T o help reduce the incidence of incidents, aerial adventure park and zip tour operators conduct daily, periodic, and annual inspections of their structures and equipment. For- tunately, structures are made mostly from steel and wood, and high- strength metals and textiles are key components to equipment, so it’s un- common for the objects themselves to break or fail when used properly. Our inspections confirm this. However, these inspections don’t assess how these structures and equipment kits are being used—and that’s an important omission: operator error continues to be the leading source of in- cidents and accidents across the aerial adventure and wider outdoor industry. Beyond safety, it’s important to assess how well you are serving your guests and pinpoint ineffective processes and stumbling blocks that detract from their experience. Removing these barriers can improve your operation’s overall success. So, how can operators identify problem areas in their operations? That informa- tion is best gained from an operational review—which is an audit of all of an organization’s actions, or a specific segment of its operations. IDENTIFYING SHORTCOMINGS Operational reviews and audits are regular practices for businesses of all kinds. Within the outdoor world, many organizations have encouraged such reviews for decades, including stan- dards writing entities like the American Camp Association and the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT). Both ACCT and the Association for Experiential Education require such reviews, in one form or another, to par- ticipate in their accreditation programs.
tion in a typical inspection report. How- ever, the parking lot and walking paths are among the most common sites of incidents in any outdoor business, so a professional review of property hazards and exploration of mitigations is a great precautionary step. Operational practices: The practices and techniques used in a park’s pro- grams, from onboarding and training to delivery to the guest, are critical func- tions. Key practices include belay tech- niques, pre-climb checks, commands, rescue procedures, and work-at-height methods. A well-performed pre-climb check, for example, can reveal prob- lems that staff can then remedy before an incident happens. Another example: Proficiency in move - ment at height allows staff to attend to a client in distress, perhaps preventing the need for a rescue. With costs rising across the industry in staffing and train - ing, a good review process can reveal exactly what actions or activities could use further training, or allow a manage- ment team to know what to watch for across the season. Business risks: Items like marketing materials, insurance coverage, business efficiency, client communication, and booking methods might seem to carry little risk. It’s tempting, therefore, to omit them from the review process and focus just on park operation practic- es. But an inconsistency in marketing materials or poor communication with a client could increase the liability borne by an operation. >> continued
aerial adventure organizations seek to assess whether they’re delivering their services the way they advertise, and to improve everything from the patron experience to their safety record. Not everyone is clear about the differ - ences between structural inspections and operational reviews, however. “People get really confused about their inspections—thinking that a physical inspection covers part of their actual operations,” says Lori Pingle of ZipZone Outdoor Adventures in Columbus, Ohio, who is currently in the operation accredi- tation process with ACCT. “But how would an inspector know whether your staff is putting on their harnesses correctly?” There’s a spectrum of operational reviews available to aerial adventure organizations. Let’s take a look at the different types, who can perform them, what sort of qualifications to look for, and the pros and cons of seeking such a review for your organization. DEFINE THE WHAT When beginning a review process of any type, start by defining what it is you’re seeking to learn. You might want to look at trends in incidents or near-misses, or audit a day in the life of an aerial course.
Here are some categories commonly used to help structure a review process.
Property hazards: These can include everything from parking lot surfacing and facilitator access at height to the status and depth of the mulch on your trails. While some of these may be ob- served or commented on in a structural inspection, how your staff and clients interact with them won’t be. For example, a trail leading to a course entrance point may have a steep grade that contributes to falls. This may or may not draw the attention of a course inspector, and is unlikely to be noted as a failure or something needing remedia-
Not surprisingly, operational reviews are becoming increasingly commonplace as
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