By Kaelan Young
In February, at the American Camp Association (ACA) National Conference in Dallas, Texas, USA, Viristar’s Program Manager, Annie Linhart, delivered a Risk Domains in Outdoor Programs workshop to camp professionals from around the world.
Participants began by sharing real-life risk management experiences from their own camps, grounding the discussions in practical examples. These stories showcased the diverse challenges faced by camp professionals, including incidents involving campers, staff, and outdoor activities.
Annie then guided participants through an introduction to systems thinking, emphasizing the use of a structured, evidence-based framework to understand incident causation and manage risks effectively.
Risk Domains Model
A central focus of the workshop was the Risk Domains model, which adapts pan-industry safety practices grounded in systems theory to the contexts of adventure tourism, experiential learning, and outdoor education, including camp activities such as excursions and wilderness trips. This model provides a structured approach to assessing and mitigating risks across multiple domains, making it particularly valuable for camp professionals and other industry leaders.
Annie broke down the Risk Domains model which categorizes risks into eight direct risk domains:
- Safety Culture
- Activities & Program Areas
- Staff
- Equipment
- Participants
- Subcontractors
- Transportation
- Business Administration
Each of these areas presents specific risks for leaders of camps to consider. For example, a lakeside campsite may pose risks related to water safety, such as strong currents or hidden hazards. The participants domain introduces additional challenges, such as campers who may lack swimming skills, struggle to follow safety instructions during water activities, or have medical conditions that could affect their ability to participate safely.
Annie also introduced the four underlying risk domains:
- Government
- Society
- Outdoor Industry
- Business
In the camp setting, sound government regulations can support good safety outcomes. A society that values safety and well-being encourages camps to adopt practices that protect campers and staff. Industry associations like the American Camp Association (ACA) play an important role by providing accreditation standards and resources to support good risk management.
Participants were encouraged to identify risks within these domains and explore policies, procedures, values, and systems that could help mitigate risks to a reasonably practicable level, maintaining socially acceptable risk levels.
The model highlights that risks in one domain can combine with risks in other domains, potentially leading to incidents. It reinforces the idea that risks in camp environments should be managed within the context of the complex sociotechnical systems in which camps operate, rather than in isolation.
The discussion also introduced broad-based tools, or Risk Management Instruments, which can reduce risks across many or all domains. These tools can be directly applied to a camp’s operational framework to enhance safety practices.
Additional Resources for Risk Management
For those seeking further learning opportunities, Viristar supports professional associations like ACA, which provide valuable resources for camp educators, administrators, and leaders.
The textbook Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation, and Adventure offers essential safety information for outdoor and adventure professionals. Program managers, volunteers and group leaders can learn about general approaches and detailed systems for successfully anticipating and addressing outdoor program risks.
For those interested in an in-depth training, the Risk Management for Outdoor Programs online course, educationally endorsed by ACA, provides comprehensive training on risk management for experiential and outdoor programs. Participants develop a systems-informed safety improvement plan tailored to their specific programs while learning about good practice standards in risk management.
