beach safety

Mullion SLSC takes safety very seriously. We have spent many months refining our safety procedures to ensure that we are thoroughly prepared for each session.

Our sessions take place every Friday evening but by Wednesday, the coaches have already looked ahead at the predicted sea, tide and weather conditions to plan their sessions and submit them in advance.

Therefore, it should be a comfort to you to know that sessions will be tailored appropriately and if for any reason it is deemed necessary to either operate a session entirely on the beach, move location to Mullion Harbour or to cancel it completely, notification will be issued on our Facebook page.

Risk Assessments

Prior to each session, the session leader and coaches arrive early to carry out a full Analytical Risk Assessment (ARA). This includes taking a photograph of the sea conditions from high ground to assess rips, the tide times, and the weather conditions. This also identifies other beach and sea users such as surfers, kayaks, bodyboarders etc and the general numbers of people in the water and on the beach. The responsible officers such as session leaders and first aiders are designated and written on the whiteboard for all to see so that it is clear who is on duty during that session.

Beach Clean

An area of the beach will be cleared for us during the session. This will be marked out and cleared of any rubbish, stones/rocks, sea debris/ dog waste etc.

Registration

Upon arrival, the whiteboard will detail which activities are taking place, therefore whether to stay in beach clothes or to get ready into wetsuits. Children will get ready and then line up for registration. Whichever parent, or responsible adult who has brought the child to the session must sign them in to the register, remain on the beach for the duration of the session, and sign out at the end. They will then be issued with a coloured swim hat for those in the sea, or a cloth hat/tabard, for those in Sandhoppers. You child must keep this identification item on at all times throughout the session as we continue to count 'heads' and must be able to readily identify those children in our care.

At the end of the session, you must sign out your child and return the hat at the formal de-registration so that all children are handing back to the adult who signed them in. Once they have been signed back to that signatory, they are then the responsibility of that person.

If for any reason, your child wants to leave the session early, they must be de-registered and the hat returned. Please do not just take them home without telling anyone.

Medical Form

All participants will have filled in a formal medical form as part of the membership process highlighting any health or medical issues. However, we also ask that any recent injuries/ cuts bruises/ headaches are mentioned at registration. The reason for this is two-fold. One being if there is something wrong that we feel may be exacerbated during the activity, we may need parental agreement that the child can continue; the second being, if an injury is noticed at the end of the session, we can tell whether it was a pre-existing one that has worsened, or a new one sustained by taking part in the session.

Safety Brief

Each session begins with a safety brief to ensure that all children understand the rips, the tide, the wave conditions and what is planned. They are reminded of hand signals from the shore and also whistle blasts, so that they can respond to instruction. They are also reminded of what they should do if they are in difficulty and how to attract attention and call for help.

Normal Operating Procedure (NOP)

This document is a detailed procedure that demonstrate the preparations made prior to, during, and after each session. It explains exactly what needs to be done to deliver a safe session in accordance with all of our specific policies.

Local Operating Procedure (LOP)

This is a procedure specific to the location that we are in. It highlights particular risks, emergency access, Ordnance survey grid reference and any other facts associated with that location.

RNLI Lifeguards

RNLI lifeguards are usually on duty until 6pm, sometimes later in the Summer months. However, Mullion SLSC has fully trained Beach Lifeguards amongst our coaches so children always have trained lifeguards in the sea with them.

First Aiders

All of our coaches are Aquatic First Aiders. This means that in addition to standard first aid training, we have been trained in drowning related incidents and resuscitation. We have also been trained in beach environment first aid such as jellyfish and weaver stings plus cliff falls and spinal injuries.

Tube & Board Rescue

Tubes are the flotation devices that you may have seen Lifeguards with. If someone is in difficulty in the water, the lifesaver can swim to the individual and wrap the tube around to help to keep them afloat as the lifesaver tows them to shore, or to a rescue boat.

The Rescue boards are like high sided surf boards with handles on. In the situation where a person is in trouble, the lifesaver can paddle these out, put the individual on the board and paddle them back in. In cases where a casualty may be unconscious, the lifesavers are trained to secure them to the board and thereafter take the appropriate lifesaving action.

Spinal injury

In the case of a spinal injury, our First Aiders are trained to extract the casualty from the sea keeping the spine in line to prevent further injury and to administer the appropriate follow-on care.

Defebrilator

A defribilator is kept at a number of sites in Mullion. These are identified on the LOP and on our Emergency Action Procedures.

Mullion Fire Station (Also First Responders)

Mullion Methodist Church

Mullion Doctors Surgery

Mullion Cricket Club

Instructions for these are 'spoken' when you activate them.

Emergency Access

First Aiders have been trained to work in accordance with the LOP and our Emergency Action Procedures (EAP). It is accepted that at busy times Emergency vehicles may find it difficult to access the area and a Helicopter is issued. The First Aiders and coaches have been trained to deal with helicopter landings so please assist them where you can.

Weather

The joy of a British Summer is it's unpredictability!! So, be ready for anything! It can still be quite warm and sunny at 6pm but on a particularly breezy evening, it can turn very chilly by 8pm

Sun cream, beach clothing, water to drink, and something warm to wear for later should hopefully cover everything.

Call us >

Beach Safety

​