Camp Administration 101: Managing Risk
Protect people and property with proper plans and procedures
By Jason Schaitz
Anyone running a camp must consider the exposure to risk and ensure that any space the camp occupies is safe. This is especially true for activities like ropes courses, archery, canoeing, swimming, and adventure programming. Risk management is not one of the fun aspects of camp but is essential in preventing a catastrophic incident that may cause serious harm or shut a camp for good. Risk management not only is a hazard or physical accident but includes things like financial losses and important records. Here are several tips to help mitigate risk:
© Can Stock Photo / jirsak
1. Have proper insurances and liability waivers in place to protect you, staff members, the camp facility, and participants.
2. Document routine inspections of facility and equipment in order to identify liabilities and hazards.
3. If there is a potential liability or hazard, fix it immediately. If it cannot be fixed, secure the area with proper signage.
4. Inspect play spaces to ensure they are safe before children arrive, and continue to monitor the spaces.
5. Train staff members and volunteers properly on all aspects of a program; obtain applicable certifications for first aid and CPR.
6. Manage finances in order to curtail potential risks of an incident. Set money aside for a contingency fund in case something unexpected occurs.
7. Have a contingency plan. What can go wrong will go wrong, so be prepared.
8. Have an emergency-action plan. Plan and train for risk scenarios so you and your staff members are prepared to handle situations.
9. Always have the necessary first-aid equipment and an emergency contact list on site and easily accessible for staff members and volunteers.
10. Ensure there is always proper supervision with necessary child-to-adult ratios anytime participants are on site for a program.
© Can Stock Photo / jirsak HighwayStarz
A common risk-management practice is to follow the 10 Ps:
1. Policy: Have proper policies in place to protect the safety of staff members, participants, and facilities, as well as to know what to do when an incident occurs.
2. Planning: Train for incidents to better prepare staff members if an incident occurs. Have emergency-action plans in place for programs.
3. Product or service: Understand the potential risks that may occur based on the service being offered.
4. Process: Have controls in place to reduce risk, and ensure that staff members are trained and qualified to handle issues.
5. Premises: Consider the size and layout of facilities and what risks may occur. Know the financial concerns related to repairing and maintaining the facilities.
6. People: Ensure a well-organized, safe program through proper training and supervision.
7. Protection: Have the proper insurance coverages and waivers in place to protect valuable assets.
8. Procedures: Have proper procedures in place if an incident does occur.
9. Purchasing: Have purchasing policies to control costs, create contingency funds, and purchase quality equipment that will not pose a hazard within a program.
10. Performance: Evaluate programs regularly with risk-management guidelines. If an incident does occur, have a plan to prevent future incidents.
Jason Schaitz is a Parks and Recreation Director with 15 years’ experience managing camps and recreation programs. He also created and manages www.thesummercampsource.com with the goal of providing free resources for any type of camp, afterschool, or childcare program. Take your camp to the next level by visiting The Summer Camp Source and check out the Camp App, Camp Resources, Camp News, and Camp Administration 101 educational series.