Textbook

Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure

The acclaimed textbook Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure is available for purchase in paperback and eBook format.

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Your outdoor, experiential or travel program provides fun, personal growth, adventure. It changes lives. But are your safety systems up to standards? If something happens, are you prepared to respond?


Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure provides essential knowledge for any adventure or outdoor professional. Program managers, executives, volunteers and group leaders will learn critical approaches and strategies for successfully anticipating and addressing risks.

Packed with real-life stories, current research findings, and good practice guidance, Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: a Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure gives expert advice on:

  • Approaches to Risk Management
  • Standards
  • Legal Considerations
  • Safety Culture
  • Activities and Program Areas
  • Staff
  • Equipment
  • Participants
  • Subcontractors
  • Transportation
  • Business Administration
  • Risk Transfer
  • Incident Management
  • Incident Reporting
  • Incident Reviews
  • Risk Management Committee
  • Medical Screening
  • Risk Management Reviews
  • Media Relations
  • Documentation
  • Accreditation
  • Seeing Systems

Use the button below to download a 15-page sample of the book, including Contents, Preface, and Introduction.

Download sample

Price: ‎USD 59

Author: Jeff A. Baierlein
Publisher: ‎Viristar (March 21, 2019)
Sold by: Amazon

Language: English

Paperback
Length: 218 pages
Item Weight: ‎ .75 kg | 1.65 pounds
Dimensions: ‎ 21.6 x 1.4 x 28 cm | 8.5 x 0.54 x 11 inches
ISBN-10: 1733349111
ISBN-13: 978-1733349116
OCLC Number: 1273556703

eBook

The e-book edition, a Kindle e-book download, is available for virtually all devices, including

Android, iPhone, tablets, Mac and PC, with the free Kindle app.

Features of this print replica edition include:

  • Notes and highlights
  • Search, copy and paste
  • Zoom and pan
  • Pop-out linked table-of-contents
  • Page numbers matching print edition

Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure is used in university classrooms, educational travel programs, adventure tourism operations, search and rescue, adventure centers, outdoor education and forest schools, camps, wilderness therapy programs, park and recreation settings, and more.

About the Author

Jeff Baierlein (he/him) is the director of the consultancy Viristar, providing safety, curriculum, and strategy services to outdoor, adventure, travel, and experiential programs worldwide.

Jeff began working as an outdoor and adventure professional in 1987.  He has over 1000 field days leading mountaineering, sailing, whitewater and flatwater canoeing, backpacking, whitewater and sea kayaking, rock climbing, canyoning and caving expeditions up to three months in length. 

Jeff is the former Executive Director of Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School and of the Boojum Institute for Experiential Education. He has worked as an EMT and on Search and Rescue teams, leading rescues in North America and Asia.

Jeff has provided risk management reviews, expert witness services, incident reviews, and safety trainings for organizations in over 60 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, and Africa.

Jeff lives on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish people in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Testimonials

  • I loved the ample opportunities we had to network and collaborate with other outdoor risk management professionals.

    Claire Sutton

    Outdoor Education Program Coordinator, San Francisco Waldorf High School, California, USA

  • The material was very thought provoking, giving insights into the short falls of our own organization.

    Wayne King

    Experiential & Service Learning Coordinator, International School of Beijing, Beijing, China

  • A unique experience – I loved it.

    Manthos Dellatolas

    Owner, Outdoor Explorers, Athens, Greece

  • Amazing course. I have learned so much and have more knowledge on the topic that I can take back to my outdoor program.

    Mackenzie Holbrook

    Former Outdoor Program Coordinator, Colorado Mesa University Outdoor Program, Colorado, USA

  • A must for every outdoor program.

    Monica Barrios

    Owner, Director, Inside Out, North Carolina, USA

  • Ruvan Ranatunga

    Director of Operations & Lead Facilitator, Adventure SEALs Expeditions, Colombo, Sri Lanka

  • The Risk Management textbook is comprehensive and well-organized. It is a great reference when creating and improving your company’s Risk Management Plan.

    Molly Alden-Rabenau

    Owner and Director of Operations, Costa Rica Explorations, Utah, USA

  • Dylan Harry

    Science Teacher, Outdoor Program Director, Fryeburg Academy, Maine, USA

  • Viristar has been very helpful, positive and encouraging. We really appreciate their assistance.

    Priscah Nyagumbo

    Member, Board of Directors, Lawrencedale Outdoor Centre, Rusape, Zimbabwe

  • The materials and teaching are excellent.

    Wanitchayakorn Buasuwan

    Experience Program Coordinator, NatureMind-ED, Krabi, Thailand

  • The sessions were interactive and useful.

    Kamaran Rasul

    Director, Hawraz Climbing Organization, Iraq

  • Viristar’s Risk Management for Outdoor Programs course would be beneficial for, and highly related to, any outdoor adventure practitioner!

    Georgina Tan

    Senior Instructor (Training Unit), Outward Bound Singapore, Singapore

  • Viristar has nailed their online learning approach. Course material is rigorous, up-to-date and highly relevant and practical to anyone involved in outdoor and experiential learning.

    Matthew Schulte

    Director of Local & Global Engagement, Canadian International School Hong Kong, Hong Kong

  • This course was comprehensive, and the most informative part were the weekly self-assessments to reflect on where our organization was in terms of risk management.

    Beta Eaton

    Director of Global & Experiential Learning, Kents Hill School, Maine, USA

  • [Viristar’s Risk Management for Outdoor Programs textbook is] easy to read, very well organized and user friendly.

    Jon Twofifty

    Outdoor Experiential Trainer, Urbanite Camps, Nairobi, Kenya