Keep on track or I’ll lock it.
1 Like
But their Liver’s are more than happy,
3 Likes
Ive opened this at the request of someone who actually wants to post on the topic.
Just received this from Dep OC Wg here in SW Region…
Essentially, Heat and Cold Module 1 are required by all staff. Heat and Cold Module 2 are required by staff marked as Directors on SMS events and Activity Commanders. Yes, there is a stipulation in ACTO99 that the latter modules might only be required in circumstances where a Heat/Cold injury might be incurred, but please bear in mind that those in approval or audit roles further up the chain will not necessarily be privy to local weather conditions or the current temperature in your local sports hall, for example. My strong advice would therefore be to assume that any given activity is likely to be assessed as needing at least one of those qualifications.
By far the simplest measure that units can take is ensuring that any members of staff that may lead activities are trained and current in Heat and Cold Module 2. An alternative would be for staff without Module 2 training not to be in activity leadership or Director roles on SMS.
Having recently completed Module 2, the lesson itself says.
This lesson, aimed at those in leadership positions who have a duty of care for people under their command, will give you the knowledge and skills you need to plan an activity with Cold Injury risks.
Breaking this down…
aimed at those in leadership positions
I would find it hard for any of us to perhaps argue that this doesn’t relate to all Staff at an activity, particularly those who are instructing / acting as directing staff rather than those who are attending for experience purposes.
have a duty of care for people under their command
This to me is 100% of all CFAVs, even those who are attending an activity for experience, I could be a new CFAV attending my first shoot and acting as the Ammo Orderly, is it unreasonable to suggest that this applies to me?
knowledge and skills you need to plan an activity
This is where it breaks down and now feels like it just needs to the the Activity Commander who is planning the activity
So with this clarification that Director’s are to hold this, that would include the Ammunition Orderly in the example above, where they are just filling in that role as they are first exposed to some activity, so hardly in an leadership position.
That said, I don’t have the energy these days to challenge it.
2 Likes
Yeah, this bit is key.
Honestly, what you’re OC Wing has written is very pragmatic, and makes sense. It’s pretty much what ACTO 99 says too. Directors Activity ICs, Sqn OCs etc all need Mod 2.
As far as I see it, it’s the person planning the activity and those who have over all command on the day that need it. Yes we are all leaders, but we’re need all in overall command. Mod 1 is sufficient for the vast majority of people.
1 Like
Ha - in terms of ability to focus on cadets, that position is normally very busy & the least likely to observe “cold injury” circumstances!
But Mod 2 isn’t really about that. That’s what Mod 1 is all about. Mod 2 is all about the policy and how to plan and prepare for the event. Risk assessing it properly and how to report it if something does happen.
Mod 1, which we do all need, talks about all the what to look out for and what immediate steps to take.
This really needs the protocols / requirements to be “re-confirmed” from HQ RAFAC to avoid different interpretations across wgs, etc.
2 Likes
It needs to be very black & white, which the Director status is, it would also avoid any anger being directed at RHQ.
1 Like
but on my understanding of the training, the “risk” of cold injury can occur at temperatures below 15°C - so basically every event we’ll be doing outside between now and April!
So hard to suggest training isn’t needed unless we’re only instructing Cadets inside buildings, classrooms and lecture theatres for the next 6 months?
1 Like
I agree entirely. My point was the OPs activity was indoors. If you state in the admin order or RA that the building has heating and event will be canx if it fails, then there is no reasonable risk of a cold injury occurring. Ergo, Mod 2 shouldn’t be needed.
As it stands, all OCs should for example have Mod 2 to act as the commander/designated heat/cold injury lead for their unit for any activity happening there.
1 Like
So, considering the state of most of the buildings we use, just as bad?
2 Likes
My viewpoint on all this is that the failure of the RAFAC to supply or make available at a cheap or means tested rate adequate combat clothing for green activities such as shooting and fieldcraft is a major blind spot in our policy of child protection: we ensure that cadets taking part in DoE expeditions have all the civilian gear for a trip into the outdoors, so we should ensure they are similarly equipped when taking part in the military activities.
Fieldcraft and ranges are no different for the regular armed forces, and they take plenty of gear with them for that training.
All the online training, form filling-in and risk assessment in the virtual world is no protection against inclement weather in the real one: only a standard issue of the correct clothing can help against that. In fact not having that clothing would constitute an unacceptable risk, and therefore the activity should not go ahead if the problem isn’t addressed.
I believe the problem is that inexperienced people often underestimate the weather conditions in the UK because we have a mild temperate climate - which included me before I gained that experience the hard way. If we did have properly cold winters such as is found in central or northern Europe, or hot summers like in the Mediterranean, then we would dress better for them. Hence, as is stated in the hot weather training module, the now common sudden rises in temperature catch us out.
It’s also why we have only recently started building well-insulated houses: our climate isn’t guaranteed to kill you in the Winter if you live in an old house, but it still can make it a pretty miserable life. The issue of the effects of a damp and cold climate has only now been addressed in the building trade, but has yet to be in the RAFAC.
I’m not a fan of the ‘individual squadrons can sort it out for themselves’ viewpoint in this case: it’s more an issue of what the correct basic clothing and PPE issue should be for both cadets and staff. But I’ll stop writing before I once again drift off topic into RAF uniforms. 
1 Like
That’s surely for us to make the call on. If I take cadets climbing at, say, Brighton Highsports, I’m happy that building is heated, and at no point will be below 15C even in the depths of winter. If however I took them climbing at somewhere like Cowshot activity centre, then absolutely there is a risk of cold injury as that place isn’t heated at all, and is literally freezing in winter!
As I said above, saying “The activity is indoors in a location with central heating so there is no risk of cold injury” should be good enough to negate the need for Module 2 imo.
To throw the proverbial hand grenade onto the table, reading the policy above, it seems to be aimed at over 18s as does the heat policy.
@JoeBloggs has posted the matrix, but is this flawed being applied to teenagers. Remember the comments from the safety board in regard to the heat policy risks.
What research has been carried out on the effects of cold on teenagers in relation to the effects of wind chill, low temperatures etc? I suspect none, as with heat research it would be unethical to perform experiments on children.
Having dealt with children in intensive care, they react far more quickly to changes in homeostasis than adults.
1 Like
Agreed! It’s also not really aimed at sitting in a classroom…
We have no proper training aimed at children, at all.
2 Likes
Also, to throw another hand grenade on the table as it were;
It’s all well and good SW region checking that people have done this Mod 2 training, but are they actually checking that the relevant planning as per the training has been done? Have the people doing this check actually done the Mod 2 training them selves? Are they just checking for a qual, or are they checking that, for example, the risk assessment has been done in line with that training, ie have the 4 risk factors been appropriately assessed and control measures added.
If all the perm staff are doing is checking a box is ticked then the whole thing is a farce anyway.
3 Likes
1 activity - fieldcraft. Where actually only an outer layer is required, who cares what’s under it to keep warm. So just PCS MTP trousers and smocks. Nothing else required if we had blue PCS, with appropriate warm/cold weather adaptations.