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Ive recently had to do a risk assessment for children living on board and now need to put together a safety drill we can do regularly covering fire, sinking and man overboard.

 

It sounds over the top, but actually made me realise we dont all know what to do in these emergencies, and the drills could actually be fun.

 

Has anyone put anything like this together for a narrowboat, canal only atm, or know where I can find some useful information?

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Ive recently had to do a risk assessment for children living on board and now need to put together a safety drill we can do regularly covering fire, sinking and man overboard.

 

It sounds over the top, but actually made me realise we dont all know what to do in these emergencies, and the drills could actually be fun.

 

Has anyone put anything like this together for a narrowboat, canal only atm, or know where I can find some useful information?

I know that schools have to do risk assessments for taking kids so someone like http://www.lnbp.co.uk/may be able to help

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Many years ago I was told there are two very important sound signals on the rivers and canals. One short quietish beep on the horn means... Have you got a minute to pop to the steering position.. I wouldn't mind a cup of tea.

One long loud blast means.. DROP THE PADDLES... QUICK AS YOU CAN.

  • Greenie 1
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Many years ago I was told there are two very important sound signals on the rivers and canals. One short quietish beep on the horn means... Have you got a minute to pop to the steering position.. I wouldn't mind a cup of tea.

One long loud blast means.. DROP THE PADDLES... QUICK AS YOU CAN.

That is the one I used at Bentford last week in Thames Lock

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It's a really good idea.

 

Especially the drop the paddles one.

 

Actually there are quite a lot of boating dangers that children should be educated about.

 

If someone invented the self operated locks we use today, there is no way the H&S people would allow them.

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It's a really good idea.

 

Especially the drop the paddles one.

 

Actually there are quite a lot of boating dangers that children should be educated about.

 

If someone invented the self operated locks we use today, there is no way the H&S people would allow them.

It's funny what H & S constantly get blamed for. When it comes to working conditions I fully support everything that H & S promote and enforce. I have, over the years worked in a number of locations with hazardous conditions including, but not exclusively, conveying asbestos brake linings in the back of an old marina van, carrying carboys of nitric ,sulphuric,hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid on pallets on the back of an open lorry and also working at heights on ladders. Quite rightly H & S have outlawed most of these activities since, not only do they put the operator at risk they put others at risk as well. Can't see anything wrong with that.

 

When it comes to leisure activities I am quite at liberty, if I choose to do so, to climb Snowden, Ben Nevis and Skafell Pike by whatever route I wish. Having climbed any of these I can then launch myself off the top using a FLM (foot launched microlight) and safely glide to the groundunsure.png (as long as I'm not passing through restricted airspace). I can go and buy myself a sailing boat with no knowledge of sailing, climb aboard and sail off across the Atlantic without restriction. H & S have nothing to say on any of these activities so I wouldn't think that they have much to say on a private individual operating locks. The difference is that if you are doing something as a business there is the perfectly reasonable expectation that you will minimise all risks to your employees and the wider public, what you choose to do in your own private leisure time is entirely down to yourolleyes.gif .

  • Greenie 3
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Last March we were out and the dog fell off the back of the boat. She was wearing a harness and was tied to the boat. Somehow she managed to slip the harness, now changed for a totally different one.

 

Of course the first action I took was to knock off the power. Then a couple of things happened that I had not thought of. The wind started to blow the boat into the bushes on the off side and also a boat was coming in the opposite direction of which the helm was unable to see what was happening in front of him. I initially tried to signal him to stop but he appeared to not understand what I was trying to do. Mrs T ran to the front of the boat and got him to stop by shouting loudly at him.

 

Fortunately the dog swam to the back of the boat, was recovered without harm and we went on our way.

 

I used to sail offshore and have practiced Man Overboard drill on many occasions but of course the cut is totally different. We have practiced MOB in our marina with a buoy and a bucket. It is easy to talk and say what you would do but for me reality was different.

Edited by Ray T
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I haven't yet had to retrieve a passenger. We have clearly stated Man Overboard procedures, stated in our Domestic Safety Management plan- a large folder of documents, compiled for the MCA and our use, stating exactly what we will do in a myriad of emergencies.

 

Our Man Overboard plan is variable, depending on what is happening. In an ideal world, it's a fairly sober young person who is able to swim who falls in; in which case, out of gear straight away, have them swim to the bank, take the vessel to the same bank and have them get back on there.

 

Or, if they're in difficulties, they get a lifering, and they are either pulled back to the deployed boarding ladder using the attached line, or if it's nighttime, they get a lifebuoy with a water activated light, and I reverse the boat next to them, going out of gear when within 5 metres to allow the vessel to drift back.

 

Worst case scenario, they're unconscious, so the vessel is reversed back to them, and the crew use a boathook to bring them to the hatchway.

 

You will need to consider not only the safety and wellbeing of the casualty, but also your crew. They're going to be leaning over the water and in our case opening hatchways that are normally closed; how can their safety be addressed, so they don't end up falling in too? Our DSM for example has them don lifejackets, which they don't normally wear, when retrieving casualties.

 

And there's also the safety of the vessel and the other passengers, first and foremost. Yes, there's a casualty in the water, but you cannot maneuver in such a way as to put your passengers at risk- or other river users. Our plan has a number of steps before we can even think about retrieving a casualty:

 

-Assess the overall situation first. Can the vessel be maneuvered without putting others in danger?

 

-Shut off any music (literally pull the plug on DJs!) so that we can all concentrate.

 

-Clear the back deck of passengers- shut the bar, and that crew member/s assist the others

 

-Tell the passengers to remain seated or where they are in the rest of the vessel whilst we maneuver.

 

In short, lots to think about- remember when designing your plan, that the risks aren't only to your casualty in the water, but also your crew who have to retrieve them, the other passengers on your boat, and the safety of other river/canal users. Address these in your plan too!

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I can then launch myself off the top using a FLM (foot launched microlight)

 

 

Wow! Can I come along? I have done a towed launch, and foot launch seems more 'real'

 

Richard

I haven't yet had to retrieve a passenger.

 

 

I never, never, never want to have to do that

 

Richard

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I haven't yet had to retrieve a passenger. We have clearly stated Man Overboard procedures, stated in our Domestic Safety Management plan- a large folder of documents, compiled for the MCA and our use, stating exactly what we will do in a myriad of emergencies.

 

Our Man Overboard plan is variable, depending on what is happening. In an ideal world, it's a fairly sober young person who is able to swim who falls in; in which case, out of gear straight away, have them swim to the bank, take the vessel to the same bank and have them get back on there.

 

Or, if they're in difficulties, they get a lifering, and they are either pulled back to the deployed boarding ladder using the attached line, or if it's nighttime, they get a lifebuoy with a water activated light, and I reverse the boat next to them, going out of gear when within 5 metres to allow the vessel to drift back.

 

Worst case scenario, they're unconscious, so the vessel is reversed back to them, and the crew use a boathook to bring them to the hatchway.

 

You will need to consider not only the safety and wellbeing of the casualty, but also your crew. They're going to be leaning over the water and in our case opening hatchways that are normally closed; how can their safety be addressed, so they don't end up falling in too? Our DSM for example has them don lifejackets, which they don't normally wear, when retrieving casualties.

 

And there's also the safety of the vessel and the other passengers, first and foremost. Yes, there's a casualty in the water, but you cannot maneuver in such a way as to put your passengers at risk- or other river users. Our plan has a number of steps before we can even think about retrieving a casualty:

 

-Assess the overall situation first. Can the vessel be maneuvered without putting others in danger?

 

-Shut off any music (literally pull the plug on DJs!) so that we can all concentrate.

 

-Clear the back deck of passengers- shut the bar, and that crew member/s assist the others

 

-Tell the passengers to remain seated or where they are in the rest of the vessel whilst we maneuver.

 

In short, lots to think about- remember when designing your plan, that the risks aren't only to your casualty in the water, but also your crew who have to retrieve them, the other passengers on your boat, and the safety of other river/canal users. Address these in your plan too!

 

Thank you, that's helpful.

Last March we were out and the dog fell off the back of the boat. She was wearing a harness and was tied to the boat. Somehow she managed to slip the harness, now changed for a totally different one.

 

Of course the first action I took was to knock off the power. Then a couple of things happened that I had not thought of. The wind started to blow the boat into the bushes on the off side and also a boat was coming in the opposite direction of which the helm was unable to see what was happening in front of him. I initially tried to signal him to stop but he appeared to not understand what I was trying to do. Mrs T ran to the front of the boat and got him to stop by shouting loudly at him.

 

Fortunately the dog swam to the back of the boat, was recovered without harm and we went on our way.

 

I used to sail offshore and have practiced Man Overboard drill on many occasions but of course the cut is totally different. We have practiced MOB in our marina with a buoy and a bucket. It is easy to talk and say what you would do but for me reality was different.

 

I am sure every situation is slightly different but being a little prepared in advance is surely a help.

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I fear it would be very difficult if not impossible to recover an incapacitated or unconscious person from the water onto a boat, especially through a hatch without the aid of a 'Jasons Crade' or something similar.

 

http://www.jasonscradle.co.uk/commercial.php

 

Link to Totally enclosed lifeboat model brochure:

 

http://www.jasonscradle.co.uk/admin/files/1456841485JC003%20Issue%209.pdf

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I never, never, never want to have to do that

 

Richard

We have in the past had a couple of Man Overboard incidents, before I was working for the company.

 

Stag party, warm day, well lubricated, start stripping off. They get warned, if they go in, they'll be left behind.

 

They thought my boss was bluffing; that he wouldn't leave them two miles from town, on the riverbank, in just their pants.

 

He did.

 

We no longer accept bookings from stag parties.

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Many years ago I was told there are two very important sound signals on the rivers and canals. One short quietish beep on the horn means... Have you got a minute to pop to the steering position.. I wouldn't mind a cup of tea.

One long loud blast means.. DROP THE PADDLES... QUICK AS YOU CAN.

 

We have a similar code - but we use a whistle for communicating between ourselves, and the horn for other boats. It saves potential confusion.

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