Shielding your camp from loss.

People are often hesitant to talk about it, but it is integral to the success of all camps. All camp directors do it, although some do it better than others. All staff are aware of it, although some staff are more aware than others. All parents demand it, although some are more demanding than others. Just what is this entity? Risk management. Every business, individual, association, or government agency must deal with the management of risks on a daily basis - each has the potential to lose if it does not.

The Four Cs of Safety

A recent article in Professional Safety presents material that relates to the foundation of risk-management safety. The author suggests that there are four Cs of safety: culture, competency, consequences, and continuous improvement.

Culture

The primary element in the safety equation is culture. By developing a corporate culture that exudes a concern (and action) for safety, camps can maximize the use of staff in ways that reduce risk before it begins. In this case, culture refers to the way that organizational values are demonstrated by staff at all levels.

Each organization (and staff) would benefit from a corporate culture safety audit. What is the safety culture you are promoting? Does the culture look the same from the inside and outside of the organization? In other words, do you do what you say and is that visible to outsiders? The next time you conduct an evaluation or needs assessment with staff or clients, add questions that relate to how people perceive your organization's concern and behaviors related to safety and risk management. In fact, you might choose to conduct an internal audit to see if your own administrative concern for safety and risk management is similarly perceived by your staff, If not, undertake an overhaul to improve the safety culture of your organization.

Competency

According to the article, competency refers to having the right people in the right positions, properly educated, trained, and tested or certified.

Competency stems from clearly defined expectations and the knowledge that these expectations will be measured and rewarded. Do you have competent staff?. Have you augmented their training in necessary areas? Do you assign staff to positions based on skills, knowledge, and attitude rather than seniority? Do you continue in-service training throughout the season as deficits are noted?

Consequences

Competency promotes a positive culture and is directly affected by the consequences you apply to behaviors, i.e., following up safe behaviors with pleasurable consequences or rewards. How do you recognize a job well done in terms of safety and risk management? Do you give safety awards to staff? To campers? Do you announce and post positive steps toward safety in all areas of camp? Used in this way, consequences contribute to the culture of safety within your camp.

Continuous improvement

The fourth C, continuous improvement, relates to using all personnel to improve safety and risk management in all arenas of camp life. You will need to ask for ongoing feedback and input related to safety practices and risk-management procedures from all those associated with your camp. Continuous improvement also requires using and acting on the gathered information in a timely fashion.

Communicating to Others

Any camp director who has had to deal with a crisis knows that at some point others - both inside and outside the camp family - must be informed of the situation. Appropriate communication is absolutely vital to positive crisis management.

In another article in Professional Safety, the author, J. Roughton, reiterates important information when he suggests that in addition to protecting people and property, an organization's information policy should:

* reduce the risk of mass panic.

* alleviate anxiety among constituent groups.

* reduce speculation.

* protect the organization from speculative criticism.

Furthermore, the information policy should be a living document - flexible to continually accommodate change and realistic. In identifying steps to positive communication, Mr. Roughton suggests that the first task is to develop a plan to notify staff, campers, campers' parents, and then the community. Once a plan is developed, test it periodically for effectiveness. Testing your information policy also helps train staff who will be affected by the plan.

As part of that plan, Mr. Roughton suggests scripted messages for the media and other groups; only one person - the camp spokesperson - should share these messages. In this way, mixed or confusing announcements can be minimized, and the information can be shared in the most positive way possible.

Trends in Risk Management

Concerns about risk management have risen steeply over the years - as well they should. In the book, Legal Liability in Recreation and Sport, authors Bruce Hronek and J.O. Spengler report that 92,217 civil cases were filed in U.S. district courts in 1962; 190,428 cases in 1982; 230,509 cases in 1992; and 269,132 civil cases in 1996 -an increase of more than 90 percent in thirty-four years. While disturbing, this may not be particularly surprising. After all, the United States has 6 percent of the world's population and 51 percent of the world's attorneys.

Lawsuits related to recreation and sport have been increasing steadily over the past thirty years and are expected to continue to increase. People in our society seem to desire compensation for any and all injuries they receive.

Some view the reasons for these increases as a result of increased involvement in leisure activities (as more people participate, more people are apt to be injured); increased accessibility to legal services; increased valuing of individual rights; and consumerism (where the consumer believes he should be compensated for every injury or inconvenience). Whatever the reasons, issues surrounding risk management will continue to rise. You need to learn what you can and implement sound risk-management plans to maintain your high-quality programs and services.

References

Hronek, B. & Spengler, J. (1997). Legal liability in recreation and sports. Champaign, IL: Sagamore.

Petersen, D. (1998). The four Cs of safety: Culture, competency, consequences and continuous improvement. Professional Safety, 43(4), 32-33.

Peterson, J. & Hronek, B. (1997). Risk management: Park, recreation, and leisure services. Champaign, IL: Sagamore.

Roughton, J. (1998). Communicating during crisis. Professional Safety, 43(5), 39-41.

Deb Jordan, Re.D., is an associate professor of leisure studies at Oklahoma State University. Send your letters and one-page summaries of research related to camp to: Research Notes, c/o Dr. Deb Jordan, Leisure Studies, 107 Colvin Center, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078. Note: Only research completed within the past two years will be considered for review.