Surf Life Saving Australia

Risk Management

Establishing a safe beach and aquatic environment for the public involves the effective management of risk. Risk exists in all aspects of lifesaving and club operations. The level of risk faced at any one time is a combination of the likelihood of an incident occurring and the consequences if it were to occur.
Effectively managing risk involves following the risk management process. When following this process within your surf lifesaving club or on patrol, it is important that you report any potential hazards to your patrol captain or club safety officer immediately.

The Risk Management Process

The underlying principles of risk management include:

Risk management is everyone’s responsibility—if you are not sure what constitutes a risk or what you can do about one, ask an appropriate person within your Surf Club for further assistance.
If you are operating an IRB, you should perform a risk assessment prior to commencing duty and adhere to any state policies and procedures or safety management system. Whilst the IRB Driver is responsible for managing risks when operating an IRB this should always be done in consultation with the IRB Crewperson.

Common hazards you may encounter while operating an IRB

Physical hazards in the operating environment

There are a number of environmental hazards in the water the IRB Crewperson and IRB Driver should keep a lookout for at all times. These include:

  • Waves
  • Rocky shorelines/rough surface
  • Submerged rocks
  • Sandbanks/ Shallow bank
  • Reefs
  • Rope lines in the water or attached to floating buoys
  • Loose objects in the water i.e. seaweed
  • Swimmers/divers/snorkelers in the water
  • Board riders
  • Other craft and craft users

Environmental Considerations

SLS encourages all personnel to respect the natural environment at all times. This includes observing the following:

  • Reducing IRB speed near the shore, edge of lakes and rivers
  • Preventing pollutants such as petrol, oil and detergents from entering the water, or being spilled on sand or soil
  • Disposing of any fuel and oil pollutants appropriately (contact your local council for further information)
  • Avoiding disturbing whales, dolphins, birds or other wildlife (The Australian National Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin Watching 2017 states that you cannot approach closer than 100m to any whales and 50m to any dolphins – more if they have calves. Whist these are national guidelines please refer to your state guidelines for your local requirements)
  • Acting within local laws regarding noise, wastewater, distance off and wildlife protection regulations
  • Following local SOPs for protecting the environment

Marine Animals

It is the responsibility of the IRB Driver and IRB Crewperson to be aware that there may be regulations in place in relation to operations around marine animals such as whales, dolphins, sharks, or jellyfish. Operators are to refer to their local SOPs and regulations.

Physical Hazards

When operating an IRB there are a number of physical hazards that may affect its ability to perform a task. These may include but not limited to:

  • Faulty equipment
  • Trip hazards as a result of incorrect storage of equipment – e.g. water bottles, ropes, hats, anchors
  • Fuel spills creating a slippery surface
  • Sharp edges e.g. propeller, anchors
  • Obstructions
  • Confined spaces in sheds

Hypothermia

At times, an IRB Driver and IRB Crewperson may be on the water for an extended period or are in and out of the IRB regularly. This may lead to hypothermia. Hypothermia is also a likely condition of patients who have been recovered from the water during Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. Team members should be aware of this condition and check for and provide appropriate First Aid where possible.
Ensure that wetsuits, booties and gloves are available to be worn should they be required. The temperature on the water can be different to that on the land especially if there is wind present and this PPE can help reduce the possibility of IRB crew suffering from hypothermia.

Plan ahead for the cold and avoid experiencing hypothermia by:

  • wearing warm protective clothing when on patrol
  • wearing a wetsuit when in cold water
  • leaving the water when you feel cold or start to shiver
  • curling into a ball to help prevent heat loss if unable to leave the water (remember the mnemonic ‘HELP’ (Heat Escape Lessening Posture))

See the PSAR35 for more information on hypothermia

Sun protection

IRB operations expose IRB Drivers and IRB Crewpersons to the sun and the associated health risks. As part of your duty of care to yourself, you should take all measures to protect yourself against the sun’s UV radiation. As indicated in the SLSA Environmental Factors Guideline for sun safety, important prevention measures can be remembered by the six S’s:

  • Seek shade
  • Slip into protective clothing
  • Slop on some sunscreen
  • Slap on a hat
  • Slide on some sunglasses
  • Study the UV index

See the PSAR35 for more information on sun protection.

Visibility Hazards

When operating an IRB there are a number of visible hazards that may affect the IRB’s ability to perform a task. These may include but are not limited to:

  • Visibility beyond the break or over a wave
  • Inability to see below the surface of the water
  • Poor visibility due to weather conditions such as rain
  • Submerged objects & hazards

Hazardous Manual Tasks

Best practice guidelines that should be followed for moving any heavy surf lifesaving equipment when a straight lift and short carry is required. For more information about safe lifting see Chapter 3 – Manual Handling , PSAR35 and the Guidelines for Safer Surf Clubs on the SLS Members Portal.

In addition to the items listed in Chapter 3 – Manual Handling, the IRB crew may need to:

Organisational Hazards

Natural restrictions

These are access restrictions from natural features such as bluffs, rocks, sandbanks and reefs. These will cause obstructions to planned routes that cannot be overcome. You may have to alter any plans when these restrictions are encountered.

Restricted areas

Operating a vessel may be restricted in particular areas. General exemptions from the requirements under specific maritime rules may be granted to surf lifesavers by authorised authorities in certain circumstances. IRB Drivers must ensure the appropriate exemption exists prior to navigating in restricted waters.

Arranging to gain access

Arranging to gain access to restricted areas often takes time. Clubs should be aware of any potential access restrictions in their area. You may not have time for extended planning prior to a SAR operation. Your club may need to make prior arrangements to cater for SAR operations as time can be critical. In some special circumstances, access arrangements can be sought through State Operations Centre as required.

Dynamic risk management process

Dynamic risk management is a continuous process in the rapidly changing environment (such as an operational incident) of identifying hazards, assessing risk, taking action to eliminate or reduce risk, and monitoring and reviewing. Often what is being assessed is developing as the process itself is being undertaken.

If you are operating an IRB, you should continually monitor and assess risks. The IRB crew should monitor the conditions and any significant change in sea conditions, or their duties need to be constantly evaluated. Consider the risk vs gain in the IRB if tasked to respond to an incident outside of immediate patrol area. Each member of the IRB crew needs to consider their own limitations and what they would consider to be acceptable risk.

Mental Health

You may be exposed to potentially traumatic events in your role as an IRB crew.
You must adhere to your local SOPs for dealing with critical incidents. These may also detail any further opportunities for support after exposure to a critical incident. Refer to the PSAR35 Mental Health module for more information on mental health and critical incident stress.