Although walking is a relatively low-risk activity, here is some advice about keeping your group as safe as possible, and how to respond if an incident occurs.

The vast majority of walks are incident free, but sometimes things can go wrong. Someone may trip and fall or start to feel unwell, and in rare cases you may be faced with a serious emergency. These are the safeguards we advise.

First Aid

As a leader please encourage all walkers to:

• Have an In Case of Emergency card in their rucksack (supplies of laminated Ramblers ICE cards are available from the Walks Programme Coordinator)

• Carry a basic first aid kit. Your personal mini first aid kit (or “ouch pouch”) might contain blister plasters, antiseptic wipes, dressings to deal with minor cuts or grazes, tic removers, painkillers, antihistamines, and any personal medication. Depending upon the terrain, the leader might need to carry more, see Ramblers advice here.

• Install one of these free mobile apps:

•                St John Ambulance First Aid

                 First Aid by British Red Cross

  There is a Ramblers e-learning module for registered volunteers called Preventing and Managing Incidents. It covers preparation (eg doing a recce, checking the weather forecast, packing a first aid kit), and what to do in the event of an incident. All walk leaders are advised to undertake this course.

  It is, however, a shared responsibility to help in an emergency situation. We encourage everyone to brush up their first aid skills so they can confidently assist in case of an emergency, rather than relying solely on our walk leaders. To learn or refresh your knowledge of first aid, there are lots of free resources on the internet. Here are a few suggestions:

  First Aid for Outdoor Pursuits and Activities - YouTube

  Learn how to do CPR | British Heart Foundation - BHF

  The more all our walkers can assist walk leaders, the better. Any walker could assist with first aid, identifying the location, or helping someone back to their car.

Identifying your location

Leaders need to be able to identify their location in case someone needs to be assisted back to their car, or if paramedics are needed. You are advised to download the following free apps to your phone:

• What3words - a means of identifying location, with every 3 metre square worldwide having a unique 3-word identity. (Share settings can be configured to also provide an OS Grid Ref).

• OS Locate - an app that converts GPS location readings from your mobile phone to Ordnance Survey National Grid references

In the unlikely event that someone has a serious accident on your walk, phone the emergency services by dialling 999 or 112. If mobile reception is poor you may still be able to get through by sending a text message to 999. For this you have to have pre-registered your phone number by sending the word ‘register’ in an SMS message to 999.

You will be asked for (or will need to text) your location address and postcode, which is not easy on a walk. The nearest identifiable road can help and the above apps can provide your exact location. Ideally put your phone on speaker mode, or ask someone else to call, so you can still attend to the casualty. You may then need to send some members of the group to the nearest road to direct paramedics to the scene. If you are in a more remote or mountainous area it would be the Police you should ask for and they will arrange appropriate rescue services. If appropriate, the emergency services desk will also be able to provide the location of your nearest defibrillator, and/or supply the code to unlock one.

Road walking

• Individuals or small groups should keep to the right-hand side

• Be prepared to walk in single file

• Use safe crossing points

• On right-hand bends it may be safer to cross to the left-hand side of the road and cross back after the bend

• Look out for cyclists

• Wear high viz clothing in low light conditions

Walking near cattle

• Stop, look and listen on entering a field; youngsters may be curious

• Move calmly and quietly around the herd

• Avoid getting between cows and their calves

• If cattle are obstructing the path give them a chance to move

• Or find another way, by diverting from the path to avoid them

• Avoid walking amongst cattle with a dog wherever possible

• If cattle threaten you, do not panic and run away; let a dog off a lead if needs be

 Extreme weather

• Check the weather forecast before you set out on a walk

• Have escape routes planned in case the weather deteriorates during the day

• In hot weather encourage everyone to keep adequately hydrated

• Be aware of the risk of falling trees or branches in high winds

• If there is risk of thunderstorms follow this advice from Ramblers

 Incident Reporting

All incidents should be notified by email to the Walks Programme Coordinator  and Chair. They can advise you whether a report to Ramblers central office will be needed. See the Ramblers guidance document below, along with the Incident Report Form.

• Incident Reporting Guidance (dated April 2019)
• Incident Report Form (dated Jan 2024)

These documents are provided here for convenience and quicker access.  They are the latest versions at 11th April 2024. The "live" versions can be found on Assemble. 

Further safety advice from Ramblers can be found here.