Disclosure of Risk

You will not be allowed to participate in an activity without this document being understood and accepted.

**It is strongly recommended that you have a medical check up before starting cold water therapy**

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1. Risks
Outdoor swimming is a risky activity, and you must adhere to all safety guidance. The Cold Water therapist and the Cold Therapy Collective cannot be responsible for your wellbeing and safety specifically if you do not adhere to advice or instructions, nor disclose information that would affect your safety and ability to participate. To assist with this, all participants agree to partake in events at their own risk and no responsibility shall be attached to the organisers, collaborators or any person involved in the organisation and its activities,

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The Cold Water Therapist and the Cold Therapy Collective asks you to read the following. It may have a bearing on your safety and that of others that are involved in activities with you.

 

The Cold Water Therapist and the Cold Therapy Collective has legal & regulatory obligations to provide a duty-of-care to all that participate in any of our outdoor activities. As you would expect we take all reasonable steps to provide the level of care & assurances of safety that are appropriate to each of the activities. You should though be aware that there will always be certain risks that are inherent to outdoor activities. It is not possible to eliminate these risks without destroying the character & experience of each activity.

 

The level of real, as opposed to perceived risk associated with the activities is very low. However, the types of risk may be something with which you are not ordinarily familiar. For avoidance of uncertainty, environments & situations that you may encounter include:

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* Injury from collision with submerged or visible objects in the water. You must always follow the instruction given by the The Cold Water Therapist/Cold Therapy Collective instructor. Any accident or injury sustained from your own negligence or unsupervised activity, The Cold Water Therapist nor the Cold Therapy Collective will NOT be liable.

* Injury from wildlife in or around the area. You must always follow the instruction given by The Cold Water Therapist/the Cold Therapy Collective instructor. Any accident or injury sustained from your own negligence or unsupervised activity, The Cold Water Therapist nor the Cold Therapy Collective will NOT be liable.

* Injury when entering, in or exiting the water. You must always follow the instruction given by The Cold Water Therapist/ the Cold Therapy Collective instructor. Any accident or injury sustained from your own negligence or unsupervised activity, The Cold Water Therapist nor the Cold Therapy Collective will NOT be liable.

* Injuries sustained while swimming in high-risk areas such as in waterfall pools, rivers and the sea. You must always follow the instruction given by The Cold Water Therapist/the Cold Therapy Collective instructor. Any accident or injury sustained from your own negligence or unsupervised activity, The Cold Water Therapist nor the Cold Therapy Collective will NOT be liable.

* Injury or accident occurring on route to venue, by foot or by vehicle. You must always follow the instructions given by The Cold Water Therapist/the Cold Therapy Collective instructor. Any accident or injury sustained from your own negligence or unsupervised activity, The Cold Water Therapist nor the Cold Therapy Collective will NOT be liable.

* Injury or accident occurring from any other event & tools used, including but not limited to fire-pit activities, ice dipping, consumption of foods. Some activities at The Cold Water Therapist and the Cold Therapy Collective involve the use of mallets, axes and on occasion, matches. These should only ever be used under the supervision of a Cold Water Therapist/Cold Therapy Collective instructor. Whilst we maintain strict control over our tools and teach you how to use them correctly, any accident or injury sustained from negligent or unsupervised use, The Cold Water Therapist nor the Cold Therapy Collective will NOT be liable.

* Sickness or disease from polluted water

* Hypothermia

* Drowning

* Initial increase in heart rate and blood pressure upon entering cold water

* Slips & trips: the most common cause of accident throughout society, the opportunity for slips, trips & falls is likely to be greater than that which you usually experience.

* Loss or damage: the environments and activities that you choose to experience may increase the potential for loss of or damage to your personal clothing or equipment.

Instruction: you must accept and act upon all direction and instruction from the Cold therapy Collective and our instructors.

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Full risk assessments are carried out and all possible reasonable adjustments are made to minimise risks.

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You will be educated further on the risks and safety practices of cold water therapy during your online induction. 

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2. Insurance and Safety

Due to the nature of outdoor swimming/dipping events - more so in low temperatures - there will always be some degree of risk. For your own safety, it is imperative that you abide by instruction and decision of your guide. The Cold Water Therapist and the Cold Therapy Collective both hold public liability insurance and full risk assessments have been carried out to minimise risk. You are required to follow instruction and to not put yourself or others in unnecessary harm through negligence. Events for those aged 18 years or older only. Please also be vigilant on your way to and from swim venues. Access considerations are listed on each service. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the activity description before booking. Participants are deemed to have done so and assessed your own level of ability. You must only book if you are able to manage the terrain and conditions on route to the session.

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3. Medical Disclosure

Medical conditions such as, but not limited to, cardiovascular troubles, asthma, pregnancy, high/low blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and urticaria may affect your suitability to attend and participate in an event. All participants booking must disclose any medical condition, mobility constraint, hearing or visual constraint and medication in full.

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4. Alcohol and Drugs
Do not attend an event if you have alcohol and/or drugs in your system. The Cold Water Therapist and the Cold Therapy Collective reserves the right to refuse participation to anyone that they believe to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs and in such circumstances, no refunds shall be given.

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5. Parental Consent
It is a mandatory requirement for anyone under the age of 18 years to have parental consent to participate in The Cold Water Therapist’s and/or the Cold Therapy Collective's events.

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RISK IDENTIFICATION AND ACCEPTANCE

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Thank you for taking the time to read & consider this Disclosure of Risk. Prior to commencing your chosen activity/activities, The Cold Water Therapist/the Cold Therapy Collective will ask you to acknowledge your acceptance of the disclosed risks by signing below. In doing so you will confirm that you have read & understood the content of the Disclosure of Risk. A parent or guardian must counter-sign for anybody under the age of 18. Signing the Acknowledgement of Risk does not release The Cold Water Therapist nor the Cold Therapy Collective from any of our obligations towards you, nor does it affect your statutory rights.

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PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM/JUNK MAIL FOR ANY CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE COLD WATER THERAPIST