High Risk Activity/Risk Management Observation Assignment

10 points

Choose ONE of the following.

Option A: High Risk Activity

  1. Choose a provider of a high risk activity (a provider of gymnastics, spelunking, white water trips, rock climbing, wilderness trips, sky diving, backcountry skiing or snowboarding, etc.). You can select someone local, or you can select someone from an internet search. It might be helpful to choose an activity/provider you are interested in. Please do NOT choose a UMD program, facility, or staff, such as UMD’s climbing wall. You can choose a local provider, other than UMD, or a provider in some other city or state.
  2. Make an appointment to interview (phone or in person) an employee regarding their risk management procedures relating to the high-risk activity:
  3. Do they require certified instructors? What certifications are required? If they don’t, why not?
  4. Do they use waivers, agreements to participate, or assumption of risk agreements?
  5. How do they handle participation of minors? (parental consent?)
  6. Has their governing board approved high-risk activities as a matter of policy?
  7. What emergency procedures to they have in place for each activity?
  8. What methods do they use for insuring against risk?

3. Prepare a three page (typed double space) report that a) provides a description of the provider and high risk activity; b) summaries the responses from the above interview questions; c) provides suggestions relating to the improvement of their risk management practices.

Option B: Risk Management Observation

  1. Select a health, sports, or recreation setting of your choice (swimming pool, playground, athletic field, city or state park, ice rink, etc.)
  2. Visit the site and record your observations about how well you think they are managing risk at their facility or in their program. Include observations relating to inherent risk and unnecessary risk (negligence). Include observations regarding good practices (a culture of safety), as well as practices that could be improved (observations can relate to staff, leadership, equipment, facility design, activities, participants, supervision, condition of site, environmental conditions, etc.)
  3. Prepare a three page report (typed, double-spaced), which includes a) description of the site/activity you observed; b) description of INHERENT risk (what if any risk was present relating to the nature of the activity/setting); c) summary of your observations of GOOD risk management practices/evidence of a culture of safety; d) summary of observations relating to unnecessary risk/negligence/poor risk management; e) recommendations to the site for improvement of risk management