Irvine Risk Assessment
Route Description & General Hazards
The route outlined above is only one of the possible options at this wonderful location.
Details will be confirmed over the coming weeks as the Locations gets set to welcome all AquaPaddlers.
General Hazards
Be aware of moving vehicles especially lorries within the car park.
Although the event is not held during ‘peak’ hours, there may be other customers, water users, including paddle craft, boats, fishermen and swimmers. Please keep a look behind from time to time to make sure you are not going to be in collision with another water user. If they are coming close, draw their attention to you, shouting and waving. Also move out of their way and if necessary, kneel down or tap your craft to alert. Take a wide berth of fishing lines.
There are two main access points around the edge of the pond which are clear and obvious with beach sand. Please only launch 4 paddlers at one time due to spacing and minimising further erosion.
There are entry/exit points all around the pond, which can be used in case of emergency. These will be clearly marked by Red flags and within your registration pack.
Access to water via grass banking above the beach sand zone. This can be uneven ground and slippy.
The pond has numerous egress points all around its edge. On the northern end be aware of the clear rock band which contains a handful of protruding vertical steel rods from previous quarry times. Visible in low water levels. Best avoid.
Risk Assessment
| Activity | Paddlesports – Aqua Paddle Event | Risk Assessment Version No. | 2 |
| Name of Assessor | CRAIG LAWLESS | Signature | Craig Lawless pp |
| Assessment Date | 03.01.2024 | Review Date | 03.01.2025 |
| Site Specific | Shelton Water, Bookers Cash n Carry, Irvine. KA115AU |
| What are the significant hazards? | Who might be harmed and how | What are you already doing? | Do you need to do anything else to control the risk? | Action by Who | Action by Date | Completion date | |
| Car park hazards including moving vehicles, large lorries with blind spots, other users. | Participants and crew | Ensure parking responsibly and vehicles are appropriately spaced to ensure enough movement between vehicles. Gather within open grass area at the car park rear to inflate boards and brief. Walk to water’s edge as a group demonstrating good practice for carrying boards. Single file. | Pre check car park volume and dynamic risk assess on arrival prior to participants. | Captain | Immediate and on going | ||
| Injury during the act of lifting and carrying boards, from car park to the water edge. | Crew and participants could sustain an injury carrying boards to the water. Fatigue injury, muscle strain or contusion sustained by dropping boards. | Safety briefing given to group at the start of activity. Reminders as necessary throughout the event on manual handling of boards. Launching site clearly identified. In higher winds or with smaller people two persons per two boards for lifting. (Pairs method) Take rest periods when necessary. | For children and smaller people may need help. Demonstrate pairs method for easier carrying. | Captain | Immediate and ongoing | ||
| Falling off board in shallow water and being injured as a result. | Participants and marshals could sustain an injury falling into shallow water sustaining sprains, twists, muscular injury contusion, cuts to skin, abrasions, open would, breakages. | Launching advice included in safety brief prior to placing boards in water. Clients advised to kneel approaching shallow water, slow approach speed then disembark boards carefully in shallow water. Marshalls manage group at launching and landing. | Captain monitors water levels and any obstructions, including fishing activity at launch site or egress points. Briefs clients accordingly as to spotting cuts to the skin in the marine environment and aftercare with gels, cleaning cuts etc. | Captain | Immediate and ongoing | ||
| Health issue restricting ability | Participants at risk from underlying health issues. | Check medical declarations prior to the start of event during check in. Discuss activity with participants to ensure they understand what they are undertaking. Ensure any required medication is with participant and they understand how to apply it. | Ensure medical information is readily available for all participants and checked beforehand. Take radio in dry bag. | Captain | Immediate and ongoing | ||
| Immersion in cold water/Hypothermia | Participants and Marshalls may suffer from cold water shock and associated conditions from loss of body heat. | Wetsuits or appropriate insulation clothing specific to paddlesports to be worn. Buoyancy Aids worn at all times whilst afloat and must be checked by staff to ensure a good and proper fit. CE rated. All clients must demonstrate or confirm they can get back on to the board before venturing out of their depth. | Monitor appropriately for signs and symptoms of cold water shock/hypothermia. Carry spare rewarming kit. Limit emersion in cold water during winter and spring months. Calculate air temp, water temp vrs exposure rate and aim to minimise time in water. Ensure ALL participants understand the event brief is to help the person closest in the event of a self-rescue and assist other paddlers. | Marshalls | Immediate and ongoing | ||
| Drowning | Participants and Marshalls at risk of drowning through capsize | Buoyancy Aids worn when afloat and must be checked before clients go afloat. Non swimmers identified at beginning of lesson. Appropriate type of SUP specific leashes to be worn at all times. Straight leash for sea, coiled leash all other times as appropriate. Kayakers required to be able to release spray deck. Deck Toggle must be visible at al times. | Communication with emergency services continually checked. ALL participants briefed on self rescue and assisting others within the event including multi craft. | Marshalls | Immediate and ongoing | ||
| Separation from board | Participants at risk of being separated. | Appropriate SUP leashes to be worn at all times whist on the water. Safety briefing at the start of event and/ to include the need to wear the leash at all times, how to check leash connection and leash cleanliness. | Marshall checks all Leash connections to D rings for SUP. Captain carries spare leashes appropriate to the environment. All participants checked for leash attachment as they pass the start point on each lap. | Marshalls | Immediate and ongoing | ||
| Injury from inappropriate paddle use. | Participants could sustain a contusion injury from a paddle blow from other paddler in close proximity. | Briefing to include a demonstration on how to use the paddle safely. Constant vigilance during lessons with correction as required. Ensure correct paddle length before event starts on the water. | Ensure distances between paddlers is sufficient (2 board lengths) and when passing do so when it is safe and away from the banking (overtake). | Marshall | Immediate and ongoing | ||
| Blown offshore | Participants and Marshalls at risk of being blown offshore towards water hazards. | Briefing prior to session about the difficulties of the wind direction and tactical paddling to support participants. Maximum wind speeds adhered to at all times. Wind gusts over F4 SW/W/NW a call to be made on effects on water state at venue. | Marshall carries radio or comms. Anemometer on site. | Captain | Immediate and ongoing | ||
| Collisions | Participants at risk of falling from standing up position onto hard craft, unexpected falls or collisions with other crafts resulting in hand injury (kayaks) | Briefing on safety for event to include collision avoidance and falling safely. |
Marshall comms | Captain and Marshalls | Immediate and ongoing | ||
| Slips, trips and falls on access to waters edge from main path. | All participants and crew | Within safety and welcome brief captain points out any hazards in moving to waters edge and launch point. Only 4 paddlers to waters edge at one time due to spacing and steep embankment. Alternative route to waters edge will be pointed out by Captain as part of DRA. | Extra measures in place if access to waters edge to slippy on grass verge or deemed risk | Captain | Immediate and ongoing | ||
| Pollution and water quality issues | All water based participants | Any observed signs of water pollutants including floatsam, high organic breakdown, excess litter, dead marine life, discoloured water or water bourne smell, reported to SEPA. Participants advised to boil wash clothing and adhere to equipment maintenance routine for cleaning crafts and equipment. | Venue regularly tested by SEPA. Venue also known locally as an Open Water Swimming and Fishing venue therefore check with relevant user groups prior to events. | Captain | Immediate and ongoing | ||
| Environment including wildlife | All participants and crew | Minimising disturbance on local wildlife highlighting any swans, signets, nesting birds etc will be part of the event brief at the start. Paddlers advised best practice for reducing erosion on bankside and access/egressing water. Litter managed by public bins and litter picking at the end of the event. | Captains and marshals monitor litter, its effect on surrounding nature, straying too close to nesting birds’ reeds etc. | Captain and Marshalls | Immediate and ongoing | ||