Safety Policy
EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY HILLWALKING CLUB
SAFETY POLICY
SEPTEMBER 2009
Overall
It is the policy of EUHWC to provide walks organised by the Club's more experienced members. Any walks taking place without prior consultation with the Meet Organiser are not considered EUHWC trips and any member involved with such a trip will be disciplined as is appropriate.
Responsibilities of the Meet Organiser(s):
1. Ensuring that a range of walks of varying difficulty are provided by the Club during a trip;
2. Ensuring that the objectives of each group are suitably matched to the general experience of the group members;
3. The allocation of and liaison with Walk Organisers and Seconders, ensuring that they are capable of leading groups in the conditions prevalent;
4. Providing Walk Organisers with information about weather and snowpack conditions;
5. Ensuring that first aid provision is present in all groups;
6. Calling out the rescue services if any group has not returned by nightfall or within three hours of their expected return time.
7. Ensuring that at sign-up night, a ratio of a minimum of 2 drivers per minibus is observed.
Responsibilities of the Walk Organiser:
1. Completing a route card that meets with the approval of the Meet Organiser before starting the walk, containing a list of participants and expected time of return, taking into account the general experience of the group, the weather and sunset time.
2. All decisions regarding the safety of the group on the hill;
3. Navigation and route finding;
4. Ensuring that all members are properly equipped and provided with ice axes and crampons where necessary;
5. Taking the decision to leave behind, at the bus or elsewhere, any member of the party whom the Walk Organiser does not think is properly equipped for the chosen walk;
6. Ensuring that the group has the minimum group equipment;
7. Informing the Meet Organiser immediately on completion of the walk.
Responsibilities of the Walk Seconder:
1. Assisting the Walk Organiser in all of the above;
2. Ensuring that the Walk Organiser is kept aware of the condition of the group, in particular weaker members of the group.
Responsibilities of all individual members:
1. Providing themselves with the following essential kit: proper walking boots, waterproof jacket and overtrousers, adequate warm clothing, hat, gloves, food including emergency rations, survival bag, whistle, rucksack. Failure to do so will result in the member not being allowed on the hill.
2. Informing the Meet Organiser at the booking meeting of any potential health problems.
Group Safety
Walk Organisers should be aware of all objective hazards that could compromise the safety of the group, e.g. weather developments, steepness and difficulty of terrain, visibility, condition of the snowpack, and make decisions, in consultation with the Seconder and others in the group about whether such hazards are acceptable or unacceptable risks, bearing in mind the experience of the group.
Should any hazard or combination of hazards constitute an unacceptable risk, the Walk Organiser shall revise the plan to one which avoids these risks, which may mean coming off the hill.
Contact Mountain Rescue before the situation becomes unmanageable - it is much better to take advice than make the wrong decision and be the subject of a full search and rescue operation.
Group Kit
Group Kit will consist of:
1. A minimum of two Ordnance Survey maps at 1:50 000 or better scale;
2. A minimum of two compasses;
3. Group Shelter;
4. Rope;
5. First Aid Kit;
6. Sufficient headtorches for the group to operate in darkness;
7. A mobile phone which should be kept switched off to preserve battery life.
Each group must have each item of kit unless conditions or route choice deem otherwise.
First Aid
In the event of any non-life threatening condition occurring to one person in a group e.g. headache, vomiting, dizziness etc. that means he or she is unable to complete the walk, he or she may, at the discretion of the Walk Organiser, be accompanied off the hill by a first-aider or other similarly able person to allow the rest of the group to complete the walk, provided such an action does not compromise the safety of the group. The Meet Organiser should be informed as soon as possible.
In the event of a more serious emergency, the Walk Organiser shall ensure that first aid is administered. The objective of the walk is to be abandoned. The Walk Organiser shall report the incident immediately to Mountain Rescue and their advice should be followed. If it is safe to do so the group shall descend off the hill, if not they should seek assistance. The Meet Organiser should be informed of the situation. All members of the group shall co-operate with the Walk Organiser and Mountain Rescue.
Training of members and organisers
Members are to be encouraged to take training courses to improve personal skills in the mountain environment at Firbush or other outdoor centres. The Hillwalking Club shall subsidise such trips as it sees fit. Provision is made in the programme for this.
Potential Walk Organisers and Seconders are to be encouraged to join MLTS to improve leadership skills and to take a first aid course, particularly if they will continue to lead walks in the future. Committee members and current Walk Organisers should actively seek out such people. The Club agrees to subsidise these trips also.
On all walks Walk Organisers and Seconders should involve the group in all aspects of hillcraft; so giving all members some idea of the basic principles of route choice and navigation.