River Safety and Rescue (RSR) Training Guidelines Irish Canoe Union Sport HQ, Park West, Dublin 12 01 6251105 www.canoe.ie Irish Canoe Union RSR Trainer Notes 2 CONTENTS 1.01 Introduction 3 1.02 Personal Equipment 3 1.03 Understand Hydrology 5 1.04 Safe Practices - CLAP Principle 7 1.05 Risk Assessment – Decision Making 8 1.06 Safety Zones and Leadership 10 1.07 Safe River Running Methods 11 1.08 Prioritising Rescue - Safe order of priority – STIG 14 1.09 Self Rescue 15 1.10 Systematic approach to a rescue 16 1.11 Progression of Extraction 17 1.12 Access & Egress 19 BC RSR Notes - 03/12/2014 Irish Canoe Union RSR Trainer Notes 3 1.01 Introduction These RSR Trainer Notes have been developed to support the provision of Canoeing Irelands River Safety & Rescue Awards. The notes are specifically designed for instructors delivering the RSR programme, however they will also be of interest to students and general members to assist in the development of their personal River Safety & Rescue Skills. In order to create an effective working document RSR competencies have not been repeated at each level if covered in the previous RSR level. In other words training at RSR 2 should ensure that all of the competencies under RSR 1 are understood and practiced by the course participants, likewise training at RSR 3 should ensure that the competencies under RSR 1 and RSR 2 are understood and practiced by the course participants. In some cases competencies are progressed from RSR 1 to RSR 2 to RSR 3, trainers must ensure that students understand and practice the fundamental competency before progressing to the more advanced competency. 1.02 Personal Equipment RSR 1 RSR 2 RSR 3 Footwear . Importance of good footwear to avoid . Importance of good footwear to . Discuss importance of footwear for injury: standing on sharp objects in river manoeuvre on banks with out slipping or running on banks or carrying boats in twisting an ankle. portages without slipping. Importance of fit of footwear so as not to loose it during swims. Helmet . How to identify appropriate helmet for . Importance of good coverage of . Discuss impact resistance and coverage flat water: CE approved, all straps and forehead, temples and back of head. of different helmet designs cradles functioning. Importance of good fit to prevent helmet . How to fit helmet appropriately to cover moving in capsize. forehead and not move about, using the chin strap and cradle (if fitted). Buoyancy . How to identify appropriate buoyancy . Advantages of buoyancy aids with more aid: CE approved, minimum 50N than 50N buoyancy when in aerated buoyancy, good fit, and good adjustment water . How to fit buoyancy aid appropriately to ensure it does not slip off. Integrated . N/A . Importance of safe quick release system . When and how to use friction plate Harness (should only be used where release of BC RSR Notes - 03/12/2014 Irish Canoe Union RSR Trainer Notes 4 the system would result in death or major injury and where a quick release would not be necessary under any circumstance) . Highlight danger of snap gate crabs on harness webbing Throwbag . Clean Rope Principle . Different Throw Bag Designs: Thick rope vs Narrow rope . Where to carry the rope . Importance of functioning quick release if rope is waist mounted Knife . Serrated blade with blunt end . Highlight ease of access . Single hand opening preferable . Discuss tying the knife to the buoyancy, preference to have knife tied to buoyancy with quick release system. Whistle . 1 Blast: look at me, continuous blasts: emergency (woops can be alternative) Mobile . N/A . Waterproof pouches, where to carry the . Useful numbers to have phone . Level 4 & 5 Instructors Phone . Kayaking Providers & Clubs per region . Kayaking paramedics & first aid providers . Canoeing Ireland Officers . Irish Hospitals Karabiner . N/A . 2 karabiners, one snap gate and one . 2 slings; at least one of which is an open screw gate sling; both should have a full sling length & Sling . 1 sling (open length) of 4-5m. Sling should be open & 4-5 metres long . 2 snap gate karabiners, at least one of . Explain D shaped, Pear shaped (wide which is pear shaped (wide gate) gate), snap gate, screw gate and . 2 screw gate karabiners advantages of each type . Storage of sling and karabiner in waist tube First Aid . N/A . First aid kit to deal with Breathing, . First Aid Alternatives: Cling Film & Bleeding, Breaking. Pencil & Water Sanitary Towels Kit Proof Paper. Kisu . N/A . How to use & advantages . Flysheet from old tent will suffice BC RSR Notes - 03/12/2014 Irish Canoe Union RSR Trainer Notes 5 Spare . N/A . Suitable cloths; thin hats, neck gators, xl fleece jackets Clothes . When to use spare clothes Repair Kit . N/A . Surf wax, duct tape (can be carried on paddle shaft), multi-tool . Where to salvage nuts & bolts on a boat; lock nut on foot plate. How to make a spare bung from centre pillar foam Split . Demonstrate use and discuss . Using splits as splints application Paddle Prusik . N/A . 2 prusiks, 4-6mm climbing grade chord, open length of 2 metres, loop length of 1 metre . Explain how to tie fishermans knot to make a prusik Other . Permanent Marker . Fold out saw . Dental floss & needle . 1 metre length of piping Gear 1.03 Understand Hydrology RSR 1 RSR 2 RSR 3 River . Explanation of River Left & Right Left & Right Flow & . Explanation of flow and eddy . Explanation of eddy line, demonstration Eddy of eddy line using rope lined up on one to show location. Wave . Explanation of Wave BC RSR Notes - 03/12/2014 Irish Canoe Union RSR Trainer Notes 6 Stopper . Explanation of Stopper . Identifying safe & dangerous stoppers by the surface action of the water flowing back towards or away from the stopper . Discuss how to test a stopper Bends . Explain behaviour of water at bends . Fast water on outside, slow water on inside . Erosion on outside of bend, water pushes to outside of bend . Discuss momentum at bends, similar to racing line in track racing Strainer . Explain strainer, discuss how to identify, discuss implications. Explain why often found on outside of bends; erosion of bank. Undercut . Explain undercut and discuss how to identify and where one would expect to see one; outside of bends, often on either side pools below significant drops , where water impacts heavily on rock to erode it. Siphon . Explain siphon and distinction from undercut. Discuss how to identify and where one would expect to see a siphon; at rock outcrops on outside of bends, where water impacts heavily on rock to erode it through. Sieve . Explain sieve, discuss how to identify, discuss implications BC RSR Notes - 03/12/2014 Irish Canoe Union RSR Trainer Notes 7 1.04 Safe Practices - CLAP Principle RSR 1 RSR 2 RSR 3 Communication . Signals (visual/audio) must be clear, . Positive Pointing – only point where . Additional Visual Signals: Tongue, concise and agreed. you want people to go. Never point drop, boof, gorge . Audio - 1 whoop, or blast of whistle: at hazards! look at me, continuous whoops or . Additional Visual Signals: stop, go, blasts: emergency, stop and come to eddy in/out, go left/right/centre, push me left/right, stopper, rock, tree, all . Visual Signals – point to where you together, one at a time, take a look, want people to go, pat head – are you unrunable, portage, throw bag, get ok, response: pat head I’m ok, thumbs out, I need first aid. down I’m not ok . At singularities - No signal, no move, never assume it’s ok. Line of sight . All group members must be able to . Keep line of sight with the future . Never run anything blind, never see all other group members. environment. Ensure you can see assume it will be ok. Only trust line of . Responsibility is to be able to see the around bends or over horizon lines sight. person behind you when travelling, before committing to them. Inspecting rapids, one person not the person in front. All group members must be able to inspects and indicates line if see at least one other group member, appropriate. if travelling every group member should be able to see the person behind them. During rescue maintain line of sight with upstream side of rescue to avoid water users coming down into the situation. Avoidance . Avoid Hazards where necessary, e.g. Avoid hazards where necessary . Use risk assessment and decision trees, other water users, water intakes . Risk assessment and decision making processes to decide which at dams making. hazards must be avoided. Avoid putting yourself, the team or the . Plan B – what to do if the main plan individual at unnecessary risk. fails? E.g. Downstream cover . Clean line principle. Systematic approach to a rescue – Talk, Reach, Throw, Row, Go, Helo. BC RSR Notes - 03/12/2014 Irish Canoe Union RSR Trainer Notes 8 Positioning . Positioning to protect against and . Tell the story before it happens. Ask yourself why am I here? minimise risk of any hazards that can’t . What is most likely to go wrong and . Working as a group, to keep things be avoided. where? moving on more complex and difficult . Where would I be most useful if rapids. something does go wrong and what . Boat based rescues vs bank based am I going to do? rescues 1.05 Risk Assessment – Decision Making RSR 1 RSR 2 RSR 3 Risk Assessment . Importance of awareness to . Present Prior Awareness Risk . Groups bigger than 7 should be empower natural risk aversion Assessment (info should be split up into smaller groups mechanisms sent out prior to the course) .