| HAZARD | PERSONS AT RISK | SEVERITY | SPECIFIC MITIGATION | CONTROL |
| General Area Obstacles | Buddies, Sailors, Carers and Helpers | Medium | 1. A Helper holding a current First Aid qualification to be available to the Shore Master during operations 2. All buddies and Helpers to have read Peterborough Sailability Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) 3. All Buddies, Helpers and Carers to be briefed on Safety procedures before being allowed near the water 4. Appropriately rated and correctly fitting personal flotation device (PFD) must be worn when on slipways, pontoons, and aboard a boat. | |
| Fire | All Participants | Low | ||
| Access for the People with disabilities | All Participants | High | Maintain high vigilance | |
| Slipway and Pontoon | All Participants | High | Disconnect seatbelts, disconnect motor drive | |
| Moving and transferring | All Participants | Medium | ||
| Boom hitting heads | All Participants | High | Maintain high vigilance when very windy | |
| Trapping of hands | Shore Crew | High | Maintain high vigilance | |
| Use of shore-based hoists | Sailors, Carers, Helpers | Medium | Carers responsible for safe operation (SOP 08) | |
| Fuel (Petrol) | Persons Handling Fuel | Medium | Handling petrol & re-fuelling Tow vehicle & Safety boat; only to be carried out by trained persons. See SOP 01 Petrol Storage & Safety. |
| HAZARD | PERSONS AT RISK | SEVERITY | CONTROL |
| Person overboard | Instructor (Buddy) Sailor | Med to high | 1. All Buddies / Sailors to be aware of other water users 2. Reefing as appropriate to weather conditions 3. Supervision by a qualified RYA Senior Instructor 4. Provision of a Safety Boat (SOP 06) 5. At least one qualified First Aider to be onsite during operations 6. Appropriately rated and correctly fitting personal flotation device must be worn when on slipways, pontoons and aboard a boat. Sailors to wear a minimum 100N lifejacket and Buddies to have minimum 50N buoyancy aid. 7. Prior discussion with carer of potential problems, and frequent rotation of Buddies and Helpers to Sailors 8. Sailing area set to minimise chance of collision. Boat numbers reduced if necessary |
| Water and weather – Risk of exposure (hot or cold) | Instructor (Buddy) Sailor | High | |
| Injuries from being hit by or trapped by parts of the boat | Instructor (Buddy) Sailor | Low | |
| Rope burns | Instructor (Buddy) Sailor | Low | |
| Aggressive Sailors | Buddies, Helpers | Medium | |
| Entrapment / Grooming | Buddies, Helpers, Sailors | Low | |
| Collision with another craft | Buddies, Sailors | Medium |
| Peterborough Sailability Standard Operating Procedure SOP 04: Risk Assessment ~ Afloat Risks; Sailing Matrix |
| Boat Type | Force 1 (1-3mph) | Force 2 (4-7mph) | Force 3 (8-12mph) | Force 4 (13-18mph) | Force 5 (19-24mph) |
| Challenger Trimaran | Paddles to be used where required. Keep clear of other boats to avoid drifting | Follow normal sailing procedures | Follow normal sailing procedures | Consider reefing boats at this stage | Boats to be reefed Black flagged if wind/ weather conditions are unsuitable |
| Deben Lugger | Motor to be used where required | Follow normal sailing procedures | Follow normal sailing procedures | Consider reefing boats at this stage Buddies to be confident Avoid gybing whilst sailing. | No sails to be used. Motor to be used Buddies to be confident Black flagged if wind/ weather conditions are unsuitable |
| Comet | Keep clear of other boats to avoid drifting | Follow normal sailing procedures | Follow normal sailing procedures | Consider reefing boats at this stage Buddies to be confident Avoid gybing whilst sailing. | Reefed sails to be used. Buddies to be confident Black flagged if wind/ weather conditions are unsuitable |
| Access 303 Dingy | Paddles to be used where required. Keep clear of other boats to avoid drifting | Follow normal sailing procedures | Sailing at discretion of SI | Sailing at discretion of SI Consider reefing boats at this stage | Sailing at discretion of SI Boats to be reefed Black flagged if wind/ weather conditions are unsuitable |
- Wind speeds are based on the Beaufort scale.
- The Senior Instructor (SI) will make the final decisions on sailing conditions at the time and whether they are suitable for sailing. Sailing areas may be restricted.
- The Senior Instructor will take account of the hot weather forecast in good time to make an assessment.
- Reefing of boats will depend on the wind direction and the forecast for the day. This will usually be carried out at the start of the sailing day to avoid re-rigging of boats during operations.
| Peterborough Sailability Standard Operating Procedure SOP 04: Risk Assessment ~ Powerboat Risks |
| HAZARD | PERSONS AT RISK | SEVERITY | CONTROL |
| Powerboat Injuries | Safety Boat Crew | Med/High | 1. Essential Controls are used. 2. Switch engine off when close to people in the water 3. Communications maintained with the Shore Master and S.I. 4. Approach those in the water at a slow speed 5. Remove persons from water using approved recovery techniques (RYA Safety Boat Handbook) 6. Correct boat loading 7. Vigilance whilst moving 8. Safety Boat operated at a safe speed and a ‘kill cord’ is always to be used. |
| Capsize Swamping Collision with other boats | Safety Boat Crew Any Passengers | High | |
| Person Overboard | Safety Boat Crew Any passengers | Med/High | |
| Propeller Injuries | Safety Boat Crew Casualties | High | |
| Crush Injuries: Coming alongside Transferring Crew | Safety Boat Crew Any passengers | Med/High | |
| Engine failure & Fire | Safety Boat Crew Any passengers | Low |
| Peterborough Sailability Standard Operating Procedure SOP 04: Risk Assessment ~ Tow Vehicle Risks |
| HAZARD | PERSONS AT RISK | SEVERITY | CONTROL |
| Loss of Control | Tow vehicle driver All participants | Med/High | 1. Tow vehicle driven by trained and qualified drivers only, having a full car licence 2. Operate at slow speed 3. Use of shore crew when reversing up the slipway 4. Vigilance whilst moving, especially whilst reversing |
| Reversing | All participants | High | |
| Parking | Tow vehicle driver | Low | 1. Park on level hard surface 2. Engage the parking brake 3. Turn the ignition key to “off” |
| Engine failure & Fire | Tow vehicle driver | Low | 1. Maintain vehicle in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions 2. Be aware of the location of the nearest fire extinguisher |
| Terms | |
| SAILORS | The term Sailors covers all Peterborough Sailability clients who are taken out sailing, having varied levels of sailing ability, from able to sail solo to never having been in a boat before. |
| BUDDIES | Buddies are Helpers who take sailors out in our boats. They are all RYA-qualified (Dinghy level 2 or equivalent for boat type) and under the supervision of a Senior Instructor. All Buddies carry boat-to-shore radios. |
| ASSISTANT INSTRUCTORS (AI) | Assistant Instructors help to train and develop our Buddies, Helpers and sailors for safe sailing. They are all RYA-qualified Assistant Instructors, operating under the supervision of a Senior Instructor. |
| SAFETY BOAT | Boats are not allowed on the water without Safety Boat cover in place. Safety boat drivers are all RYA qualified with minimum Powerboat level 2 and PS Towing endorsement, with one designated driver on standby during all sailing times. |
| PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICES (PFD) | PFD; The correct lifejacket or buoyancy aid must be worn by all participants on slipways and pontoons, and whenever aboard a boat. We have reviewed and upgraded our standards for personal flotation devices in line with RYA recommendations. All of our sailors with disabilities will wear a lifejacket with a minimum of 100N buoyancy. |
| SAILING CONDITIONS | Prevailing Weather conditions are assessed regularly during each sailing day, to ensure safe sailing at all times. |
| SAILING BOATS | Peterborough Sailability operates four classes of Sailing Boats; Challenger Trimaran, Access 303 Dinghy and Deben Lugger. All are designed for safe use by sailors with disabilities. |
| FIRST AIDER | During all Peterborough Sailability operations there will be a Qualified First Aider on site. |
| HELPERS | Helpers are Volunteers who carry out many different functions to support the operation. They are all DBS-checked. |
| Assessment Undertaken: | Name | Signed | Date |
| Assessment Reviewed by: | JH | 18 April 2020 | |
| Strategic Edit by: | RD/BL | 5 March 2023 |