Adopted at AGM of 24 January 2016. Revised by Board 7 December 2024.
The Duty of Care policy establishes the principles by which a decision is made by a coach to disallow an athlete with a serious medical condition or demonstrating physical distress from participating in a Club event or participating as a Club member in a non-Club event.
RATIONALE
• With some exceptions, Bytown Walker members are adults and as such have responsibility for their own actions.
• There are likely to be no entirely risk-free options that allow an athlete with a serious medical condition to train and compete as a Club member.
• The purpose of this policy is to mitigate the risks to an athlete’s health while allowing athletes to participate to their desired maximum in Club activities.
BACKGROUND
• Only one weekly, regularly scheduled workout takes place at a facility where supplies can be kept.
• No member of the coaching team, who would be taking the decision on participation, has medical training (with the possible exception of CPR).
• It is not unusual at given workouts to have non coach members with some medical training.
PRINCIPLES
• The lead coach has the authority to make a decision respecting a member’s participation at the event.
• The decision will be made within the framework of the National Coaching Certification Program “Code of Ethics”. (Appendix A)
• The decision will be made within the framework of the Bytown Walkers Emergency Action Plan. (Appendix B)
CONSEQUENCES
• Failure to follow the advice of the coach may result in a referral to the Board.
Appendix A NCCP Code of Ethics
Appendix B: EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN FOR BYTOWN WALKERS
PART I: MITIGATING THE RISK FACTORS INHERENT IN THE ACTIVITY
A. DESIGN PROGRAM ACTIVITIES THAT MINIMIZE RISK (assumption that there is some risk inherent in the activity as we practice it, but we can mitigate some of this risk by planning the route for outdoor workouts (e.g. shade and water fountains in extreme heat; clearest paths possible in snowy conditions; safely crossing roads)
a. Conscious of weather and route conditions
b. Conscious of participants’ endurance capacity
c. For track workouts teach track awareness
d. When field in use at track workout practice field avoidance tactics
B. PROMULGATE INFORMATION ON THE PROGRAM ACTIVITIES:
a. on the website, include duration of workouts—with the explicit information that participants will be walking for that length of time; information that we train outdoors on Wednesday and Saturday throughout the year, including snowy and rainy weather; cancellation criteria as listed in The Club Overview (Technical) document;
b. at the beginning of workouts where newbies are present; suggest appropriate clothing for outdoor/nighttime activities; (e.g. light or reflective clothing for workouts in the dark.)
C. SUPERVISING PARTICIPANTS DURING THE ACTIVITY:
a. no walkers are left alone (in some cases this means they are not left out of sight of a coach or a member of the group designated at the beginning of the workout)
b. have fall back plans if a participant gets into trouble completing the course
PART II: DEFINING THE RESPONSIBILITIES
A. THE DESIGNATED RESPONSIBLE PERSON(S)
a. The person leading each workout, the coach, has the lead responsibility in the event of an emergency
b. The “call” person: designated to assist the coach; e.g. to contact the medical authorities and otherwise assist the person in charge
B. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COACH
a. Has a fully charged mobile phone with them or knows where a telephone is located b. Has emergency contact numbers with them: other members of the coaching team; first contacts of each club member as provided to the Club
c. Has directions to give the medical authorities to enable them to reach the site as quickly as possible (the workout plan)
C. REQUIRED MATERIAL OF THE COACH
a. Mobile phone, charged
b. List of contact numbers for coaching team;
c. List of emergency contact numbers for Club members
d. Directions of how to get to the site of the practice/event
e. Any of the above information supplemented as necessary for road trip events
PART III: IDENTIFYING AND DEALING WITH AN EMERGENCY
A. THE EAP SHOULD BE ACTIVATED IMMEDIATELY IF THE INJURED PERSON: a. Is not breathing
b. Does not have a pulse
c. Is bleeding profusely
d. Has impaired consciousness
e. Has injured back, neck or head
f. Has a visible trauma
g. Has an allergic reaction
B. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
a. The person in charge:
i. Secure area: keep the injured person warm and sheltered from elements
ii. Designate who is in charge of other participants
iii. Check for clear airway, for breathing and a pulse, and major bleeding
iv. Wait by the injured person until EMS arrive
v. Fill in an accident report after the incident
b. The “call” person:
i. Calls for emergency help
ii. Provides all necessary info to the dispatch: location, nature of injury and any first aid administered
iii. Clear any traffic from entrance and direct ambulance on arrival
iv. Call the emergency contact person provided by the injured person
v. Seeks other ways to reach primary contact if primary contact not available
c. Individual members are encouraged to have with them at workouts
i. Any relevant medical information of which EMS should be aware; would cover such things as medications, allergies, pertinent info on medical history
ii. Phone numbers of coaches
Bytown Walkers Club de marche 