Page 13 - Misconduct a Reference for Race Officials

SECTION 2: Managing Risk

On a practical basis, a duty owed by an organiser to take reasonable care and to
avoid negligence is likely to translate as a requirement to plan and manage an
event efficiently and with consideration for likely eventualities and risks. Risk
management is likely to be a key ingredient in organisers being able to
demonstrate that reasonable care was taken.

The essential elements of managing risk are to:
 identify the hazards;
 consider who might be harmed, and how;
 evaluate the risks arising from the hazards and decide whether existing
precautions are adequate or more should be done;
 record the findings; and
 review the assessment from time to time and revise, if necessary.

These five steps to managing risks are discussed in more detail in the RYA
guidance notes on Risk Assessments. In addition, further help on identifying
hazards and the special considerations for specific types of activity and for
particular participants are discussed in Sections 3 and 4 of this guide.

The RYA has produced standard Risk Assessment forms, which may be a useful
starting point for a risk assessment. The RYA standard forms divide events into
Major, Medium and Minor Impact events according to the size of the event and
the likely impact it will have on harbour operations. Use of standard forms as a
starting point should be helpful in enabling organisers to take a proportionate
approach and will hopefully keep the paperwork involved to an acceptable level.

However, it is important to recognise that risk assessment is a process rather
than a document. The purpose of recording the process is so that the organiser
can demonstrate how the process was undertaken. Risk assessment is also an
on-going process and needs to be more than simply a one-off paper exercise if it
is to be helpful in demonstrating that reasonable care has been taken.

If an organiser is holding an event within the jurisdiction of a Harbour or Local
Authority then a Risk Assessment may be required by that authority.

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