AW Safety and Hazard Awareness

From WildWiki

Accident Prevention and Hazard Awareness

Return to AW Gen'l Curriculum

• Educational Goals

Students should be introduced to the basic ideas of how accidents happen and what you can do to prevent or minimize them. This will be crucial on longer courses where students may travel independently from time to time and also helps everyone in the group keep a strong eye on safety and hazard awareness.

• Key Points

How do you define an accident? How about an adventure? What is the difference?

How do you define a “near miss”?

Why is it important to study accidents?

Why is it important in the outdoors?

• Accidents in the frontcountry vs accidents in the backcountry…

Higher consequence and higher risk exposure We are all responsible for each other and our actions have consequences outside of just ourselves

• How do we learn to recognize and avoid hazardous situations?

Dynamics of Accidents Matrix:

Unsafe Conditions + Unsafe Acts + Errors in Judgment

• Unsafe Conditions:

Weather Time of Day Swift/Cold Water Equipment/Clothing (improper) Animals/Plants Physical or Psychological Profile of individual or group Terrain

• Unsafe Acts:

Improper Instruction Improper or No Supervision Unsafe Speed (e.g. “smelling the barn” or “get home-itis”) Food/Drink Position (e.g. too close to a downstream strainer) Improper Procedure

• Errors in Judgment:

Attempting to please others Misperception of risk/hazard Disregarding Instincts Fatigue Distraction Overconfidence Miscommunication

These three elements often overlap to create your ACCIDENT POTENTIAL. The more overlap you have in these three zones, the more likely you will have some kind of an accident. For example, if you are rushing through a portage because its getting late and you want to get to camp you may also be fatigued, dehydrated, and making poor decisions. In this scenario, the unsafe condition is “Time of Day” because its late and people are often more tired late in the day. The unsafe act would be “Unsafe Speed” and possibly “Improper Procedure” if students are rushing through the portage without spotters. Finally, the “Errors in Judgment” are likely “Fatigue” and “Misperception of Risk/Hazard” as getting into camp after dark may be less risky than rushing the portage.

See lesson below on judgment and decision making for more information on this important area.

• Leadership Opportunities

This is an excellent lesson to get students more bought into maintaining safe expedition behavior while on course and can limit the amount of rule making and enforcement that you have to do which can sometimes create animosity with the group with your students feeling like you are “parenting” them. Getting them to invest in safety and to be aware of how accidents happen can help everyone look out for each other.

• Resources

Jed Williamson, The Accident Matrix in “The Rules of Adventure”, National Geographic Explorer Jan/Feb 2000.

Rick Curtis “Outdoor Safety Management” on outdoored.com.