The RYA’s Commitment to Safety

RYA safety management policy statement

Safety is of fundamental importance to us all.

Accidents are always unnecessary, frequently costly and often disastrous. Safety protects human and material resources and is vital for the enjoyment of recreational boating at every level that it takes place.

Accordingly, the provision of safe procedures and practices for each appropriate level identified in the RYA Safety Management System is a primary objective set out in our Strategic Business Plan. In striving to meet this objective, the RYA Board has resolved to:-

• Affirm its ownership of safety and provide clear guidance and oversight of safety issues covering all levels of the RYA;
• Ensure that its subordinate committees/structures are provided with clearly defined responsibilities, authority and accountability in respect to safety issues;
• Actively promote and develop the culture of continuous safety improvement within its sports; and
• Enhance its systems and procedures for auditing and monitoring safety within the RYA.

I and the senior management team will do our utmost to implement these resolutions and ensure that adequate resources are provided to manage safety effectively and to train staff.

We recognise that realistically, we can never eliminate risk completely without terminating our activities. Nevertheless, we will strive to identify and deal with safety hazards in an appropriate way in order to constrain the risks they pose to a level that is justifiable, tolerable and as low as possible.

In doing so, we will review, scrutinise and assess our own operating procedures and internal control documents regularly and we will provide sound guidance that the wider boating community can adapt for its own use.

In addition, we will encourage accident and incident reporting following the triggers and processes set out in the RYA Safety Management System in order to evaluate them, learn from them and to share any lessons learned; we will amend our own safety documentation and practices as necessary.

All departmental managers and discipline supervisors understand that they have a duty to establish safe procedures and practices for their areas of responsibility and to work continuously to promote safety among all RYA staff. They expect RYA instructors, examiners and the volunteers to lead by example. In turn, we all expect every individual to take personal responsibility for their own safety and actions at every level of activity and in every discipline.

By working together, we can maintain a safe and efficient organisation that promotes enjoyable and exciting boating.

Download the 'RYA safety management policy statement' as a word doc

The safety policy is reviewed annually together with the RYA strategic plan and the RYA risk register and formally approved by the RYA Board.