Risk assessment

[Sir Nibble]

Many of you will be aware of my situation with regard to she who is affectionately known as the cuckoo baby. For those who are not, suffice to say I am a foster carer for my wifes granddaughter. Yesterday I had a meeting with a social worker who raised the issue of risk assessment for the boat! My house has been checked as a matter of course and I have covers in sockets child locks on doors etc but no one has ever mentioned the boat as anything other than a lovely resource for the little girl. So, has anyone any experience of this? I have put a temporary mesh around the stern deck to prevent any cuckoo overboard accidents and a fire guard around the stove. Any other ideas beyond BSS?

[Barry]

How old is she Snibs?

 

 

 

What can she trip over?

 

For instance if she is likely to hit her head on steps can you carpet them to put soft edges on them?

 

Do you need to provide a baby gate of some sort so she can't fall from the stern down into the boat especially if you have a peice of timber across the entrance to keep the weather out?

 

child proof catches on low cupboard doors so she can't get in?

 

Fiddle rail round the cooker so she can't pull hot pans off?

[Smelly]

A rusty old scythe and a fierce growl whenever she comes within 100 yards should sort it!

[Sir Nibble]

She's 3 1/2 on boxing day, pretty as a picture and daft as a brush. She has taken to calling me "daddy" of late and it's getting harder and harder to correct her. Good suggestions, I shall give attention to those points.

[koukouvagia]

I was told a chilling story by an old boatwoman. Her baby sister usually sat on the roof, tied to the chimney by a piece of rope (Not sure what she meant by this, since the chimney wouldn't have been fixed). On the day in question, the parents had neglected to do this and the little girl slipped off the roof into the lock and was drowned. The same woman, incidentally, lost two other members of her family through drowning.

 

We never tethered our own grandchildren and apart from insisting on them wearing life jackets and making the engine room strictly off limits, the only other precaution we made when they were younger was to put a rail alongside the beds, which are much narrower than their own beds, to prevent their falling out in the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

How old is she Snibs?

 

 

 

What can she trip over?

 

For instance if she is likely to hit her head on steps can you carpet them to put soft edges on them?

 

Do you need to provide a baby gate of some sort so she can't fall from the stern down into the boat especially if you have a peice of timber across the entrance to keep the weather out?

 

child proof catches on low cupboard doors so she can't get in?

 

Fiddle rail round the cooker so she can't pull hot pans off?

 

I was going to say similar - transfer over from what you have done for the home to the boat socket covers etc etc.

 

For the drowning risk life jacket at all times when outside the boat and a 'walk through' safety gate for the stern. I can visualise how one would fit in ours with a side extension but without knowing what yours is like it might be more difficult.

[Gazboatman]

I was told a chilling story by an old boatwoman. Her baby sister usually sat on the roof, tied to the chimney by a piece of rope (Not sure what she meant by this, since the chimney wouldn't have been fixed). On the day in question, the parents had neglected to do this and the little girl slipped off the roof into the lock and was drowned. The same woman, incidentally, lost two other members of her family through drowning.

 

We never tethered our own grandchildren and apart from insisting on them wearing life jackets and making the engine room strictly off limits, the only other precaution we made when they were younger was to put a rail alongside the beds, which are much narrower than their own beds, to prevent their falling out in the night.

 

When I get my boat sorted for next summer my 3 year old won't be allowed on the front or back unless sat on my partners knee, the kitchen area will have a fence with gate seperating it from the rest of the boat and more than likely a gate at the front and back doors just to be safe.

 

My parents are foster carers and no doubt will have to have one of these risk assessments for the boat before being allowed to take the kids on it. I do know some of the things they had to do to their house were a bit OTT so god knows what they'll have to do with the boat.

[cotswoldsman]

She's 3 1/2 on boxing day, pretty as a picture and daft as a brush. She has taken to calling me "daddy" of late and it's getting harder and harder to correct her. Good suggestions, I shall give attention to those points.

 

I think she will be perfectly safe in your care.

I guess they might expect to see a Life Jacket.

[Gazboatman]

I think she will be perfectly safe in your care.

I guess they might expect to see a Life Jacket.

You'd think so but they will want a lot more than life jackets.

[Hairy-Neil]

A rusty old scythe and a fierce growl whenever she comes within 100 yards should sort it!

 

Is this the social worker you're on about....

[calamity507]

We used to be foster carers. .Started the same way as you with a grandchild..be careful..we ended up doing it for years..with quite a lot more. Happy years..mostly. Different social workers..have different ideas. Just do what you have done at home..on the boat. Life jacket is a must..we also had to have a guard made for the fire.... And make sure the back deck was fully enclosed.

Edited November 29, 2011 by calamity507

[Guest]

Seem to recall a discussion on here about how difficult it was to get a suitable fire-guard for a narrowboat stove....

[calamity507]

We had one especially made..cost wasnt too bad..just trying to think where it is..

Edited November 29, 2011 by calamity507

[Guest]

We had one especially made..cost wasnt too bad..just trying to think where it is..

 

I think from memory that was the outcome of the discussion on here too...

[calamity507]

That was one of the biggest..things we had to do.

Edited November 29, 2011 by calamity507

[Guest]

From my limited experience I think that the suggestions made by others seem appropriate. The people who inspect premises seem to be big on protecting sharp corners on things such as tables, worktops etc.

[bag 'o' bones]

Having written risk assesments for various activities I would say you shouldn't have a problem as long as your assesment demonstrates that have thought about the potetial dangers and suggested ways that the risk can be minimised.

[journeyperson]

I don't think a Risk Assessment would have anticipated this grandchild related incident:

 

Last summer we were moored against the towpath at Little Bollington. Beyond the towpath was a grassy area where we had put a rug and chairs. I was in the boat's front well with my two year old grandson who was wearing reins which I was holding. His mother was sitting on one of the chairs on the grass. She is very twitchy when he is on the boat and when he moved towards the gunwale she instinctively got up and moved quickly towards the boat, into the path of a fast moving cyclist, who swerved to avoid her. My first realisation was a lycra clad body flying across the bow locker. I grabbed her and stopped her going into the cut. We were all startled and the cyclist was shocked but unhurt. Nobody really blamed anyone at the time and there were no recriminations.

[Sir Nibble]

Life jacket already aboard, (minus the whistle! )

[tree]

As previous people have given very good advice, here are a few safety precautions that I did when living on a 70ft trad, with my two eldest saplings ( toddlers)

 

(1) Life jackets,

(2) Child safety gates at front and back of the boat and one in the engine room,

(3) Safety cooker gate for top of the cooker and a fitted fire-guard for the stove,

(4) Childproof catches and locks for the cupboards and doors,

(5) Rounded edge coverings for units and table,

(6) First-aid kit ( plus a few lollies and sweets

(7) MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL IS TO TALK TO THE CHILD/CHILDREN IN YOUR CARE, explain to them the dangers as lickle people are very bright

and respond better to this way of teaching than just saying 'No!! dont touch that , or stay inside. Infact I was more worried about

their safety when we moved back 'on-land' than I ever was when we lived aboard.

 

tree = mother of 4 ( yes! I did have a telly saplings

I am and have been working in the Social Care sector for over 30years ( hmm... maybe that is why I am so wacky

 

I am sure that you and your good lady will have all the safety procedures covered, now all that is left is for you all to enjoy

happy and wonderful days out on the cut, teaching the lickle one all the wonders of our boating heritage, enjoy

[Taslim]

Many of you will be aware of my situation with regard to she who is affectionately known as the cuckoo baby. For those who are not, suffice to say I am a foster carer for my wifes granddaughter. Yesterday I had a meeting with a social worker who raised the issue of risk assessment for the boat! My house has been checked as a matter of course and I have covers in sockets child locks on doors etc but no one has ever mentioned the boat as anything other than a lovely resource for the little girl. So, has anyone any experience of this? I have put a temporary mesh around the stern deck to prevent any cuckoo overboard accidents and a fire guard around the stove. Any other ideas beyond BSS?

 

The other reply's are sound, espes the one about repelling your case worker Tee-Hee. No I didn't say that, It was the evil monkey!

 

I found that most social workers are looking for decent risk assessment and management. We are not a 'safe' space with solid fuel heating/sharp corners/electronic kit & steep stairs but kids need to know how to assess risk for themselves. Although some on the assesment panels found our live in truck/surfing/dirt biking stuff dificult to take (minding their pensions?) most looked at happy kids & found us extra funding. The age range was from 18month to 18 years.

 

The only casualty unit visits in 20 years were me tripping over a tent peg and busting my shoulder and me & adopted son (16 by then) and we both knew 'that' bike jump was improbable.

 

Go for it Sir N. You know you like it.

[David Mack]

Many of you will be aware of my situation with regard to she who is affectionately known as the cuckoo baby. For those who are not, suffice to say I am a foster carer for my wifes granddaughter. Yesterday I had a meeting with a social worker who raised the issue of risk assessment for the boat! My house has been checked as a matter of course and I have covers in sockets child locks on doors etc but no one has ever mentioned the boat as anything other than a lovely resource for the little girl. So, has anyone any experience of this? I have put a temporary mesh around the stern deck to prevent any cuckoo overboard accidents and a fire guard around the stove. Any other ideas beyond BSS?

 

Our three, now aged 14/16/18 have been boating on Fulbourne (unconverted working boat with basic camping accommodation under the cloths) since before they were born. Mind you, we didn't have to satisfy anybody but ourselves about the risks.

 

As babies they spent much of the day outside strapped into the car seat on the cabin top in front of the steerer, the car seat being tied down to the mushroom vent and the fold down steps on the cabin side.

 

Once they were beyond the crawling stage we insisted that life jackets must be worn at all times outside. We also taught them to swim at a very young age. They were not allowed to stand on the (trad) stern deck while the boat was under way, for fear of getting tangled in the steerers legs.

 

We did try tethering them with reins tied to the mushroom vent, but if you allow a reasonable amount of movement they could fall over the side, and if you shorten the tether enough to prevent this they can hardly move. I have heard of people tethering toddlers to a tensioned rope or rail running along the middle of the cabin top, but we never tried this.

 

For the first few years after the third was born we only went boating with at least three adults on board, so we could supervise the children adequately.

 

Despite our best efforts at setting rules on what was safe behaviour it became increasingly difficult to stop them walking along the gunwale whenever they wanted to, leaping about on the cabin top, and almost running along the top plank! On our 2003 trip from Bath to Bristol to Pangbourne (when they were 10/8/6), George had already outgrown his life jacket, and once we got off the Avon the girls rebelled against theirs, and as they were by then all pretty good swimmers and confident in the water we relented, and they have only worn them since on tidal waters.

 

The worst incident we had was when we were boating up Curdworth locks. I was steering, Jacqui was lock wheeling, and our friend Huw was sitting on the cross planks with the older two. Pip, then aged 2 1/2 and wearing a life jacket, just rolled off the cabin top, bounced off the gunwale and into the water. I saw the whole thing, but by the time I had got the engine into neutral she had bobbed past the stern (as my mind was filled with visions of her being sucked into the prop). Without another thought I leapt off the back of the boat after her. Fortunately she was quite unhurt, I scooped her out of the water, waded over to the bank and handed her to her mother. It could have been much worse.

 

As a shared ownership boat we weren't able to do too much about sharp corners, cooker guards and the like, but we did have to take a firm hand with fellow owners about things like leaving jam jars of white spirit and dirty paint brushes lurking in odd places, or leaving knives or tools out.

 

But on the whole it worked out pretty well, and the children enjoyed it - even if they are now at the moody teenager stage, where going boating with Mum and Dad is rather less appealing!

 

David

Edited November 29, 2011 by David Mack

[cotswoldsman]

(minus the whistle! )

 

Spoil sport!!!!

[Nose Miner]

The most useful thing I found when my children were little was, and I hate to admit it, a Rosie & Jim safety video - I think this came free of charge from a BW office. They watched it over and over again, not even realising they were being trained in health & safety. I have never believed in protecting children from risks, rather to teach them to identify and avoid risks themselves. By the age of six, my two were voluntarily teaching other, younger, children on hire boats, when they saw them doing something silly.

[DaveC]

The most useful thing I found when my children were little was, and I hate to admit it, a Rosie & Jim safety video - I think this came free of charge from a BW office. They watched it over and over again, not even realising they were being trained in health & safety. I have never believed in protecting children from risks, rather to teach them to identify and avoid risks themselves. By the age of six, my two were voluntarily teaching other, younger, children on hire boats, when they saw them doing something silly.

 

 

I don't suppose you still have said R & J video do you? My grandchildren love them - we have got quite a few. Also looking for one when I believe

R & J visited Devizes.

 

Dave