Significant Hazards

To participants:

• Trip Hazard – Either over weapons, participants lying on floor or uneven surface
• Slip Hazard – Unsuitable Surface such as cobbles for medieval footwear or short cut grass, particularly when wet.
• Uncontrolled hit with pole arm – Occurs when the person using the weapon has lost adequate control of it. Result could be a hit to an unprotected part of the body; a blow with too much force or deflection of another persons weapon which may result in them losing control of their weapon.
• Broken weapon – Either through natural wear and tear, incorrect use/maintenance or unidentifiable flaw in the fabric of the weapon.
• Push/shove- Occurs during close combat when participants are pushed by another participant as part of combat simulation.
• Hit by projectile – usually from a longbow or crossbow, may be from a siege trebuchet
• Dehydration – Significant loss of water through perspiration and breathing which has not been adequately replaced.
• Over-heating – Through poor ventilation due to padding, highly intensive exercise and high temperatures.
• Inadequate or poor protection – Resulting in cuts or bruising from a blow by another combatant.

Who might be harmed:

Participant using pole arm:

• Subject to all of the risks identified above

Non-combatant in arena:

• Either by being mistaken as a combatant, at which point they become subject to the same risks as a combatant.
• Through inadequate space between them and combatants.
• Stray projectiles, including broken weapons, or when standing amongst combatants to provide refreshments during periods of inaction
• Tripping over discarded or broken pole arms

Member of the public:

• Through combatants straying into an area where public are or vice versa.
• Through combat taking place too close to the public.
• Contact with uncontrolled weapon due to accidental breakage or loss of control of a weapon

Is more needed to control the risk:

Measures in place to control risk

• Double tape barriers between all combatants and the public, which neither are allowed to cross when combat is taking place
• Bill stored in rack when not in use to maintain their condition and to prevent them acting as a trip hazard
• Supervised training of participants on a regular basis, organised at each event and additional weekends when events are not taking place
• Minimum protection of gloves, body protection and helmet should be worn during combat
• Weapon inspections before combat sessions take place, weapons should not have excessive rust, burrs, splinters, fracturing or sharp edges.
• Marshals in place to ensure crowd barrier is maintained and combatants follow safety rules

Potential measures to be introduced to further control risk:

• Health & Safety briefing to remind all participants to be aware of health and safety issues
• Certification of members who are competent to use pole arms
• Training to non participants on correct handling of pole arms
• A training log made of time spent by members training
• Clear health and safety guidelines to be published and made available to all members