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Boxing Day / New Year's Day Charity Dip Risk Assessment — Generated Instantly for £29
Describe your charity dip — location, expected numbers, water type and safety cover. We generate a fully written, UK-compliant risk assessment covering cold water shock, crowd safety and emergency response in minutes.
Built for charity organisers, swim clubs, lifeboat crews and community groups running winter dip events
❄️ Running the dip in the sea, a lake or a river? Tell us — we'll tailor the assessment for tidal movement, currents, water temperature and visibility, and include the right ratio of water safety cover and shore marshals.
Legal requirements for charity dip organisers
Anyone organising a public event in the UK — including a charity cold water dip — is required by Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to everyone who could be affected, including participants, volunteers, marshals and spectators. This duty applies whether you are a registered charity, a swim club, a lifeboat station or an informal community group.
The Occupiers' Liability Act 1957 places a duty on anyone controlling the land or beach used for the event to take reasonable care for the safety of visitors. Councils and landowners will almost always ask to see a written risk assessment before granting permission to use a beach, riverbank or park for a mass bathing event, particularly given the known risks of cold water shock documented by the RNLI and RoSPA.
A risk assessment also supports your duties under the general health and safety legal requirements that apply to event organisers, and gives your insurer and local authority confidence that foreseeable risks — cold water shock, drowning, slips on icy ground, and alcohol-related incidents — have been properly identified and controlled before the event goes ahead.
How It Works
1. Describe the event
Tell us the location (sea, lake, river or pool), expected number of swimmers and spectators, the date, and the safety cover you have arranged. Mention any specific hazards such as tides, currents or low light.
2. Let the app take the strain
Anyrisks produces a fully written, UK-compliant risk assessment covering cold water shock, crowd management and emergency procedures, referencing the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
3. Instant download and use
Download as PDF and Word. Send it to your council, landowner or insurer, brief your marshals, or file it for your charity's records. £29, no subscription.
What it covers
Every charity dip risk assessment is written in full — covering the in-water hazards and the wider event site.
Cold water shock and immersion time limits
Hypothermia symptoms, monitoring and response
Drowning risk and water rescue procedures
Currents, tides and changing water depth
Water visibility and submerged hazards
Alcohol policy and pre-entry checks
Participant health declarations and age restrictions
Water safety cover ratios (lifeguards and shore marshals)
First aid provision and casualty warming facilities
Crowd and spectator management on site
Slips, trips and falls on icy paths and slipways
Emergency services access and communication plan
Changing, warming and welfare facilities
Weather contingency and event cancellation triggers
Works for
From a small village pond dip to a large seafront charity swim, Anyrisks covers every type of winter bathing event.
Anyrisks vs DIY templates
| Anyrisks | DIY / Templates | |
|---|---|---|
| Written in full — not a blank form | ✓ | ✗ |
| Covers cold water shock specifically | ✓ | ✗ |
| MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3(1) referenced | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water safety cover ratios included | ✓ | ✗ |
| Alcohol and health declaration policy included | ✓ | ✗ |
| Covers site hazards, not just the water | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ready in under 2 minutes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Instant PDF and Word download | ✓ | Sometimes |
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a written risk assessment for a Boxing Day or New Year's Day charity dip?
Yes. Under Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, any organiser running an event — including a charity swim open to the public — must assess the risks to participants, volunteers and spectators. Cold water immersion events carry recognised risks of cold water shock, so a written assessment is essential and is also usually required by landowners, councils and insurers before they will grant permission.
What is the biggest risk at a charity dip?
Cold water shock is the primary danger, not drowning from exhaustion. The RNLI and RoSPA warn that sudden immersion in cold water can cause involuntary gasping, rapid breathing and panic within the first minute, which can lead to inhaling water even in strong swimmers. Your assessment should set a maximum immersion time, brief participants beforehand, and have trained safety cover positioned in the water and on the bank or beach.
How many safety or lifeguard cover staff do we need for a charity dip?
There is no single fixed number in law — it depends on the number of participants, water conditions, visibility and water depth. Many organisers follow RLSS UK or RNLI guidance and provide a ratio of qualified water safety staff to bathers, plus shore-based spotters, throw lines, and a dedicated event first aider. The HSE expects the provision to be justified by your written risk assessment, not just copied from another event.
Do participants need to sign a disclaimer or complete a health declaration?
A signed consent and basic health declaration (covering heart conditions, pregnancy, recent illness and alcohol consumption) is strongly recommended good practice for cold water events, alongside — not instead of — your risk assessment. A disclaimer does not remove the organiser's duty of care under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957 or the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974; it simply records that participants were informed of the risks.
What about alcohol at the event — is this a specific risk we need to cover?
Yes. Boxing Day and New Year's Day dips are often linked with festive drinking, and alcohol significantly increases the risk of cold water shock and poor decision-making in cold water. Your risk assessment should include a clear policy of no alcohol before entering the water, with checks at registration, and should flag this to marshals and first aiders.
Do we need public liability insurance as well as a risk assessment?
Yes, they serve different purposes. Public liability insurance covers financial claims if something goes wrong; the risk assessment is the document that shows you took reasonable, foreseeable steps to prevent harm in the first place under Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Most insurers and local authorities will ask to see your written risk assessment before confirming cover or granting a permit.
Does the assessment need to cover spectators and the car park, not just the water?
Yes. A full event risk assessment should cover the whole site — crowd management on slippery or icy paths, parking and traffic, trip hazards on the beach or riverbank, and emergency vehicle access — in addition to the in-water hazards. Many charity dips attract large crowds of spectators, and slips, trips and falls on frosty ground are a very common cause of injury at winter outdoor events.
How quickly can we get a risk assessment before the event?
Under 2 minutes. Describe your event — location, expected numbers, water type (sea, lake or river), safety cover arranged, and date — and Anyrisks generates a complete, regulation-referenced risk assessment instantly as a PDF and editable Word document, ready to send to your council, landowner or insurer.
Also see: The Ultimate Guide to Risk Assessment · Do I Need a Risk Assessment? · Risk Assessment Legal Requirements · AI Risk Assessment Generator