What safety measures are taken?

Safety of both staff and participants is our top priority at events. With the benefits of our own externally qualified safety advisor, in-house qualified in Health & Safety representatives, Senior Registered nurse and sports therapist, Race The Dragon lead the way in event safety.

Steps are taken both before and during each event to ensure the safety of all people involved, which include:

• Pre-event safety briefing and training session for team members.
• Pre-event venue suitability site visit (for each new venue) with the client.
• A complete Risk Assessment for each event and venue.
• All events attended by suitably experienced and qualified staff.
• The right to change the crew order in a boat or (where unruly behaviour is encountered or drugs use or excess alcohol suspected, the right to remove competitors on the grounds of safety written into both the events Terms & Conditions and also each client’s contract.
• EU-approved and tested personal floatation devices (buoyancy aids) for each crew member.
• High-visibility Race The Dragon Ltd. safety wristbands for each crew member.
• High-visibility tabards for fast identification of people who are either weak / non swimmers or who have medical issues that could affect their safety whilst on the water.
• Disabled persons safety policy so that even severely disabled people can compete.
• SEN safety policy and procedures specifically tailored to support and encourage young participants to experience the activity of dragon boat racing in a controlled environment.
• Champion dragon boats at our events, which have internal buoyancy tanks so that even when capsized and full of water they float so crew members can hold on.
• Safety boat with qualified & experienced operators at each event.
• St John Ambulance medium first aid kit at all events.
• First aid trained and qualified staff at every event.
• £10 million public liability insurance at each event.

Race The Dragon Ltd have Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) accreditation, with a Provider Reference Number R2404 and Licence number L13464, issued in accordance with the Activity Centres (Young Persons’ Safety) Act 1995 and The Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 2004.

Race The Dragon Ltd also work closely with the British Dragonboat Association (BDA) who are the sport’s governing body in the UK and provide on behalf of the BDA, The non-BDA team’s National Dragon Boat Championships, which form part of the BDA National Dragon Boat Championships.