1. Joanna Bertram
September 22, 2015
PRT 406
Risk Management Plan
Top Three Risks
The top three high probability risks for a camp swimming pool environment are:
Campers Drowning
Due to the environment the children are in (a pool) and the ratio of campers to
counselors and lifeguards, children may not be seen struggling until it is too late.
Steps to prevent this is mandating a swim test for each camper and providing life
jackets for campers who do not pass the test.
Campers Getting Lost
Due to the casual environment of the pool, losing a child is a risk. Steps to avoid this
are paying attention to children getting in and out of the pool, constantly doing “face
counts.”
Campers Slipping and Falling
Due to the wet floors and the tendency of children to run, the probability of a child
slipping and falling is high. Steps to avoid this include enforcing the “walk” policy.
Risk Management Approach
The steps taken to reduce risk in the pool environment include being accredited
camp, having the recommended ratio of lifeguards and counselors to campers,
mandating a swim test and providing life jackets for campers who do not pass a
swim test.
Accreditation must be done out of house by the American Camp Association and
should follow their recommended time frame for reaccreditation. The ratio for
campers to counselors and lifeguards should follow the guidelines for the
accrediting organization and should be checked and supervised by managers daily.
A swim test should be conducted by lifeguards and supervised by counselors. While
the lifeguards assess the camper’s swimming ability, counselors should mark off
which campers need the life jackets and put the jackets on the campers who need
them. Each day of swimming, counselors should check their sheet for children who
need the life jackets and give them to those campers.
Other risk management approaches include unplanned manager visits to the pool,
implementing a “no dunking and throwing” policy, and separating swim time by age.
Constantly going over the policies with staff is crucial in maintaining a safe
environment for the campers and reducing risk.