Emergency Procedures
What to do in an Emergency
In the event of an accident, keep calm – remember your training.
Ensure your own safety and that of your team.
Carry out immediate first aid and make any casualties comfortable whilst waiting for help. Remember to make the casualty’s position easily seen.
Organise assistance:
Check for mobile phone signal.
Use OS Locate to establish exact location.
For critical/life-threatening situations only: dial 999 and ask for Police, then request Mountain Rescue.
For all other situations: phone or text your Supervisor.
If needing to get help, send two persons to raise the alarm at the nearest safest place of habitation.
Always inform your Supervisor or Emergency Contact.
Send text message if you or Supervisor in low/no signal.
Give International Distress Signal: six signals at 1-minute intervals.
Record the following information:
Date and time of accident
Location: OS Grid Reference (use OS Locate to confirm location)
Approximate place name or nearest recognisable feature
Name(s), Injuries and condition of injured person(s)
OS Locate
OS Locate is a free app on Android and Apple smartphones. We strongly recommend that participants download this app onto their smartphone before arrival on the expedition.
If you need to fetch help, and require a confirmation of your location, then participants should use this app. It will display your 6-figure Grid Reference that you must record and pass onto your Supervisor or Mountain Rescue.
Emergency Distress Signal
Getting Help
6 whistle blasts.
6 torch flashes.
Reply
3 whistle blasts.
3 torch flashes.
Mobile Phone Policy
Mobile phones must NOT be used on expeditions, except in an emergency.
Any mobile phone brought to the expedition must be switched off and sealed in a bag.
Please refrain from using your phone to call others on the expedition or family/friends. This includes at camp as well as during the journey.
At the start of the expedition, your Supervisor will ask you to register 1 phone per team as the team’s emergency number.
You will also receive an Expedition Safety Card with the numbers of your Supervisor, Assessor and Home Contact.
In the event of an emergency, switch on your phone and access OS Locate to get your correct location.
Phone or text your Supervisor with your situation and location.
If you cannot get in touch with your Supervisor, advise the Home Contact numbers on your card.
Keep the emergency phone switched on until otherwise informed by your Supervisor.