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Risk Management Guidelines

History

Outdoor Discoveries operates outdoor education and recreation programs to the highest industry standards in Australia. We have been in business since 1996 and provide programs to local and international schools as well as corporate and recreational clients. We have not had a single public liability claim made against our insurance company or us since we commenced operation Top Rope Belay on School Programs

Risk Management Practises

Our risk management practises encompass the following:

Government Regulation
Industry Standards
Staffing
Equipment
Site Management
Emergency Planning and Response

These are covered in detail:

Government Regulation

Outdoor Discoveries meets the following government regulations. These regulations are primarily required by the Department of Conservation and Land Management and the Department of Transport.

Current business registration with the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
Commercial Operators Permit Number HQ67280 from Department of Conservation and Land Managemen t
Hire and Drive Licence (Canoes) from the Department of Planning and Infrastructure
Public Liability Insurance Cover to $10 million required to obtain above permits and licences
Worker's Compensation Insurance

All programs with schools (both local and international) follow the Department of Education and Training Guidelines for outdoor activities within the Excursions Policy.

In addition to the following, we are required to show that our staff have current accreditation for the roping and caving aspects of our programs.

Industry Standards

We are a member of Outdoors WA being the peak body in the state for outdoor education and recreation. A requirement of membership is unconditional acceptance and adherence to the Outdoors WA Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct.

In addition, each of our activities have certain industry standards are we are obligated to adhere to. These include:

Abseiling/Rock Climbing Programs

In West Australia the peak body for abseiling activities is Outdoors WA. They recommend a maximum ratio of 1:8 for suitably qualified instructors to participants on roping programs. We would not be prepared to exceed this recommendation.

We provide at least the required number of qualified and experienced instructors for abseiling and rock climbing programs. They will all have Department of Sport and Recreation Abseiling Instructor's Certificates. All of our instructors have several years' experience in both technical roping skills and working with corporate, school and recreational groups.

Caving Programs

The Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge is part of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park and the land manager for the caves and karst features is the Department of Conservation and Land Management. All the caves have a specific ratio for instructors/leaders to participants through the CALM Permit System. We would not be prepared to exceed this requirement.

To run caving programs in the South West of Western Australia (with or without an abseiling component) you must hold a Department of CALM Cave Trip Leader certification. All our caving leaders/instructors hold this qualification.

Canoeing Programs

In Western Australia the peak body for canoeing and kayaking is Canoeing WA Inc. This body has replaced the Board of Canoe Education. They recommend an instructor to participant ratio of 1:12 on flat water and 1:6 in Grade 2 moving water. We would not be prepared to exceed this recommendation and prefer a ratio of 1:10 on flat water.

The Department of Planning and Infrastructure is responsible for the licensing of canoes in West Australia. Canoes that are used for hire by commercial operators are required to be surveyed every year to confirm that they are in good condition. All life jackets and paddles are also checked. Our canoes are in current survey with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure. All instructors are experienced not only in the technical paddling and rescue skills but also have experience on many different rivers.

Staffing

Outdoor Discoveries only employ qualified and experienced staff of good character who are committed to excellence in their profession. They all have many years of experience in working with young people from all backgrounds and adults on corporate and recreation programs.

All staff who lead roping activities have the following: Our Qualified and Experienced Staff do their best to provide you with the best experience possible.

Our Qualified and Experienced Staff do their best to provide you with the best experience possible.

Single Pitch Abseiling Guide or Abseiling Instructor Qualifications (Recertified every three years by Outdoors WA)

All staff who lead caving activities have the following:

Cave Trip Leader Qualifications (Recertified every three years by the Department of Conservation and Land Management)

All staff that lead groups on bush walking expedition have either of the following:

Wilderness First Aid Qualification (Recertified every two or three years by various companies)
Senior First Aid Qualification (Recertified every three years by St John Ambulance or the Red Cross)

All staff that drive motor vehicles while on program have the following:

Current applicable motor vehicle driver's licence

The Outdoor Activities Coordinator who plans and organises all programs has the following:

Graduate Diploma in Outdoor Pursuits from Edith Cowan University

Equipment

All of our equipment meets current industry standards. There is considerable detail associated with equipment standards, however, a summary follows:

We use appropriate roping equipment for abseiling and rock climbing as suggested by Outdoors WA.
All roping equipment meets UIAA standards. This includes helmets used in roping and caving.
All personal floatation devices (PFDs) meet Australian Standard AS1499.
All equipment is replaced whenever it's life has exceeded the manufacturer's recommendation or when found to be suspect by regular inspection.
All equipment is maintained and checked regularly.

Site Management

We run most of our activities at well-established and often-used sites. These sites have good, low-risk access and have previous risk assessments made on them.

Abseiling, Rock Climbing and Caving sites are under the management of the Department of Conservation and Land Management. Artificial anchors such as bolts and bollards are inspected and tested by certified contractors on a regular basis. Geologist contractors inspect granite and limestone cliff sites on a regular basis.
Certified geologist contractors and CALM staff inspect cave roofs and any dangerous areas are made off limits or covered walkways are constructed.
CALM sites are also checked regularly by their staff for deadfall risk from tree limbs as well as suspect ladders, stairs and walkways.

We have site plans for all the sites that we use. These plans details low-risk access to the site, any areas of risk at the site and emergency communication and access points.

Emergency Planning and Response

We have standard Emergency Response Plans for one-day programs. For extended programs with overnight camping in remote areas we create an Emergency Response Plan for each program.

This plan details the steps that staff will go through in the event of an incident. This plan is provided with a detailed topographical map of the area that the program is being run as well as a communication system. The communication system will depend on the program location. We use the following guidelines:

One hour or less from definitive medical care - CDMA mobile phone.
One to three hours away from definitive medical care - Satellite phone and/or radio.
More than three hours away from definitive medical care - As above with an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB).

Example Emergency Plans are available for review.

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