Safety and Policies

As with any water based sport, safety is an important consideration. With rowing, the water will usually be cold and the boats are narrow and inherently unstable so safety is even more important. Devil’s Elbow complies with the requirements of British Rowing and we have a dedicated Safety Office on the club committee.

Safety Audits are performed and Emergency Safety Plans and Water Safety Risk Assessments are reviewed and updated regularly.

Safeguarding of the Juniors follows best practice and all those club members who work regularly with the Juniors are DBS checked.

Anyone new to rowing will have to pass the initial swim test and capsize drill which is carried out in a pool. These tests have to repeated by all club members every three years to stay in date.

During this testing all participants get to practice with a throw bag safety rope, both as rescuer and victim. Cold shock and cold hands are discussed and accounted for.

The club has its own launch and all the radios and safety equipment required to be responsible to its members on the river.