Managing Your Centre


Safety Management RGN B6 B6.1 Introduction


Sound administration is important for the safe and efficient running of a centre. The administration required by the RYA is in place to protect the centre, its staff and its users. Documentation should be succinct, robust, fit for purpose, reflective of how the centre operates and how training is delivered, ensuring that all activity is both safe and enjoyable.


Each Recognised Training Centre (RTC) must have a health and safety policy and detailed operating procedures, including a mechanism for reporting and reviewing incidents to help improve procedures and therefore safety, which is understood and applied by all staff.


The centre’s documentation should record what happens in practice. While it is important to have records of centre procedures, the emphasis should be on what is done to make instructors and students as safe as possible, not on recording every detail.


It is essential that everyone understands their role in the safe management of their centre. There should be an effective system for ensuring all staff have read and understood safety management systems including operational procedures and health and safety procedures, including periodic amendments and reviews


The Guide to Writing Operating Procedure may help collate and record all relevant information required, and can be found in the document “Guidance for writing operating procedures as part of a safety management system”.


B6.2 Health and safety policy


A documented health and safety policy is required, which should be applied and understood by all the staff. To ensure that the staff have read and understood the policy, they should sign and date to say they have read it. Changes and updates to the health and safety policy will require the staff to re-sign the document.


B6.3 Operating procedures


After identifying the risks and documenting them in a risk assessment, the Principal should produce a written operating procedures document which is robust, fit for purpose, reflective of how the centre operates and training is delivered. It should inform instructors of how the centre works. The document should cover basic operations including lines of authority and responsibility. It should also include the steps to be taken in the event of a major incident/serious accident at the centre. See 'Guidance on major incident procedures and crisis communications' in related documents.


Operating areas for practical activity afloat should be clearly described; the boundaries should be easily recognised and be free from unacceptable hazards. Instructors should be aware of designated operating areas and should observe them. The centre’s documents should include a chart or map detailing the operating area(s). See 'Operating areas' in related articles.


Issued 21/06/2024. Information correct at time of publication. 38


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