Practical Risk Management

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Practical Risk Management

• Using IT Other Administrative Practices To
  Enhance Program Safety In Todays Changing
  Outdoor Industry

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Choosing Risk Management Strategies That Can Make
A Difference
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1999 Glengarry Accident

• Resulted in our organisation searching for ways
  to improve our risk management and administrative
  practices.
• What follows is an illustration of some of the
  areas that we have developed.

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Overview of Presentation

• In delivering this presentation I am going to
  share the process and information tools that
  leaders preparing for a trip to Apple Tree Flats
  on the Shoalhaven River near Kangaroo Valley
  would utilise in their trip preparation.

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Content To Be Covered

• Trip Reconnoitring Assessing the risk
• Accidents What the stats say
• Documenting Trip Procedures
• Using Web Based Technology To Manage Trip
  Procedural Information
• Staff Briefings
• Pre-Trip Check Lists Are you ready for take off?
• Risk Assessment Forms
• Hike Briefings Using PowerPoint
• Communications Having a back up is a must!
• Emergency Readiness Assume the worst will happen
• Liaising with Emergency Services

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The Glengarry Campus
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(No Transcript)
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Trip Reconnoitring Knowing What The Risks Are

• All staff in a leadership role must have
  reconnoitred the trip theyre leading
• During this reckie
• Familiarisation with route, terrain, teaching
  opps.
• Hazards are identified
• Risk reduction management plans are discussed or
  role played
• Staff leadership roles can be clarified
• Digital photos can be taken to prepare student
  briefing

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Trip Reckie ID Potential Hazards
Start
River crossings
Our Hike Route
Off track hiking
Cliff line safety
Unmarked Cliff lines
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Group Management What Safety Systems Should We
Set Up?

• From this reckie certain hazards would be
  identified and require a management strategy.
• Cliff Line Safety
• Off Track Walking
• Unmarked cliff lines
• River crossing safety/high water alternatives

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Latest Research On Fatalities During Outdoor
Education Trips

• Andrew Brookes (2002) surveyed over 100 outdoor
  accidents in Australia that led to injury or
  death.
• A common theme emerged
• Most fatalities occurred with adolescent males
  who were unsupervised in terrain that had cliffs
  or unmarked cliffs, or required the negotiation
  of moving water.
• This has major implications for leadership for
  this client group. Using IT can develop awareness
  of hazards before they get into the field, and
  help staff better plan.

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Trip Documentation Utilising Simple IT Tools To
Manage Information

• Trip documentation can help ensure
• Teaching progressions are followed
• Teaching is moderated across all groups even
  though led by different leaders
• Safety protocols are clearly stated, and
  therefore need to be followed. Eliminates
  ambiguity or interpretation. what if clause
• Organising this information to aid leaders can
  make their preparation easier

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Administrative Benefits

• Leaders or Students can review trip information
  any time at their leisure.
• Staff and students can be briefed with IT
  assistance.
• Saves hours of photocopying Interactive, photos,
  engaging environmentally friendly.
• Any changes can be made instantly, thus the
  document always remains current.

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Making Trip Information User Friendly IT Aiding
The Risk Management Process.
Follow up West side of River
Computer Based Leader Hike Briefing
Go to GG Intranet
Go To D GG Intranet
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Administrative Systems Pre-Trip Check List

• Pre-Trip Check Lists
• Airline pilots use them to ensure all aspects of
  safety readiness are covered before take off.
• Outdoor Ed leaders can utilise them too in order
  to make sure all areas of planning and
  preparation are covered before a trip commences.

ATF Pre-Trip List
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Administrative SystemsRisk Analysis Management
System RAMS

• Identify major hazards that may cause injury or
  loss to the group
• Document how these hazards will be managed
• Knowing the hazard and level of risk, weighing
  this against the skill experience of group
  helps determine group management strategy.

Balancing Risk Vs Group
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When analysing potential risk you need to
consider the following variables.

• Environmental Hazards
• Human Hazards
• Equipment Concerns
• Leadership adequacy

The Pre-Trip Reckie is essential to identifying
these factors
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Accident Potential
Human Dangers
Environmental Dangers
Accident Potential
When humans begin to interact with environmental
dangers and their awareness level is low, the
potential for an accident increases. Being aware
of this increased potential is a critically
important skill for leaders.
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These variables can interact and multiply
accident probability
FLORA
WEATHER

• Poison plants
• Thick vegetation
• Deadfall, logs
• Whip back branches

• Wind
• Rain
• Cold
• Heat

FAUNA
TERRAIN

• Insects
• Snakes
• Spiders
• Ticks

• Rivers
• Cliffs
• Rock fall
• Steeps
• Undercuts

WILDERNESS HAZARDS
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The objective of completing a RAMS form is to
ensure any identified hazard is managed through
either

• Acceptance of hazard
• Avoidance of hazard
• Modification of hazard
• This process needs to be documented to guide
  field practice

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Traffic Light Risk Assessment Tool
A model for evaluating potentially dangerous
situations. Also an excellent tool to help
students develop judgment in the field and how to
manage risk situations.

• Red Light
• Real danger is present to proceed could result
  in death or serious injury

• Yellow Light
• Some danger is present but with care or the
  modification of risk you may be able to proceed

• Green Light
• Evaluation of risk determined it is safe to
  proceed

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RAMS Form Completion

• Staff at Glengarry sit down for a one hour
  pre-trip review of safety issues and RAMS form.
• Each staff member signs off stating that they
  understand the major hazards and the agreed
  management strategy for these hazards.

ATF RAMS
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Pre-Trip Briefing For Participants Addresses
Issues Raised in RAMS FORM

• Increasing Awareness Prior To Trip Commencement
• Prior knowledge of hazards
• Prior knowledge of how to manage these hazards
• PowerPoint can take your group on the trip and
  identify key danger spots before actually getting
  there. It address directly many of the issues
  raised in the completed RAMS form.

ATF Briefing
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Communications

• Base Station with safety officer by radio any
  time trips are in the field.
• Mobile repeater can be deployed to improve comms
  in isolated places.
• Satellite phone used as an emergency back up.

Base
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Reliable Communications
Ph Andrew Bradfield 9477 5999 

• When/if things go wrong contacting help is
  instantaneous
• Any student led trip without staff supervision
  MUST have reliable comms. Examples
• All these items can be purchased or hired
• Companies like Karera Communications will go to
  your hike area set up a repeater and provide
  handsets

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Emergency Action Plan Are you prepared when/if
things go wrong?

• Despite the best planning and intentions things
  can go wrong.
• What systems can be in place to ensure timely and
  professional response?
• An emergency action plan is a must for any
  organisation. It must be rehearsed and role
  played so staff know how it works.
• Following are some things we have instigated at
  Glengarry that maybe of interest to others.

Emergency Action Plan
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Emergency Planning Is About Being Prepared For
When Things Go Wrong
There is field staff readiness, then there are
systems to support them.
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Emergency Readiness

• Safety Officer 24-7 monitoring weather, comms
  phones
• Highly reliable comms. No radio shadows in
  operations area. 3 mandatory radio scheds per
  day. Weather updated
• Emergency Vehicle packed and loaded for immediate
  departure with
• Rescue Packs, Rescue Box, Stretcher, Oxy-Viva
  Resuscitation kit Nursing sister on ten minute
  call.
• Journey Intention Route plans with Police,
  Ambulance National Parks
• Dialogue and regular visits by emergency services
  to our facility.
• Emergency scenario training with full staff.
  Independent audit of our emergency readiness
  every three years
• Have in place Systematic check lists to guide
  emergency response

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?Questions and Comments?
i.boyle_at_tsc.nsw.edu.au
For more Info
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Student Cliff Line Management
Autocratic leadership / supervision required here.
Route down
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Unmarked Cliffs Where Terrain Steepens Map does
not tell everything
Unmarked Cliffs below this point
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River Crossing Protocols Covered Before Crossing
Attempted
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If we cant find our way soon we will radio staff
station 1 for help
Student Led Rogaining All groups have radios