Risk Management Plan Outline for Outdoor Expeditions and Overnight Trips - Research Paper Example

Risk Management Plan Outline for Outdoor Expeditions and Overnight Trips Table of Contents Introduction 3 A.Trip Overview and Description 3 General Routes 4 Distance 4 Methods of Travel 4 Elevation Gain/Loss 5 B.Leadership 6 C.Trip Itineraries 6 D.Equipment 7 E.Water Sources and Treatment 7 F.Weather Related Information 8 G.Transportation 9 1)Driving directions for all parts of trip 9 2)Communication plan during travel 9 H.Rules and Regulations 9 1)Copies of relevant rules and regulations 9 I.Risk Assessment and Management 9 1)Risk identification-list of specific hazards and risks associated with program) 9 2) Risk Evaluation- Evaluate each hazard and risk in terms of: 10 3) Strategies for managing significant Risks 11 4) Activity Training for Participants 11 5) Pre-trip meeting(s) 12 J.Emergency Action Plan 12 1)Emergency procedures 12 i.Assessing the situation 12 2)Evacuation Routes 12 3)Nearest Hospitals 13 4)Group management policies/rules 13 K.Contingencies 13 L.Misc. 13 Risk Management Plan Outline for Outdoor Expeditions and Overnight Trips Introduction Accidents can and do occur. These accidents can cause injury to people and damage to property. Repercussions resulting from these accidents can lead to damaged reputation, trial association and lawsuit. Therefore, in every case it is essential to minimize accidents and mistakes. A widespread approach which is used to reduce accidents is ‘Risk Management Plan’. Risk Management Plan helps in: Transferring risk to other entities including insurance, waivers etc. Reducing risk by restricting the chances of errors, mistakes and accidents Managing risks caused by mishaps i.e. emergency, training, planning etc. Effective risk management requires identifying the triggers of threats and reducing the severity of potential loss. In this paper, a comprehensive risk management plan has been constructed. This risk management plan is designed for overnight and outdoor trip i.e. “Hiking”. There are number of risks associated with the activity of hiking. Lack of preparedness or not taking appropriate measures for managing risks can cause repercussions in the form of injuries, getting lost in forest, and even death of hikers. No matter what the type of risk is, it is practically not possible to completely eliminate risk but by taking some measures risks can be reduced to certain extent. A. Trip Overview and Description 1) Description of Trip including: general routes, distances to be traveled each day, methods of travel, elevation gain/loss. Hiking is such an activity which cannot be performed in just a single day. It requires efforts of substantial days or weeks to accomplish the required goal. General Routes General routes which will be required for hiking must be asked by the professional team or experienced members of hiking. Routes having greater number of obstacles can increase the level of risk for hikers. Suggestion from professional hikers must be taken so as to determine the best possible route for hiking. Distance As discussed earlier, hiking is not that sport which can be won or lost in just a single tournament. In fact, it takes days and even months for hikers to reach their goal. The total distance must be determined by the hikers before the trip and it must be divided by the number of days in which the hikers intend to reach their desired destination. In this manner, everyone will get aware of how much distance they need to travel each day and plan their trip accordingly. It will also facilitate hikers in planning each day for managing potential risks. Methods of Travel Hiking is itself a method of travelling to reach a certain destination. Various techniques which are used for hiking includes: Rhythmic Hiking Resting and Hiking Hiking training Adjusting for steep terrain etc. Elevation Gain/Loss In hiking, as hikers aim to travel upwards only, therefore only elevation gain is possible and elevation loss is irrelevant. In this case, elevation gain must be calculated by hikers. This will help them in determining the total remaining distance. It can be calculated by determining the number and height of mountains or hills for instance if one wants to hike over 6 mountains, having vertical length of 100 feet each then elevation gain would be = 6 x (100) x 2 = 1,200 feet [Hiknd1]. 2) Groups’ Goals and Objectives For hiking, the goals and objectives of the entire group must be coherent. In this regard, the goals, tactics, objectives and strategies must be communicated clearly with each member. The ultimate goal of hiking is to reach a desired destination. Group members must coordinate with each other during the ups and downs of hiking. 3) Descriptions of Participants including: age range, experience, skill level, physical condition Hikers usually go for this trip in a form of a group. There average number of hikers is often a group consisting of 6 members. Usually, most of them are male due to physical fitness. The age range of the hikers varies from 25 to 32 years. At least, 2 of all the members must have experience of hiking before so that they can take the role of leader and direct other group members. All the hikers are mostly adult and strong men therefore their physical condition is relatively better. B. Leadership 1) List of leaders including: roles and responsibilities during the trip, leadership and activity experience, qualifications The two hikers which have substantial experience of hiking are considered as group leaders. The responsibilities of these leaders are to provide tips and techniques to the other members of the group. The leaders must share their personal experience of hiking and the type of difficulties they encountered previously. They must encourage the group members for any achievement. Intervals and breaks must be taken after a stipulated time period so as to ensure that the group members don’t get tired early. Apart from these responsibilities, in case of any emergency situation, leaders need to take prompt action. Leaders also need to address the personal opinions of the members for instance at some point of time, a group member gets tired and intends to take rest while others insist to continue. In this case, those members must be allowed to go ahead with the second leader and the one who wants to take rest must be given ample time to take rest. Leaders also need to be vigilant for any accidents or unpleasant situation such as bad weather or appearance of a wild animal. In this case, leader needs to inform his members not to panic and take break for overnight in order to minimize risks and prevent any accident from occurring. C. Trip Itineraries 1) Detailed Itinerary There are number of activities that hikers can perform while hiking. During break, hikers can indulge in number of activities. They include hunting scavengers, playing games, site seeing, photographing etc. By these activities, hikers can take some time out of the tiresome and stressful process of hiking. It will uplift their energy, rejuvenate them and will help in preparing them mentally and physically for the next level. These activities will make the hiking experience worth remembering and hiking will not become a stressful obligation but a pleasant outdoor trip. Apart from this, when hikers are on break, they can decide about how to travel the remaining distance. They can revise their contingency plans and other ways of managing with risks. D. Equipment 1) Equipment Hiking is an activity which requires number of equipment and necessities to carry. Most important of them include food, base layer, boots, backpack, sleeping gear, insulation, first aid, shell and other backpacking essential. There are number of further things which come under each head [Hiknd2]. Apart from personal equipment, each hiker needs to carry hiking stick and helmet. The most essential tool for hiking is map which facilitates the travelling process of hiking. Hikers also need to carry camps or tents so that they can take rest without being exposed to the risk of wild animals and bad weather. Besides these, in order to minimize risk some necessary safety tools should also be carried by hikers which include whistle, compass, satellite phone, rifle, knife, torch light, first aid kit, lamp or matchstick (for signaling help in night time by igniting fire or smoke) and mirror (can be used in day time to reflect sunlight for signaling help) [Hiknd]. E. Water Sources and Treatment 1) General description of sources and planned methods of purification Professional hikers carry water filters for their hiking trips and usually don’t get tired as long as they are using a good one. A large amount of stagnant water can be filtered through these filters. The only drawback is that the element needs to get replaced after a certain period of time. Some of the good quality ceramic filters like Katadyn Pocket Filter can filter approximately 13,000 gallons of water. It can be much more expensive than other water purification filters but the benefits which it offers are priceless [Hiknd2].   F. Weather Related Information 1) Average temperatures, local weather patterns One of the most common mistakes which hikers do is that they take weather for granted. The mistake of walking without considering the weather conditions can become a disaster for hikers. Hikers must study related information about the weather condition and forecast for the entire week. The general trend of weather of area where they wish to hike must also be studied carefully. This will help hikers in taking appropriate measures for weather including taking raincoats, umbrella and sunglasses. Hikers can study the weather forecast through satellite phone and can set up tent in advance [ABCnd]. 2) Sunrise/Sunset times Information regarding the average time of sunrise and sunset can also be useful for hikers. They can take rest in night and can wake up before the sunrise so that they start walking as soon as the sun rises [ABCnd]. G. Transportation 1) Driving directions for all parts of trip A substantial part of hiking requires walking. The only area where the hikers can take conveyance is during crossing water. While crossing ponds and river, hikers can use canoes. 2) Communication plan during travel Before leaving for the trip, hikers must notify the interstate and local authorities about the trip. The estimated time required for hiking must also be told to them so that if the hikers don’t return by that time, then a rescue team can be sent for searching the hikers. Hikers must carry a satellite phone to be in touch with local authorities time to time. For remote location, Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) must be carried by hikers. H. Rules and Regulations 1) Copies of relevant rules and regulations Hikers must notify the local authorities and hiking agencies. The agencies will then provide a legal copy of rules and regulation to be followed during hiking. Some of these rules include not exceeding the stated vicinity, not hunting wild animals, following the directions, signs and warning boards, being environmentally aware, not leaving litter, not disturbing environment by playing loud music etc. [ABCnd1] I. Risk Assessment and Management 1) Risk identification-list of specific hazards and risks associated with program) There are various forms of risks associated with hiking. Some of them include: Nature i. Volcanic Eruption ii. Earthquake iii. Storms iv. Fire in forest v. Floods Humane i. Annoyance ii. Harassment iii. Violence Accidents i. Getting exposed to extreme weather conditions ii. Getting injured iii. Water crossing iv. Burns Fears i. Fear of getting lost ii. Fear of dark iii. Fear of being alone after getting lost iv. Fear of falling down v. Fear of losing food, water and other necessities Animals i. Fear of wild animals like bear, lion, tiger, leopard, snakes ii. Fear of poisonous insects [Hik] 2) Risk Evaluation- Evaluate each hazard and risk in terms of: a) The likelihood or frequency of occurrence (low, medium, high) Due to the nature of the activity of hiking, the likelihood of occurrence of most of the risks associated with hiking is very high. Out of the above mentioned risks, the probability of animal risks, accidents, nature, fear and weather is very high. However, the likelihood of finding humane risk is low. b) The degree of severity (low, medium, high) The severity of all the possible risks is very high. Whether it is risk of accidents, nature, animal or weather, the severity of all these risks is very high in case of hiking. If we look back at history, we can see that many hikers have lost their lives due to these risks. Most of the survivors were so badly trapped due to severe weather that it took them weeks to come back to their homes. c) The possible negative results (damages or injuries) from each risk/hazard. These severities certainly pose strong negative results. Negative results include physical injuries of hikers, getting trapped in the middle of the way, getting lost, forgetting the route etc. The negative repercussions of these risks can even cause death of hikers. 3) Strategies for managing significant Risks It is difficult to minimize the risks associated with trekking or hiking but by taking appropriate measures, to certain extent it can be controlled. Hikers must be provided adequate training and must be taught safety measures so that they can deal with emergency situation. They can carry tent in order to minimize the weather risk. They can carry weapons to deal with the animal risks and they can get training about dealing with accidental situations. If the weather gets very extreme then it can be difficult to deal with such situation. The only way is to find a cave type of place and setting up tent there until the weather gets fine [ACT09]. 4) Activity Training for Participants Hiking experts can train the hikers physically and mentally. Physical training refers to rigorous exercise, whereas mental training refers to teaching safety measures for dealing with environmental risks. Hikers need to gather substantial information on their own as well. They can carry information about weather forecast and possible mammals in the area of hiking. The number of mountains and their height must also be known to them. Apart from that, they must carry necessary equipment for dealing with hazards and risks. 5) Pre-trip meeting(s) Prior to hiking, all the above mentioned areas need to be studied by hikers including weather information, existence of wild animals, safety measures for accidents, contact numbers of local emergency entities, nearby hospitals etc. J. Emergency Action Plan 1) Emergency procedures Emergency procedure required for hiking includes the following important steps. i. Assessing the situation ii. Constructing a response plan or risk management plan iii. Selecting a leader and delegating responsibility [Curnd] For the accidents, that require a quick action plan, the above mentioned steps can be carried out. Emergency action plan varies from situation to situation but these steps will help in almost all of the cases to recover the problem. 2) Evacuation Routes For hiking there can’t be any evacuation routes but for the accidental situation, help from evacuation routes can be taken for instance if the fire is blown out in the forest, then leader must navigate the map instantly and direct the members to evacuate from the nearest exit. If there is any danger of wild animals, then members must confine themselves in tents and caves or can also climb trees [Curnd]. 3) Nearest Hospitals Hiking requires taking one’s own hospital (first aid) with himself. All the potential risks and exposure to injury and accidents have been discussed in this paper therefore precautionary measures must be taken because during hiking, it will be difficult to reach even the nearest hospital. In case of any severe accident, help of hospital can be taken but it will certainly require substantial time for reaching the hospital. 4) Group management policies/rules Coherence and unity among group members is very important. If the group members get shattered due to conflict of interest, then all of them would have to endure loss. Being with each other will not only provide support but will also help in overcoming any difficult situation together. Prior to the trip, group members must formulate certain guidelines, rules and regulation to be followed throughout the process of hiking. K. Contingencies 1) Descriptions of possible (most likely) situations with appropriate plans for handling these situations. List of most of the hazards and risks has been mentioned earlier. Appropriate solution has also been mentioned for each risk. In a nut shell, in order to minimize risk, hikers must study about the area in which they intend to hike, so that acquaintance to that place can help in making solution for coping up with the probable problems. For group members, advice from leaders can be very helpful and can aide as a contingency plan. L. Misc. 1) Helpful Telephone numbers (i.e. Park Headquarters, Ranger stations etc.) Not only leader but every group members must have list of telephone numbers of all the necessary entities including helicopter services, ranger station, fire station, hospital, other trekking experts etc. Works Cited Hiknd1: , (Hike New England, n.d.), Hiknd2: , (Hiking and Backpacking Checklist, n.d.), Hiknd: , (Hiking Guide, n.d.), ABCnd: , (A-B-C of Hiking, n.d.), ABCnd1: , (A-B-C of Hiking, n.d.), Hik: , (Hiking Risks), ACT09: , (ACT Government- Education and Training, 2009), Curnd: , (Curtis, n.d.), Read More