Risk Management in Leisure Programs: Minimizing Threats & Ensuring Safety

1. chapter Managing Risk in Leisure Programs 13 Russell & Jamieson

2. Risk Management • Minimizing the threat of accidents, and therefore the risk of lawsuits, is part of the everyday life of programmers. • The secret is the management of risk. • Risk is the possibility of receiving harm from a hazard. • Financial loss to organization • Injury to participants, users, visitors, volunteers, and employees (Kaiser & Robinson, 1999)

3. Risk Management Plan • The process of managing risk is called risk management. • It involves anticipating what might go wrong, planning ways to avoid something going wrong, and developing ways to respond appropriately when something does go wrong (Riddick & Russell, 1999). • This is a proactive approach to safety.

4. The Risk Management Process • Anticipating • Planning • Responding

5. Anticipating • This step involves risk identification and assessment. • Various types of hazards are identified and categorized. • A hazard is considered an activity, event, or condition that poses a possibility of harm to the participant.

6. Five Types of Hazards • Environmental • Natural conditions • Infrastructure • All facilities, buildings, fields, roads, and trails used • Programmatic • Occur when activities are not organized and conducted properly • Emergency care • Transportation • Hazards associated with moving participants around

7. Planning • Plan for contingencies and emergencies. • Establish rules and regulations. • Adopt methods for safety inspections. • Conduct in-service training. • What should be included in your plan?

8. Guidelinesfor Risk Management Plans • Adopt a philosophy statement. • Pay attention to requirements. • Relevant ordinances, professional standards, and regulations • Put it in writing. • In the form of a risk management manual • Conduct regular reviews. • An ongoing process

9. Typical Contents • Philosophical statement • Policies related to contracts • Conduct of programs and services • Human resources policies • Supervisory functions • Emergency response plan • Protections against criminal acts • Transportation • Developed areas and facilities

10. Responding • If the plan is thoroughly prepared, the responding phase usually means simply following through on the emergency and contingency plans. • The response protocol outlines the approach taken by program staff in case of an accident or other emergency. (continued)

11. Responding (continued) • The response phase includes reporting. • Accident reporting forms are integral to any risk management plan. • Accident forms • Treatment forms • Statistical forms • Insurance forms • Accident reports should be kept the number of years specified by your governing statute.

12. Accident Report Form The following information is needed on an accident report: • Identification information • Location of accident • Action of injured • Program context • Procedures followed in rendering first aid

13. Conducting Programs With Care • In addition to sound risk management procedures, recreation program planners minimize the threat of accidents by ensuring that all programs are conducted with care and consistency. • It is the legal responsibility of programmers to understand the participants and to conduct activities in accordance (van der Smissen & Gregg, 1999).

14. Considerations for Program Conduct • Maturity and condition of participants • Participants’ physical, mental, emotional, and social capabilities • Experience in the activity • Format of the program • Knowledge of the nature of the program

15. Supervising Participant Behavior • General supervision • Overseeing a broad area of activity • Maintaining visual and voice contact • Maintaining crowd control • Specific supervision • When skill instruction is involved • When participants are young or have little skill • When the activity has inherent risk

16. Supervisory Plan • A supervisory plan is a written statement of supervision goals. • It includes procedures for managing crowds, demonstrations, traffic, and other public safety matters. • Both participant and nonparticipant behaviors should be covered.