We are looking to do a sponsored stay awake for cadets and staff from 2 local Sqns. It would be held at one of the Sqn HQ between 1900hrs on a Friday and finish 0800 on the sat. The event will include planned activity such as sports. Leadership etc as well as socialising time. Has anyone ever done somthing similar and if so how did they find the authorisation process for the pipe?
I’ve never done anything like that (nor would I wish. I love my sleep ) but I would imagine that since you’re planning to run activities you’d probably be wise to include in your RA that the supervising staff for such activities are suitably rested prior to the evening.
One could imagine the subsequent board of enquiry if someone had an accident… If a scape goat can be found they probably will be.
“So Mr Bloggs was supervising the activity? He works a physically intensive job does he not? How long had Mr Bloggs been awake prior to the activity commencing? Would you say that Mr Bloggs was sufficiently attentive given he’d that he’d been awake since 0530 the previous morning?”
Likewise for the cadets. Just in case little Johnny is tired, isn’t fully with it, and has a lapse of judgement.
“So Cdt L Johnny had been awake for 22 hours when he slipped whilst playing football and fractured his arm?”
If you cover all bases and ensure that you’ve considered the risks then I can’t imagine that the H&S side of it should have any reason to deny permission.
That is of course the whole point of a Risk Assessment. It’s not about rolling in cotton wool but showing that you’ve considered all the risks and deemed them to be acceptable with controls in place where required.