Safety Information

CUYC will at all times endeavour to maintain the highest levels of safety for all members whilst recognising that there are hazards in the sport of yachting which cannot fully be eliminated, which each member accepts and undertakes by their own actions to minimize.

The reason for the CUYC Manual: Safety is three-fold:

• The natural duty of the skipper or leaders of a yachting activity to take responsibility for the safety of the crew.
• The requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
• The requirements of the University Proctors for all University Clubs and Societies to make safety provision for their activities.

As one of the Clubs and Societies of Cambridge University, the University has the overall responsibility for safety of all members. The University discharges this responsibility in the form of the University Safety Policy to which CUYC is bound to comply. The central elements of the University Safety Policy are as follows:

• It is the policy of the University to ensure, so far as it is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare at work of all its staff and students.
• The Council and the General Board are the bodies having overall responsibility for the implementation of the health and safety policy of the University. The Finance Committee is responsible under the Council for the care, management, and maintenance of all University sites, buildings, and grounds. The executive officers of these bodies are the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrary, the Secretary General of the Faculties, and the Treasurer.
• Within each Department the Head of the Department is responsible for health and safety. In Faculties not organized in Departments, the responsibility lies with the Chairman of the Faculty Board, and in other institutions it is a matter for the Head of the institution
• Each employee of the University and each student working in the University has a responsibility to care for his or her own safety and for the safety of others. All persons working in the University should direct their minds to the importance of safety. By example and training, staff and students alike should be encouraged to adopt an approach to their work which incorporates good safety practice. All those having a supervisory role in the University, at whatever level, are expected, so far as is reasonably practicable, to identify the hazards associated with any premises, plant, or substance for which they bear responsibility, to carry out risk assessments, and either to remove any hazards identified or by means of appropriate control measures to reduce the level of risk associated with them. All persons who may be affected by such hazards must be made aware of the risk assessment and the control measures introduced to reduce the risk.

In accordance with the University Safety Policy, the Department for Physical Education has responsibility for the health and safety of all University Clubs and Societies, and issues guidance and advice to ensure that each Club or Society has a comprehensive safety policy.

Every single club member has a responsibility for health and safety. Failure to implement codes of conduct, rules and regulations may be construed as negligence by the Department of Physical Education. CUYC or individual members may face fines or even disciplinary procedures by the Department of Physical Education if members are in breach of either CUYC safety policy, or Department of Physical Education requirements and guidelines.

The CUYC Safety Policy consists of:

• CUYC Safety Policy and Code of Practice
• CUYC Risk Assessment
• CUYC Safety Rules & Regulations
• CUYC Skippers' & Mates' Safety & Yacht Management Guidelines
• CUYC Acceptance Form

CUYC is part of the Cambridge University Cruising Club (CUCrC) which is affiliated to the British Universities Sailing Association (BUSA), which in turn is affiliated to the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). The RYA is recognised by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) on behalf of the government as being the national governing body for all the sports of sailing, including yachting. The RYA provides a source for advice and guidance concerning technical issues of safety, for which the University and Department of Physical Education regulations and guidelines are not specific to the nature of the activities undertaken by CUY. The principle form of guidance that the RYA provides is the “Yacht Safety Sail and Power (C8)” publication, a copy of which is owned by the club.

Through the CUYC Safety Policy and the affiliation to the RYA, the highest possible levels of safety will be maintained in all CUYC activities. Training will be given to all members in the use of safety equipment, and all trips will be manned to the standards set out in the CUYC Safety Rules & Regulations. If any incidents do occur they will be properly reported to the Commodore by the CUYC Skipper by means of a formal incident report. The Commodore shall report to the CUYC Committee his/her conclusions, suggesting any further action necessary to prevent similar incidents.

Providing the CUYC Skippers follow the CUYC Safety Policy and the guidance given, the CUYC Committee will support them fully in all matters of damage to the yacht or injury to crew.

All the yachts used by CUYC shall be insured. The insurance shall cover damage or loss of the yacht and medical evacuation or recovery of the yacht. If trips are undertaken for which additional cover is needed (e.g. medical), the CUYC Committee will inform the members on the trip. For trips on chartered yachts, CUYC issues security deposits which charter companies require to cover the excess on the insurance policy. CUYC has a Security Deposit Fund to ensure that any use of the insurance that is made for the requirement of safety does not affect the CUYC Skipper or members financially, and thus does not affect their decision. Use of the insurance should be on the basis of the safety of the yacht and crew only.

All yachts used by CUYC shall either comply with the MCA Code of Practice (SCV) or, in the case of a club-owned or foreign-registered yacht, conform to an extent with which the committee is satisfied.

All CUYC trips shall record any accidents in the logbook or a dedicated accident book. Serious accidents (e.g. those involving the emergency services) and near misses shall be reported to the Commodore and raised and the next Committee meeting.

In providing for safety in these ways, CUYC complies with the requirements of the University and the Physical Education Department.

The safety policy shall be reviewed annually by the CUYC Committee and the significance of any accidents and near misses considered.