Please note
RISK ASSESSMENT: Boogie Boarding
- Ensure participants are wearing appropriate footwear prior to departure.
- Ensure the leader is in front of the group and observing conditions ahead.
- Avoid/modify route if hazards pose risk to participants and groups.
- Have contact numbers to call if the path/stairs to the beach become too unsafe.
School Staff Member /Group Assistant 3 4 High School Staff Member/ Group Assistant must complete the following:
- Understands and is made aware of their role prior to commencing activity.
- Monitor and observe behaviour throughout the activity.
- Actively supervise for the activity.
- Ensure camp numbers are in their charged mobile phone
- Must be prepared to enter the water if necessary.
- Are responsible for any non-swimmers on the beach during the activity.
- Group leaders advise Portsea staff of nonswimmers and poor swimmers prior to commencing activity.
- All participants wear PFDs throughout the activity.
- Participants have a gradual entry with skills introduced in a progressive style to cater for all abilities. Modifications to be made to suit the skill level of participants.
- Ensure safety briefing is performed prior to activity.
- Briefing to include correct fitting and use of equipment, along with whistle cues and hand signals conducted by the recreation leader.
- Instructors to be wearing positive buoyancy including a Life Jacket or wetsuit.
- Regular head counts to be conducted throughout activity
- Instructor to be rescue ready with a rescue tube.
- Clear boundaries to be established prior to activity that is easy to monitor for the instructor.
Entrapmen t 3 5 High - Leaders to conduct a safety check of boogie boarding locations prior to commencing session.
- Ensure caution is taken around rocky surfaces on the seafloor to minimise risk of foot entrapment. Avoid where possible.
- Participants are instructed not to pull or grab anything in the water.
ent 3 5 High - Ensure no loose jewelry is worn.
- Wrist straps to be appropriate length for boogie boards.
- No ropes to be used in conjunction with activity.
- Ensure supervision ratios for Boogie Boarding is adhered to 1:10
- Behavioural issues to be identified and managed prior to activity commencement
- Participants with behavioural issues are placed in a group with a strong assistant
leader/volunteer who is aware of the issues and has strategies to deal with participant
- Safety briefing is delivered to all participants at the start of each activity.
- Ensure assistant instructor/s and volunteers monitor and manage behaviour throughout activity.
- Situations that cannot be handled, shall seek additional support from Portsea Camp Staff.
- “Challenge by choice” concept is implemented to support participants' emotional wellbeing and development.
Equipment
- Fins to be cleaned after each use in water and lemon proof
- Gear must be correctly fitted.
- Regular safety checks conducted and recorded in the Daily Usage logbook at the beginning and end of every activity day.
- Damaged fins to be immediately removed from service or repaired and recorded in the equipment logbook.
- Boogie boards and checked and logged prior to use.
- Correct carrying technique to be demonstrated and used when transporting to and from the beach.
- Damaged Boogie Boards to be retired from service or repaired if possible. Removed from service until fit for use.
- Wrist straps to be in working order and on all boogie boards.
Life Jacket 5 5 Extreme
- Recreation staff to be competent and trained in the use of a rescue board.
- Rescue board to be rescue ready at all times during activity.
- Correct lifting and carrying techniques to be used when handling rescue boards.
- Life jackets to be cleaned after each use in water and lemon proof
- Life jackets must be correctly fitted.
- Safety Checks conducted and recorded in the Daily Usage log book at the beginning and end of every activity day.
- Damaged life jackets to be immediately removed from service and logged
- Life jackets to be recorded in the Equipment logs when being put into service.
- Life jackets to be stored as per manufacturer's recommendations
- Life jackets to be offered to all boogie boarders and compulsory for all weak swimmers.
- Life jackets are to be washed and hung on a coat hanger and must be zipped up, at the end of each session. 1
Rescue Tubes 3 5 High
- Safety Checks conducted and recorded in the Daily Usage log book at the beginning and end of every activity day.
- Rescue tubes to be “rescue ready” at all times at the beach.
- Ensure an adequate number of Rescue Tubes are available for the activity.
- Recreation staff are trained to correctly use the rescue tubes- recreation staff must hold an in date water qualification.
- Instructor to monitor winds prior to activity commencing and make modifications if required.
- Boogie boarding not to proceed if extreme winds are predicted.
- Winds exceeding 30 km/h will require approval from recreation coordinators.
- Ensure waves and water conditions are monitored before and during the activity and modifications are made if required.
- Monitor passing boats and waves as a result of their passing.
- Recreation staff to be “rescue ready” with rescue equipment at all times.
- Monitor tides and currents at Portsea beaches before and during activities.
- Participants and recreation staff proceed no more than 25 meters from the shore, unless approved from recreation coordinators.