Activities & Field Studies Department Standard Operating Procedures 2015

General risk assessment for and Abseiling

Activity: Climbing and Abseil Activity Session

What are the hazards?  Participants at height  Uneven ground  Unauthorised use, Malicious damage and vandalism  Accessing and setting up, de-rigging  Items falling from height on to participants / instructors  Equipment failure  Adverse weather including lightning / high winds and storms.  Loose fittings on tower Who is at risk? Instructors, participants and members of the public.

What are the risks? Existing safety measures/controls

Ankle injuries, head  All equipment is checked daily before use and as part of a continuous routine of full injuries and back injuries monthly safety inspections carried out by climbing and ropes course instructors and fractures from falls  Equipment is replaced with the manufactures recommendations regarding its either during climbing / maximum life span abseiling or .  Any equipment that is questionable is immediately taken out of action, put into the second opinion bin located in the ropes course shed and then the Senior Instructor is informed  The tower is inspected every morning and during the monthly checks, checking for malicious damage and vandalism  There is a minimum requirement of two instructors to be present during session preparation and take down  Access is via internal ladders. The instructor will ensure that every person on top of the tower has a safety line to the hand rail to stop instructors and participants from falling  Instructors are all trained in every aspect of the sessions from set up to delivery as well as maintenance checks and inspections.  Monitoring regularly by senior staff  Soft ground covering around the base of the tower.  Anyone within the tower compound must be wearing a helmet except when they are sitting in the “bus shelter” or a clear safe zone has been marked off by the instructor  Bouldering is briefed by the instructor and no person’s feet may pass above one meter. Participants are free to boulder following a briefing  There are tall fences surrounding the tower and the gate is kept locked when no sessions are taking place  The tower is lockable and the door is kept locked when not in use  The equipment shed is locked and alarmed at the end of the day  Warning signs on the fence  All equipment is stored at the end of each day  All instructors will have been trained, assessed and deemed competent to run sessions and will set up the tower as per their training Last Page 92 of 260 review

Next Review March 2016 Chief Instructor 1 year following last review Activities & Field Studies Department Standard Operating Procedures 2015

 Instructors also undergo observations throughout the year Items falling on to heads  Everyone within the tower compound is required to wear helmets. causing impact injuries  Participants are asked to remove loose items from their pockets. - from the top of the  Dead wooding is carried out on an annual basis climbing tower or from  There are annual inspections by the manufacturers or a competent engineer. adjacent trees  Instructors set up and check the tower each morning and will ensure there are no loose items at the top of the climbing tower. Adverse weather  Sessions cancelled in Force 7 and stronger winds. conditions causing injury  There is an anemometer available to check the wind strength, kept in the coach / illness such as lightning house. causing electrocution,  Sessions stopped in lightning storms for 20 minutes. wind and rain causing  Guests are recommended to wear appropriate clothing, carry water and sun cream. hyperthermia and very  There is shelter available for both rain and sun. hot days causing  In the event that the weather conditions get too much for groups, the sessions can hypothermia. be cancelled / postponed and the group sent off to get dry/ warm up or cool down.  Water is available free of charge from drinking fountains.  Instructors can stop a session if they feel the weather conditions are unsuitable and safety might be compromised. Harnesses / systems  Instructors training and assessment cover correct fitting of equipment failing due to poor fitting  Staff are monitored daily (walk about) and feedback is recorded and passed onto them  A complete system check takes place prior to all accents  Clients are taught and asked to clip in themselves. Instructors then double check their making all systems a “two check system”

Reference to other manuals assessments:  Avon Tyrrell reference and training folder  UK Youth Health and Safety policy  Activity department training and resource folder  Climbing and Abseiling manual

When was the assessment reviewed and by whom? Friday, 06 March 2015 Chief Instructor

Date of next review and to be done by whom? 1 year from this review Chief Instructor

Last Page 93 of 260 review

Next Review March 2016 Chief Instructor 1 year following last review Activities & Field Studies Department Standard Operating Procedures 2015

Abseil Risk Assessment

Activity: Abseil Activity Session

What are the hazards?  Falls from interior ladders  Entrapment – hair / fingers in fig 8  Rope burns to hands  Falling from the top of the tower  Scraping body on descent Who is at risk? Instructors, participants and members of the public.

What are the risks? Existing safety measures/controls

Slipping and falling from  The ladders are positioned in such a way that there is no risk of falling more than 2 interior ladders. Falling metres. from the top of the  All participants under 18 must be monitored as they climb up the ladders on the inside tower. of the climbing tower. This can be done by the instructor or a responsible group leader.  All participants climb to the top of a ladder and wait on the next platform until all participants are there as well as the instructor before moving up the next ladder.  On the final ladder the instructor will ascend first in order to clip participants in to the safety system as soon as they reach the abseil platform.  The participants safety line is short enough to prevent them falling down the access hatch  The instructors safety line is short enough to prevent them from falling over the edge of the tower when the abseil gate is open  There are electric lights inside the climbing tower.  Surrounding the abseil platform is a permanent barrier with lockable gates.  All gates are kept locked with the exception of the gate that participants need to go through to abseil.  Before participants are taken off the “safety line system” they are placed on the abseil safety system.  Before stepping through the gate, all equipment, ropes and knots are thoroughly checked.  Instructors are secured with their own independent safety system  The abseil is to be set up as per their training Entrapment of fingers  The system is explained to participants before they start their abseil and they are told and hair in the figure of 8 to keep their hands away from the figure of 8. on descent of the tower.  Hair should be tied back or bunched under the helmet to avoid it coming loose and getting tangled in the system.  If there is a case of entanglement all instructors are trained in rescue procedures and the abseil is releasable. Scraping body on descent  Instructors brief participants on proper abseil position ensuring that feet have contact with the wall but not the rest of the body.  Instructors coaching throughout and in constant verbal contact. Rope burns  The speed of descent is monitored by the instructor.  If participants abseil too quickly, instructors will slow down the abseil with the safety rope that they control. Last Page 94 of 260 review

Next Review March 2016 Chief Instructor 1 year following last review Activities & Field Studies Department Standard Operating Procedures 2015

 The abseil rope will not move too quickly through the figure of 8 and rope burns will not be a problem. Participants descending  A safety line will be attached to the participant and if necessary the instructor will to quickly , hitting the control their descent floor resulting in impact  Proper training and explanation will be given to the participant injuries  Instructors externally assessed for their competence Unauthorised use of the  All bouldering activity to be undertaken under instructor supervision only. tower during abseil  The Instructor on the ground must be aware of participant numbers, carry out sessions random head counts and be aware of where each member of the group is at all times.  Group leaders are required to assist in group supervision while on abseiling sessions and will be asked to do so at the start of each session.  The access door to the tower will be locked and the key will be with a trusted person

Reference to other manuals assessments:  UK Youth Health and Safety policy  Activity department training and resource folder

When was the assessment reviewed and by whom? Friday, 06 March 2015 Chief Instructor

Date of next review and to be done by whom? 1 year from this review Chief Instructor

Last Page 95 of 260 review

Next Review March 2016 Chief Instructor 1 year following last review Activities & Field Studies Department Standard Operating Procedures 2015

Climbing Risk Assessment

Activity: Climbing Activity Session

What are the hazards?  Climbing holds coming loose  Trapping fingers in holds or hangars  Scraping body on descent  Bouldering wall  Falling from height Who is at risk? Instructors, participants and members of the public.

What are the risks? Existing safety measures/controls

Climbing holds coming  All holds are checked monthly and if any start to come loose during sessions, this is loose leading to falls by noted and they are tightened up at the earliest opportunity. participants or injuries to  Participants are always tied in to safety systems so that if a hold comes loose they will the people below. be supported in their harness.  There will be good communication with the instructor on session.  All participants wear helmets and nobody is directly beneath a climber, therefore should not be hit by a falling hold.  If however they are, the helmet will protect the head. Trapping fingers in holds  Warnings are given to participants are told not to use the bolts as climbing holds or bolt hangers causing  This is monitored by instructors to ensure that these instructions are adhered to. entrapment,  All holds are monitored and regularly checked to ensure there are no sharp edges. dismemberment or crush injuries. During the descent, the  Participants are lowered under the control of qualified instructors. participant can scrape  They are told how to come down safely and the correct position to do so. themselves on the wall or  If a participant has trouble, their descent is slowed until they are in the correct position. on climbing holds. Slipping and falling from  Participants are told not to climb on top or over the wall the bouldering wall  Climbing grips are set out so there is a big gap between hand and foot holds reducing resulting in injured ankles the temptation to move their feet above the 1M line Falling from height due to  Gri Gri used as illustrated in the most current operation manual from improper use of Gri Gri /  Gri Gri operation must be in the control of the instructor: o One hand on the rope and ready to arrest a fall by pulling on the rope or o Knots tied in every 3 meters  Instructor must have 2 hands on the inactive rope during lower offs, where participants are lowering off this needs to be FULLY taught and under direct supervision of the instructor  On wet days ATC can be used but this must only be done by instructors  ATC’s can be used by participants on skill based courses. Instructors must be in full control as with Gri Gri and should be used as taught. Reference to other manuals assessments:  Avon Tyrrell reference and training folder  UK Youth Health and Safety policy

Last Page 96 of 260 review

Next Review March 2016 Chief Instructor 1 year following last review Activities & Field Studies Department Standard Operating Procedures 2015

When was the assessment reviewed and by whom? Friday, 06 March 2015 Chief Instructor

Date of next review and to be done by whom? 1 year from this review Chief Instructor

Last Page 97 of 260 review

Next Review March 2016 Chief Instructor 1 year following last review