Workplace River Crossing Course River safety skills for people working on and around rivers. / Public Courses / Workplace Training Courses / Workplace River Crossing Course Overview Completing a one-day river crossing course with OENZ is a great way to upskill and ensure your safety before heading on your next big adventure. Rivers are one of the greatest hazards in New Zealand’s backcountry and claim lives every year! They are dynamic and pose a serious risk to the untrained. “There are, on average, about four river crossing deaths each year. Of these accidents, many occur in flooded rivers or side streams.” (Bushcraft Manual, Fourth edition. Mountain Safety Council, 2006) Course Details Course Location We deliver this course on the Waimakariri River just north of Christchurch, 15 minutes from the airport, and 20 minutes from the city centre. However, our instructors can travel all over NZ to deliver water safety programs for clubs and organisations. If you’re interested in getting a course delivered outside of the Christchurch area, give our team a call or email today. Gear & Equipment All you will need for this course is boots, a tramping pack and regular outdoor clothing. We will supply all the necessary equipment for you if you don’t have your own. We will also provide packs that can be used and get wet, so you don’t have to get your own gear saturated. Gear List When is the next workplace river crossing course? Our water safety training courses run on request, and we recommend running your course in the warmer months of summer between October and March. We can run water safety courses any time of year; however, we find participants get more out of the course in summer. To book your course, get in touch with one of our friendly team members today. Custom Training Courses We often customise courses like this one to suit the needs of different organisations. Some of our clients with customised courses include the Department of Conservation, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and Northland Regional Council. We can even combine this course with our wader safety course or flatwater kayaking course. If you would like to talk with someone about customising a course, drop us an email or give us a call to discuss your options. Course Outline The course equips you with hands‑on skills in hazard assessment, decision‑making, river crossing techniques, and rescue methods so you can confidently and safely navigate New Zealand’s dynamic rivers. Morning Risk Assessment: Group discussions and activities incorporating workplace Safety management procedures and current good practice guidelines. Assessment and identification of hazards Hazard management River characteristics & features Decision making River Crossing Practice (Participants stay dry): River crossing principles Identifying safe entry and exit points River crossing methods Backing out Using poles for support Rescues (Participants stay dry): Throw bag techniques practice Break for Lunch Afternoon River Crossing Practice (Participants get wet): River crossing practical using the following methods Solo crossing Solo crossing using a pole for support Mutral support method Backing out Rescue tequineques: Recovery swim (self-rescue) Pack float (self-rescue) Perform a rescue using a throw bag Get rescued by catching a throw bag Managing an injured, wet person until external help arrives Course outline Meet Our Team of River Crossing Instructors Alan Haslip Sarah English Jake Harris Frequently Asked Questions What is the minimum number of people needed to run a river crossing course? Six people are the minimum number required to run a course at the advertised price. We are happy to run a course for smaller groups on request. Can you deliver a course in our local area? Yes, we are happy to deliver the river crossing course anywhere in New Zealand. We are based in Christchurch, so a travel and accommodation fee is usually applied to most courses delivered outside of Canterbury. Can we team up with another company or group to make up the minimum numbers and split the travel cost? We often try to group small teams in similar locations to reduce the cost of training. If you have a small group, get in touch and we will help organise a combined training. Can this course be customised to meet the needs of our workplace. Yes, every workplace is different. We are happy to tweak this course to meet the needs of your workplace or even design something from scratch to meet your team or work locations. River crossing course photos Team rescue using throw-bag Work place river training River crossing in an alpine river Supported river crossing Solo crossing method Throw-bag practice Wader safety training Customer Reviews “I do the one-day river crossing course every two years with an added chest wader competency for work. Sarah is very informative and can tailor the course to the needs of each individual. Her experience shines through the entirety of the day — great opportunity to practise pack floats, linked and solo crossings, while learning about good techniques walking in and around rivers.” Susan Harris “I feel we had good time to go through everything and feel much more confident in crossing rivers” Clare Ross, New Zealand “An excellent river course, exactly what I was looking for.” John Andrews, New Zealand
