SOP SAMPLE MANUAL ODR SAFETY MANAGEMENT STATEMENT 

The primary focus of this manual is ‘safety management’. Safety management is simply the aspect of program management concerned with maintaining safety. Management functions such as planning, organizing, leading, and monitoring are essential components of a safety management program. Proper planning can recognize hazards that are likely to be encountered during an out trip. Participants can then be trained and equipped to deal with the hazards. During the trip, leaders can exercise their judgment knowing that the group is prepared to handle the hazardous situation. Proper preparation can turn potentially high-risk situations into challenges that can be safely managed.
Safety management does not end with the successful completion of a trip or outdoor activity.
Debriefing is required to verify that the planning, organizing, and leading of program activities is being done to the required standard and that the methods of implementing policy are working. It is acknowledged that accidents can happen anywhere at any time. Most, however, can be prevented by good safety management practices that include an attitude of continual improvement.
The safety management objectives of the outdoor and wilderness programs are as follows:
• To prevent disabling injury, serious illness or death; and,
• To reduce the frequency of all other preventable injuries or illnesses.
The safety management standards and policies contained in this manual support these objectives and represent the working framework of staff and Outdoor Recreation Centers’ service delivery operations. It is the responsibility of staff and Outdoor Recreation Centers to ensure that their operations meet the required standards and that the policies are implemented in such ways as to meet the overall safety management objectives of MWR.
Broadly stated, the safety management process covered by this manual is not complicated. Beyond prerequisite administrative requirements for operating an outdoor recreation activity program, staff and Outdoor Recreation Centers must:
• Set realistic objectives;
• Determine the most appropriate combination of activity type and location to enable participants to successfully reach those objectives;
• Provide adequate leadership, properly-sequenced training, quality equipment and environment for use; and,
• Establish effective emergency procedures in case things go wrong, and regularly review the process so that it can be improved.

All programs involved in outdoor and wilderness activities are unique in some ways. They also have some aspects of operations in common, including the standards required by this manual. Some documentation such as route cards, incident reports, and debriefing reports, has been standardized. This will result in the ability to achieve a safety management perspective on a larger scale to increase the effectiveness of this manual in maintaining high levels of safety for the military participants in outdoor and wilderness activity programs. All staff and Outdoor Recreation Centers are encouraged to provide feedback regarding how this manual or any safety management processes can be improved.