1. Risk Assessment and Management

2. Why do you undertake outdoor activities ?
What makes them worthwhile

3. Outdoor adventure Ewart 1989
“ activities and experiences taking place in the outdoors that are exciting, physically and or mentally challenging and where participants confront real uncertainties “

4. Mortlock 1984
“Risk is as basic to adventure as competition is to sport but the stakes are normally higher”
…the inclusion of risk is an essential and desirable element of the learning experience…its removal would fundamentally alter the nature of the experience.

5. Hazard Something that has potential to cause harm Physical
Psychological

6. Risk
The likelihood that harm will occur

7. Impact and Likelihood

8. Sources of Hazards and risks
Human i.e. participants themselves
Attitudes, motive, attributes, behaviour
Ability
Experience
Fitness
Fears
Specifics- medication

9. Environmental Equipment Terrain Weather Animals Inappropriate use
Inadequate
Poor condition

10. Levels of Risk Assesment
Generic – e.g. Hypothermia, Getting lost, Injury, Objective danger
Site/ Activity
Analysis of ‘the tunnel walk ’
Rock climbing -
Dynamic – ‘in process’: control and management dealing with events as they arise

11. Risk Assessment Consider all significant hazards
Working environment ( physical hazards and natural phenomena )
Equipment to be used
Teaching /instruction strategies & activities
Competence and development stage of participants
Competence of leaders – K S E
Inter relationship of the above

15. Hierarchy of controls Remove the hazard Substitute the activity
Modify the activity nature, time , equipment
Use safe system of working
Increase supervision ratio
Increase training of leaders
Specify higher qualification/competence levels for leaders

16. Risk Management Identify hazards- potentially harmful aspects
Assess level of risk of harm –
High /low
Acceptable / unacceptable
Manage the risk to reduce its potential impact to an acceptable level

17. Activity does not cause accidents – people cause accidents
By being in the wrong place
By having the wrong equipment
By making the wrong decisions