A number of forms were developed for the National Event. They are held as separate word files by the Secretary and also alongside the SROC printer:
a. Vehicle key storage
b. Record of Finishers
c. Missing/injured competitor report form
d. Incident log
e. Unattended vehicles
f. Searchers Monitor
(The Organiser should also have all controls maps available, and ready access to maps of specific courses if a search becomes necessary.)
· Competitors’ travelling companions, spectators
· General public
o Organiser should check that the event has been registered with BOF to ensure public liability insurance cover.
o A BOF risk assessment form must be completed
o Adequate records must be available for any incident that might result in a claim against BOF insurance. BOF Incident Report Form should be completed – within a week – for “any injury which, in a place of employment would be recorded in an Accident Book..” (Note: this report form also applies to cases of property damage.)
o Appropriate first aid provision
o Organiser must have systems in place to deal with:
o Injuries on the competition area
o Reports of missing competitors
In each case, the suggested
starting point is to:
· Complete a Missing/Injured Competitor Report form to collate intelligence (form available)
· Start an Incident Log (form available) to record actions taken
· Relate information to an all controls map
· Locate any fellow travellers and/or contact details
For larger events
or any judged to be higher risk:
o Consider the appointment of a Safety Officer.
This does not remove the duty
on the Organiser to take responsibility. However, it does mean someone is
specifically and independently reviewing arrangements from a safety viewpoint.
On the day, the Safety Officer can coordinate safety checks and arrangements
for dealing with casualties etc, whilst the Organiser concentrates on the
overall functioning of the event. Whilst the Planner and the Controller are
responsible for safety on the competition area and have the detailed knowledge
of the terrain and its problems to make the judgments here, the Safety Officer may also be able to
make a contribution. Safety Officer can also take on the task of liaising with
organisations such as
Good communications are essential to event safety, but may be difficult to provide. Radios should be backed up by mobile phones. Establish the availability and strength of radio and mobile phone signals from key areas. Provide all principal team members with a list of mobile phone numbers and allocation of radios. Consider alternative ways of raising assistance if radios and mobile phones do not work in a particular area.
Teams going out to deal with a casualty on the competition area should have a mobile phone for their own safety and also so that they can make direct contact with the emergency services if necessary.
1.
Event
Flyers and Final Details
o Spell out to competitors the nature of the event and any particular hazards, so that they can take adequate steps to ensure their own safety. Well-informed competitors is a key element, so ensure that everyone has access to final details and also that Enquiries/Registration are conversant with their contents.
o Add the reminder that: “Competitors take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety”
o Remind all competitors to download, even if they retire.
o Remind competitors to dress appropriately for the current and anticipated weather conditions on the day.
o State situation as regards whistles and/or cagoules. If there is a possibility that cagoules might be made compulsory, then competitors must be aware of this before they arrive at the event.
o State whether there is a clothing dump or transfer.
o Advise lone competitors to use the buddy system or deposit vehicle keys (Vehicle key storage form available – to support this, envelopes and storage box need to be provided by SROC)
2. Registration
o Should avoid giving novices late start times, particularly on longer courses.
3. Whistles and Cagoules
If these are compulsory:
o Competitors need to be made aware of this before they make their way to the Start
o It must be enforced, with a thorough check of all competitors. Anyone who insists on starting without, should have their name taken and reported to the Controller.
o Organisers must ensure that team leaders and all team members are well briefed and appropriately prepared for their task, and – in turn – have thoroughly briefed their teams. In particular, identify any inexperienced helpers who may require more detailed guidance and information (including advice on appropriate clothing, adequate food and drink).
o Helpers should be reminded not take actions that would compromise their own safety.
o Any potentially dangerous electrical or other equipment should be checked for safety before the event and only be handled by those with suitable experience.
o Anyone going out onto the competition area to deal with a casualty should ensure they have food/drink/clothing as appropriate for their own needs.
o Adequate shelter must be provided for teams.
o All members of the parking team must wear high visibility vests.
o No-one should drive off-road without explicit permission, and should be in a suitable vehicle and have appropriate experience.
o Helpers intending to run long courses or who are inexperienced should not be late starters.
o
Organiser should have contact details for
helpers (SROC membership list)
Do not
assume that there will only be one casualty.
1.
SROC
emergency rucksack
The club has at least one rucksack containing a first aid kit and shelter/sleeping bag etc for dealing with/preventing hypothermia. Inform the Equipment Officer if anything is used so that it can be replaced.
2.
SROC
First Aiders
The club has a number of people with first aid qualifications and experience who may be prepared to deal with casualties either at the Finish or out on the competition area. Unless adjacent to Assembly, the Finish should be manned and able to summon first aid assistance. The more remote the Finish, the more important it is that there are first aiders at the Finish to treat or stabilise walking wounded or go out into the competition area to deal with casualties.
3.
Medic
Members with medical training may be useful in providing advice (for instance, on moving a casualty or treatment of a heart attack). Note: they may be unfamiliar with the practicalities of first aid.
4.
Competitors will expect the
presence of
5.
Mountain
Rescue
The attitude towards attending an event seems to vary between teams. Kendal Mountain Rescue, for instance, will not provide cover on the day (unless they can be persuaded with enough prior notice to build the event into their training schedule). (And, of course, they could be called off to another emergency.) For larger events, or anywhere with specific safety concerns, Mountain Rescue should be briefed in advance. Provide location details, information about vehicle access onto the competition area, all controls maps (could be collected on the day if appropriate) and mobile phone number of an event contact on the day. Call out Mountain Rescue through the Police, by dialing 999.
There are
three elements:
a)
locate
b)
stabilise the condition and prevent hypothermia
c)
evacuate
SROC needs to deal with a) and
b).
Evacuation:
Casualties who cannot walk unaided must be evacuated by the emergency
services. In the interim, the casualty must be kept warm and made as
comfortable as possible, without causing
further injury.
SROC should only evacuate if the casualty is able to make his/her own way safely off the competition area. In this case, the casualty may need to go to nearest vehicle pick-up point. Casualty should not be moved until pick-up arrangements have been determined.
In advance of the event, the Organiser should have identified access points for vehicles (e.g. Mountain Rescue) and points where walking wounded could be guided off the competition area for collection by vehicle.
o Need to be contacted and informed as soon as possible
o Should not be allowed to go out into the competition area in the case of a casualty/missing competitor
If competitor is a lone traveller may need to contact relatives. At larger events, entry list details should be used.
1.
Reports
from fellow travellers
2.
Checks
of:
a. Vehicle keys uncollected (at intervals during the day as well as when courses close) (Vehicle key storage form available)
b. Vehicles remaining in parking field (Parking checks form available)
c. Hired e-cards outstanding
3.
Checks
of Finishers against Starters:
o To overcome any delay consequent on a significant distance between the Finish and Download, arrangements should be made for the Finish team to radio-in details of those finishing, starting this process in the half hour before courses close. (Record of Finishers form available.)
o If using Sport Ident: Interrogate check boxes to compare starters against competitors who have downloaded. Start team must be explicitly reminded to check the e-card of every starter, including helpers, and to transfer the check boxes to Download. Download must be located and set up to ensure that no-one can bypass the system and that there is no temptation for a competitor to delay downloading. Must also have a system in place to deal for helpers who do not go to Download immediately after running.
o
If using
control cards: Match control cards with stubs. This requires all stubs to
be completed – best to make this an explicit task for Registration (even if
this means increasing the size of the team). Start team must collect stubs for
every starter, including helpers, and should check that they are filled in.
Return of stubs to Results processing must be frequent.
o Use of start lists on which the starter is ticked off and then reconciled with finishers is not recommended. There are problems in wet weather; errors – forgetting to tick off, ticking off the wrong person, missing late starters; colour coded (EODs) need to be added; need to be passed to Finish or Results at regular intervals (and before the competitor has finished); would be very difficult to manage if switched to a punching start.
At the height of the event, there is a large chance of
problems out on the course being noted and reported by competitors:
·
Brief Finish team to question Finishers
·
Alert Planner and any other officials out in the
competition area
·
Alert Download to inform if/when the competitor checks
in
·
It is advised that only minimal
searching should be undertaken by SROC. SROC has neither the
skills, communications nor manpower to conduct a major search. Search
teams must not be allowed to go out unless they are fit and well prepared, have
mobile phones and carry enough kit to support their own personal safety. They
must be checked in and out.
Searching by SROC would be started towards the
end of the competition. It is recommended that it takes three forms:
Friends and relatives of the
missing person should not be allowed to participate in any search. Potential
searchers should ideally be identified in advance, and asked to report in to
the Organiser/Safety Officer when courses close.
Call out should be made sooner
rather than later. This will generate a police incident number and minimise
delays in receiving help. Incident can always be cancelled.
Call out should usually be done by
the Organiser or Safety Officer. If this is impractical or inappropriate, it
can be done by anyone and the Organiser/Safety Officer advised of actions as
soon as possible.
Circumstances when Police/Mountain
Rescue would be called include :
·
If SROC personnel are unable to mount any searches
·
If SROC is having to deal with several incidents
·
If searches by SROC fail to locate a missing
competitor
·
If weather or daylight or the likely condition of the
casualty are such that any delay in locating the missing competitor could be
problematic
Police/Mountain Rescue should also
be called in to evacuate any injured competitors who cannot make their own way
off the competition area.