Managing camp vehicle risks.

Managing the operational risks of camp vehicles should be ongoing. Reducing the potential for serious injury to groups of campers and staff demands vigilance and continual improvement.

Vehicle risk management should start with an operational review of how camp, staff, and leased vehicles are used. Circumstances that affect the way you handle a risk can change; you should periodically review past decisions. Guard against following previously established transportation guidelines and policies; those policies may no longer reflect the current realities of the risk environment. Revise and update your risk management plan as part of your annual business plan.

Conducting an operational review helps determine your transportation needs. Consider your campers, staff, maintenance, and equipment needs in the review. Then consider the risks associated with meeting these needs. Should you use camp-owned, staff-owned, or leased vehicles, or a combination of all three? Which approach is most cost-efficient? Should you allow your employees to use their vehicles for camp business? Each choice has risk factors that must be evaluated and addressed. Discuss your plans with your insurance agent or company, consultant, accountant, colleagues, or attorney.

Screen for qualified drivers

Hiring qualified, responsible drivers is a risk management issue all camps face, regardless of the types of vehicles they use. How do you select competent drivers? Use the job description to determine the position requirements. What skills are important? Is prior experience a critical factor or a requirement? Does the driver need a special license?

A satisfactory driving record should be a critical element of the requirements for the job. The definition of a satisfactory record can vary, but it should be heavily influenced by your automobile insurance company's standards. If you are not acquainted with your carrier's guidelines, ask your agent for information. These guidelines should be your minimum requirements.

Check driving records

Next, gather information about the candidates for driving positions. Some directors request a driving abstract or motor vehicle record and a photocopy of the applicant's driver's license in addition to the employment application. Applicants can usually get a copy of their driving record for a small fee through their state department of motor vehicles. Armed with this information, the camp director can then select applicants for primary and secondary driving responsibilities.

Your insurance company or agent may still request a list of drivers, but now you can send copies of the driving records, too. This process should help minimize the potential for making a poor hiring decision.

Insurance industry statistics and surveys conclusively show that as the number of traffic convictions increases, so does the ratio of accidents per 100 drivers. A direct relationship also exists between a driver's age and accident frequency. This relationship is the reason automobile insurance for young operators is so costly.

Provide driver training

Another key to proactively managing vehicle risks at camp is to provide driver training and testing. If the driver selection strategy worked, you now have qualified drivers. Next, you need to train them about your camp's rules and regulations and give them information on the motor vehicle laws unique to your state. Compile vehicle regulations in a manual that staff should read and follow. Many directors have staff sign a statement acknowledging that they have read the manual. Driver training sessions should also incorporate the risks and hazards unique to your site and area.

Training should include behind-the-wheel sessions along the routes staff will travel once camp begins. Camp staff can practice parking, backing up, and towing trailers behind their vehicles. This time also gives the administration an opportunity to observe the drivers, reevaluate their skills, and confirm their decisions.

Invest time in developing a proactive approach to driver selection and training. Know the driving record of your applicants before you hire them. Stay focused on finding the best people for the job. Enlist your insurance advisors in the process as necessary. Be patient and this investment will produce future dividends.

RELATED ARTICLE: American Camping Association Standards for Vehicles

ACA accreditation standards require camps to:

* develop a plan for the control of vehicular traffic on the camp site

* have a policy forbidding the transportation of campers and staff in vehicles not designed for passengers

* equip every vehicle used to transport campers and staff with a stocked first aid kit, reflectors, and a fire extinguisher 

* gain written authorization from owners of private vehicles used to transport campers

* verify that all drivers regularly transporting campers and staff have the appropriate license and review driving records within four months of the start of camp (seasonal camps) or annually (year-round operations)

* regularly check all vehicles for safety (lights, tires, windshield and wiper condition, emergency warning systems, horn, brakes, and fluid levels)

* give drivers written procedures for backing up, loading and unloading passengers, dealing with vehicular breakdown or passenger illness, refueling, checking the vehicle prior to transporting campers

* give drivers behind-the-wheel training if the vehicle to be driven differs in size or capacity from their regularly driven vehicle

From: American Camping Association. (1993.) Standards for Day and Resident Camps.

Ed Schirick is senior vice president of the Markel Insurance Company camp and youth recreation division. He is a charted property casualty underwriter and a certified insurance counselor. Send your risk management inquiries to: Ed Schirick, c/o Markel Insurance Company, 4600 Cox Rd, Glen Allen, VA 23060.