Australian Sailing is looking to accredit Equipment Auditors directly and remove the need for appointment by a club.

Equipment Auditors have been accredited by Australian Sailing and the criteria has, among other things, always included the requirement that the auditor’s club appoints them and that the club agrees to provide them adequate insurance cover that extends to professional liability.

However, the Equipment Auditors play their role in accordance with Australian Sailing procedures to check compliance with its rules; the Special Regulations. They are trained and accredited under policies set by Australian Sailing.

One of the challenges coming from this system which Australian Sailing has been working to solve is how Equipment Auditors are covered when conducting audits at a different club. Picture a scenario where the Equipment Auditor is appointed by Club A, and is auditing a boat from Club B who is entered in a race conducted by Club C. Australian Sailing’s advice has always been:
“Auditors can only  conduct audits at clubs that have appointed the individual auditor. If an auditor wishes to conduct an audit on behalf of another club, they must be approved by that club.”

By looking at how Australian Sailing can accredit and cover Equipment Auditors directly we hope to achieve a remarkedly improved outcome. That is, no matter which race or which club, the Equipment Auditor will be able to help the sport without having to check that a club approves and covers them.

The process will take some time. There are changes to accreditation policies and procedures to consider, and information in training resources and the website will need to be updated. Australian Sailing will stay in touch with clubs and Equipment Auditors to keep them abreast of the change process. 

Information on Equipment Auditing can be found at https://www.sailingresources.org.au/safety/equipment-auditing/.
Searches for accredited Equipment Auditors can be performed at https://www.sailing.org.au/accreditation-finder/. 

By Glen Stanaway https://www.sailing.org.au/about/ourstaff/.