Examines ways in which outdoor adventure programs can guard against charges of negligence and the possibility of lawsuits without diluting challenge or participant satisfaction. Discusses risk management, insurance, safety guidelines to use in the development of program-specific standards, and accident prevention. Contains 19 references. (SV)

A survey of trainers of challenge course facilitators resulted in a list of general competencies to be included in facilitator training. Includes technical skills involving challenge or ropes courses, group initiatives and low ropes, safety and environmental issues, and program administration. Facilitation skills involve recreational, educational,…

A camp that is establishing a challenge course or climbing wall must ensure program safety. Discusses financial planning, selecting a contractor, adhering to standards for construction, inspections, staff training, screening of participants, and the administrative challenge of implementing and documenting proper actions. Sidebar discusses a study…

Explains licensing regulations applicable in the United Kingdom to commercial providers of adventure education programs that offer caving, climbing, trekking, and water sports; provides information on license applications, including licensing standards related to risk assessment and safety management procedures; and addresses issues related to the…

Outdoor experiential program providers must be aware of certain issues in order to reduce or eliminate liability claims against their organization and employees. These include liability insurance, liability education, risk control, and record keeping. Recommends that all outdoor program providers provide risk management training to employees and…

Addresses issues related to administration of adventure programs, including liability, hiring well-trained staff, conducting safe activities, supervising safe adventure programs, maintaining appropriate facilities and equipment, keeping accurate records, posting information about potentially unsafe sites and activities, carrying adequate insurance…

Leaders working in the outdoor adventure field are faced with making critical decisions that keep students, clients, or customers safe from the perils of risk-related activities while enabling them to benefit from these experiences. The knowledge and competency necessary to analyze and manage risk is integral to those providing outdoor adventure…

This proceedings begins with a brief history of the International Conference on Outdoor Recreation and Education (ICORE), 1984-2001. Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) Leadership Award recipients are then listed, followed by an annotated bibliography of the 16 winners of the National Outdoor Book Award. The proceedings contains…

The (British) Adventure Activities Licensing Authority ensures that adventure activities are run by competent people who follow good practices. Discusses how the technical competence of technical advisors is determined, and how their role varies in different situations. Legal responsibility remains with the provider, who must ensure that someone…

Defining the nature and extent of risk associated with adventure education, this article notes the riskiest activities and delineates three main causes of accidents: unsafe conditions; unsafe acts; and judgmental errors. Careful program organization, staff selection, routine safety inspections, and emergency plans are also addressed. (SB)

Suggestions for meeting licensing requirements for adventure education programs in the United Kingdom include identifying risks that could result in death or disabling injury, determining whether these risks are being adequately controlled, documenting appropriate supervision of instructors, developing a safety policy that addresses staff…

Focuses on risks and challenges of conducting adventure programming in foreign countries. Recommends actions to take before the crisis (involving assumptions, risk evaluation, emergency evacuation plans, awareness of medical-care costs, and foreign communications systems, family procedures plan, briefings); during the crisis (meeting staff and…

This manual presents standards for adventure education programs seeking accreditation from the Association for Experiential Education. The manual is set up sequentially, focusing both on objective standards such as technical risk management aspects, and on subjective standards such as teaching approaches used in programs. Chapter titles provide…

This proceedings includes 16 papers presented at the 1991 International Conference on Outdoor Recreation (Moscow, Idaho). The papers are: (1) "Special Populations Outdoor Pursuits: Tapping the Ability in Disability" (Allen Adler); (2) "An Investigation of the Ecological and Social Impacts Caused by Rock Climbers" (Aram…

In response to the growth and diversification of adventure programming, the Association for Experiential Education developed an accreditation process that addresses both the fluid nature of adventure programming and the need for specificity in standards. This book describes exemplary administrative practices and policies of accredited adventure…