Toronto / SAILABILITY TORONTO
RISK ASSESSMENT / Issue No.: 1
Last Review Date: 10/04/2014
/ Ref. / Sequence of steps in the activity / Notes / What undesirable / How can the event happen? / Existing controls to prevent / Risk / Rating / Proposed Controls / Revised / Risk / Rating / Responsible /
/ No. / event can happen? / the event happening / Prob. / Cons. / Rating / Prob. / Cons. / Rating / Person /
1.0 / Preparation / Sailability Toronto is located on the northern end of the Toronto Amateur Sailing Club (TASC) building, and shares some facilities and equipment with TASC. / -- / -- / --
1.1 / Unlock and open the access gate from the TASC car park. / Normally, only volunteer and carer vehicles use the access way past the front of the TASC building / The gate can swing closed onto a passing car / Gate not secured open / Chain the open gate to the post (?) / D / 4 / Minor / Executive Member
1.2 / Unlock and open the Sailability shed, toilets, outside storage bay and TASC shed. / A member of the branch executive has the task of unlocking the facilities at the start of the day, and locking up at the end of the day. / -- / -- / NAR / Executive Member
1.3 / Sign the Attendance Book. / On arrival, all volunteers are to sign and record their arrival time in the Attendance Book. / Personnel forget to sign on. / People get stuck straight into the tasks / Base Volunteers check and remind volunteers. / C / 5 / Minor / Volunteers
1.4 / Move the PFD trolley out and position it near the front wall. / Wheels do not castor. / Back strain / Trying to guide the trolley / D / 4 / Minor / Fit castering wheels to make the trolley easier to control / E / 4 / Minor / Volunteers
1.5 / Check the inflation of the small inflatable Support Boat. / Sailablity Toronto have two inflatable Support Boats, a small boat and a large boat. The small boat is stored in the moveable rack in the Sailability shed. It is used as back-up for the large boat. / Insufficient air in the inflatable reduces the flotation and rigidity of the boat. / Normal air loss over time.
Air leaks. / Feel the inflation of the boat stern ends.
Pump up using the foot pump as required.
Under-inflation becomes obvious when the boat is wheeled out. / E / 5 / Minor / Volunteers
1.6 / Check that the bung is inserted securely. / Without the bung in place, the boat will fill with water when launched. / The bung is removed before storage.
Forget to re-install before launching. / Check that the bung is inserted.
A missing bung is obvious immediately on launching. / C / 5 / Minor / Volunteers
1.7 / Move the small inflatable Support Boat from its rack to the water's edge and support on crates. / Back and muscle strains. / Awkward lifting, particularly to place onto the supporting crates. / Use at least three people to support and push out the boat. / D / 4 / Minor / Volunteers
1.8 / Normally, only volunteer and carer vehicles use the access way / The Boat blocks the access way for passing vehicles. / Boat is positioned too close to the access road. / Experienced volunteers ensure that the access way and paths remain clear. / E / 5 / Minor / Volunteers
1,9 / Check the inflation of the large inflatable Support Boat.
Check that the bung is inserted. / The large inflatable boat is stored in the TASC shed. / As for the small Support Boat / C / 5 / Minor / Support Boat Crew
1.10 / Move the large inflatable Support Boat out of the TASC shed to the water's edge and support on crates. / Check that the access way is clear. / Back and muscle strains. / Awkward lifting, particularly to place onto the supporting crates / Use at least three people to support and push out the boat / D / 4 / Minor / Volunteers
1.11 / Check that there is sufficient fuel in the duty Support Boat's tank. / This is usually the larger boat.
The large boat has a 15hp Tohatsu outboard motor with a 25 litre petrol tank / Fire or explosion during refuelling / Petrol in contact with a hot engine or naked flame. / The tank is removed from the dinghy for refuelling.
No smoking at any time in the vicinity of activities.
The engine is cold at the start of the day. / E / 2 / Medium / Support Boat Crew
1.12 / The small boat has a 9.8hp Tohatsu outboard motor with a 12 litre tank
The petrol/oil mix for both motors is 50:1. / Damage to the outboard motor due to incorrect oil/petrol mix. / Not know the correct mix.
Incorrect measurement or maths when mixing the oil/petrol. / Oil container has graduations.
Petrol tank has capacity marked and has a quantity gauge. / D / 3 / Medium / Mark the required mix on the petrol tank, i.e.
240ml oil for 12 litres petrol, or
500ml oil for 25 litres petrol. / D / 3 / Medium / Equipment Steward
1.13 / Motor does not start when the Boat is in use / Insufficient fuel.
Petrol tank vent not opened. / Check the fuel level.
Open the vent when the tank is connected to the motor. / E / 5 / Minor
1.14 / Set up the table and chairs for the volunteers. Fill and turn on the hot water urn. Sweep out all rooms. / The main room is swept out when all the required dinghies have been removed / Back and muscle strains. / Lifting too many chairs / Only carry as many chairs at a time as can be comfortably carried. / E / 4 / Minor / Volunteers
1.15 / Set up the chairs for the sailors in the TASC shed / The TASC shed provides a place in the shade, that overviews the sailing activities. / Back and muscle strains. / E / 4 / Minor / Volunteers
1.16 / Set up the awning and Sailability signs and flag. / -- / -- / NAR / Volunteers
1.17 / Carry out the hoist to the pontoon and install into the deck mounting tube. / Visually inspect the condition of the hoist before use.
Slide the two nylon washers and PVC tube over the base of the hoist before fitting into the pontoon base tube. / Back and muscle strains. / Awkward lifting and inserting the hoist into the pontoon base tube / Use two people to carry, lift and mount the hoist. / E / 4 / Minor / Volunteers
1.18 / There are mounting holes on three sides of the pontoon. / The hoist is set up on the wrong side of the pontoon. / No account made for the wind direction.
Change in wind direction. / Move it to the down-wind side of the pontoon / E / 5 / Minor / Pontoon Manager
1.19 / Set up the pontoon umbrella, carpets and chairs. / -- / -- / NAR / Volunteers
1.20 / Check the radios / The Pontoon Manager, base and Support Boat are provided with VHF hand-held radios, normally tuned to channel 77 / The hand-held radio does not work, preventing communications between the boat, pontoon and base. / Inexperienced operator.
Faulty radio. / The Pontoon Manager is an experienced volunteer.
Radio check with the base and the Support Boat.
Mobile phones can be used as back-up communications. / D / 4 / Minor / Training course on the use of the radios / E / 4 / Minor / Pontoon Manager
1.21 / There are one or two spare radios in the base charging cradle. / Flat battery. / Radios are placed in the base charging cradle after the day's activities. / E / 4 / Minor / Volunteer returning the radio
2.0 / Rigging and Launching / the Dinghies / -- / -- / --
2.1 / Sailability Toronto has two types of sailing dinghy:
a) the "Access 2.3", a single masted dinghy, and
b) the "Access 303" a twin masted dinghy, with the foremast acting as a jib.
The 303s are stored vertically, each supported on a transom trolley. The 2.3s are stored horizontally on racks. / -- / -- / --
2.2 / Move the boat trolley out to the rigging area. / The public have access to the rigging area and the path between the water's edge and the TASC building. / Persons trip over equipment in the rigging area.
The equipment blocks the vehicle access way. / The trolley is parked in pathways or infringes into the vehicle access way. / The public seldom walk past the area.
Use of the vehicular access way is restricted to participants only. / D / 4 / Minor / Rigging Volunteers
2.3 / Rigging activities hinder participant and public access / Public walking through or near the rigging area. / All rigging activities, dinghies, equipment, , etc are kept in the designated rigging area, which is clear of the public pathway. / D / 5 / Minor / Rigging Volunteers
2.4 / Install the boat trolley chock bar at the dinghy launching point. / The dinghies will be launched on the downwind side of the jetty. / The chock bar is set up on the wrong side of the jetty. / Inexperienced volunteer.
Changing wind direction. / Move the bar to the downwind side. / -- / -- / NAR
2.5 / Wheel the moveable dinghy storage rack out of the shed, to the water's edge / There are two dinghy storage racks; one moveable, one fixed. / Back and muscle strains. / Moving the rack over an uneven surface / Always use at least two able-bodied volunteers to move the rack / E / 4 / Minor / Volunteers
2.6 / If an Access 2.3 is required, lift it from its rack, out onto the rigging area / Back and muscle strains. / Lifting from the high position on the rack. / Always use at least three able-bodied volunteers to lift the dinghy / D / 4 / Minor / Volunteers
2.7 / Move the dinghies out of the shed, one at a time, onto the grass rigging area / Dinghies are mounted on transom trolleys to facilitate movement whilst vertical and horizontal.
The trolleys have either small or larger wheels. / Back and muscle strains. / Strain whilst lowering and moving the dinghies.
The trolleys with smaller wheels are harder to drag, particularly over the grass. / Overseen by experienced volunteers.
Always use at least two able-bodied people to down-end the dinghies and move them out to the rigging area. / D / 4 / Minor / Replace the smaller wheels on the transom trolleys with larger wheels, to make them easier to move. / D / 4 / Minor / Rigging Volunteers
Equipment Steward
2.8 / Damage to the bottom of the dinghies. / Dragging or positioning the dinghies on gravel patches in the rigging area / Ensure that the dinghies are on a grassed area / C / 4 / Medium / Rigging Volunteers
2.9 / Remove the transom trolley from each dinghy / Back strain. / Lifting and carrying the transom trolleys / The trolleys only weigh 10kg. / D / 4 / Minor / Rigging Volunteers
2.10 / Persons trip over unused trolleys. / Trolleys are left in walkways / Trolleys are stacked together, out of the way, alongside the pathway wall. / E / 4 / Minor / Rigging Volunteers
2.11 / Fit the masts and rig the dinghies / Each dinghy has its own set of sails, identified by colour and/or labelling.
Dinghies are rigged with the sails reefed, reefing line knots on the starboard side ("Reef Right"). / Dinghies are rigged incorrectly. / Set up by inexperienced volunteers. / The rigging by any inexperienced volunteer is overseen by an experienced volunteer.
Dinghies are checked for problems and defects during rigging.
Dinghy rigging is rechecked before leaving the pontoon. / D / 5 / Minor / Nominate experienced volunteers who are qualified to check the rigging done by others.
Training course on rigging the dinghies. / D / 5 / Minor / Experienced Volunteers
Training Coordinator
2.12 / Blowing wind flogs the sails. / When bringing the dinghies out onto the grass, have them facing into the wind. / D / 5 / Minor / Rigging Volunteers
2.13 / Load a dinghy onto the boat trolley and fasten with the lanyard.
Take to the launching point. / Use the longer lanyard for the 2.3 dinghy and the shorter lanyard for the 303. / Back and muscle strain. / Taking the loaded boat trolley to the launching area. / Use two persons to move the dinghy on the trolley. / E / 4 / Minor / Rigging Volunteers
2.14 / Persons trip over equipment. / Equipment (e.g. the boat trolley) left lying around after rigging / The area is cleared immediately after the dinghies are launched. (Only the boat trolley and transom trolleys are left out, the transom trolleys stacked neatly alongside the pathway wall.) / E / 4 / Minor / Rigging Volunteers
Shore-based Volunteers
2.15 / Using the boat trolley, launch the dinghy / At the launching point, the trolley is backed down until the wheels are against the chock bar. / Back and muscle strain. / Manoeuvring the boat trolley for launching / Use two persons to launch the dinghy. / D / 4 / Minor
2.16 / Walk the dinghies along the jetty and secure them by their painters to the jetty or pontoon / Dinghy drifts free / Poorly tied knots securing the painter to the jetty or pontoon.
Some volunteers cannot tie a suitable knot. / Use a bowline knot.
Send the Support Boat to fetch and bring back drifting dinghy. / D / 5 / Minor / Training course on basic knots (e.g. bowline, reef knot, clove hitch, figure eight, fisherman's knot) / E / 5 / Minor / Volunteers
Training Coordinator
2.17 / Wheel the keels from the outside storage bay, to the pontoon. / Specially made keel trolleys are used to move the keels. The keels are secured to the trolley with a belt that has a quick-release buckle. / Back strain / Trolley overbalances or the load shifts / Experienced, able-bodied volunteers
Before moving the trolley, check that the safety strap is tight and secure. / E / 4 / Minor / Volunteers
2.18 / Use the pontoon hoist to install the keel into each dinghy. / The 2.3 keel weighs about 20kg dry and 25kg water-filled.
The 303 keel weighs about 30kg dry and 35kg water-filled. / Keel can fall off the trolley / Keel falls when the trolley strap is released / Use at least two people, one to hold the keel on the trolley, the other to operate the hoist. / D / 4 / Minor / Hoist Operator
Pontoon Volunteers
Pontoon Manager
2.19 / Keel swings when hoisted and does not line up with the keel case. / Keel is unbalanced on the hoist. / The hoist hook is to be positioned to the rear of the keel lifting bar. / E / 5 / Minor / Hoist Operator