General Code of Conduct

 

General Etiquette

  • Members have a mutual respect for each other regardless of their ability, sex or status.

  • Punctuality is essential for the smooth running of all training sessions, competitions and events organised by the club. Being late is impolite and disrespectful to your fellow crew members and may compromise your selection to represent the club at an external competition.


Safety - Generally

  • The club researches, produces, communicates and implements a comprehensive set of safety policy documents annually which can be found on this website. These are produced in accordance with the British Rowing safety guidelines as varied from time to time and take into account any hazards unique to our club's particular environment and circumstances.

  • Very minor breaches of the club's safety rules will be dealt with by that member's squad captain. Larger breaches will be reported to Warwick Sport and British Rowing.

  • Members must familiarise themselves with the club's safety documents in advance of undertaking any training sessions on the water. It is strongly advisable that members familiarize themselves with these various safety documents in advance of undertaking regular land training.

  • The below safety rules provide a very general overview of some of the key provisions of those safety documents. They are not however sufficient to verse each member fully with our safety policies and they must be read in conjunction with the rest of the club's safety documents.

  • Members are reminded that these safety policies also extend to training camps and competitions held away from the club's usual training venues.


Safety - The Club's commitment to you

  • The club's executive committee and coaching team from the most senior to the most junior members will be open to challenge at all times by any club member from the most senior to the most junior on the club's safety policies and will not prejudice directly or indirectly any member who chooses to challenge the club's safety policies.

  • The club's executive committee and coaching team will constructively deal with all suggestions made by members pursuant to the above scenario.

  • To protect its athletes the club's executive committee and coaching team will not allow any culture of complacency towards safety to breed at UWBC.


Safety - Your duties as members

  • Members have a duty to read in full and abide in full by the safety rules as set out across the club's various safety documents.

  • Members have a duty to ask a more senior member of the club if they are unsure as to the safety of a particular practice.

  • Members have a duty to report any unsafe practice however small to the President of the club or to any member of the club's executive committee or coaching team.

  • Members have a duty to refuse to row if your coxswain is not wearing a lifejacket.

  • Members have a duty to refuse to row if your coach is not wearing a lifejacket.

  • Members have a duty to refuse to row if you know or suspect a member of your crew or your coach is unfit to train or coach through for example drunkenness or excessive tiredness.


Safety - Some other key points

  • Prior to a water training session, the President & Safety Advisor, the Equipment & Safety Officer, the Senior Men's Captain, the Senior Women's Captain, the Novice Men's Captain, Novice Women's Captain or any member of the coaching team will decide if the river and weather conditions are suitable for rowing. The decision of those present from the list above will be unanimous. If those listed above decide the conditions are inappropriate for training on water then no member may go onto the water.

  • During a water training session, any member has the right to demand the termination of the training session for any reason linked to safety. Any member demanding the termination of a water training session must continue to obey the instructions of the coxswain who must safely navigate the craft back to the landing stage or if that is not possible, must safely land the boat where appropriate in all the circumstances.

  • In the event of a capsizing, rowers must hold on to the boat to provide buoyancy. Once all crew members have been counted as present by the coxswain, the crew should swim the boat to the riverbank where the immediate attention of any other club members should be raised.

  • For the avoidance of doubt, members MUST NOT swim away from the boat in the event of a capsizing. The boat is likely to be your best buoyancy support even if it is upside down.

  • Medical emergencies during a water session will be reported to the coxswain of the crew immediately.

  • Members may not under any circumstances overload any vehicle under the hire of the club. All members traveling in a vehicle hired by the club must wear seatbelts for the duration of the journey.

  • A First Aid kit is provided at the Barford Boathouse. Any member has access to the First Aid kit. Authorisation must be sought if any club member intends to remove the First Aid kit from the site of the Barford Boathouse.

  • Members are encouraged to take the basic First Aid course run by the Warwick Sport

  • Any injuries or incidents that occur, whether during any club training session or at an external club event, such as a competition, must be reported to the President & Safety Advisor of the club.

  • Members' attention is drawn to the rules below restricting the use of the club's electricity generator and outboard engines and restricting the handling of fuel.


Security

  • With the exception of those members of the Executive Committee, members will not keep in their possession any property of the club, without prior permission from the President & Safety Advisor or the Equipment & Safety Officer.

  • With the exception of the members of the Executive Committee, no member may handle the keys to the club's estate.


Training

  • Members will only train within their abilities and levels of fitness. All training sessions will start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down.

  • Members will not change places in the same boat while it is afloat.

  • Any commands given by the coxswain or coach are to be acted on immediately as it is the responsibility of the coxswain or coach to look after the boat and crew.

  • Once the boat has been taken from the boathouse, there is to be no talking between the crew members excluding the coxswain, other than if the boat is in danger of hitting an obstacle.


Clothing

  • There is no requirement for members to have any specific clothing for training sessions. However, members are advised to wear sensible clothing including shorts, tracksuit and other warm layers.

  • During Heads, Regattas and private matches, members are expected to wear the correct club strip, which can be purchased through the club. Failure to do so could resulting the disqualification of the crew.


Coxing

  • Coxswains should be able to cope with hazards arising from obstructions in the water. Coxswains should also be able to assess a hazardous situation on the water.

  • During a medical emergency, coxswains should alert the attention of any nearby Safety & Coaching Boats.

  • Coxswains should avoid navigating near weirs.

  • Coxswains must wear a lifejacket whilst on the water. The club always provides lifejackets for coxswains.

  • The boat is the responsibility of the coxswain throughout the session.

  • Coxswains shall be responsible for delegating the cleaning of the boat at the end of a water training session.


Equipment

  • Members are responsible for the care of equipment during all training sessions.

  • Members are strictly forbidden from starting, driving, fuelling or switching off the Safety & Coaching launch boat without having been formally approved by both the President & Safety Advisor and the Safety & Equipment Officer.

  • With the exception of the members of the Executive Committee, members are strictly forbidden from starting, operating, fuelling or switching off the generator situated in the Barford Boathouse

  • Any member of the Men's Senior Squad and the Women's Senior Squad may use the ergos situated in the sports hall on central campus.

  • Damage to the equipment must be reported immediately to any Executive Committee member.


Affiliations

  • Each member of the club will be a member of the British Rowing. Membership details can be obtained fromthe Club Secretary at the beginning of the academic year.

  • British Rowing membership cards will be given to the Club Secretary for the duration of the academic year. All exceptions will be previously negotiated with the club's President & Safety Advisor.


Social events

  • Members are reminded that heavy alcohol consumption does not mix well with intensive training. Members are advised to bear this in mind especially whilst attending club organised social events.

  • Members should be aware that the club can be held accountable by the Students' Union for any serious incident that occurs during a club organised social event.