SAFETY & COMPLIANCE
Our classroom is the wild and untamed places of Aotearoa New Zealand. It is full of beauty, challenges and (of course) a fair few hazards.
Our job is to manage those hazards and we are proud of our untarnished track record when it comes to safety.
Your safety is our highest priority.
We operate under a comprehensive set of operational and compliance guidelines and we can provide you with a Safety Assessment and Management Plans to meet even the strictest school board or agency requirements.
Our Credentials:
- We are a registered Charitable Trust, which was legally incorporated in November 1985, and have Inland Revenue Department Tax Exemption status and approval to receipt charitable donations that are tax deductible for the donor.
- Registered with the New Zealand Charities Commission, registration number CC20087.
- We are safety audit accredited by Adventure Mark, New Zealand’s largest adventure certification body.
- An approved Level 3 provider of social and welfare services to the New Zealand Government Ministry of Social Development and Oranga Tamariki.
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SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
We operate under a comprehensive Safety Management System, which is made up of three key components.
1. Firstly, we record all potential hazards and the management strategies we need to apply to them, in order to be able to safely deliver our programmes. These strategies are documented in our Safe Activity Management Plans (SAMPs).
2. Next, we identify the “practical stuff.” These are all the procedures and practices that our field staff will need to apply, in order to meet the requirements of our management strategies. We call this our Safe Operating Policies (SOPs).
3. The final part of the system is Deployment. We ensure that each field instructor has all the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the hazards identified in the SAMPs.
WE HAVE INDUSTRY QUALIFICATIONS
All of our Adventure Specialties Trust instructors are members of the New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association (NZOIA).
The NZOIA award scheme is the industry-recognised leader in providing qualifications for outdoor instructors.
All our field instructors have NZOIA qualifications related to the programmes they run, for example kayaking, mountain biking or rock climbing.
Some of our senior staff members even hold the highest level of industry qualifications and are registered assessors with both NZOIA and Skills Active, the New Zealand Government mandated sports, fitness and recreation industry training organisation. These staff members can also conduct safety audits for other outdoor activity providers.
WE ARE SAFETY AUDITED
We currently have two separate safety audits:
Firstly, our Adventure Activities Regulations audit, required by WorkSafe New Zealand. For our organisation, this happens in partnership with Adventure Mark, New Zealand’s largest adventure certification body.
We have 11 activities that are registered and regularly audited on the Worksafe Register of Adventure Activity Operators.
Our second audit is with the Ministry of Social Development, where we are a Level 3 provider of social services. This audit ensures that we have good procedures and policies in place to keep young people and vulnerable people safe.
WE ARE POLICE VETTED
All Adventure Specialties Trust staff are approved to work with young people by the New Zealand Police Vetting Service as a condition of employment.
BUT IT IS MORE THAN JUST PAPERWORK!
More than just ticking boxes and complying with external audit requirements, we care about keeping people safe.
We have a strong culture of safety within our organisation and we invest time and resources in training our staff. Each staff member has a personalised professional development plan. Together we allocate specific days to refreshing skills and simulating emergency scenarios.
A key part of a strong safety culture is incident and near-miss reporting. When you come on an outdoor adventure programme with us, you can rest assured that all aspects of your safety are well thought through.
Your safety is our highest priority.
WANT MORE INFO?
We would be happy to chat with you, if you require further information about our safety policies and procedures. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Our contact details are at the bottom of this page …
“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”
—SIR ED HILLARY HILLARY