|
Sources of practical information on how to manage
risk in outdoor adventure education and recreation programs include:
-
Manuals of standard operating practices.
Available, for example, from:
-
Outdoor education organisations, some Outward
Bound schools sell books about their practices, e.g.,
The Outward Bound Wilderness First-Aid Book (Jeffrey Isaac)
-
Educational and recreational government bodies,
e.g., many departments of education have written guidelines on risk
management for outdoor activities, e.g., the Tasmanian government in
Australia has produced these
Outdoor Education
Guidelines
-
Research studies via organisations, for
example the Association for Experiential Education has produced incident data
and narratives in
"Adventure
Program Risk Management Report Volume I" (1995)
-
Outdoor associations, such the American
Camping Association (ACA) have produced manuals, articles and guidelines for risk management
of various adventure activities, such as ropes challenge courses - see the
ACA
Knowledge Center
-
Risk management specialists in outdoor
education. For examples, consultants who provide risk education, safety
reviews, etc.:
-
Books, particularly for example the
Administrative Practices of Accredited Adventure Programs edited by Mike Gass and
published by the Association for Experiential Education contains forms
and procedures such as risk and liability release forms used by outdoor
education programs. These can be readily adapted.
-
Risk Management Conferences, especially
the Wilderness Risk Manager's Conference,
an annual conference in the USA organized by the National Outdoor Leadership
School
-
Training Courses: In each country, there
is usually a unique array of systems for acquiring professional and advanced
understanding of how to effectively manage risk in outdoor and adventure
activities. For example, in the USA, there are wilderness first aid
programs which include substantial components on risk management. Go to
a current list of
wilderness first aid training courses on www.outdoored.com
-
Professional Listservs, especially for
example the Association for Experiential Education listserv - join up, ask
questions, discuss - there is a lot of discussion on best risk management and
safety practices. Go to Outdoor Education
Listservs.
-
Public Record Documents, including
coroner's reports and legal proceedings. When things go really wrong, there is
a lot of analysis and recommendations made.
-
Chewing the Fat, One of the
most critical and major ways that knowledge about how to effectively manage
risk in adventure programs is improved is spending time reflecting on real
experience, especially if this reflection and analysis can involve an
"expert", an experienced practitioner, a trainer, a university academic.
-
Websites - see
Recommended Links
|