Dragon Boat Events Health & Safety Guide
Equipment
We check, clean, PAT test and service our equipment on regular basis to make sure it is in excellent condition for our dragon boat events. On the day of the event, we will supply you with all the equipment necessary for racing including boats, paddles, and regularly tested buoyancy vests.
Crew Manager
Every crew must nominate a Crew Manager on their crew list which you will receive in your Crew Managers Pack. The Crew Manager has overall responsibility for the conduct and actions of the crew both on and off the water. The Chief Official and other Race Officials will only communicate on ‘official matters’ with the Crew Manager.Crew Managers Meeting
For larger events we hold a crew manager’s meeting on the day where we explain all the safety measures we take, how the weather will affect the racing, facilities of a specific venue and the race schedule. Any last minute changes to the race schedule will also be mentioned during this meeting.
Crew Lists
Before the dragon boat event, the organiser will receive a full informational pack to pass onto crew managers. This will have a full health and safety manual and a crew list & acknowledgment of risk form certifying that all crew members are water confident and listing the crew members by name. This must be completed by each crew and handed to the NewWave Events team before they compete in their first race. Only those named on the crew list will be allowed to compete. However, additions can be added throughout the day. Failure to complete the Crew List correctly and in full may invalidate the insurance cover provided for crews.
Event and Event Organisers
- NewWave Events are the Event Organisers for the day and all questions relating to the dragon boat racing programme and organization of the event should be directed to them.
- Boat Helms (Steerers) – All crews will be allocated a Helm for each race by the Chief Boat Marshall. The Helm will automatically become the Boat Captain once the crew is ready for loading and all crew members should take instruction from the Helm and NOT their own Crew Manager whilst racing.
- Qualifications – All Steerers/Helms and Race Officials are provided by the Race Organisers and are fully qualified using the BDA standards as a minimum qualification for this type of event.
Water Safety Cover
There will always be safety boats on the water. All safety boats are manned by fully qualified RYA rescue boat staff.
First Aid Cover
A professional Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with full response kit will be on site at all times during the dragon boat racing event. Also, most of the event staff are trained to deal with minor first aid incidents.
Dress Code
It is recommended that all dragon boat racing competitors wear shorts, T-shirt and old trainers for racing and bring with them a wind/waterproof jacket. Footwear that is secured to the foot must be worn whilst racing e.g. trainers, sandals etc. i.e. no flip flops etc. Crew members are NOT allowed to wear boots in the boats and jeans are not recommended. It is also advisable that everyone brings a towel and change of clothes, as competitors can expect to get damp from the splashes made during racing.
Weather Conditions
In case of extreme weather conditions, the Chief Official will examine whether it is safe to carry on with the dragon boat racing. We very rarely cancel the event however if there is a severe storm /lighting and/or winds we wait for the storm to pass and carry on with the racing when it is safe to do so.
