Textbook

Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure

The acclaimed textbook Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure is available for purchase in paperback and eBook format.

Buy Now

Your outdoor, experiential or travel program provides fun, personal growth, adventure. It changes lives. But are your safety systems up to standards? If something happens, are you prepared to respond?


Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure provides essential knowledge for any adventure or outdoor professional. Program managers, executives, volunteers and group leaders will learn critical approaches and strategies for successfully anticipating and addressing risks.

Packed with real-life stories, current research findings, and good practice guidance, Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: a Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure gives expert advice on:

  • Approaches to Risk Management
  • Standards
  • Legal Considerations
  • Safety Culture
  • Activities and Program Areas
  • Staff
  • Equipment
  • Participants
  • Subcontractors
  • Transportation
  • Business Administration
  • Risk Transfer
  • Incident Management
  • Incident Reporting
  • Incident Reviews
  • Risk Management Committee
  • Medical Screening
  • Risk Management Reviews
  • Media Relations
  • Documentation
  • Accreditation
  • Seeing Systems

Use the button below to download a 15-page sample of the book, including Contents, Preface, and Introduction.

Download sample

Price: ‎USD 59

Author: Jeff A. Baierlein
Publisher: ‎Viristar (March 21, 2019)
Sold by: Amazon

Language: English

Paperback
Length: 218 pages
Item Weight: ‎ .75 kg | 1.65 pounds
Dimensions: ‎ 21.6 x 1.4 x 28 cm | 8.5 x 0.54 x 11 inches
ISBN-10: 1733349111
ISBN-13: 978-1733349116
OCLC Number: 1273556703

eBook

The e-book edition, a Kindle e-book download, is available for virtually all devices, including

Android, iPhone, tablets, Mac and PC, with the free Kindle app.

Features of this print replica edition include:

  • Notes and highlights
  • Search, copy and paste
  • Zoom and pan
  • Pop-out linked table-of-contents
  • Page numbers matching print edition

Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure is used in university classrooms, educational travel programs, adventure tourism operations, search and rescue, adventure centers, outdoor education and forest schools, camps, wilderness therapy programs, park and recreation settings, and more.

About the Author

Jeff Baierlein (he/him) is the director of the consultancy Viristar, providing safety, curriculum, and strategy services to outdoor, adventure, travel, and experiential programs worldwide.

Jeff began working as an outdoor and adventure professional in 1987.  He has over 1000 field days leading mountaineering, sailing, whitewater and flatwater canoeing, backpacking, whitewater and sea kayaking, rock climbing, canyoning and caving expeditions up to three months in length. 

Jeff is the former Executive Director of Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School and of the Boojum Institute for Experiential Education. He has worked as an EMT and on Search and Rescue teams, leading rescues in North America and Asia.

Jeff has provided risk management reviews, expert witness services, incident reviews, and safety trainings for organizations in over 60 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, and Africa.

Jeff lives on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish people in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Testimonials

  • A great course! Interesting and helpful course content.

    Dr. Thomas Exner

    Adventure Guide Certificate Coordinator, Keilir Academy, Reykjanesbaer, Iceland

  • Excellent curriculum based on well researched, evidence based, current, up to date content.

    Lanny Donde

    Outdoor Education Teacher, Calgary Academy, Alberta, Canada

  • This course provided me with the proper resources and instruction to learn valuable information about risk management in outdoor programs.

    Madeline Showalter

    Parks & Recreation Outdoor Supervisor, Blacksburg Parks and Recreation, Virginia, USA

  • An excellent textbook for learning, but also serves as a useful resource to have readily available for outdoor programs administrators to access.

    Jon Browher

    Outdoor Skills Program Coordinator, Brewster Academy, New Hampshire, USA

  • Awesome textbook by Viristar–clear and detailed.

    Ira Christian

    Director of Outdoor Studies, Manzanita School and Institute, California, USA

  • This course was fantastic. As a leader of an experiential program at an independent high school, I felt the course was wildly beneficial…do it!

    Rachel Garrett

    Experiential Education Coordinator, Jackson Hole Community School, Wyoming, USA

  • Amit Arora

    Outdoor Educator, New Delhi, India

  • The textbook is comprehensive, accessible and presented in an easy to read format. A valuable addition to anyone’s risk management safety toolkit!

    Rich Hunt

    Teacher, Health & Safety Coordinator, British School Manila, Manila, Philippines

  • [Viristar’s Risk Management for Outdoor Programs textbook] covered, in much detail, all the conceivable aspects of risk management in outdoor programs.

    Ali Lott

    Assistant Head of Science Faculty, Tanglin Trust School, Singapore

  • The course left me feeling more empowered to make positive improvements at my organization.

    Rob Donisch

    Applied Learning Specialist, Korea International School, South Korea

  • Crystal Hudelson

    Director of Rock Instruction, Climbers of Color, Washington state, USA

  • Great program. Amazing teachers.

    Andri Svansson

    WFR student, Keilir Academy Adventure Guide Studies Program, Reykjanesbaer, Iceland

  • The Viristar team is really passionate about safety in the outdoors–it manifests vividly in their training!

    Shamsiah Ismail

    Director, Bila Bila Odyssey, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

  • The textbook is comprehensive, well written, easy to understand and very relevant to the nature of risk management in the outdoor industry

    Alan Champkins

    Head of Centre, Ndubaluba Outdoor Centre, Mkushi, Zambia

  • A well developed and comprehensive approach to risk management…engaging and effective.

    Dylan Harry

    Science Teacher, Outdoor Program Director, Fryeburg Academy, Maine, USA