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Safety

Presented for
2011 US SAILING
National Sailing Programs Symposium
By Joni Palmer

SAFETY KEEPING YOUR HEAD ABOVE WATER DAILY AND OUT OF HOT WATER WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

Overview

• Safety: The condition of being safe; freedom from danger, risk, or injury.
• The reciprocal of safety is risk
• Sailing programs are somewhere in between… manage the inherent risk

             Recognize situations
             Reduce the number of small accidents and incidents
             Be prepared should harm actually occur
             Monitor and adjust

Structure provides the base for a safe program

• Program structure
• Management structure
• Policy structure
• Procedure structure
• Record keeping structure
• Training structure
• Staff structure
• Student structure
• Daily structure
• Emergency response

General practices guide operations for a safe program

• Properly plan
• Provide proper instruction
• Understand the capabilities and limitations of students
• Provide and maintain safe environment
• Provide and maintain proper equipment
• Provide proper supervision
• Asses risks and warn of inherent risks
• Maintain complete records
• Provide appropriate emergency procedures

Small boat program real life scenarios and lessons learned
Review key issues for small boat program daily management

• Communication
• Student: instructor ratio
• Instructor orientation/ management
• Documentation
• Maintenance
• Daily procedures
• Emergency procedures

Motorboat real life scenarios and lessons learned
Review key issues for small boat program daily management

• Many programs rely on motorboats of all sizes, shape, conditions
• Types of motorboats need to match requirements
• Maintenance
• Training
• Operations

Big boat program real life scenarios and lessons learned
Review key issues for big boat program daily management

• Checklists
• Individual safety gear
• Communication
• Standard operating procedures (SOP)
• Boat information booklet (BIB)
• Emergency equipment
• Equipment maintenance
• Program related policies (supervision, preventer, lessons learned)