4.3.3. Insurance for Special Events

If your club is hosting a participation event that is open to members of the public, a levy may be imposed to address the additional risk. By acting as an event promoter or organiser, your club does expose itself to any legal action should an adverse incident occur during that event. Unfortunately, waivers and release forms signed by participants are often not enough to protect the club from legal liability in the event of a claim.

In order to stage an event, the SLSQ Event Application Form must be submitted to Branch. If Branch and SLSQ are satisfied that appropriate controls are in place, the insurance provider will advise the additional premium due. This is usually calculated on a per head basis (e.g. currently 88 cents per ocean swimmer), but certain events may attract a flat premium depending on the type of activity being undertaken.

There are two important notes on Special Events from an insurance perspective:

• If your club is undertaking water safety only at an event, and is not responsible for the organisation of the event, no additional premium is payable, and
• If an event falls outside of acceptable activities of SLSQ (e.g. rapid water events), then no cover will be in place for the club – it is imperative that you involve Branch and SLSQ at all stages of your event planning process.