4. Health & Safety Arrangements

Plas Heli is committed to providing a safe environment for all competitors, volunteers, visitors, contractors, and staff. This section outlines the general health and safety arrangements in place for events held at the venue, including responsibilities, welfare provision, medical arrangements, water safety, public interaction, and controls for common event‑related risks.

These arrangements apply to all events unless superseded by class‑specific requirements or additional controls agreed with the organiser, RYA, RYA Cymru Wales, or the Local Authority Safety Advisory Group (SAG).

4.1 Responsibilities

Duty Manager

• Oversees all health and safety arrangements during the event.

• Ensures volunteers are briefed and competent for their roles.

• Acts as the central point of coordination for incidents, accidents, and near‑misses.

• Ensures welfare facilities are available and maintained.

Event Safety Officer

• Supports the Duty Manager in monitoring safety.

• Conducts dynamic risk assessments throughout the event.

• Ensures event‑specific hazards are controlled (e.g., launching, pontoons, public interaction).

• Liaises with class representatives and visiting coaches.

Volunteers

• Follow briefings and instructions.

• Report hazards immediately.

• Maintain safe working practices at all times.

Contractors

• Must comply with Plas Heli safety rules.

• Must provide risk assessments for any high‑risk work (e.g., electrical, welding, generator use).

• Must sign in and out via the Duty Manager.

4.2 General Safety Controls

Slips, Trips and Falls

• Walkways, stairways, and external routes must be kept clear.

• Wet‑floor signage used during adverse weather or cleaning.

• Boats, trolleys, and equipment must not obstruct public paths or emergency routes.

Manual Handling

• Volunteers must avoid lifting heavy boats or equipment alone.

• Launching and recovery must be supervised to prevent strain injuries.

• Trolleys must be used wherever possible.

Weather‑Related Risks

• Duty Manager monitors Met Office forecasts and local conditions.

• High winds may require:

  • suspension of launching

  • securing boats in the compound

  • restricting balcony access

• Extreme heat or cold requires additional welfare measures.

Crowd Management

• Public areas must remain clear during launching and recovery.

• Balconies must not exceed safe occupancy levels.

• Volunteers positioned at pinch points (shared path, washdown gate, balcony stairs).

4.3 Water Safety

Water safety arrangements follow RYA and RYA Cymru Wales guidance.

Safety Boat Operations

• All safety boats must comply with harbour rules (4‑knot limit, marked channel).

• Crews must be briefed on:

  • Training Wall hazard

  • pontoon evacuation procedures

  • casualty handling

• Boats must be securely berthed when not in use.

Launching and Recovery

• Controlled route from compound → washdown → shared public path → beach.

• Stewards positioned at key points.

• Boats must not be left unattended on the shared path.

Casualty Evacuation

• Primary evacuation point: Pontoon Access Gate.

• Gate must remain clear at all times.

• Safety boats must communicate via radio before returning with a casualty.

4.4 First Aid & Medical Provision

First Aid

• First aid kits located in:

  • Plas Heli Receotion 

  • Plas Heli Office 

  • Events Manager Room (usually Room 2)

  • Safety boats and Committee boats.

• Volunteers must know the location of first aid equipment.

Medical Emergencies

• Dial 999 and state: “Plas Heli, Pwllheli”.

• Duty Manager coordinates access for emergency services.

• Casualties may be brought to the pontoon gate or directly to the building depending on severity.

Defibrillator (AED – Automated External Defibrillator)

• A Defibrillator is mounted on the wall behind the main Reception desk in Plas Heli

• Volunteers must know its exact location and how to access it quickly.

4.5 Welfare Arrangements

Toilets & Showers

• Toilets and showers available in the main building.

• Temporary shower cabins (if used) must remain locked when not supervised.

Drinking Water

• Refillable water bottles encouraged (no single‑use plastics).

• Water points available in the building and within the main compound.

Food & Catering

• Catering staff trained in safe food handling.

• Hot surfaces and cooking equipment monitored.

Rest Areas

• Volunteers may use designated rest areas during breaks.

• Duty Manager ensures adequate rotation for high‑intensity roles (beach, slipway, safety boats).

4.6 Safeguarding & Lost Persons

Children & Young People

Children and young people attending events must be supervised at all times by parents, guardians, team leaders, or responsible adults appointed by visiting organisations.

Lost Children / Vulnerable Adults

Although the main compound is normally fully enclosed, many exit gates may be open during events to allow controlled movement of competitors, boats, trolleys, volunteers, and safety vehicles. This increases the risk of a child or vulnerable adult unintentionally leaving the controlled area.

Close supervision is essential, especially during launching, recovery, balcony access, and movement along the shared public path.

If a child or vulnerable adult is found unattended or reported missing, volunteers must follow the Lost Children & Vulnerable Adults Procedure (Section 6) and notify the Duty Manager immediately.

4.7 Contractor & Vehicle Safety

Contractors

• Must sign in with the Duty Manager.

• Must provide risk assessments for high‑risk work.

• Must follow Plas Heli site rules.

Vehicles

• Vehicle movements restricted during launching and recovery.

• No vehicles permitted on the beach.

• Compound gates must remain closed except during controlled access.

4.8 Reporting & Record Keeping

Accidents & Near Misses

• All incidents must be reported to the Duty Manager.

• Incident forms completed and stored securely.

• Serious incidents reported to:

  • Plas Heli Board

  • RYA / RYA Cymru Wales (if relevant)

  • SAG (if required)

Dynamic Risk Assessment

• Duty Manager and Event Safety Officer continually monitor conditions.

• Controls adjusted as required.

4.9 Summary

These health and safety arrangements ensure that Plas Heli events are delivered safely, professionally, and in accordance with national guidance. They complement the Fire Safety & Emergency Arrangements (Section 7) and the Risk Scoring System (RAG / Matrix), forming part of Plas Heli’s integrated safety framework.