding;

swimmer identification: theprocedureformarkingtheswimmerswiththeirracenumbersshouldbeclearlyexplained.Thisshouldbedoneafterthecompetitorshavechangedbutbeforetheyhaveappliedanygreaseorsunoil;

acclimatisation:entryintothewaterbeforetheracetoacclimatisethebodypriortotheeventstart;

the start: allcompetitorsshouldknowthestartprocedure.Itisworthrehearsingtheprocedureduringthebriefingtoensurethattheparticularrequirementsoftheeventareclear;

the course: theRefereeshouldbesatisfiedthatallcompetitorsunderstandtheroutetheywillswimandwhattheyareexpectedtodoatturnpointsandthefinish.Instructionsshouldbesimpleifpossible;

the finish: thelayoutandtheapproachtothefinishshouldbeexplained;

after finishing: theprocedureforleavingthefinishareaandthewater.Thisisespeciallyimportantifthereareretirementsfromtherace,andhowtheyshouldbedealtwith.

› Environmental conditions:

weather: currentairtemperature,sun,wind,forecastforchangesthroughouttheperiodoftherace;

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | RACEDAYORGANISATION

water:temperature,currentortidalflow,waves,likelyeffectsofthewind,waterquality,andanyhealthwarningsrelatedtothewaterquality.Forecastforchangesthroughouttheperiodoftherace;

safety: pointsthatallshouldbeawareofincludingthenormalandemergencyprocedures;

medical: whatmedicalprovisionsareinplace?

(See the Swimmers briefing)

EVENT BRIEFING – OFFICIALS

Wherepossible,technicalofficialsshouldbesentinformationpacksexplainingtheirduties(termsofreference)inadvanceoftheevent.Thisinformationshouldcoverallofficials,sothatindividualsareawareofhowtheirdutiesinteractwithothers.Copiesoftheofficials’briefingnotesshouldbeshouldbegiventoallofficialsontheday,preferablylaminatedtomakethemwaterproof.

TheRefereewillconductthebriefingonthedayoftheeventwithassistancefromtheSafetyOfficerandtheMedicalOfficer.Thebriefingwillcoverthespecificdutiesrequiredbythevenueandtheevent.Safetyaspectsthatallshouldbeawareofincludethenormaloperatingproceduresandtheemergencyproceduresplusthemedicalandothersafetyprovisionsthatareinplace.Alltechnicalofficialsandboatcrews,includingcanoelifeguardsshouldbeincludedinthisbriefing.

AnexampleofabriefingformatforbothswimmersandofficialsisincludedintheSampleSafetyCaseatAppendix D

CLERKS OF THE COURSE

Theclerksofthecourseareresponsiblefor:

• markingthecompetitor’snumberprominentlyinwaterproofinkontheshoulders,upperarmsandbacksofhands;

• checkingthatfingernailsandtoenailsareclippedshort;

• checkingthatnojewelleryorwatchesareworn;

• callingthecompetitorstothewateratthestart-thisisnormallydoneinracenumberorder-butcompetitorsenterthewatertogether;

• handingthecompetitorsovertotheRefereewithalistofanyregisteredswimmerswhohavenotstarted;

• managingthewelfareofswimmerswhoretirefromtheraceuntiltheircoachorrepresentativecantakeover;

• managingthewelfareofallcompetitorsatthefinishuntiltheircoachorrepresentativecantakeover.

STARTER

Thestartershouldbeawareofanyconstraintsimposedbythestartareaandthepreciseprocedurehewillbefollowing.Thisshouldincludedetailofhowthestartropeistobedeployedandwherehewillbelocated,ashore,oronthewater.He/sheshouldbeawareoftherespectivedutiesoftheclerkofthecourseandtherefereewithregardtothestart.

TURN JUDGES

Turnjudgeswillbeallocatedtoaturn.Theywillbegivenwritteninstructionsregardingtheirduties,whichwillinclude:

• theexactlocationoftheturnposition;

• whattimetheyshouldbeinpositionandhowtheywillbetransportedtothatposition;

• radiocallsignandinstructiononhowtousetheradioandtheradiocallproceduresinuse;

• recordingswimmersastheypasstheturnpoint,ifpossiblethisshouldbepositive;

• identificationoftheswimmerbyracenumber,wherethatisnotpossibletheymustbeabletogiveanaccurateheadcount;

• notinganyinfringementoftheturnproceduresonarecordsheet;

• reportinginfringementstotherefereebyradio;

• actingasracejudgefortheareaofthecourseintheirview;

• actingasasafetyobserver;

• handingthecompletedrecordsheetstothechiefjudgeoncompletionoftheevent.

RACE JUDGES

Racejudgeswillbeallocatedanareatopatrol.Theywillbegivenwritteninstructionsregardingtheirduties,whichwillinclude:

• theexactlocationandrangeoftheirpatrolarea;

• whattimetheyshouldbeinpositionandhowtheywillbetransportedtothatposition;

• radiocallsignandinstructiononhowtousetheradioandtheradiocallproceduresinuse;

• theyshouldrespondtospecificdirectionsfromthereferee;

• ifallocatedtoashoreposition–patrollingtheirdesignatedareaofbeachorbankwithaclearviewoftheswimmers;

• ifallocatedtoaboatdirectingtheirboattopatroltheareaallocated;

• theyshouldobserveswimmersintheirsightatalltimesforcompliancewiththelawsofracing;

• reportinganyinfringementsofracelawsorsafetyrequirementstotherefereeimmediatelywhentheyoccur,preferablybyradio;

• actingasasafetyobserver.

CHIEF JUDGE

Achiefjudgewillbeappointedto:

• controltheracejudges,turnjudgesandfinishjudges;

• acceptthepre-racereportsfromturnjudgesandracejudgesandreporttheirreadinesstotheassistantreferee;

• receivetheturnjudgesreportsheetsoncompletionoftherace;

• withthefinishjudges,placeallcompetitors;

• decidethefinalplacings;

• appendtheagreedtimestoeachplace;

• reporttotheRefereewiththefinalplacingsandareportofanyplacesheisunabletoresolve.

FINISH JUDGES

Ateamofthreejudges,includingtheChiefJudge,willbeappointedforeachevent.Eachteamwillbeallocatedtotheirevent.Itmaybenecessarytohavemorethanoneteamoffinishjudgesifthereareseveraleventsbeingconductedinonerace,forexample,theNationalAgeGroupswhichcombine2000m,1500mand1000mevents.Finishjudgeswill:

• observeeveryswimmerinhisallocatedraceastheyfinishandkeeparecordofthe;

• placingsbyrecordingtheirracenumber;

• ensurethatthefinishcounttallieswiththeotherracejudgeatregularintervalsinorderthatanydiscrepanciescanbespottedandisolatedearly;

• oncompletionoftheracepassinghiscompletedfinishlisttotheChiefJudge.

TIMEKEEPERS

Achieftimekeeperandatleasttwotimekeeperswillbeappointedforeachevent.Timekeeperswillbebriefedto:

• bepresentatthestartingpoint;

• starttheirtimeronthestartsignal;

• ensuretheyhavemeansoftravellingtothefinishareaifthisisaseparatelocationtothestart;

• recordthefinishingtimeofallcompetitorsintheireventusingthesplitfacilityontheirtimer;

• wherepossiblerecordcompetitor’snumberagainsttheirtimetoactasreferencepointsfortheChiefJudge;

• handthecompletedtimesheettothechieftimekeeper;

• keeptheirtimersrunninguntilinstructedbythechieftimekeeperafterallthecompetitorshavefinished.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | RACEDAYORGANISATION

SAFETy CASEASafetyCasewillbearecordofallrelevantplanningandpreparationtasksandwillspecificallyincludetheriskregistercompletewithactionstakentomitigateidentifiedrisks.Itwillalsoincludeprocedurestobefollowedintheeventofanemergency.Thedocumentwillbedevelopedincrementallyasplanningprogressesandauthorisationsarereceived.Typically,theSafetyCasewillcoverthefollowingtopics:

• Planning:

– organisationteamdetailsincludingcontacts;

– authorisations;

– relevantlocaldepartmentsandemergencyservices;

– resultsofasitesurvey;

– riskassessment.

• NormalOperatingProcedures;

– promoter’sconditions;

– eventsitelayoutandprocedures;

– coursedetails;

– briefingnotesforswimmers;

– termsofreference,(role),forallofficials;

– briefingnotesforofficials;

– listofsafetyboatstobeused;

– operatinginstructionsforsafetyboats.

• EmergencyOperatingProcedures;

– emergencyrolesforofficials;

– evacuationprocedures;

– emergencycommunications;

– emergencymedicalprocedures.

• ListofCompetitors

• ListofTechnicalOfficialsandOtherHelpers

• CommunicationChannels

ItisnormalfortheauthorisingbodytorequestadraftSafetyCaseatthetimeofgrantingpermissionforeventplanningtoproceed.TheSafetyCasewillbecompleteoncethecompetitionentriesareclosedandafinallistofcompetitorsineacheventisknown.ThelocalauthoritymayrequestacopyofthisfinalisedSafetyCasebeforegivingthefinalgoaheadontheday.

Anylatechanges,whichaffectthecourseorothersafetyaspects,willbebriefedonthedayoftheeventtotheswimmers,swimmers’representativesandtechnicalofficials.Wherepossibleprintedamendmentswillbepostedattheeventheadquartersandcopiesgiventoeachsafetyboat.

AtypicalSafetyCaseisincludedat Appendix Dasanexample.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | SAFETYCASE

APPENDIX A: THE INCIDENT PREVENTION STRATEGy – WHy PEOPLE DROWN?

ACCIDENTAL DROWNING 2005 & 2009 (STATISTICS PROVIDED By ROSPA AND WATER INCIDENT DATABASE WAID)

THE DROWNING PROBLEM

Drowningisafinalanddeadlycondition.Thereislittlechanceforthosethatgetintodifficultiesonorinwater,especiallywaterthatisdeeporfastflowing,andcold.Mostofthosewhocannotswimwilldrowninafewseconds.Sadlythosethatcanswimalsodrownclosetothebankwithinaveryshortperiodoftimeafterenteringthewater.

ThenumberofaccidentaldrowningdeathsintheUKfor2005issuspectedtobe435.ThefigurespeakedinJunewhen64peopledrowned.AsignificantfactorintheJunefatalitieswasthefloodingthatoccurredthroughoutEngland.Statisticsfor2009aresimilarshowingthat405peoplehadacauseofdeathclassifiedasdrowning48ofwhichwereclassedasswimmingatthetimeandnearlyathirdofthesecasualtieswereinariver.Augustsawthehighestincidentlevelandtheweekendbeingthemostcommondayofoccurrence.

STATISTICS

• basedonatotalUKpopulationof60.2million,thesuspectedaccidentaldrowningrateper100,000ofpopulationis0.72

• deathsamongsttheunder15’sremainedfairlystaticat39(previousfigureforthelastthreeyearshasbeen40)andofthisfigurethetotalof16under5’swasonlyonelessthanthepreviousyear

• accidentaldeathsarehighestintheagerange36-60

• thereareroughly80UKcitizensthatdrownabroadeveryyear(475drowningsbetween2000and2005)

MALES AGED 15-45

• 31%ofallaccidentaldrowning

• makeupalmost40%ofinlandwatersitedrownings

• 137diedduetosuspectedaccidentaldrowning

• 66%diedatinlandwatersites

• under19’smakeupthelargestgroupdrowningeachyearwhilstswimming,with13-18yearoldsbeingthehighestgroup

• deathsinmalesarethreetimeshigherthanfemales

LOCATION (ALL AGES)

Inland 234

Coastal Zone 130

Residential Location 38

Sea 26

Swimming Pool 7

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXA

SUB-LOCATIONBath 25 6% River, stream, etc 137 31% Inshore 76 17%

Garden Pond 6 1% Lake 50 11% Other 25 6%

Other 3 0.7% Canal 44 10% Dock/Harbour 18 4%

Swimming Pool 2 0.2% Other 3 0.7% Cliff 11 3%

Floods 2 0.5% Reservoirs (included in lakes above)

10 2%

By ACTIVITIES/BEHAVIOUR

At Sea

Co

ast/Sho

re/Beach

Harb

ou

r/Do

ck/Marin

a/Port

Drain

/Well/Pit

River

Can

al/Aq

uad

uct

Lake/Lock/Lo

ug

h

Dry G

rou

nd

Pon

d

Poo

l (Swim

min

g)

Qu

arry

Reservo

ir

Bath

(inclu

des jacu

zzi’s, ho

t-tub

s)

Stream/D

itch/B

urn

Water C

on

tainer

Total

Suicid

e Susp

ected

Angling 7 6 2 5 5 2 27

Bath 19 19

Climbing/Cliff 4 1 1 1 7 2

Commercial 11 2 2 1 16

Flooding 5 5

Jumping/diving in 3 2 5 1 2 13 65

Manually powered boats 2 2 1 7 3 1 15 2

Motor vehicle 4 1 2 4 1 1 3 17 2

Motorboating 2 1 2 4 3 12

Person on ice 1 4 1

Person/object in water, person of uncertain status

4 11 4 1 39 14 11 2 3 1 94 82

Person water craft 2 2

Sailing 4 1 2 1 1 9

Sub aqua diver 14 2 3 1 20

Surfing 1 3 4

Swimming 8 8 1 15 3 2 5 3 3 48 1

Walking/running 2 21 4 2 24 8 1 2 5 2 4 2 1 78 1

Waterside activity/in water play

1 3 3 3 2 12

Windsurfing/Kitesurfing 1 4 1 6

Total 57 75 24 5 107 28 32 11 16 5 7 11 19 7 1 405

Suicide suspected 5 59 7 63 5 5 5 2 1 2 1 155

Notes

A: Countincludesdeathsbyaccidentalandnaturalcausestotalling405cases.B: Inadditionthereare155caseswheresuicideissuspectedorconfirmed.Theseareshowninitalicsinthelastcolumn,andhavebeenexcludedfromsubsequentanalysis.C: Excludes132incidentswhereinformationiscurrentlytoouncleartoformanopinionontheintentofthedeceased,theiractivitywhentheincidentoccurred,orwhethertherewascriminalintentinvolved.D:The11casescategorisedunderdrygroundreferredtolocationswhicharenotnormallywatercoursessuchasfloodedareas.

A PREVENTATIVE STRATEGy – THE DROWNING CHAIN

Themostpositivewayofcounteringdrowningistoprevententryintothewaterinthefirstplace.Itisessentialtocounteroneofthefactorswhichcontributestodrowningassoonaspossible,andcertainlybeforethestageofpossiblerescueisreached.Thesefactorsformlinksonwhatwerefertoas‘TheDrowningChain’,i.e.thepossiblecombinationofeventsthatleadtodrowning.Anyplantopreventdrowningmustaimtobreakoneoftheselinksandsoavoidtheultimatefate.

THE LINKS IN THE CHAIN ARE:

1. Ignorance, disregard or misjudgement of danger Aninterventionismostsuccessfulifitbreaksthisfirstlinkinthedrowningchain.Througheducationcomesrecognitionandthereforeavoidanceofdanger.Thedangeristhenrecognised,respectedandavoided.

2. Unrestricted access to hazards Thecountertothesecondlinkinthedrowningchainistodenyaccesstothehazard.Thismaybedonebywarningofdangerorbyotherwisepreventingpotentialcasualtiesfromenteringintodanger,forexample,fencing.

3. Absence of adequate supervision Absenceofadequatesupervisioncanonlybecounteredbymorecompetenttrainingandapplication.Thosewhoguardthelivesofotherscanonlyeverbetotallyvigilant.

4. Inability to save yourself, or be rescued Ifthedrowningchainisstillintact,andthevictimhasnotbeen‘saved’whilestilloutofthehazard,onlythefourthandfinallinkremains!Nowonlyself-rescue,orrescuebyanotherperson,canavoidtheworstconsequences.

Althoughrescueisapooroptioninanypreventativeplan,thisdoesnotmeanthatitshouldnotbeconsideredandencouragedwhereappropriate.Otheroptionsshouldhavegreaterprioritybecausetheyhavemorechanceofsuccess.

ItcanbeseenthatOpenWaterCompetitiveEventsbreaktheDrowningChaineffectivelybypreventingunrestrictedaccess,providingadequatesupervisionandeventmanagementandassessingthecompetitor’sability.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXA

APPENDIX B: NATIONAL WATERSAFETy SIGNS

There are three main types of water safety signs around open water. Each one has its own meaning, but all of them work to the same system.

Inadditiontothewatersafetysigns,youwillalsofindinformationsignstellingyouwherethetoiletsareorwhereyoucangetfirstaid.Theywillalsotellyouwherethepublicrescueequipmentisheld.

Signs that warn you of danger are always:

• Triangleshaped

• Yellowbackground,withblacksymbols

• Theyareplacedtohelpyouspotahazardthatisnotalwaysobvious

Theymeanthatyoushouldbeawareofsomething.

Signs that mean you should not do something are always:

• Aredringshape,withalinerunningthrough

• Whitebackground,redlineandblacksymbolsorshapes

• Theyinformyouofthingsyouarenotsupposedtodo

Thesesignstellyouthatitwouldbedangeroustodosomething,orgointhatplace.

Signs that mean you should do something are always:

• Blueandcircleshaped

• Whitesymbolsorshapes

• Theyinformyouofthingsyouneedtodo

Thesesignstellyouthatyoushoulddosomethingtobesafe.

Thesesignsshouldneverbeignoredunlessanopenwatercompetitionhassecuredtheremovalofthehazardi.e.theremovalofsurfacecraftfromthedesignatedcompetitionarea.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXB

CM

YC

MM

YC

YC

MY

K

Man

dato

ry

Mandatory Signs give instructions

to do something.

White on Blue.

MandatoryIn

form

atio

n

Information

Pro

hib

ition

Prohibition Signs tell you notto do som

ething.

Black and Red on White.

Prohibition

Haza

rd

Harzard Signs w

arn ofpotential hazards.

Black on Yellow.

Hazard

These are not safety Signsbut give general inform

ation.

Black on White.

No personal w

ater craftto be used

No sw

imm

ingN

o snorkelling equipment

No sub-aqua equipm

entN

o divingN

o sailingN

o windsurfing

No row

ing

No m

otorised craftN

o water skiing

No surfboarding

No inflatables in the w

aterN

o runningN

o outdoor footwear

No fishing

Snorkelling area

Swim

ming area

Fishing area

Sub-aqua area

Beware - diving area

Beware - strong currents

Beware - thin ice

Beware - sailing area

Beware - slipw

ayBew

are - windsurfing area

Beware - row

ing area

Beware - m

otorised craft areaBew

are - water skiing area

Beware - surfboarding area

Beware - deep w

aterBew

are - shallow w

aterBew

are - sudden drop

Mandatory action -

life jackets to be worn

i

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents,RoSPA H

ouse, Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Birmingham

B5 7STTelephone 0870 777 2171 / 0121 248 2000Fax 0870 777 2199 / 0121 248 2001Registered Charity N

o. 207823VAT Registration N

o. 655 1316 49

APPENDIX C: CHECKING WATER QUALITy

The Directive 2006/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2006 is concerned with the management of bathing water quality. This Directive lays down provisions for the monitoring and classification of bathing water quality; the management of bathing water quality; and the provision of information to the public on bathing water quality.

ThepurposeofthisDirectiveistopreserve,protectandimprovethequalityoftheenvironmentandtoprotecthumanhealthbycomplementing Directive 2000/60/EC.

TheDirectiveshallapplytoanyelementofsurfacewaterwherethecompetentauthorityexpectsalargenumberofpeopletobatheandhasnotimposedapermanentbathingprohibition,orissuedpermanentadviceagainstbathing.Itdoesnotapplyto:

(a) swimmingpoolsandspapools;

(b) confinedwaterssubjecttotreatmentorusedfortherapeuticpurposes;

(c) artificiallycreatedconfinedwatersseparatedfromsurfacewaterandgroundwater.

ThemainobjectiveoftheBathing Water Directives (76/160/EEC and 2006/7/EC)istoprotectpublichealthandtheenvironmentfromfaecalpollutionatbathingwaters.MemberStatesarerequiredtoidentifypopularbathingareasandtomonitorwaterqualitytherethroughoutthebathingseason,whichinEnglandrunsfrommid-MaytotheendofSeptember.ItisquitelikelythatOpenWaterSwimmingCompetitionswilltakeplaceatthesedesignatedsites.

TheoriginalDirective(76/160/EEC)setsanumberofmicrobiologicalandphysio-chemicalstandardsthatbathingwatersmusteithercomplywith(“mandatory”standards)orendeavourtomeet(“guideline”standards).Thetwomainstandardsusedtoassessthequalityofbathingwateraretotalcoliformsandfaecalcoliforms,whicharebacteriafoundinthegutsofhumansandotherwarm-bloodedanimalsandareindicatorsoffaecalpollution.

ResearchintobathingwaterandhumanhealthsincetheoriginalDirective’sintroductionin1976hasledtothedevelopmentoftherevisedBathingWaterDirective(2006/7/EC)listedabove,whichwillbeimplementedinstagesbetweennowand2015,whentheoriginalDirectivewillberepealed.TherevisedDirectiveusestwoparameterstoassesswaterquality,Escherichiacoliandintestinalenterococci,usingafouryeardatasetforeachsetofresults,andsetsmuchtighterstandardsthantheoriginalDirective.

Therewillbefourclassificationcategories:Excellent(approximatelytwiceasstringentasthecurrentGuidelineStandard);Good(similartothecurrentGuideline);Sufficient(approximatelytwiceasstringentasthecurrentMandatoryStandard)andPoor,forwaterswhichdonotcomplywiththeDirective’sstandards.

Therewillbeanewrequirementforinformationaboutwaterqualityandpotentialsourcesofpollutionatbathingwaterstobeprovidedonsignsandviatheinternet.Regularreviewsofthelistofbathingwaterswillbecarriedoutandthepublicwillbeencouragedtoparticipateinthereview.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXC

KeydatesfortheintroductionoftherevisedDirectiveare:

• 2011: TheEnvironmentAgencywillpublishaprofileforeachbathingwaterinEnglandandWales

• 2012: Signsmustbeinplaceatallbathingwatersbythebeginningofthebathingseason.TheEnvironmentAgencywillbeginmonitoringusingtheparametersoftherevisedDirective

• 2014: FinalbathingwaterreportusingthestandardsofthecurrentDirective

• 2015: Firstsetofclassificationsusingthenewparameterswillbepublished,basedonthedatasetcommencedin2012

• 2016: NewclassificationswillappearonthesignsusingsymbolsthatarebeingpreparedbytheEC

LEGISLATION AND ADMINISTRATION

TheBathingWaterDirectivesareadministeredinEnglandbyDefraandintherestoftheUKbytherelevantDevolvedAdministration.BathingwaterenquiriesinScotland,WalesandNorthernIrelandshouldbedirectedtotheScottishExecutive,WelshAssemblyGovernmentandDepartmentofEnvironmentNorthernIrelandrespectively.

TheDirectiveisimplementedintheUKbythefollowingregulatoryauthorities:

• England and Wales: TheEnvironmentAgency

• Scotland:ScottishEnvironmentProtectionAgency

• Northern Ireland:NorthernIrelandEnvironmentAgency

AlsoformingpartofthetransposinglegislationistheBathing Waters (England) Notice 2008,issuedbytheSecretaryofStatefortheEnvironment,FoodandRuralAffairson26September2008.Itrevokesthenoticesgivenundersection83(1)oftheWaterResourcesAct1991andunderparagraph3(1)(a)ofSchedule1totheBathingWaters(Classification)Regulations1991on5May1992,14February1997and13June2003.

BATHING WATER PROFILES

TherevisedDirectiverequiresMemberStatestoestablishaprofileforeverybathingwaterbasedonthephysical,geographicalandhydrologicalcharacteristicsofthebathingwaterandassessingtherisksofpollution.Theprofileswillprovidekeyinformationforinclusioninthegeneraldescriptionofthebathingwateronthesigns.TheEnvironmentAgencywillcompleteitsworkonprofilesofbathingwatersinEnglandandWalesbyMarch2011.

TheEuropeanCommissionhasproducedanexplanatorydocument,Bathing Water Profiles: Best Practice and Guidance(PDF,Europawebsite)http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-bathing/pdf/profiles_dec_2009.pdf

BATHING WATERS IN THE UK

Duringthe2010bathingseason413bathingwatersweremonitoredinEngland,80inWales,82inScotlandand24inNorthernIreland,makingatotalof599bathingwatersacrosstheUK.Ofthesesites587arecoastalorestuarinewatersand12areinlandfreshwatersites.

DESIGNATION OF NEW BATHING WATERS IN ENGLAND

TherevisedDirectiveaimstokeepbatherswellinformedaboutwaterqualityandencouragestheparticipationofthepublicinitsimplementation,particularlyinreviewingthelistofbathingwaterssothatitincludesallbeachesandinlandwatersthatareusedbylargenumbersofbathers.A“largenumber”isregardedasanumberconsideredtobelargeinrelationtopasttrendsortoinfrastructureandfacilitiesprovidedtopromotebathing.

Informationabouthowtoapplyforabeachorinlandfreshwatersitetobeidentifiedasbathingwater,includingthecontactdetailsfortheBathingWaterteamatDefra.

ThecurrentlistofbathingwatersinEnglandcanbefoundhere:

• Bathing waters in England in 2010 (PDF,40KB)http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/waterquality/bathing/documents/list-of-bathing-waters-2010.pdf

BATHING WATER MONITORING RESULTS IN ENGLAND AND THE UK 2010

Thebathingwatermonitoringresultsforthe2010seasoninEnglandandtheUKwereannouncedonthe15November2010:

• 2010 results summary tables(PDF189KB)http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/water/waterquality/bathing/documents/bathing-water-results2010.pdf

• Information bulletin (15November2010)http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2010/11/15/bathing-news/

AdetailedsummaryreportofmandatorycomplianceresultsforUKbathingwatersforallparametersundertheDirectiveisavailablehere:

• 2010 summary report for UK bathing water monitoring results (PDF370KB)http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-bathing/pdf/profiles_dec_2009.pdf

MANDATORy STANDARDS

MeetingthemandatorywaterqualitystandardsoftheBathingWaterDirective(76/160/EEC)istheminimumlegalrequirement.Mandatorystandardsaregivenfor10parameters:totalcoliforms,faecalcoliforms,salmonella,enteroviruses,pH,colour,mineraloils,surfaceactivesubstances(detergents),phenolsandtransparency.TheDirectivealsosetstheminimumfrequencyatwhichbathingwatersshouldbesampled.

Casesofnon-compliancewiththephysio-chemicalparametersareextremelyraresocomplianceintheUKeachyearisnormallydeterminedbytheextentofpollutionbytotalandfaecalcoliformbacteria.

Tocomplywiththesestandards,bathingwatersmustnotexceedvaluesof10,000totalcoliformsper100mland2000faecalcoliformsper100mlin95%ofsamples.

In2010,97.6%ofbathingwatersinEnglandcompliedwiththesemicrobiologicalstandards,with10ofthe413watersfailingtomeettheminimumstandardsoftheDirective.

ThetablebelowshowspercentagecompliancewiththemandatorystandardsfortotalandfaecalcoliformsinEnglandonlyandintheUKoverthelastdecade.

yEAR ENGLAND % COMPLIANCE

UK % COMPLIANCE

2001 97.8 95.3

2002 98.5 97.8

2003 98.8 98.4

2004 98.3 97.7

2005 98.8 98.4

2006 99.5 99.5

2007 97.8 96.5

2008 96.1 95.8

2009 98.3 97.7

2010 97.6 97.3

GUIDELINE STANDARDS

TheBathingWaterDirectivealsosetsmorestringentguidelinemicrobiologicalstandardsthatMemberStatesmustendeavourtoobserve.

Tocomplywiththeguidelinestandards,bathingwatersmustnotexceedvaluesof500totalcoliformsper100mland100faecalcoliformsper100mlin80%ofwaterqualitysamples,and100faecalstreptococciper100mlin90%ofsamplestaken.

In2010,72.5%ofallbathingwatersinEnglandmetthistighterstandard.ThisistheguidelinestandardthatconstitutesthewaterqualitycriterionoftheinternationalBlueFlagawardscheme.

Thetablebelowshowspercentagecompliancewiththehighestguidelinestandardsfortotalcoliforms,faecalcoliforms,andfaecalstreptococciinEnglandonlyandintheUKoverthelastdecade.

UK GUIDELINE COMPLIANCE

yEAR ENGLAND % COMPLIANCE

UK % COMPLIANCE

2001 69.2 65.7

2002 76.4 73.8

2003 91.8 81.9

2004 78.5 78.3

2005 83.8 82.5

2006 79.7 79.2

2007 78.3 75.6

2008 70.5 68.3

2009 80.2 79.3

2010 85.5 82.3

SeetheEnvironmentAgencywebsiteformoredetailedinformationonbathingwaterqualityresultsinEnglandandWales,includingcomplianceresultsforindividualbathingwaters.

UK COMPLIANCE COMPARED WITH OTHER EU MEMBER STATES

TheUK’sbathingwaterresultsarereportedtotheEuropeanCommissioneachyeartoinformitsannualreport.

ThereportindicatesthattheUK’scomplianceratewithmandatorystandardswasslightlyabovetheECaveragebutcompliancewiththemorestringentguidelinestandardsremainedbelowaverage.Thereportforthe2010bathingseasonwillbepublishedinMayorJune2011.

TheEUbathingwaterreportassessesguidelinecomplianceusingthesamestandardsastheUKguidelinefortotalandfaecalcoliformsbutdoesnottaketheparameterforfaecalstreptococciintoaccount.ThetablebelowshowspercentagecompliancewiththeECguidelinestandardforEnglandonlyandfortheUKoverthelast10years.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXC

EC GUIDELINE COMPLIANCE

yEAR ENGLAND % COMPLIANCE

UK % COMPLIANCE

2001 69.2 65.7

2002 76.4 73.8

2003 81.8 81.9

2004 78.5 78.3

2005 83.8 82.5

2006 79.7 79.2

2007 78.3 75.6

2008 70.5 68.3

2009 80.2 79.3

2010 85.5 82.3

PROJECTED CLASSIFICATIONS UNDER DIRECTIVE 2006/7/EC

TheEnvironmentAgencyhasusedthenewstandardsandfouryearsofwaterqualitymonitoringdata(2007to2010)toassessthecomplianceratethatmightbeexpectedinEnglandandWalesundertherevisedBathingWaterDirective.

Itisimportanttoappreciatethattheseassessedresultsassumethatnofurtheractionistakentoimprovewaterquality.TheprojectedclassificationsusingcurrentdataforeachbathingwaterinEnglandandWalesareavailable:

• Projected classifications at bathing waters in England and Wales under the revised Bathing Water Directive (PDF200KB)-October2010http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/water/waterquality/bathing/documents/projected-rbwd-classifications.pdf

TheassessmentforEnglandisbasedon407bathingwatersbecauseitexcludesthosethathavebeendesignatedsince2007orhavebeenclosedtosamplersandthepublicduringtherelevantperiod.Itshowsthat88%ofbathingwaterswouldmeetatleastthe“sufficient”classification,comparedwith97.6%thatmetmandatorystandardsin2010.48bathingwatersarepredictedtobeclassifiedas“poor”.

NumberofbathingwatersinEnglandassessedtobeineachclassificationcategoryundertherevisedBathingWaterDirective(basedoncurrentwaterqualityresults):

CLASSIFICATION NO. OF BATHING WATERS

ASSESSED IN ENGLAND

% OF BATHING WATERS

ASSESSED IN ENGLAND1

EXCELLENT 209 51

GOOD 99 24

SUFFICIENT 51 13

POOR 48 12

TOTAL 407 100

OverthecomingyearsDefraandtheEnvironmentAgencywillbeworkingcloselywithstakeholderstodeterminethemostappropriatecourseofactiontobetakenatbathingwaters,particularlythoseatriskoffailingthenewstandards.

Open Water Competition Organisers must research the water quality of the designated competition area as advised by Defra.

APPENDIX D: SAMPLE SAFETy CASE

EVENT TITLE

DATE & VENUE

SAMPLE SAFETy CASE

REPORT PREPARED By

DATE OF REPORT:

INTRODUCTIONThis sample case gives examples of the procedures and hazards that should be considered when planning an event. It is not exhaustive and cannot be used as it stands. In all cases a proper risk assessment and hazard analysis must be carried out for the venue, which is to be used for the event.

AcopyoftheSafetyCaseformatcanbeobtainedfromtheSecretaryoftheSwimmingTechnicalCommitteeordownloadedfromtheOpenWatersectionoftheSwimmingWebsite.

A1. BACKGROUND

[Afewparagraphsgivingthebackgroundtotheevent,whenitwasinauguratedandwhatdistancesareswumetc].

A2. ORGANISATION

A2.1. NATIONAL/DISTRICT/COUNTy GOVERNING BODy

Contactdetails:

A2.2. LOCAL AUTHORITy

Contactdetails:

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXD

A2.3. OPEN WATER SWIMMING COMMITTEE

TITLE NAME ADDRESS TELEPHONE NUMBERS

EMAIL

SECRETARy & MEET DIRECTOR

CHAIRMAN

SAFETy OFFICER

LOCAL CO-ORDINATOR

A2.4. EMERGENCy SERVICES

Liaisonhasbeenestablishedwiththefollowinglocalservices:

• ambulanceservice;

• hospitalA&Edept;

• fireservice;

• police;

• coastguard

Allneedtobetoldofthedateandtimeoftheevent,thelengthofthecourse,theestimatednumberofcompetitorsandtheagerangeofcompetitors.Onthedayoftheeventtheinformationshouldbeconfirmedwithanominatedcontact.Someoftheseorganisationsmayrequestacopyofthesafetycaseincludingtheriskassessment.

A2.5. SAFETy ORGANISATION

TheSafetyOfficerisresponsibleforallaspectsofthesafetyorganisation.ThefinalassessmentoftheconditionsandsafetyorganisationonthedayoftheeventwillbemadebytheSafetyOfficerwhowillrecommendtotheRefereethattheeventshallgoaheadifheconsidersthatitissafetodoso.TheRefereecandecidetooverruleapositiverecommendationfromtheSafetyOfficer,however,anegativerecommendationfromtheSafetyOfficeri.e.theEventcannotgoahead,cannotbeoverruled. [Extend this paragraph to include the complete safety organisation in place for your event]

A3. NORMAL OPERATING PROCEDURES

A3.1. BOATS

Thenumberofboatsandtheirrolesshouldbedefinedhere.Inthisexamplethenumbersinitalicsshouldbeadjustedaccordingtotherequirementsofyourownriskassessment.

• threerescueboatsunderthedirectionoftheSafetyOfficer;

• referee’sboat;

• safetyofficer’sboat;

• tworacejudges’boats;

• twoanchoredturnboatswithtwoturnjudgesaboardeach(oneboatperturn);

• oneanchoredfinishboatwithfinishjudgesaboard;

• sixtotencanoescrewedbyqualifiedBCUcanoelifeguards.

Eachsafetyboatistocarrythedesignatedlistofsafetyequipmentasdetailedinequipmentmatrix.Allboats(exceptthecanoes)willbeinradiocontactwiththerefereesandsafetyofficer.

A3.2. RACE OFFICIALS

Thesafetyofficerwillberesponsibleforappointingsufficientofficialstoenabletheeventtobeheldsafely.Abriefingpackcontainingdetailsofdutiesandallrelevanteventandsafetyinformationwillbeprovidedforeachofficialpriortothestartoftheevent.AfulllistofOfficial’sappointmentsisincludedwiththissafetycase.

A3.3. RADIOS

TheSafetyOfficerisresponsibleforprovidingradiostothoseofficialsdesignated.Hewillallocatecallsignsandwillbriefallusersoncorrectradioprocedure.Acommunicationplanisincludedwiththeinformationpackforallappointedofficials.

IntheeventofanemergencytheSafetyOfficerwillinvokeaproceduretominimiseradiotraffic.Themessagethatwillbeusedtoinitiatethisprocedureis“All stations – Minimise”.Followingthiscallallnormalradiocallswillceaseandonlycallsthatarerelatedtomanagingtheemergencywillbeallowed.Thesafetyofficerwillbeincharge.Whentheemergencyisresolvednormalradioprocedureswillberesumedfollowingthemessage “All stations – cease minimise”.

A3.4. MEDICAL COVER

ThelocalSt.John’sAmbulanceortheRedCrosswillprovideanAmbulance,whichistobesituatedclosetotheFirstAidtentwithreadyaccesstothemainroad.ThelocalSt.John’sAmbulanceortheRedCrosswillprovidemedicalcover.

AbackuptotheStJohn’sAmbulanceorRedCrosswillbetheAmbulanceServiceoncallviathenormal999procedure.ThelocalhospitalA&Eunitwillhavebeeninformedofthedateandtimeoftheeventduringtheplanning.

InadditiontherewillbeaqualifiedMedicalDoctoronsite.

A.3.5 EVENT HEADQUARTERS

TheDistrictCouncilhasgrantedpermissiontoholdtheeventat………….andtopositionaraceadministrationareaclosetotheoldlandingstage”(OSGridTA689803).Theadministrationareawillinclude:

• aRaceControlcaravanincorporatingthepublicaddresssystem

• anambulancewithreadyaccesstotheroad

• theerectiononracedayofuptofivetentsontheshingleclosetothepromenade

Thesetentswillbeusedasfollows:

WhenwritingyourEmergencyOperatingProceduresyoucanusethesenotesasguidelines,buttheymustbetailoredtoyourownvenueandcircumstances.

A4. EMERGENCy OPERATING PROCEDURES

Thefollowingeventsareforeseenasemergencies;actionistobetakenasindicated.

A4.1. SWIMMER IN DANGER OF DROWNING

Thenearestboatistogototheaidoftheswimmers;

• aradiocallistobemadeimmediatelyinformingtheRefereeandtheSafetyofficerofthesituation;

• afastrescueboatistobecalledintogettheswimmertomedicalassistancequickly;

• thesafetyofficerwilldecidewhetheritissafeforotherswimmerstocontinue.

A4.2. WARNING OF IMMINENT ELECTRICAL STORM

Thesafetyofficerhaltsraceimmediatelybymakingaradiocall;

• boatcrewsmovetoinformswimmersadvisingthemtoleavethewaterortakingthemaboardtheirboatasappropriate;

• allactionsaretobecarefullyconsidered,hastyactionsleadtoaccidents;

• oncethewaterisclearofswimmers,theboatsaretoreturntothemooringsandthecrewtodisembarkassoonaspossible;

• allpersonnelaretogetundercoverassoonaspossible.

A4.3. OFFICIAL OR HELPER IN NEED OF TREATMENT

• ensurethepersonreceivesfirstaidasquicklyaspossible;

• assesstheseriousnessoftheinjuryandwhetherlocalmedicalassistanceissufficient;

• makearrangementsfortransporttothehospitalifrequired.Uselocaltransportifappropriate.Ifitisanemergencycalltheemergencyservicesandrequestanambulanceorcoastguardhelicopterdependingontheurgency;

• alwaysfollowuptofindoutconditionofthepersononcetheyhaveleftyourjurisdiction;

• writeareportintheincidentlog.

A4.4. SAFETy OR RESCUE BOAT ACCIDENT

• callthededicatedrescueboatstothescene

• iftheaccidentisseriousandisbeyondthefirstaidcapabilitiesoftherescueboatscallthecoastguardorthelocalemergencyservicesasappropriate

• thefirstprioritymustbetoanyhumansinvolved;

• writeareportfortheincidentlog

A4.5. INCREASE IN WIND OR SEA STATE

• thesafetyofficerwillcallforreportsfromhisofficialsaroundthecourseinordertodeterminewhetherthechangeisaffectingallareas;

• basedonthesereportsandhisjudgementthesafetyofficerwillassesstheconditionsandmakeadecisiononwhethertocontinuewiththeevent,shortenthecourseoralterthecourse

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXD

THE RISK ASSESSMENT

Thefindingsandactionstakentoreduceandmanageriskidentifiedinthisriskassessmentshouldbereviewedaftertheeventsothatreasonableadjustmentscanbemadetofutureevents.ThisRiskAssessmentshouldbeforwardedtotheASAEventsteamattheSportPark,Loughborough (see Appendix N)

CONSIDERATIONS HAZARD IDENTIFIED AND WHO IS AT RISK I.E. SWIMMER, OFFICIAL ETC

RISK FACTORHIGH/MEDIUM/LOW

ACTION TO REDUCE AND/OR MANAGE RISK

VENUE

CarparkingAccessforemergencyvehiclesObstructionsgettingontoandoffthesiteAccesstowater

ENVIRONMENT

AIR TEMPERATURE AveragefortimeofyearPredictedmaximumandminimumExpectedchangeduringeventtimescale

AveragefortimeofyearPredictedmaximumandminimumExpectedchangeduringeventtimescale

HighwatertimeLowwatertimeTidalrangeDirectionandstrengthoftidalflowsthroughoutthetimeoftheevent

WIND CONDITIONS PrevailingdirectionExpectedwindstrengths

WEATHER ExpectedweatherfortimeofyearPossibilityofelectricstorm

WATER Typeofwater(river,lake,sea)

DepthsthroughoutthecourseChangeindepthduetotides

RiskofJellyfishintheareaHazardfromseaorwaterbirds

EffectofwindonthewaterWaves,Swell,Breakers

Underwaterobstacles

WaterandsewageOutletsWaterintakes

THE COURSE

REGISTRATION AREA Isregistrationareaofsufficientsizetoaccommodatetheswimmers?

ASSEMBLy AREA ExposuretotheelementsConditionsunderfoot

START AccesstothewaterConditionsunderfoot

THE COURSE AREA DistancebetweenmarkerbuoyVisibilityofturnsTidesorcurrentsaroundturnsEffectoftidesoneachlegofthecourseLocationofthefinishVisibilityofthefinish

FINISH ExitfromthewaterProximityofswimmersequipmentandcoaches/parents

EXIT Isthewaterexitareasufficientlylargeenoughtopreventcongestion?

SAFETy SUPPORT SySTEMS

COMMUNICATIONS RadiocontactwithRNLICoastguardLocalHospitalStJohn’sAmbulanceorRedCross

RadioCoverageovercompletecourse

EMERGENCy SERVICES

EaseofcontactEaseofaccesstositePossibledelaypointsonroute:Worksentrance/exitpoints)SchoolsRoadworksNormaltrafficsituation.RushhourtimesAlternativeroutes

BOATS throughouteventQualifiedboatoperatorsPropellerguardsfittedSafetyequipmentavailable

Meansoflandingretiredswimmers:PontoonJettyShelvingbeach

LIFEGUARDS Aretheycompetent?

Arenumberssufficient?

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXD

Havetheybeenbriefed?

Aretheysupervised?

SWIMMERS

Registered

Numbered

Recordofindividualswimmerssupportsystems?

Medicaldisclosure?

Competencydisclosure?

Disclaimer

SPECTATORS

Separatedfromswimmers?

Safeviewingarea?

Numberslikelytoattend?

Isstewardcontrolrequired?

Areseparatefacilitiesrequired?

LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS

FIRE SAFETy Isstafftrainedinfirepreventionandescapeprocedures?Arestorageareasneat&tidy?Aresmokefreeregulationsenforced?Isallequipmentinstalledandusedaspermanufacturer’sinstructions?Hasadequatemeansofescapebeenconsideredintheeventofafire?

EMERGENCy PLANNING

Hasanemergencyplanbeencreated?Doesallstaffknowtheirrolesinanevacuation?Havealllikelyemergencyscenariosbeenconsidered?Fire-Bomb-PublicDisorder-Rescues-Assaultonofficials-Powerfailure.

SAFETy SIGNS Dosafetysignscomplywiththeregulations?Aretheyclear&accurate?

FIRST AID Specialrequirements(i.e.breathingapparatus,resuscitationequipment,spinalboardetc).Competencies?Adequatefirstaiders?1stAidreportingprocedures.

yOUNG PERSONS AT WORK

Areyoungpersons’adequatelysupervisedbyadults?

NEW & PREGNANT MOTHERS

Haveallpregnantofficials,workedandswimmersbeenindividuallyriskassessedassafetocarryoutthetasksallottedortheswim?

LONE WORKERS Isgeographicallyremotestaffadequatelysupervised?

MANUAL HANDLING Isallequipmentsafelyhandledandweightssuitablesoastonotcauseharmwhenmoved?

WORK EQUIPMENT Isallequipmentsuitableforpurpose?Isallequipmentingoodorderandsafetouse?Istheelectricalpowersupplysuitable?Isallportableelectricalequipmentinstalledcorrectlyandwiththerequired‘tripout’fittingsforusenearwater?Isallelectricalcablingandwiresecuredsafelytoensuretheyarenotatriphazard?

ASBESTOS Isthereanyasbestosonsite?IsthereanAsbestosPlan?Isthesitesafetouse?

WORKING AT HEIGHT

Areallladders,podiumsetcthatinvolveworkingatheightsuitableforpurposeandingoodcondition?

DOMESTIC WATER Isanydomesticwatersupplysuitabletodrink?Isitsuitablysigned?

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXD

COMPETITORS LISTS

5KM MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

NO. NAME DOB CLUB

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

5KM WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

NO. NAME DOB CLUB

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

BRIEFINGS

› Swimmers Briefing – Sample

A roll call ofallswimmerswillbetakenensuringthatallknowtheirallocatedracenumber.

Racenumberswillbemarkedonbytheclerksofthecourseontheshouldersandbacksofthehandsinlargeclearlyreadfigures.Numberedhatsmayalsobeprovided.Youarepermittedtowearoneswimmingcostume,whichmaybeofthebodysuittype,twoswimminghatscanbewornbutthenumberedhatmustbeontheoutside.Norings,watchesorjewelleryofanykindmaybeworn.Fingernailsandtoenailsmustbetrimmedshortandwillbeinspectedbytheclerksofthecourse.

Thecoursewillbeexplained,withvisualaids:

• lengthofcourse;

• howmanylapsfortheparticularracedistance;

• directionofrace(e.g.clockwiseoranti-clockwise);

• positionofthestartandthefinish;

• depthofwaterinfrontofastartpontoonifadivingstartispermitted;

• positionandmarkingofturnboatsandturnmarkerbuoys;

• positionofcoursemarkerbuoys;

• positionandmarkingoffinishboatandfinishfunnel;

• thenumberofofficials’boats,safetyboatsandcanoes;

• watertemperature;

• waterquality;

• airtemperature.

Beawareofthepowerofthesunandensuresufficientwaterproofsunscreenisappliedtoshoulders,backsandlegsbeforeenteringthewater,(butaftertheracenumbershavebeenmarkedon).

The start procedure:

Theclerksofthecoursewillgiveacountdownoftimetothestartandat5minutestogowillmustercompetitorsclosetothestart.Afurtherrollcallwillbetakenandyouwillbeaskedtoeitherenterthewaterasyournameandnumberiscalledortakeuppositiononastartpontoon.

Youwillstartinthewaterlinedupinfrontofthestartlineoronthepontoon.Followthedirectionsoftherefereeandthestarter.Therefereemayblowawhistletohelpmartialyouintothecorrectstartingpositionandwhensatisfiedhe

willraiseaflagandpointittowardsthestarter.Thestarterwillthenraisehisflagandwhenheissatisfiedthattheswimmersarecorrectlypositionedhewilllowertheflagandsimultaneouslysoundanairhorn.

Aftercompletingtherequirednumberoflapsswimintothefinishfunnelandtouchthefinishboatwheretheindicated.

Ifyouwishtoretirefromtheracethenturnoverontoyourback,waveanarmintheairandwaitforarescueboattoassist.Youmayswimtotheshoretoretire,butyoumustensurethatthenearestjudgeonthebeachknowsofyourretirementsothattherefereeisinformedwithoutdelay.

Aheadcountwillbemaintainedatalltimesbythereferees,turnjudges,courseofficerandsafetyofficer.

The cut-off time willbe30minutesafterthefirstswimmercomeshomeinthatevent.Afterthecutofftimetherefereewilldecidewhetherthesurvivingswimmersaretobeinstructedtoleavethewater.

Intheeventofinclementweathertheracemaybestoppedorshortenedbytherefereeasadvisedbythesafetyofficer.

Ifathunderstormisforecasttobeimminentthesafetyofficerwilladvisetherefereetoclearthewaterofallswimmersandofficials.Swimmersmustnotleavethedesignatedsafetyarea,(raceheadquarters)untilinstructedbytheSafetyOfficer.

FirstAidfacilitiesareavailableinatentstaffedbySt.JohnAmbulance.Therewillalsobeamedicaldoctorinattendance.

› Officials Briefing – Sample

Allraceofficialswillhavereceivedabriefingpackinformingthemofwhatdutiestheywillperformandwhattherolesoftheotherofficialswillbe.Thispackwillincludeadescriptionanddiagramofthecourse,normalandemergencyoperatingproceduresandinstructionsonwhatclothingandequipmentisrequired.

Onthedaythebriefingwillconsistofconfirmationofdutiesandexpectations,inadditionafinalentrylistwillbehandedoutandanychangestowritteninstructionsthatwereinthebriefing.

Radioswithacallsigncardwillbedistributedtothenominatedofficials.Alisteningwatchmustbemaintainedduringtheevent.

Whereappropriatetoyourduty,maintainaheadcountofswimmersinthewater.

Ifaswimmerretiresitisimperativethattherefereesandsafetyofficerarenotifiedimmediatelybyradio,quotingtheswimmer’sracenumberandpositiononthebeachorinwhichboathe/sheisbeingbroughtashore.Topreventfurtherexposure,ensuretheswimmeriscoveredbyablanketandanorangesurvivalbag.

Bewareofthepossibilityofsunburnandusesunscreen.

BeawareofthelocationoftheFirstAidtent.

Observetheradioproceduresdetailedonthereverseofthecallsignlist.

Intheeventofanemergencythesafetyofficerwillorderyoutominimiseradiocalls,onlyradiotrafficessentialtotheemergencywillbeallowed.Maintainalisteningwatchinordertorespondtoanyinstructions.

Thesafetyofficerwillbriefboatcrews,includinganycanoelifeguards,onthecourse,safetyproceduresandradiooperation/callsignsanddrawtheirattentiontothesafetyboatinstructionsincludedwiththeirbriefingpacks.Lifejackets will be worn when embarked in a boat.

Thesafetyofficerwillalsobriefallthosewithradiosonthecorrectwaytousetheequipmentandthecorrectcallprocedures.Radiosareanitemofsafetyequipmentandmustnotbeusedforracecommentaryoridlechatter.

Intheeventof inclement weathertheracemaybestoppedorshortened.Ifathunderstormand/orlightningareimminentthesafetyofficerwilladvisetherefereetoclearthewaterofallswimmersandofficials.Allofficialswillassistinclearingthewaterasdetailedintheemergencyoperatingprocedures.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXD

OFFICIALS APPOINTMENTS

ROLE NAME RADIO

MEET DIRECTOR

LEAD REFEREE

ASSISTANT REFEREE 1 Y

ASSISTANT REFEREE 2 Y

SAFETy OFFICER Y

COURSE OFFICER Y

STARTER Y

CHIEF JUDGE Y

TURN JUDGES Y

Y

RACE JUDGE – ASHORE Y

Y

RACE JUDGES – AFLOAT Y

FINISH JUDGES

MEN’S RACE

LADIE’S RACE

CHIEF TIMEKEEPER Y

MEN’S RACE

LADIE’S RACE

CLERK OF THE COURSE

ASSISTANT CLERK OF THE COURSE

REGISTRATIONS/RECORDER

CANOEIST COORDINATOR Y

ANNOUNCER Y

BOATS

Compileacompletelistoftheboatsthataretobeused,theirroleandcrewincludingtechnicalofficials.IncludeaseparatesetofemergencyproceduresfortheboatcrewstoexecuteiftheSafetyOfficeractivatesawaterevacuationorrescue.Thissectionwillalsocontainalistofthemandatoryequipmentthatistobecarriedontheboats.(See Appendix B)

COURSE MAP

5KM COURSE

NORTH SHORE

1165.5M

81M

14M

TOWER HEAD QUARTERS

PONTOON

EVENT CONTROL

NORTH SHORE

SOUTH SHORE

SOUTH SHORE

DIR

ECTIO

N O

F SWIM

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXD

APPENDIX E: BOATS AND EQUIPMENT

BOATS

BoatsusedinopenwatercompetitionsundertheHomeFederationLawsandRulescanbeidentifiedbytheirroles.Thethreemainrolesare:

Safety Boat: hasaremitcoveringthewholeofthecourseandcompetitors.Thesafetyboatswillbeusedtocarryeventofficialssuchas,referees,thecourseofficer,andracejudges.Ineventsofover10kmracejudgesinsafetyboatswillbeallocatedtoindividualswimmersandwillcarryouttherolesoftheescortsafetyboat.

Escort Safety Boat: aspecialtypeofsafetyboatusedonlyineventsover10km.Ithasthesamefunctionsasageneralsafetyboat;howeveritisdedicatedtoasingleswimmerandwillcarrytheswimmer’scoachorrepresentativeaswellasaracejudgeandtheboatcrew.

Rescue Boat: afastboatcapableofnavigatingthewholecoursequickly.Theobjectwillbetomonitorthewholecourseandbecapableofrescuinganyswimmer,boatcreworspectatorwhomaygetintodifficultyduringtheevent.Noraceofficialwithadutyofjudginganytechnicalaspectoftheeventshouldbecarriedonboard.Communicationswillbebyradio,keepingintouchwiththesafetyofficer,refereesandotherbodiessuchascoastguard.

Inadditiontothesethreetypesofboatitisusuallypossibletoimprovesafetybyutilizingcanoelifeguardsinkayaks.

SAFETy BOAT

› Role

Aself-propelledboatdedicatedtoaraceofficial.Theyareusedforallraceofficialsafloat.Theseincludereferees,courseofficer,safetyofficer,(ifafloat);turnjudges,starter,finishjudgesandracejudges.Theindividualcraftwilleitherbesecurelymoored(e.g.turnboats,startandfinishboats)orpatrolthecourseasspecifiedintheraceproceduresanddirectedbythereferee.Inthecaseofeventsover10km

extrasafetyboatswillbeallocatedtoescortindividualswimmers,thesewillbedesignatedescortsafetyboats.

Propulsioncanbebymotor,oars,orpaddlesandtheboatmustbeseaworthyandpowerfulenoughtonavigatethecourseaccordingtoitsrole.Theriskregisterforeachboatshouldidentifytheworstconditionsthecraftisexpectedtoexperience.

› Personnel

RaceOfficial(s)pluscompetentboatcrewsufficienttohandlethecraftunderallidentifiedwaterconditions.

Note:Boatsusedforturnsandatthestartandfinish,whicharesecurelyanchoredormoored,candispensewithseparateboathandlingcrew,howeverthenumberofoccupantsoftheboatshouldneverbelessthantwo.

› Safety Boat Equipment

(Seeequipmentmatrix)

ESCORT SAFETy BOAT

› Role

Asafetyboatthatisdedicatedtoasingleswimmer,onlyrequiredforeventsover10kmbutcanbeusedforshortereventsiftheSafetyOfficersodictates.AnEscortSafetyBoathasthesamefunctionsasaGeneralSafetyBoat;howeveritisdedicatedtoasingleswimmerandwillcarryswimmer’scoachorrepresentativeaswellasaracejudgeandtheboatcrew.TheEscortSafetyBoatwillnavigatethefullcourseactingastheswimmer’spilotboatandfirstlineofrescue.Nocontactmaybemadewiththeswimmerandtheboatmustnavigatesoasnottofoulotherswimmers.Theswimmer’srepresentativemayoffercoachingandtacticaladvicetohisswimmerandhewillprovideequipmentforfeedingtheswimmer;thisequipmentmustbesuchastoensurethattheswimmerdoesnothaveanycontactwiththeboatoritsoccupants.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXE

Propulsionmaybebymotor,oars,orpaddles.Theboatmustbeseaworthyandpowerfulenoughtostayalongsidetheswimmeratalltimesandinallexpectedconditionsincludingtheworstconditionsidentifiedintheriskregister.

› Personnel

Racejudgeallocatedtohiscraftbyrandomdraw,swimmer’scoachorrepresentativepluscompetentboatcrewsufficienttohandlethecraftunderallidentifiedwaterconditions.

› Escort safety boat equipment

(Seeequipmentmatrix)

RESCUE BOAT

› Role

Afastpowerboatthatisdedicatedtoallsafetyaspectsonthewater.Therescueboatmustnotcarryraceofficialsbutmusthaveradiocontactwiththesafetyofficer,refereeandthelocalsafetyorganisation,(i.e.coastguardorlakesafetyauthority.)

› Personnel

Acompetentboatcrewsufficienttohandlethecraftunderallidentifiedwaterconditions,plusatleastoneablebodiedpassengertrainedinwatersafetyandabletodirectoperationswhenrescuingaswimmer.ThecrewmustbeRYAqualifiedtoanappropriatelevelfortheevent,includingfirstaid.Itmaybeadvisabletohaveonerescueboatwithtraineddiversaboard.Thesafetyofficerwilldecidethisrequirementaftercompletinghisriskassessment.

› Rescue Boat Equipment

(Seeequipmentmatrix)

KAyAKS

Inadditiontodedicatedfastrescuecraftitmaybedesirabletoemploykayaksmannedbyqualifiedcanoelifeguards.Thesecanbedeployedaroundthecourseatthedirectionofthesafetyofficer.Theywillactasextraeyesandearslookingforactualorpotentialsafetyproblems.Theycanbeadistressedswimmer’sfirstlineofaid,providingbuoyancyandtheabilitytotowthedistressedswimmerawayfromthepacktoapositionwherearescueboatcantakeover.Ineventsof10kmandunderakayakmaybedesignatedasescortsafetycraft.Inthiscasethekayakbecomes/actspurelyasaguide,safetyboatandfirstlineofrescue.Onlythoseitemsofequipmentidentifiedassafetyrelatedneedtobecarried.

BOAT TyPE & FUNCTION SAFETy BOAT ESCORT SAFETy BOAT RESCUE BOAT

Safety Related equipment

Propulsive power Engineoroars Engineoroars Engine

Alternative means of propulsion Oarsorpaddle Oarsorpaddle Engineoroars+

Spare fuel (if appropriate)

Lifejackets for all personnel

Spare lifejacket (2)

Whistle

Flares

Torch and spare batteries Desirable Desirable Desirable

First Aid kit (contents appropriate to conditions)

Flag Alpha

Blankets (in sealed packets)

Survival bag

Throw line

Means of removing swimmers from the water

Race Official equipment

Radio

Whistle N/A

Timer Desirable Desirable N/A

Binoculars Desirable Desirable N/A

Pens and pencils N/A

Clipboard N/A

Event log, used to record observations and incidents

N/A

Programme of events

List of entries N/A N/A

Chart or plan of the course.

Radio call sign list

Copy of approved radio procedures

Copy of race procedures N/A

Copy of emergency plans N/A

Compass Desirable Desirable N/A

GPS (course officer only) Desirable N/A N/A

Message board for writing instructions to swimmer

N/A

Means of cleaning message board N/A

Red & yellow warning cards N/A

General for all boat occupants

Food and water

Sun protection (High factor sun cream)

Hats (plus means of attachment)

Protective clothing for all conditions

Toilet provision (desirable) Desirable Desirable Desirable

Mobile phones (desirable) Desirable Desirable Desirable

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXE

APPENDIX F: RADIO PROCEDURE

The use of two-way radios is a vital tool to enable an open water event to be run safely. To meet this requirement it is necessary to establish some simple operating procedures.

Theseshouldinclude:

• whatradiocoverisneeded;

• whatcoverageislikeoverthewholecourse;

• identifyanyradioblackspots;

• whoshouldhaveaccesstoaradioandthus;

• howmanyhandsetswillberequired;

• procedureandcallsinthecaseofanemergency–designatethecalltobeusedtowarnallradiostations;

• radiocomplanwhichcontainsthechannelallocationsandcallsigns.

Radiosandsparebatteriesmustbefullychargedbeforetheevent.Iftimeallowsitisworthtestingthestateofthebatteriestoestablishiftheyareholdingtheircharge.

Onthedayoftheeventissueradios,sparebatteries,callsignsandproceduresandbriefallradiooperators.

Carryoutaradiocheckbeforeeachevent.

CHECKING RADIO RECEPTION

TheSafetyOfficerwillconductacheckbeforetheeventstarts.

All stations this is Safety officer. Radio check, stations to respond individually when addressed, over.

ThesafetyOfficerwillthencommencetocalleachstationindividually

Station. x.. this is Safety officer – Radio check, over.

TheindividualstationswillthenrespondSafety Officer this is Station.x.. – received loud and clear.

Afterallthemessageshavebeenreceivedthefinalmessagewillbe:

All stations this is Safety Officer: - All stations loud and clear, radio check complete.

Therewillbeothercallsifanyofthestationsfailtorespondorarenotreceivingloudandclear.ThroughouttheradiochecktheSafetyOfficerisinchargeandtheotherstationsshouldonlyrespondwhenaskedto.

SAFETy MESSAGE

Asafetymessageisusedtoalertallstationsthatanemergencyhasoccurredandtostopallroutineradiocalls.Thesafetyofficerwillmakethecallandfromthatpointradiocallsshouldthenonlybemadeiftheyrelatetotheemergency.Thesafetyofficerwillbeincharge.Whenthesituationhasbeenresolvedthesafetyofficerwilltransmitthemessagethatreturnsradiocommunicationstonormaloperations.Theformofthesafetymessageswillbeasagreedinthesafetycaseandbriefedtoalloperators.TheexampleterminologygivenbelowisthatusedbytheBritishArmedForces:

• toalertthenetworkthatanemergencysituationisdeveloping“all stations – minimise”

• toreverttonormaloperation“all stations - cease minimise”

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXF

TO SEND A MESSAGE

Checktheradioisonandthatyouareusingthecorrectallocatedchannel,thebatterylevelisokandthatthevolumelevelisset.

• pressthetransmitbutton,

• pause,

• sendyourmessage,(ensurethatyouspeakclearlyandslowly),

• pause,

• releasetransmitbutton.

Thepausesarenecessarytoensurethatthestartandfinishofyourmessagegettransmittedproperly;thedurationneedbenomorethan1-2seconds.

Waitforresponse;repeatyourmessageifnecessary.

Yourmessageshouldalwaysstartwiththeidentityofthepersonyouarecallingfollowedbyyouridentity.Forexampleifyouaretherefereecallingthesafetyofficer-“Safety officer this is lead referee”.

Itisusualtowaitforaresponsefromyourtargetbeforeyousendthebodyofyourmessage.

Donotholdthetransmitbuttondownanylongerthannecessaryasthisactivatesyourmicrophoneandblanksallotherradiocalls.

Alwayscheckthatnobodyelseistransmittingbeforeyoustartyourcall.

PROCEDURAL WORDS

Thereareseveralproceduralwordsusedinradiocommunications,themostimportanttorememberare:

Over: theinvitationtoreply

Out: theendofworking

Received:usedtoacknowledgereceiptofamessage

Say again:repeatyourmessage.

Say again all after xxx: repeatyourmessagefromxxxonwards

Note:itisnevercorrecttouseOverandOut!

PROCEDURAL NOTES

• keepmessagesbriefandtothepoint

• alwaysusethecallsigns-avoidpersonalnames

• avoidusingslang,abbreviationsorswearwords

• breakalongmessageintoeasilymanagedsmallermessages

• nevertransmitsensitivepersonalinformationovertheradio

• usethephoneticalphabettospelloutnameswhenasked

• radiosareonlytobeusedforeventrelatedinformation

• someteamsmayhavetheirownradiosandthisneedstobetakenintoaccountwhenallocatingwavelengthstoensurethesafetyradiosarenotinterferedwith

EXAMPLE MESSAGES

Rescue boat one calls the safety officer

Safety Officer this is rescue one Alerts Safety Officer and warns other stations to remain silent until this exchange is complete

Safety Officer replies Rescue one this is Safety Officer Establishes the two way communication

Rescue one sends message Safety officer this is rescue one - I have two swimmers who have retired, numbers 24 and 53

Safety Officer replies Rescue one this is Safety Officer – received

The normal simple reply, however In this case there is important safety information and it is advisable to repeat the important details to confirm your understanding

Alternative, clearer message Rescue one this is Safety Officer – received - understand that swimmers 24 and 53 have retired and are safely aboard your boat

Ensures that the important safety information has been received correctly. Other stations will take note of the information

Safety Officer All stations – minimize Safety message

Safety Officer All stations – cease minimize

Safety Officer All stations this is Safety Officer – Radio check

Alerts all stations to the need to respond

Individual stations Safety Officer this is -----------, received loud and clear

Stations respond individually as requested

Safety Officer All stations this is Safety Officer: - All stations loud and clear, radio check complete

Safety Officer confirms Radio Check is complete and allows normal radio traffic to commence

THE PHONETIC ALPHABET

LETTER WORD

A ALPHA

B BRAVO

C CHARLIE

D DELTA

E ECHO

F FOXTROT

G GOLF

H HOTEL

I INDIA

J JULIET

K KILO

L LIMA

M MIKE

N NOVEMBER

O OSCAR

P PAPA

Q QUEBEC

R ROMEO

S SIERRA

T TANGO

U UNIFORM

V VICTOR

W WHISKY

X X RAY

y YANKEE

Z ZULU

NUMERAL SPOKEN WORD

1 WUN

2 TOO

3 TREE

4 FOW-ER

5 FIFE

6 SIX

7 SEV-EN

8 AIT

9 NIN-ER

0 ZERO

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXF

CALL SIGN POSITION NAME MOBILE NO

Referee Referee’s boat

Assistant Referee 1 Ashore

Assistant Referee 2 Ashore

Safety Officer Safety Officer’s Boat

Course Officer Course Officer’s Boat

Safety Boat 1 Race Judge afloat

Safety Boat 2 Race Judge afloat

Turn A A Turn Boat

Turn B B Turn Boat

Chief Judge Finish

Chief Timekeeper Finish

Race Control Announcer’s Caravan

Recorder Beach

Race Judge 1 Beach

Race Judge 2 Beach

Race Judge 3 Beach

Race Judge 4 Beach

Rescue 1 Rescue Boat 1

Rescue 2 Rescue Boat 2

Chief Lifeguard Canoe Lifeguards

APPENDIX G: EVENT TIMESCALES

This is a sample template for planning an open water event. Use the entries as a checklist when drawing up your own requirements. Remember to always allocate an individual to carry out the action and set a target date for completion.

Task Actions Target date Notes

12 to 6 months

Set up Organising committee

Identify location

Gain support from local Council

Propose possible event dates

Check for clashes with other events local and national

Fix event date

Carry out initial risk assessment

Draft event budget

Book facilities (pool, sports centre, etc)

Inform local services including police, hospitals and first aid

organisations

Apply for road closures if applicable

Identify parking options

Design courses

Gain sponsorship

Identify key technical officials and check availability

Enrol help from local swimming clubs, canoe-lifeguards and boat

owners

6 to 3 months

Identify race timings, measure and finalise courses

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXG

Finalise risk assessment

Send copy of draft safety case to local authority or landowner

Prepare and distribute event publicity (e.g. posters, web-site

entries)

Prepare and distribute entry forms

Prepare draft safety case

Book medical services

Identify suppliers of necessary equipment such as radios, swim

hats or t-shirts.

Book accommodation

Update budget

Arrange site meeting

Source an announcer

Order medals/certificates

Arrange venue dressing i.e. signage

Book PA system

3 to 2 months

Plan event site layout

Order equipment as necessary (e.g. radios, survival bags, timing

equipment)

Confirm availability of all technical officials and other helpers

Prepare event programme

Produce accreditation (if restricted access)

Organise parking stewards

Source fencing/crowd barriers

Organise catering

1 month

Accept entries and dispatch competitor information packs

Prepare technical officials duty list

Send out briefing packs to technical officials

2 weeks

Brief emergency and medical services as required

Update Local Authority

Prepare commentators notes

Prepare start list

Print off event documentation

Produce a contract card

1 week

Final meetings as required

Final equipment/supply checks

2 days

Equipment arrival

Distribute equipment

1 day

Course check

Marquee erection

Set up doping control if required

Prepare all registration

Test race communication equipment

Issue equipment to key personnel

Begin registration if possible

Pre-race conference with Organising committee

Race Day

Officials briefing

Mobilise officials and other helpers

Race registration

Check course/s ready

Check are in place

Compile final start list

Brief competitors

Start race

Judge race and monitor safety

Finish race

Check and print results

Announce results

Present awards and prizes

Retrieve equipment issued to officials

Strike camp and clean up

Prepare press release and issue to media

Debrief Organising committee and key officials

De-brief from Dope Control

Post-Race Day

Finish clean up

Check and return equipment

Post results and unclaimed awards

Prepare post event report for the ASA

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXG

APPENDIX H: EVENT CHECKLIST

EVENTDATE: VENUE: MAX.NO.COMPETITORS:LEVEL:NOVICE/EXPERIENCEDAGERANGE:

CO-ORDINATOR: TYPEOFWATER:

Criteria/Action Complete Comments

Administration & Organisation

Confirm date

Confirm venue

Local authority licence/approval

Event team selected

Named officials specified

Confirm Event Co-ordinator

Pre-event course survey

Event advertised

Entry form completed

Entry disclaimer signed by entrant

Event information pack

Closing date

Specific medical considerations

Insurance

Public Liability

Event authorised to proceed:

By whom?

Medical/safety

Pre event briefing

To officials

To competitors

Presentations post events

Post events site clearance

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXH

Officials

As per Home Federation/FINA Laws

Inter-Service Liaison

Local Authority Safety Officer

Coastguard

Harbour master

RNLI

Police

Ambulance service

Local hospital A&E

Local media

Water Users representative

Fisherman’s representative

Owners representative

Lifeguards

Fire service

Independent rescue

Venue

Event history

Course history

Changing facilities

Showers & toilets (Hot/Cold Water)

Bad weather contingency

Access for emergency vehicles

First aid station

Refreshments

Hot Food

Towels & blankets

Hot water bottles

Sleeping bags

Rescue boats launching facilities

Specific shore side pollution

Swimmers water access

Swimmers water egress

Emergency rescue points

Feeding stations

Public access to course

Other water based users

Historical weather data

Historical temperature data

Historical water quality data

Water quality certificate obtained?

Location of water’s origin (if applicable)

Minimum water temperature

Maximum water temperature

Maximum air temperature

Water obstruction data

Weils Disease present?

Tides & Currents data

Daylight hours data

Timing of event

Check entry and egress from water for pollution/hazards

How will the swimmers enter the water?

If from a jetty; is it safe?

Signage

Are blue algae a problem?

Do you have a chart of the facility?

Is wildlife a problem?

Post-Event refreshments

Parking

Feeding stations

Observation tower

PA System

Accommodation

Course Design

Data from surveys

Course marking

Obstacles marked

Map of course

Spectator viewing areas

Alternative venue

What is the criterion?

Pollution, weather

Safety Considerations

Motorised rescue boats

Brief team

Numbers required

Swimmers escort

Kayaks

Boat per person?

Numbers required

Lifeguards available?

Competence of safety boats crews

Event medical response team

First Aid at Work Certificates

Event Medical support

Major Incident Plan

Radios

Emergency channel?

Batteries charged?

Batteries spares?

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXH

Mobile phones

Radio blank spots

Designated evacuation points

Up to date weather forecast

Restriction to other water users

Danger of sudden water changes

Danger of sudden climatic change

Depth of water

Temperature variation due to low temperature inversion

Visibility of whole course

Jellyfish

Prevailing winds

Availability of sub-aqua (Rescue)

Loud hailers

Log of event and appoint recorder

Insurance

Identification of swimmers

Nominated hospital/A&E Unit

Finishing procedures

Cut of time

Recording and reporting of accidents to the ASA

Safety briefing to competitors and officials

Safety briefing to other staff

Recording apparatus

Training of rescue craft drivers

Competence of rescue craft drivers

Training/competence of rescue kayaks

Swimmers identified by hat and numbers

Brief competitors

Compulsory wearing of hats

APPENDIX I: SAMPLE EVENT CONDITIONS

EVENT INFORMATION

Date:

Venue:

Venue Facilities: EXAMPLE ChangingFacilities Toiletsandshowers INSERTMAP Wetsuitsforhire(£3.80each) Café CarParking(£3) Lockertokens–50p

Entry Fee: £15

To enter the event, please click here:[]

EVENT SCHEDULE

Wave Registration Briefing Warm up Start

1 08:30–09:30 09:45 09:50 10:00

2 08:30–09:30 10:00 10:05 10:15

3 08:30–09:30 10:15 10:20 10:30

4 09:00–10:00 10:30 10:35 10:45

5 09:00–10:00 10:45 10:50 11:00

6 09:30–10:30 11:00 11:05 11:15

7 09:30–10:30 11:15 11:20 11:30

8 10:00–11:00 11:30 11:35 11:45

9* 10:00–11:00 11:45 11:50 12:00

10* 10:30–11:30 12:00 12:05 12:15

*Wave9and10willonlybeavailableifallotherwavesreachfullcapacity.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXI

CONDITIONS

1. SwimmersmustbearegisteredmemberoftheASA/SASA/WASAtotakepartintheevent.Temporarymembershipsareavailableatanadditionalcostof[£].

2. Youmustbe[]yearsorolderonthedayoftheeventtoenter.

3. [Wetsuitsarecompulsoryforthe1kmswimifyouareaged[]onthedayoftheswim.Noswimmeraged[]willbeallowedinthewaterwithoutawetsuiton.Werecommendwearingaswim-specificwetsuiti.e.suitsdesignedforswimming,whichwillprovideextrabuoyancyandwarmth.

4. Ifthewatertemperaturefallsbelow[]degreesonthedayoftheevent,wetsuitswillbecompulsoryforallparticipants.Werecommendwearingaswimspecificwetsuiti.e.designedforswimming,whichwillprovideextrabuoyancyandwarmth.

5. [Byenteringthe1kmswim,youwilldeclarethatyoucanswimatleast1500metresnonstopinapool(theequivalentof60lengthsina25mpool)]

GENERAL INFORMATION

› Age Restrictions

Tobeeligibletotakepartintheeventyoumustbeatleast[]yearsoldonorbeforethedayoftheswim.

› Waves

Therewillbeapproximately[]swimmersineachwave.

› Car Parking

Carparkingis[£]andispaidonarrivalattheentrancegate.Carparkingisavailableinthecafé/courtyardcarparkandonthegrassvergesonthewaydowntothewatersportscentre.Pleasefollowdirectionsfromthecarparkingstewards.

› Facilities

Therearetoiletandshowerfacilitiesavailableinthewatersportscentreandlockersavailableat50p.

› Camping

Campingisavailableat[]andcanbebookedthroughtheparkofficeon[].Thismustbebookedbythe[]priortotheeventdate.Tents:£6.50andCaravans/CamperVans£8.50

› Registration

Pleaseregisterattheregistrationdeskinthecourtyardatthetimeshownforyourwaveontheeventschedule.Youwillbegivenaswimcapandwristband;pleasedonotswapthesewithyourfriends!

› Briefing

Briefingswilltakeplacebeforeeachwaveontheedgeofthelakeatthetimespecifiedforeachwaveontheschedule.

› Safety

Asafetyinformationpackwillbeavailabletodownloadfromtheeventpageclosertotheeventwhichwillincludeimportantinformationregardingyourswim.Pleaseensureyouspendthetimereadingthroughthisdocumentbeforearrivingattheevent.

› What to Bring

Westronglyrecommendwearingawetsuit.Wetsuitsarecompulsoryforanyoneaged[]andforeveryoneifthewatertemperaturedropsbelow[].Youwillalsoneedtobringgoggles.

› Wetsuit Hire

Thewatersportscentrehasalimitednumberofadultandchildwetsuitsofvarioussizestohireat£3.80each.Wetsuitswillbehiredoutonafirstcomefirstservebasis.

› Medals

Youwillreceiveamedaloncompletionofyourswim.

› Catering

Therewillbeanumberofcateringunitsonsiteandyouwillalsoreceivefreesoupandarollafteryourswimtowarmup!Thiswillbeservedfromthemarqueeonthegreen.

› Medical Cover

TheRedCrosswillbeonsiteprovidingmedicalcover.

› Medical Conditions

Itisimportantthatyouinformusofanymedicalconditionsuponregistrationorbyemailing[]andthatyouhavereadandconsideredthePre-ExerciseReview.

› Withdrawals

Ifyouwishtowithdrawfromtheeventpleaseemail[]withyournameandASANumber.Norefundswillbegivenforthisevent.

› Further Info

Ifyouneedanyfurtherinformationpleasecontact[]on[].

PRE-EXERCISE REVIEW

Has your doctor ever said you have a heart condition (such as coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease or valvular heart disease)?

Yes/No

Do you feel pain in your chest, shortness of breath or dizziness when you undertake physical activity?

Yes/No

In the past month have you had chest pain when you are not doing physical activity?

Yes/No

Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness?

Yes/No

Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs for blood pressure or a heart condition or take any medication that may affect you when taking part in physical exertion?

Yes/No

Are you pregnant?

Yes/No

Do you suffer from epilepsy?

Yes/No

Do you suffer from diabetes mellitus and need to take insulin?

Yes/No

Do you know of any other reason which may affect your ability to take part in physical activity?

Yes/No

Ifyespleasestatewhy:

If you answered NO to all questions you can be reasonably sure that you can be physically active. If you answered YES to one or more questions you should consult with your doctor before embarking on physical exercise.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXI

APPENDIX J: QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

DOCTOR

AnyattendingdoctortonationalO.W.S.eventshouldhave:

i. Adequatepostgraduatetrainingandexperienceofseveralyearsduration-minimum3years;

ii. Relevantcertifiedresuscitationskills(certifiedannually)andabilitytocopewiththecommonmedicalproblemsencounteredinthesport;

iii. HavegoodbackgroundofaquaticdisciplinesandknowledgeofO.W.S.

ROLE OF THE DOCTOR

› Pre Race

• Ensurecurrentmedicalhistoryofeachathleteisknownwithparticularemphasistolongtermmedicalconditionssuchasepilepsy,diabetesmellitusetcandnecessaryimmunisationsforOWSareupdate

• Ensureownmedicalequipmentiseasilyaccessibleanduptodatetocopewithcommonmedicaleventualities

• MakeraceorganisersandraceC.M.O.awareofanyspecificmedicalissuespertainingtoBritishswimmers

• CheckmedicationtakenbyanyathleteontheteamandensureanynecessaryT.U.E.’sareuptodate

• Assessfitnesstoswimofeachathletewithreferencetoanyintercurrentinfectionorinjurythathasarisensincethemedicaldeclarationwascompletedinliaisonwithteamphysiotherapist

• Ensureadequatemedicalprovisionisavailablebytheorganisingauthoritiesandcheckthemedicalroomhasthenecessaryresuscitationequipmentandformanagementofhypothermiaandothermedicalemergencies

• Checkthatthereisbothambulanceprovisionandlocationofnearesthospitalintheeventofamedicalemergency

• Liaisewiththeheadcoach/NPDregardingalloftheaboveandbeinvolvedinanyfitnesstoparticipatedecisions

› During the Race

• PaycarefulattentiontotheprogressofanyBritishathleteduringtheraceandhavemeansofcommunicationtoteamstaffincloseproximitywiththeswimmer

• Beimmediatelyavailableintheeventofaswimmerbeingwithdrawnbeforetheconclusionoftheraceformedicalreasons

› Post-Race

• Beimmediatelyavailableattheconclusionoftheracetochecktherearenomedicalproblemsandattendtotheseandwhennecessary

• AccompanyanyathleteselectedforDopingControltothefacilityandactastheirrepresentativeduringtheprocedure

• Ifnecessaryaccompanyanyunwellathletebacktotheteamhotelbutifnotstayattheeventlocationuntilthelastathletedepartsincaseofdelayedproblems

• OnthereturntotheUKfollowupanymedicalproblemsthatmayhavearisenwithhomecoach,GPandorEISSportsPhysician

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXJ

SAFETy OFFICER

AnyattendingSafetyOfficertonationalO.W.S.eventshouldhave:

i. Adequatequalificationsandexperienceinriskassessment,safetyplanning,proceduresandimplementation;

ii. HavegoodbackgroundofaquaticdisciplinesandknowledgeofO.W.S;

iii. PreviousExperienceintheroleofSafetyOfficer;

iv. DesirabletohaveformalH&Squalifications.

ROLE OF THE SAFETy OFFICER

› Pre-Race

• BeresponsibletotheRefereeforallaspectsofsafetyrelatedtotheconductofthecompetition

• Checkthattheentirecourse,withspecialregardtothestartandfinishareas,issafe,suitable,andfreeofanyobstruction

• Beresponsibleforensuringthatsufficientpoweredsafetycraftareavailableduringthecompetitionsoastoprovidefullsafetybackuptotheescortsafetycraft

• Obtainknowledgeofwaterandtidalconditionsinavarietyofwatersources(i.e.lake,rivers,seaandestuaries)ofeventconcerned

• Providepriortothecompetitionstoallswimmersatide/currentchartclearlyindicatingthetimeoftidechangesonthecourseandshowingtheeffectoftidesorcurrentonaswimmer’sprogressalongthecourse

• InconjunctionwiththeMedicalOfficeradvisetheRefereeif,intheiropinion,conditionsareunsuitableforstagingthecompetitionandmakerecommendationsforthemodificationofthecourseorthemannerinwhichthecompetitionisconducted

• Distributetwo-wayradios

• Checktheweatherforecastandensureanychangesinweatherareplannedforandactionedcommunicatedtotheofficials/referees

• Ensurethatallsafetypersonnelandpositionshighlightedinthesafetydocumentationandraceplanarepresentandbriefed

• Checkallcommunicationequipmentaccordingtorulesandcommunicationprocedure

› During the Race

• Monitortheraceboatsandsupervisionofallswimmerstoensuretheyarebeingcontrolledinsafemanner

• Monitorweatherconditionsandbepreparedforanyremedialactiontobeputintoplaceasaresultofanymajorchanges

• Ensureon-goingathletechecks/headcountsarebeingperformedandallathletesareidentified

› Post Race

• Ensureallathletesareaccountedfor

• Ensureallofficialsandsafetypersonnelareaccountedfor

• Collecttwo-wayradiosandobtainsafetyde-briefsofsafetypersonneloftheeventandreportanyfindingstoracepromoterandRacereferee

APPENDIX K: BEAUFORT WIND SCALE

BAUFORT NUMBER

DESCRIPTION WINDSPEED WAVEHEIGHT SEACONDITIONS LANDCONDITIONS

0

Calm <1km/h 0m Flat. Calm.Smokerisesvertically.<1mph

<1km 0ft

<0.3m/s

1

Lightair 1.1-5.5km/h 0-0.2m Rippleswithoutcrests. Smokedriftindicateswinddirectionandwindvanesceasemoving.

1-3mph

1-2km 0-1ft

0.3-1.5m/s

2

Lightbreeze 5.6-11km/h 0.2-0.5m Smallwavelets.Crestsofglassyappearance,notbreaking.

Windfeltonexposedskin.Leavesrustleandwindvanesbegintomove.

4-7mph

3-6km 1-2ft

1.6-3.4m/s

3

Gentlebreeze 12-19km/h 0.5-1m Largewavelets.Crestsbegintobreak;scatteredwhitecaps.

Leavesandsmalltwigsconstantlymoving,lightflagsextended.

8-12mph

7-10km 2-3.5ft

3.4-5.4m/s

4

Moderatebreeze 20-28km/h 1-2m Smallwaveswithbreakingcrests.Fairlyfrequentwhitecaps.

Dustandloosepaperraised.Smallbranchesbegintomove.

13-17mph

11-15km 3.5-6ft

5.5-7.9m/s

5

Freshbreeze 29-38km/h 2-3m Moderatewavesofsomelength.Manywhitecaps.Smallamountsofspray.

Branchesofamoderatesizemove.Smalltreesinleafbegintosway.

18-24mph

16-20km 6-9ft

8.0-10.7m/s

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXK

6

Strongbreeze 39-49km/h 3-4m Longwavesbegintoform.Whitefoamcrestsareveryfrequent.Someairbornesprayispresent.

Largebranchesinmotion.Whistlingheardinoverheadwires.Umbrellausebecomesdifficult.Emptyplasticgarbagecanstipover.

25-30mph

21-26km 9-13ft

10.8-13.8m/s

7

Highwind,Moderategale,Neargale

50-61km/h 4-5.5m Seaheapsup.Somefoamfrombreakingwavesisblownintostreaksalongwinddirection.Considerableairbornespray.

Wholetreesinmotion.Effortneededtowalkagainstthewind.

31-38mph

27-33km 13-19ft

13.9-17.1m/s

8

Gale,Freshgale 62-74km/h 5.5-7.5m Moderatelyhighwaveswithbreakingcrestsformingspindrift.Well-markedstreaksoffoamareblownalongwinddirection.Considerableairbornespray.

Sometwigsbrokenfromtrees.Carsveeronroad.Progressonfootisseriouslyimpeded.

39-46mph

34-40km 18-25ft

17.2-20.7m/s

9

Stronggale 75-88km/h 7-10m Highwaveswhosecrestssometimesrollover.Densefoamisblownalongwinddirection.Largeamountsofairbornespraymaybegintoreducevisibility.

Somebranchesbreakofftrees,andsomesmalltreesblowover.Construction/temporarysignsandbarricadesblowover.

47-54mph

41-47km 23-32ft

20.8-24.4m/s

10

Storm,Wholegale 89-102km/h 9-12.5m Veryhighwaveswithoverhangingcrests.Largepatchesoffoamfromwavecrestsgivetheseaawhiteappearance.Considerabletumblingofwaveswithheavyimpact.Largeamountsofairbornesprayreducevisibility.

Treesarebrokenofforuprooted,saplingsbentanddeformed.Poorlyattachedasphaltshinglesandsinglesinpoorconditionpeeloffroots.

55-63mph

48-55km 29-41ft

24.5-28.4m/s

11

Violentstorm 103-117km/h 11.5-16m Exceptionallyhighwaves.Verylargepatchesoffoam,drivenbeforethewind,covermuchoftheseasurface/Verylargeamountsofairbornesprayseverelyreducevisibility.

Widespreaddamagetovegetation.Manyroofingsurfacesaredamaged;asphalttilesthathavecurledupand/orfracturedduetoagemaybreakawaycompletely.

64-72mph

56-63km 37-52ft

28.5-32.6m/s

12

Hurricane-force ›118km/h ›14m Hugewaves.Seaiscompletelywhitewithfoamandspray.Airisfilledwithdrivingspray,greatlyreducingvisibility.

Verywidespreaddamagetovegetation.Somewindowsmaybreak;mobilehomesandpoorlyconstructedshedsandbarnsaredamaged.Debrismaybehurledabout.

APPENDIX L: ATHLETE’S OPEN WATER COMPETITION SAFETy CHECK LIST

Event Admin IsthereadedicatedSafetyOfficer?(Ifnosafetyofficerispresent,whomakesdecisionsinregardtosafety?Ifnoonenominatedtheriskisincreased.)

IsthereadedicatedMedicalOfficer?

Whoisresponsiblefordecisionsonchangestotheevent?

Conditions Whatistheminimumdepthofwateratanypointonthecourse(Thisshouldbe1.40m)

Whatisthewatertemperature?(Thisshouldbeaminimumof16°c)(Preferredminimum18ºc,ifbelowthisfigurewhatisthelikelihoodfortemperaturedecrease?Maximumtemperaturetobe28ºcactiontobetakentoreducerisk.Eithershortenlength,increasesupervisiontoalevelwhereeachswimmerismonitored.Orpostponetoatimewhenambientandwatertemperaturesarereducedandtheracecanberunsafely.

Safety Boats Howmanysafetyboatsareonthecourse?

Doallboatshaveasafetyguardontheirpropeller?(Allboatsonthecourseshouldhavepropellerguards,howeveriftheydon'tthenproceduresshouldbeinplacetomitigaterisk,provideguidanceontheminimumdistancetokeepfromtheswimmers.Propellerguardstoinpaceonsafetyboatsandproceduresofhowtomanoeuvreamongstswimmersforsafetyboatsandanykayaksoncourse.)

Aretherelifeguardsonthesafetyboats?(Iflifeguardsormedicalsupportproficientinwaterrescueandresuscitationthenthereisanincreasedrisk,however,theneedistobedefinedonasitebysitebasisasitmayprovethissupportmaybeapplicablefromtheshore.)

Medical Whatmedicalbackupisavailableatthecompetition?(ThisshouldbeincludedintheNOPanddetailwhatfacilitiesareincluded(provisionforhypothermiaandhyperthermiashouldbeconsidered)

Isthereanambulanceonsite?(AvitalelementoftheEAP.Thereshouldbeanambulanceinplace,ifnotwhatistheexplanationandprocedureforemergencyresponse?)

Event Admin IsthereadedicatedeventsDirector?

Start Howdeepiswateratthestart?(Minimum1.40m)-(Ifbelowthisdepthitshouldbeaninwaterstart.Below1mfindanalternativestartpoint)

Aretherecurrentsonthefieldofplay?

Whatarethosecurrents?Direction/strengthetc?(Aretheseclearlyidentifiedintheappropriateplaces,thiscommunicatedtotheathletesandteammanagementandstrengthofcurrentdeemedacceptabletoswimin.)

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXL

Conditions Whatisthetidalinformation?(Alackofinformationwouldconstituteanincreasedrisk.Informationoncurrents,speedanddirectionprovidedandmeasureshavebeenputinplacetoidentifyareasofcurrent,procedurestomanageandincreasedsupervisiononthecoursewouldallconstituteareducelevelofrisk.)

Whataretheexpectedweatherconditions?(Increasesordecreasesintemperature,increaseinwindsorelectricalstormsallposepotentialincreasetorisk.Iftheforecasthasbeentakenintoconsiderationandactionstoreduceriskareapparentitwouldsuggestareducedlevelofriskassociatedwiththiselement.)

Haveweseenacopyofthecertificateofsuitabilityforuseofthevenueissuedbytheappropriatelocalhealthandsafetyauthorities?

Istherealeadboat?(Forbothmenandwomenifswimming10/15minsapart?)

Safety Boats Wherewillthesafetyboatsbepositioned?

Aretherelifeguardsontheshore?(Iflifeguardsormedicalsupportproficientinwaterrescueandresuscitationthenthereisanincreasedrisk,howevertheneedistobedefinedonasitebysitebasisasitmayprovethissupportmaybeapplicablefromtheshore.)

Arethereanyotherboatsallowedonthefieldofplay?(AllboatsonthecourseshouldbeforagivenpurposeandgiveninstructionsofoperationasindicatedintheNOP.)

Ifso,howmanyandwhatarethey?(AllboatsonthecourseshouldbeforagivenpurposeandgiveninstructionsofoperationasindicatedintheNOP.)

Medical Whereisthemedicalbackupsituated?(Thefurtherfromthecoursethemedicalbackupisthegreatertherisk.Ifadedicatedspotisnotpartoftheproceduresriskisincreasedfurther.)

CanthedoctorspeakEnglish?(Stepsshouldbetakentoensurethatcommunicationisunderstood.TheofficiallanguageofmostinternationaleventsisEnglish.IfthemedicalsupportcannotspeakEnglishandinterpretershouldbeprovidedsothatnodelayisincurredinadministeringmedicaltreatment.)

Start Whereisthestart?

Isthestartadiveorinthewater?

Ifadivestart,howmuchspaceisallocatedtoeachcompetitor?

Ifan“inwaterstart”,isthisbehindarope,holdingontoaropeorother?

Isthepositioningforthestartdrawnorafreeforall?

Whatisthestartsignal?

Buoys Howmanybuoysarethereonthecourse?

Wherearethebuoyspositionedonthecourse?

Whichofthosebuoysarecompulsory?

Whatcolour,shapeandsizearethecompulsorybuoys?

Whatcolour,shapeandsizearethedirectionalbuoys?

Whatdistanceapartarethebuoys?(Bothcompulsoryanddirectional)

Aretherereferees/judgespresentateachcompulsorybuoy?

Finish Whatisthefinish?Flatfinish/swimthroughfinish?

Isthefinalapproachtothefinishclearlydefinedwithmarkersofadistinctivecolourwhichnarrowastheygetclosertothefinishwall?

Willthefinishbefilmedandrecordedbyvideosystemwithslowmotionandrecallfacilitiesincludingtimingequipment?

Areswimmersbeingallocatedwithtransponders?

Ifso,oneortwo?

Whatistheracetimeline?

Menstarttime?

Womenstarttime?

Numberingforboth?

Transponderissueforboth?

Whatisthetimeframefromcallroomtostartgun(i.e.swimmersintroductionsetc)?

Feeding Stations Howmanyandwherearethefeedingpontoons?

Whattimedocoaches/teammanagersneedtoreporttothefeedingpontoon?

Wherewill‘feedingpolechecks’takeplace?

Whattimewillcoaches/teammanagersbetakenoffthefeedingpontoon?

Arethefeedingpontoonsfixed?

Arethefeedingpontoonsindicatedwithbuoys?

Whatheightarethefeedingpontoonsfromthesurfaceofthewater?

Areplacesallocatedonthefeedingpontoon?

Arethefeedingpontoonsdirectionaloristheracesidecompulsory?

Aretherefacilitiesonthefeedingpontoon?

Race Control Whoistherefereeforeachrace?

Willfingernail/jewellerychecksbedoneinthecallroom?

Willasuitcheckbedoneinthecallroom?

Medical Whereisdopingcontrol?

Dotheyneedpassportsorphotographicaccreditationinthecallroom?Transporttoandfromthecourse?

Accreditation Istheaccreditationphotographic?Ifnotensurethatpassportsarerequired.

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXL

APPENDIX M: REFERENCE LIST

• FINAHandbook(latestEdition)

• TheASAHandbook(latestEdition)

• DivingandJumpingintoSwimmingPoolsandOpenWaterAreasISRMISBN1900738600

• THEDIRECTIVE2006/7/ECOFTHEEUROPEANPARLIAMENTANDOFTHECOUNCIL

• ManaginghealthandsafetyinswimmingpoolsHSEHSG179

• GuidelinesforsaferecreationalwaterenvironmentsWorldHealthOrganisationISBN9241546808

• SwimmingPoolWater–TreatmentandqualityStandardsforSpasandPoolsPWTAGISBN09511700766

• HealthandSafetyatWorkAct1974www.hse.gov.uk

• ManagementofHealthandsafetyintheWorkPlaceRegulations1999www.hse.gov.uk

• TheDirective2006/7/ECoftheEuropeanParliamentandCouncil(TheBathingWaterDirective)www.eur-lex.europa.eu

• TheBathingWaters(England)Notice2008www.defra.gov.uk

• Europeancommission–BathingWaterProfilesBestPracticeandGuidancewww.ec.europa.eu

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXM

APPENDIX N: CONTACTS

SWIMMING TECHNICAL COMMITTEE SECRETARy

BritishSwimmingPavilion3SportPark3OakwoodDriveLoughboroughUniversityLoughboroughLeicestershireLE113QF

Telephone:01509618700

British Swimming website:www.swimming.org

FACILITIES DEPARTMENT

TheASAPavilion3SportPark3OakwoodDriveLoughboroughUniversityLoughboroughLeicestershireLE113QF

Telephone: 01509640253

Email: facilities@swimming.org

DEPARTMENT OF REGULATORy AND LEGAL AFFAIRS

TheASAPavilion3SportPark3OakwoodDriveLoughboroughUniversityLoughboroughLeicestershireLE113QF

Telephone: 01509640270

E-mail: legal@swimming.org

EVENTS TEAM

TheASAPavilion3SportPark3OakwoodDriveLoughboroughUniversityLoughboroughLeicestershireLE113QF

Telephone: 01509640266

E-mail: nationalevents@swimming.org

THE MANAGEMENT OF OPEN WATER SWIMMING EVENTS | APPENDIXN

NOFIO CYMR USWIM WALES

0036

2ASA

/BS