SUU Risk Management for Outdoor Endeavors

Best practices for going an hour beyond definitive medical care

SUU is the “outdoorsiest” school in the nation. Through the Outdoor Nation Challenge we’ve shown that our students, faculty, and staff go outdoors to learn, grow, and pursue healthy and purposeful lives. The purpose of this webpage is to give those who go an hour beyond definitive healthcare a risk management process and toolkit to adventure responsibly managing for safety.

Disclaimer: This is not intended to be all inclusive or to make you safe. It is meant to be a resource and a guide based on best practices to be prepared to lead students into the field.

Hiking Outdoors

Preparation

Planning ahead and preparing can save time, money, lives, and lead to more learning and enjoyment. Pre-Trip preparation is also essential to being able to efficiently deal with incidents if (when) they occur. The forms below guide you through a step by step process to prepare for your excursion.

First Aid

At least one person per outing should be trained in first aid and CPR and a first aid kit suitable to the activity and remoteness of the location should accompany your group into the field. First aid kits can be checked out for free from SUU Outdoors, reservations are accepted and the contents are replenished prior to each trip. A good first aid kit is only a supplement to knowledge and skills in first aid.

If your outings take you beyond an hour from definite medical care (and most do), you may consider taking Wilderness First Aid (WFA). The WFA is often 24 hours over 3 days and prepares you to deal with longer patient treatment times with limited resources and more complex evacuations. SUU's Outdoor Recreation in Parks & Tourism (ORPT) program offers a WFA course every President's weekend at the SUU Mountain Center.

For inquiries about the WFA contact jacobmanning@suu.edu

Incident Management

Things to consider before you go about managing incidents in the field

When going into the backcountry with students, know serious injuries and death are rare (Welch, 2012). Yet, you want to be prepared to care for your students if needed.  Beyond prevention, be ready to:

  • Provide Care to the Injured based on your training
  • Know when and how to seek help
  • Decide if an Evacuation is needed, use your Risk Management & Trip Form to make a plan
  • Communicate from the field

If you are part of an SUU organized outing, call SUU’s dispatch (435-586-1911) to tie you into SUU’s Risk Management Response Team.

Post Incident Follow Up

If you have an incident (or a near miss) in the field, please follow up with SUU’s Risk Management Office when you return.