If you intend to train on the Tideway, this season, please will you make sure of the following:
·         That your coaches keep their wash to a minimum and slow down for other crews
·         That your Club Water Safety Advisor, anyone who is allowed to steer a boat unsupervised and all your coaches are familiar with the full detail of the Tideway Code which can be found at:
www.pla.co.uk/display_dynamic.cfm/id/121/site/recreation

·         For all other rowers, we have produced an abridged and easy to read Introduction to the Tideway Code Introduction to the Tideway Code (temporarily out of order 11.23 8/3/2010 but try thamesrc.atics.co.uk/cms/safety-c-geroge-personal-opinion/tideway/introduction-tideway-code-trrc.html.
·         Please will you make sure that all launch drivers make use of the kill cords, if you are in any doubt as to why you should use these watch this clip from YouTube:
www.killcords.com/68
 
The PLA requires that all Tideway clubs maintain a list of ‘competent steers’ and has in place a training and assessment framework.  I appreciate that your club is not obliged to do this because you are not controlled by the PLA, but it is good practice and I would like to suggest that you consider putting something into place, guidance for this can be found at:
www.thames-rrc.org/safety/steers-certification/
 
 
Thames Sewage
Thames water have promised us that the Tideway Tunnel and the Mogden expansion will be going ahead which means taht by 2013 we should be rowing on a river which is clean and does not present a health threat, in the meantime we have persuaded Thames Water to implement an email warning system for sewage spills from the Mogden plant at Isleworth, you can register for this at:
www.thameswater.co.uk/rowers
We are working on Thames Water to provide this information for the Hammersmith and Chiswick sewage stations too.
 

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