Bumps Risk Assessment

The Risk Assessment for the 2021 event can be downloaded here: CRA Town Bumps Risk Assessment 2021

Risk Assessment for the CRA Town Bumps 2021

The Organisation has a Duty of Care for the competitors, officials, and the general public at large, whilst the event is being held. This risk assessment was carried out by the 2021 Bumps Committee

Severity of outcome

Probability of accidents	Slightly harmful	Harmful	Extremely harmful
Highly unlikely	Trivial risk	Tolerable risk	Moderate risk
Unlikely	Tolerable risk	Moderate risk	Substantial risk
Likely	Moderate risk	Substantial risk	Intolerable risk

Those events that remain classed as "moderate risk" are those that involve the possible immersion of more than one person or those that involve contracting COVID-19 with worst case symptoms.

Those that involve possible immersion of more than one person, following the British Rowing guidelines, should be classed as potentially "extremely harmful". The likelihood of all of such events has been assessed in light of our risk reduction measures, as Highly unlikely so further reduction to "Tolerable Risk" is impossible under this scheme.

Those that involve becoming infected with COVID-19 have been categorised as “Extremely Harmful” due to the worst case scenario of the infection. The likelihood of all of such events has been assessed in light of our risk reduction measures, as Highly unlikely so further reduction to "Tolerable Risk" is impossible. For the majority of cases the severity of outcome would be “slightly harmful” or “harmful”, which would result in a “Trivial Risk” or “Tolerable Risk”

Hazard	Potential outcome	Likelihood	Severity of outcome	Measure to reduce risk	Likelihood after measures	Severity of outcome
On land
Fall hazard while unloading/moving boats	Injury to rowers and/or damage to equipment	Highly unlikely	Harmful	● Reliance on competency of crews. British Rowing provides guidelines on the use of trailers/towing.	Highly unlikely	Tolerable risk
				● Most competitors will be boating from their own boathouses.
Collision hazard between cycling spectators/coaches and members of the public.	Injury to coaches/spectators/members of the public. Possibility of falling into the river	Unlikely	Harmful	● Signs placed on the towpath at the start and finish of the course and marshalling area warning the public an event is in progress.	Highly unlikely	Tolerable risk
				● Marshals to intervene if they observe unsafe behaviour
				● Marshals to cycle ahead of division to warn of oncoming race
				● St Johns Ambulance will be in attendance on the tow path and contactable by radio

Prior to race start
Collision with other boats on the way to the start or in marshalling area	Injury to rowers and/or damage to equipment, possibility of capsize.	Highly unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● Marshals in position 1/2 hour before event starts.	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● Reliance on competency of crews and compliance with Row Safe: A Guide to Good Practice in Rowing
				● Spot checks on boat safety will be carried out prior to crews boating.
				● Requests from non-competing crews for row-through not granted.
				● Divisions contain maximum of 18 crews
Long wait in marshalling area prior to start	Potential for hypothermia.	Unlikely	Harmful	● Competitors advised in advance of likelihood of inclement weather and the need to wear adequate clothing.	Highly Unlikely	Tolerable risk
				● Marshals to advise crews thought to have inadequate protection for conditions on the day.
				● Control will have thermal blankets and be extra vigilant if weather is cold.
				● Reliance on competence of crews and coaches to be properly equipped and arrive in timely fashion
				● Spot checks on boat safety will be carried out prior to crews boating.
Capsize whilst waiting at the start	Potential for hypothermia	Highly Unlikely	Harmful	● Start crew will carry throw-lines and thermal blankets	Highly unlikely	Tolerable risk
				● St Johns Ambulance in attendance on tow-path and can be contacted by radio
During race
Normal Racing	Where no bump is involved the risk is no greater than for a normal outing	Highly Unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● All boats must be fitted with bow ball	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● All coxes must wear life jacket (or equivalent)
				● Club responsibility to ensure all equipment in accordance with BR Water Safety requirements
				● St Johns Ambulance in attendance on tow-path and can be contacted by radio
Straight forward bump: Collision between racing crews (2 crews)	Injury to rowers and/or damage to equipment, possibility of capsize.	Likely	Extremely Harmful	● All coxes to have attended coxes meeting.	Highly Unlikely	Moderate risk
				● Bumps to be acknowledged per the rules to avoid contact.
				● Each crew has bank party to assist
				● Marshals cycle with crews to provide additional advice
				● Spot checks on boat safety will be carried out prior to crews boating.
Multiple Crew Bumps: Collision between racing crews (3 or more crews)	Injury to rowers and/or damage to equipment, possibility of capsize.	Likely	Extremely Harmful	● All coxes to have attended coxes meeting.	Unlikely	Substantial risk
				● Bumps to be acknowledged per the rules to avoid contact.
				● Each crew has bank party to assist
				● Marshals cycle with crews to provide additional advice
				● Senior umpires available by radio to be summoned to potiental mulitple crew situations
				● Spot checks on boat safety will be carried out prior to crews boating.
Collision between racing crew and static object, I.e. bank or moored powerboat	Injury to rowers and/or damage to equipment, possibility of capsize.	Highly unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● All coxes to have attended coxes meeting.	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● Coxes aware of tight bends.
				● Marshal on tight bends warned of potential dangers.
				● Spot checks on boat safety will be carried out prior to crews boating.
River becomes blocked resulting in a collision	Injury to rowers and/or damage to equipment, possibility of capsize.	Unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● If, in the opinion of a marshal, the river is blocked, ie it is impossible to row or paddle past, then they must stop the race immediately	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
Inclement weather
Thunderstorms	Severe injury, death or damage to equipment.	Highly unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● Race committee/ safety advisor to apply 10 second rule. Before a division starts, when gap between repeated visible lightning and thunder is 10 seconds or less, river should be cleared of crews as fast as is safely possible.	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● It should be noted that the fastest way to clear the water for crews at the start is for crews to complete the course at race pace and to return to boat houses, ie for that division to be completed.
Squalls, heavy rain, sleet, snow, fog, severe crosswind etc.	Severe injury, death or damage to equipment.	Unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● Race committee checks forecast via Met Office website and inspects river 24 hours prior to the race.	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● Race committee after assessing the conditions has the authority to impose any one or more of: time delay(s), course shortening, cancellation of all racing or cancellation of crew classes deemed to be at particular risk from the predicted conditions. Participants to be advised by marshals and at race control.
Floods	Strong stream making coxing difficult and increasing the chances of a collision. Possibility of swamping/ capsize.	Highly unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● Race committee to cancel all racing if they consider conditions dangerous or if the Conservators of the River Cam so advise.	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● River levels to be monitored via the Environment Agency website and local contacts.
General events
Worsening of existing condition in competitor or spectator: e.g. asthma attack	Severe illness or death of patient.	Highly unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● Reliance on crews to know of existing conditions and required treatment. Marshall to summon emergency services by mobile phone. St Johns Ambulance will be on the tow path and contactable by marshals using the radio	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● Marshals hold GPS/Postcode lists for all access points to the river to guide emergency services.
Transgression of powered craft onto course	Collision leading to Injury to rowers and/or damage to equipment, possibility of capsize.	Highly unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● Event advertised in advance to local boating community and with the Conservators of the River Cam.	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● Marshal at lock will warn boats arriving at the lock that the river is closed for racing.
				● Marshal at Green Dragon will warn boats moving downstream well before the finish. If boats should fail to stop marshals will be informed by radio and the racing will be stopped.
Infection contracted from contact with river water	Weils Disease (Leptospirosis), or unspecified gastro enteric infections causing diarrhoea and/or vomiting.	Unlikely	Harmful	● Instructions issued in advance to competitors highlight these risks. Competitors are advised to cover open cuts prior to boating, wash any cuts sustained during the race immediately afterwards, and to keep water bottles in waterproof plastic bags.	Highly unlikely	Tolerable risk
COVID-19
Exposure to COVID-19 while numbers are collected	Event participants are infected with COVID-19	Highly unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● Numbers to be delivered to each club and to prepare numbers wearing a mask	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
Exposure to COVID-19 from rowing equipment	Event participants are infected with COVID-19	Highly unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● Participants to boat from their normal boathouse	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● Participants encouraged to complete a lateral flow test prior to the event, with a negative result
				● Participants to follow their normal procedures for cleaning boats
Exposure to COVID-19 while boating/landing	Event participants are infected with COVID-19	Unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● Participants to boat from their normal boathouse or with permission from host club	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● Participants encouraged to complete a lateral flow test prior to the event, with a negative result
				● Participants to follow their normal procedures for boating
Marshals coaches etc are exposed to COVID-19 on the riverbank	Marshals coaches etc are infected with COVID-19	Unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● Spectators encouraged to follow government guidelines	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● Signs on towpath informing public of the event
				● Crews to stay in boats and not get out while marshalling unless for emergency reasons
				● Marshals to all have face masks and hand sanitiser on their person
				● Gloves & Masks available at A14 bridge and control
Marshals, first aiders or participants are exposed to COVID-19 in the event of an accident	Marshals coaches etc are infected with COVID-19	Unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● Equipment checks to be made by clubs as a condition of boating. Self-sufficiency emphasised in competitor instructions	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● Marshals to all have face masks and hand sanitiser on their person
				● Marshals encouraged to complete a lateral flow test prior to the event, with a negative result
				● Gloves & Masks available at A14 bridge and control
Participants unaware of exposure to COVID-19	Event participants of need to self-isolate and could infect others	Unlikely	Extremely Harmful	● All marshals and race officials register at control	Highly unlikely	Moderate risk
				● Club COVID-19 Officers to record details of all participants, coaches and bank parties boating from each location ● Club agree to notify the Bumps Committee of all COVID-19 cases/suspected cases involving participants, marshals, bank parties.
Participants show symptoms of COVID-19	Participants shows symptoms or becomes aware of COVID-19 infection during the week of the event	Likely	Extremely Harmful	● In the event of even a mild illness until COVID is excluded by the absence of symptoms or a negative test the affected crew member will not attend the event	Unlikely	Substantial risk
				● Club agree to abide by the general government guidance and restrictions