Outdoor Program Risk Management: Instruments

Instructions:


The purpose of this document is to guide organizations in reviewing their risk management procedures and practices, specific to 11 risk management instruments, or broad-reaching tools. Organizations undergoing this self-assessment are expected to better be able to understand, anticipate, manage and respond to risks encountered by their program.

This self-assessment is one of three self-assessments designed to be used together to complete the self-assessment process. The other two self-assessments cover risk domains and COVID-19 considerations.

The self-assessment is intended to be used by outdoor education, outdoor recreation, adventurebased, travel, and experiential education programs, and organizations operating in rural and remote locations.

No taxonomical model perfectly fits its subject, and these outdoor risk management criteria are no exception. Other valid criteria sets exist. Regardless of the model used: good judgment, critical thinking, and appropriate modifications for the unique circumstances of any organization using the criteria should always be employed.

This document is fundamentally a checklist. Users, however, should avoid “checklist culture” that defers independent thinking to rotely following lists; appropriate risk management involves staying alert and proactive, using creativity, anticipating the unexpected, and recognizing that risk managers cannot be aware of or control all factors leading to incidents, and so should act accordingly.

The criteria noted here do not prescribe specific methods for meeting those criteria. Those methods may vary based on a number of parameters, including activities, locations, and populations. However, the intent of the assessment criteria is to outline focus areas for the organization.

Further information and context regarding the criteria enumerated here are available through training, risk management review (safety audit) or similar consultations, and additional written materials, and should be sought out as needed.

Meeting the criteria documented in this self-assessment does not eliminate all risks. The selfassessment tools are not to be relied upon as a sole source of best practice information.



Acknowledgements, Limitations, and Disclaimer


The development of the assessment criteria outlined here has been informed by leaders in the outdoor education and standards-setting fields, including the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority, the British Standards Institution, the Association for Experiential Education, the Boojum Institute, Outward Bound, SETLA, and the Association for Challenge Course Technology. Viristar thanks these and other organizations for their leadership in the ongoing development of quality outdoor programs.

IMPORTANT: Disclaimer of Liability
Persons who use this document and the assessment criteria therein do so at their own risk. Misuse or improper interpretation of this document and the incorporated criteria can result in serious injury, property damage, or death. Accidents may occur even if the criteria are met. Viristar LLC denies any legal responsibility to any persons or entities for personal injury, death, or property loss in any way related to the use of, or failure to use, such criteria, including a claim arising out of a deficiency in their establishment or promulgation or publication, or a failure to articulate other criteria. In documenting and distributing these criteria, Viristar LLC does not intend to create legal duties, for itself or for those who would use the criteria, which would otherwise not exist.

Assessment Criteria: General

Name:


Organisation:

1

Risk Transfer

1.1

Appropriate insurance policies are in effect.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

1.2

Transfer of risk through indemnification, liability release or other instruments is appropriately employed.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

1.3

The organization considers the use of third party subcontractors as part of a risk transfer strategy.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

2

Incident Management

2.1

A response plan for field situations/emergencies is in place.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

2.2

A plan for managing administrative aspects of emergency response and follow-up is in place.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

2.3

Procedures for preventing and managing lost-person scenarios are in place.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

2.4

Specific first aid and medical practices and protocols for organizational use are in place.

 

Status:

 

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2.5

A system for management of medications is in place.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

2.6

Procedures for managing misbehavior, psychiatric emergencies and related situations are appropriately in place.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

3

Incident Reporting

3.1

Incidents are reported, analyzed, and responded to, individually and in the aggregate.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

4

Incident Reviews

4.1

The organization has a documented policy establishing a process for formal internal and external incident reviews, including a description of when and how they are to be conducted.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

4.2

The organization has staff capable of organizing internal and external incident reviews.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

5

Risk Management Committee

5.1

An official Risk Management Committee with qualified members provides appropriate risk management guidance.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

6

Medical Screening

6.1

Staff and participants are medically screened for program participation. Screening information is disseminated, evaluated, applied, and stored appropriately.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

7

Risk Management Reviews

7.1

Comprehensive risk management reviews by qualified internal and external representatives are periodically conducted at an appropriate frequency.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

8

Media Relations

8.1

The organization has designated media spokesperson(s), and staff are aware of who is and is not authorized to speak with media representatives.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

8.2

The organization’s spokesperson(s) have received adequate training in media relations.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

8.3

The organization has prepared, and made readily accessible, information about its program, safety record and safety procedures.

 

Status:

 

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8.4

The organization has assembled current contact information for relevant news media outlets.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

9

Documentation

9.1

The organization’s risk management policies and procedures are documented, securely stored, version-controlled, and appropriately accessible.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

9.2

The organization retains documentation of risk management-related activity, including, but not limited to, incident reports, SOAP notes, waivers and related forms, records of personnel actions, training materials, certifications, inspection reports, safety reports, incident and risk management reviews, and program reports/evaluations.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

10

Accreditation

10.1

The organization has considered accreditation by relevant accrediting bodies.

 

Status:

 

Notes:

11

Systems Thinking

11.1

The organization incorporates an understanding of systems theory into its risk management practice, for example by incorporating practices regarding resilience, just culture, identifying underlying factors, and the unpredictability of systems interventions.

 

Status:

 

Notes: