Safety and welfare

We take safety seriously at Thames. Our aim is to keep you, other river users and our equipment safe at all times, but to do this we need all of you to be involved. So there are various things we ask you to do before you row in, cox, steer or drive any kind of Thames boat. If you have any questions please email us on safety@thamesrc.co.uk.

The club’s key safety documents can be found here:
Thames RC Safety Summary
Thames RC Club Safety Plan
Thames RC Emergency Action Plan

Clare Harvey, Club Rowing Safety Adviser

Steering and launch driving certificates

We introduced the TRC Tideway Steering Certificate in 2008 to improve the standard of steering at Thames. The steering certificate has five levels and is split into three skills – coxing, sculling (1x and 2x) and foot steering (4x, 2-, 4-) – which are tested separately, so reaching Level 3 as a cox does not necessarily mean you are of Level 3 standard in a scull, and vice-versa. The launch driving certificate has similar levels and requirements. Your level dictates what conditions you can go out in, and what level of coaching you need in those conditions.

Incident reports

All incidents need to be reported to the Club Rowing Safety Adviser (CRSA) as soon as possible and the report completed within 24 hours. This applies whether it’s a full-on crash, a simple capsize, getting washed down by a launch or just tripping over an object left on the floor of the gym. You should also report poor or dangerous navigation by others even if it didn’t result in an incident – this is part of the Thames Regional Rowing Council agreement with the Port of London Authority. This is important to ensure that Thames and other Tideway clubs are able to improve our practice and learn lessons from incidents and near misses.

You can report all incidents through our online form. Include as much detail as you can and explain what happened clearly and factually. If possible, include boat ID numbers or names of the offending non-TRC boat. No Thames member should report directly through the British Rowing Incident Reporting System. All reports are only to be made to the CRSA who will ensure that the relevant details have been gathered, before reporting the incident if appropriate.

Email safety@thamesrc.co.uk if you would like more information or have any questions.

Visiting crews

As one of the largest and best-equipped clubs in the country with nearly 200 boats racked, use of two gyms and a tank, TRC prides itself on being an excellent base for training, and welcomes a number of visiting crews every year. However, because of the popularity of TRC as a training venue, there are a number of points for all of our visitors to bear in mind to ensure an efficient, safe and enjoyable visit is had, and that the safe running of the club is not compromised.

Welfare

Thames RC takes the welfare of its members seriously. For any issues relating to welfare or safeguarding matters for juniors and vulnerable adults please contact welfare officers Helena Barton, Abby Pape, Dave Potter and Harry Neame at welfare@thamesrc.co.uk.