Why is it important to report incidents?

• We can all learn from others where situations have lead to an incident and hopefully not put ourselves in similar situations
• Clubs can use their reports to identify areas of safety needing attention in their location
• Regional Rowing Safety Advisers are able to offer advice and help clubs develop their safe practice
• Statistics gathered are important to counter knee jerk reactions to situations. For example 'all rowers should wear lifejackets like canoeists and yachtsmen!'
• Only where essential will the reports form the basis of evidence for the Club officers or the Regional Council (not the respective safety advisers) to take action if deemed appropriate. There are obvious cases of antisocial behaviour/swearing etc that might require action as well as less obvious cases where reckless actions put lives at risk would fit into this category.

Why report capsizes – even a simple capsize?

At one (or more) times in a sculler’s career he or she will have capsized with nothing more than hurt pride and a 'ribbing' from the other club members.

Why do we ask you to report apparently footlingly silly "non-" or "near" incidents such as a capsize in warm water for a novice or a slight grounding resulting in a bent fin?

Answers: Let us consider capsize.

Capsize example

Why do we have to report all capsizes even those which are ‘common’ such as those with novices when first learning to scull?

Sooner or later (let us hope it never happens) someone may come to serious harm after a capsize. In the future a Court may well ask the question – "Just how dangerous is this rowing lark? Should we not make the all rowers wear life jackets as do all dingy sailors?"

Well, if we can point out the fact that we have x thousand or tens of thousands of capsizes a year and that for y decades of this rate of capsize, no one has come to serious harm since we started to gather these data and there were, say, x, 000,000 capsizes reported over the last y years we can provide the Court with objective data on the number of capsizes that resulted in a safe recovery versus those that resulted in serious harm or worse. It is the gathering of such objective data that we seek this information.

No gathering of data = no stats. No defence if it ever comes to Court. For example, by gathering such data nationally it is known that the danger from getting dressed in the morning has quite a surprising high rate of injury or even death!

We at BR are leading the way in comparisons with other sports. You can play your part by reporting incidents where there has been a chance of injury even though none has occurred. Airlines report near misses on a no blame basis and we intend to do the same. Self-reporting will never lead to BR instigating action against a club. The system is there to help you self analyse.

Fin loss example

Similarly, if you report the location of the fin loss and we find it is regularly in the same places, we can build up a risk assessment map of locations where we need to be more careful. Such data provision is useful not only for prevention but also for accounting costs and insurance provision.

See guidance culled from RowSafe below:

Examples of incident types you need to report. (NOTE that this is not just on the water but everything to do with rowing and the club wherever so situated)

Capsize or falling out of boat through: inexperience, contact with another rowing boat, contact with other object, equipment or boat failure.

Collision through: contact with static object, moving object, navigation issue, poor visibility or lighting. Collision of boat with rigger on or off the rack, collision of body with boat (head on rigger for example), collision of rigger with boat (rigger damage on rack) etc etc.

Swamping through: rough water, collision with other rowing boat, collision with other object, wash.

Health related: manual handling, respiratory, hypothermia, heat stress, water-borne disease. (only report infected blisters – ignore normal ones!).

Equipment failure: boat buoyancy, riggers, gates, seats/feet, steering equipment, bowball, blades/sculls, safety/coaching/rescue launch, PFD’s, throw lines, racking

Land training due to: weight training, circuit training, running, cycling, indoor rowing, slips/trips

Behaviour: vandalism/violence. Bad navigation. 
Help us to help you improve your safety – even near misses provide important learning points

Responsibilities

Individual Persons

• Know the reasons for and importance of reporting and how to report online ALL incidents in which you are involved or witness (during training or recreation, at a camp or competition)

The Club’s Responsibility for action to

• Foster within the club the reporting of all incidents and especially so-called 'near incidents/misses' using the British Rowing online system and, where required, to any other relevant authority, such as the PLA within specified time periods (Note for TRRC members the PLA require only a report if the damage is over £500 and will accept the BR report forwarded on)
• Ensure all club members are aware of what constitutes a simple capsize and what incidents, including 'near incidents' needs reporting and that they are aware of how to report them online
• Set up a system within the club to enable the use of the British Rowing online reporting system ensuring that all incidents are reported as required by British Rowing
• Regularly monitor the British Rowing online reporting system to gather information on club incidents and use the statistics to develop safer practices
• Keep the members informed of incidents and ’near incidents’ at the club and ways in which action must be taken to avoid repetition

The Coach’s Responsibility for action to:

• Know the reasons for and importance of reporting and how to report online ALL incidents in which you or your crews are involved or witness (during training or recreation, at a camp or competition)

Competition Organisers and Competition Water Safety Adviser

• Know the reasons for and importance of reporting and how to report online ALL incidents involving spectators, competitors, or their boats or equipment during the competition. Note: This includes any incident where there is a 'near incident' which could have resulted in personal injury and/or damage to equipment, as well as one where there is only superficial injury (minor cut, bruise, abrasion or strain) and/or minor damage to equipment.

Club Rowing Safety Adviser

• Know what constitutes a simple capsize and what incidents including 'near incidents' are and how to report them
• Monitor regularly the Club incident log on the British Rowing online system and communicate to the club and committee the results and actions taken
• Inform the club members of the British Rowing online incident reporting system and encourage its use
• Advise the club committee on the results of the data review at suitable regular intervals and ways in which action can be taken to avoid repetition of the incidents and 'near incidents'

Regional Rowing Safety Adviser

• View online incidents as soon as practicable after notice has been sent by email
• Analyse all reports promptly and respond or where necessary require or take further action
• Liaise with the Regional Rowing Council in advising them to take action on incidents that require disciplinary or other action
• Liaise with the Honorary National Rowing Safety Adviser in taking action on very serious incidents or those requiring independence of action

Local Authority

• Comply with any additional requirements enforced by your Local Authority such as:
• The Port of London Authority, Marine Accident Investigation Branch or other authority
• Any other system for general incident reporting such as bad behaviour or bad navigation (e.g. that for the Thames Region Tideway Code Panel)