While Health and Safety are not
generally a serious matter when participating in the gentle
sport of fly fishing, there are a number of issues one should be
aware of when enjoying being beside the water in the great
outdoors . Thankfully, up to now, we
haven't had any incidents causing concern, long may it remain
so.
-
Don't fall in! Obvious
really, but the lakes have quite deep water close to the
bank and you might have difficulty getting out, particularly
if fishing alone, especially if wearing wellies or waders
and many of us are not as fit and mobile as we used to be
when younger.
-
Always wear a hat and glasses
when fishing (polarizing sunglasses are recommended). Any fly
travelling at speed, particularly a weighted version, can cause
a fair bit of damage if it catches you in the ear, or even
worse, an unprotected eye!
-
Stop fishing if there is any sign
of thunder and lightning. Modern carbon fibre rods are excellent
conductors of electricity and waving one about in the air during a
thunderstorm might not be such a good idea. Best lay the rod on the
ground and seek shelter in the huts or one's vehicle until the
threat has passed.
-
Being situated in valleys and very
rural, mobile phone signals at both venues are very weak or non
existent. For emergency purposes the location of each site is displayed
in the huts.
-
If you think you are the last person
fishing on site, when signing out please check the catch return sheets
to see if everyone else has also signed out. If not, or there is still a
vehicle other than your own in the car park, please have a quick check
of the lakes to ensure no harm has come to anyone.
Our Health and Safety Policy
Document may be viewed / downloaded
here
and our Risk Assessment
Document may be viewed / downloaded
here
Safeguarding
of Children and Vulnerable Adults
As members of the Angling Trust, we
are now required to have a Welfare Officer and to put in place
procedures for the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults
who we may come into contact with during the course of our various
activities such as coaching or attendance at shows etc.
To this end, our Safeguarding
Policy Statement may be viewed / downloaded
here
and our Safeguarding Process
and Procedures document may be viewed / downloaded
here.
Infectious
Diseases
All persons engaging in some form of activity
involving water and the countryside should be aware of the following infectious
diseases. Should you be unfortunate to experience any of the symptoms, please
seek medical advice and advise the practitioner of the possibility of
contracting them as many will not otherwise consider them as the cause of your
problem.
Weil's Disease
Weil's disease is an infection carried in
rats urine which contaminates water and banks of lakes, ponds
and rivers. The disease is serious and
requires hospital treatment.
Weil's
Disease is a notifiable illness
in the UK and it is essential to
disclose a confirmed case to the
local Public Health office, who
will need to know where you
believe it was caught.
Symptoms start 3 to 9 days after exposure to contaminated water,
with an attack
of Weil's Disease resembling a
cold or flu in the initial stages.
Early
symptoms are: fever, muscular
aches and pains, lost of
appetite, nausea when lying
down.
Later
symptoms may include: bruising
of the skin, sore eyes, nose
bleeds, jaundice.
The fever
lasts for approximately five
days, then a significant
deterioration follows and if untreated,
Weil's disease can be serious
and become FATAL
If you
become ill a few days after a fishing trip, and you have any of
the above symptoms, it is extremely important to contact your
doctor as soon as possible and say you have been near
contaminated water that may have Weil's disease and ask the
doctor for a blood test to be
carried out. You must
tell your doctor that you
suspect Weil's Disease, as many
of them do not associate it with
influenza symptoms without a
helpful hint. Treatment with
antibiotics is only effective if
started rapidly after symptoms
develop.
A blood test is
conducted to determine the
presence of Weil's Disease, the
Public Health Laboratory
receiving the test should
perform an ELISA test for Leptospirosis. If in the United
Kingdom, and the local
laboritory
cannot perform the ELISA test,
the sample should be sent to:
The Leptospirosis Reference
Unit,
Public Health Laboratory,
County Hospital,
Hereford,
HR1
2ER. Telephone 0432 277707.
This
contact is for UK use only, by
the doctor or laboratory staff only.
A few
sensible precautions
DO cover with
waterproof plasters or gloves
all scratches, cuts, sores and
breaks in the skin.
DISINFECT
any wounds as soon as possible
if they occur whilst at the
waterside.
ALWAYS wash
your hands or cover food with a
wrapper before you eat.
NEVER put
your hand to your mouth after
immersion in river water and
never place bait or fishing line
in the mouth.
DON'T touch
any dead animal especially rats.
NEVER leave
food, ground bait or bait on the
bank side.
AND ALWAYS
TAKE YOUR RUBBISH HOME
Lyme's Disease
Lyme's
disease is a bacterial infection
that can be passed to humans
through being bitten by ticks
(small blood sucking insect).
These ticks
commonly feed on mammals such as
sheep, deer and mice, and so can
be found in areas of woodland,
grassland and heath land, both
here and abroad.
The most
common symptom of Lyme's disease
is a red skin rash that looks similar to a bullseye on a
dart board. If left un-treated,
further symptoms can develop
over 30 days, including:
High
temperature (fever) of 38oC
(100oF) or more
Muscle pain
Joint pain
and swelling
Neurological
symptoms, such as temporary
paralysis of the facial muscles
A person with
Lyme's disease is not contagious
because the infection can only
be spread by the ticks. If
caught early the disease can be
treated with antibiotics and
cleared up within a few days.
However if left untreated it has
the potential to become a serious debilitating
condition.
The best way to avoid
any problems is to check for
local information about the area
you plan to visit.
Follow advice
and take reasonable precautions
such as using insect repellent
and wearing appropriate
clothing. Light coloured
clothing allows you to see any
ticks and brush them off, and
wearing long sleeves, and
trousers tucked into socks is
sensible to protect bare skin.
If you have
been in an area that may have
ticks, check yourself over,
especially around the backs of
knees, underarms, scalp and
groin areas. If you find a tick,
remove it gently by gripping it
as close to the skin as possible
(around the head and mouth
parts, not the body) preferably
using fine toothed tweezers, and
pull steadily away from the
skin, taking care not to leave
any part of the tick attached to
the skin. Disinfect the area
around the wound. Remember to
check children and pets too.
If you
develop any symptoms or feel
unwell after potentially
receiving a bite, seek medical
advice.
