Background
The Society has a duty of care to its members. We are committed to members being able to enjoy our waters with the minimal risk of accidental injury. To achieve this goal there is a need for regular maintenance of our waters. Our insurers and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) set conditions we must observe when carrying out maintenance. This document sets out the Society’s policy to comply with our insurers and HSE conditions.

Routine Swim Clearance by Member
It has always been the Society’s policy that any member finding their swim affected by vegetation that would impair their ability to cast out, play and land a fish, may undertake clearance of that swim.
A member who feels competent to do so may use shears, secateurs or a bladed instrument, other than a sickle or scythe, to clear vegetation on the bankside to the front and sides of the swim.
Reasonable care must be exercised and work done to the minimum required to fish safely. Power tools may NOT BE USED unless authorized, in advance, by the maintenance manager, or the Society committee. Aquatic plants may be cleared in front of the swim, with a blade on a pole, up to 4 metres from the bankside. Alternatively, a rake head attached by rope may be used. Members should check for holes and trip hazards before undertaking any work.
Wherever possible a 1 metre depth of foliage should be retained for safety reasons between any footpath and the bankside.

Power Tools
The Society has obligations under both the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and our insurance policy conditions. This includes the Provision & Use of Equipment Regulations. Power tools may only be used with the permission of the maintenance manager or the committee and the following conditions apply:
• Power tools must be used in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines
• Power tools may only to be used by a competent adult
• Chainsaws may only be used by a qualified or competent experienced person wearing appropriate specialist PPE equipment. A second person with a mobile phone should be present whenever a chainsaw is used.

Working In the Water
No Society member may work in the water without previous permission from the maintenance manager or the committee. No work is permitted unless the water temperature is above 15ºC.
Members working in the water must wear chest waders or a dry/wet suit. Wherever feasible a buoyancy vest of 50 Newtons or more should be worn. A second person, with a mobile phone and floating throw line, must be present on the bankside.

Working on the Water
No member may work in or from a boat without previous permission from the maintenance manager or the committee. No work is permitted unless the water temperature is above 15°C. Any boat brought to a Society water from elsewhere must be scrubbed on-site with disinfectant and rinsed off before being placed in the water. Any person working from a boat must wear a suitable buoyancy vest of 50 Newtons or more. Power tools, including chainsaws, may NOT BE USED from within the boat. A second person, with a mobile phone and floating throw line, must be present on the bankside.

Weils Disease
To avoid contracting Weils Disease any member with cuts and abrasions to the hands and arms must not undertake any work where the wounds may be exposed to lake or river water. In any event all members either fishing or undertaking maintenance work should sanitise their hands on completion.

Weather
 No work should be undertaken if there is a risk of lightning, high wind or other inclement weather conditions that may put the member or others present at risk. Members should avoid overexposure to the sun or overheating whilst working. After heavy rainfall members undertaking any work should ensure that banks, paths or swims are not slippery to the point of making work potentially unsafe.

Risk Assessments
 To meet its insurance and legal obligations it is the Society’s intention to complete a risk assessment, where appropriate, before work is undertaken. For the avoidance of doubt this does NOT include routine swim clearance by members (see above).

Reporting Incidents
 Any member either receiving an injury or witnessing one whilst at one of our waters should report it as soon as possible to the Society secretary. This includes circumstances involving damage to third party property.












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