|
A work in progress : © Garry McDougall The following things would be assessable by IWAS:
Defined as following: Walkway Surfaces Smooth and solid (Zero points) Any track surface that is smooth and solid, and therefore suitable for urban pedestrian usage and/or wheelchair access. Smooth and compacted (One point) Any surface that is smooth, with compacted surface, perhaps with undulation. Typically, it is suitable for the casual walker, without special footwear. The walker would be unlikely to sustain a fall on such a surface, yet is not so smooth that wheel chair access would be approved. Uneven (Two points) This surface requires the walker’s attention, as they might trip or sustain a fall without it. Moreover, although not essential, a better quality of footwear is an advantage. There may be ruts or water or ice or exposed small rocks or muddy sections at various points along the way. Rough (Three points) ‘Rough’ is a route that has, or is likely to have, obstacles on or across the route, slowing walking and requiring basic agility. Very rough (Four points) This route has substantial number of obstacles requiring extended or athletic agility Rugged (Five point) ‘Rugged’ is where the terrain itself is part of the route, and requires extended agility, included situations where it involves skills additional to natural walking. At any point the route falls outside these characteristics, it is non assessable, or requires a special note warning the recreationalist of it nature. Walkway Width Negotiable (Four points) One-person (Three points): Narrow track is defined as any route where two people can not easily walk side by side (must be defined exactly). Two-person (Two points) :Where two people may pass comfortably (must be defined exactly). Broad (One point) : Any track where it is broader than the above. Walkway Contexts Safe (One point) Safe track is close to human services such as road, communications, hospital, commercial shops etc. making it easy and quick to achieve the necessary resources should something go wrong. Safe but unsecured (Two points) Safe but unsecured is where human services are available is less easily secures, or require additional time to secure. Safe but highly remote (Three points) Safe but remote is where human services are distant and difficult to obtain. Special Hazard (Four points) Safe but remote is where human services are distant and difficult to obtain, with the additional human/historical/geographic factor/s that may radically alter a journey. Geographic factors impinging on the Context’ rating may be volcanoes, earthquakes and floods. These may involve no more than a special note (at the least) or made totally unassessable where, for example the area is adjudged by Scientific experts to be in danger of eruption within a short time period. Any security factors worse than ‘Special Hazard’ make the route uassessable. An example would be a country at war with an external force, or in a state of lawlessness or civil war. Walkway Incline Incline is undoubtedly significant is assessing a route. Most people will say they prefer downhill to uphill, but this system assumes the incline itself to be assessed, regardless of whether people undertake it down or up hill. This is because the danger of injuries and the stress caused going downhill is often underestimated. Therefore due regard is given to incline regardless of the walker’s direction. However people reviewing an assessment must be provided with information on the highest and low altitude of a significant incline. Flat or near flat (Zero points) A flat walkway up to a 1 in fourty incline. Gentle undulations (One point) At 0 to 1 in fourty to one in thirty Sustained incline (Two points) At 0 to 1 in thirty to one in twenty Steep (Three points) At 0 to 1 in twenty to one in ten Very Steep (Four points) At less than one in ten. A route is inaccessible where it involves mountain-climbing skills. Back to Top |