Leaders in Safety | Ngā Mātua Haumaru
At Outward Bound, safety is an integral part of our commitment to providing transformative outdoor experiences. While our goal is to inspire personal growth and leadership, keeping people safe is just as important. Embracing risk is inherent to outdoor adventure, but managing that risk responsibly is key to ensuring the wellbeing of our students and staff.
Safety as a priority
Our approach to safety includes direct leadership involvement, regular audits, continuous training for instructors and a robust external advisory system.
School Director Hamish Reid and CEO Malindi MacLean along with safety representatives are actively involved in safety discussions and decisions. This hands-on approach ensures that safety remains at the forefront.
Every 2-3 months, we undergo audits and reviews, most of which we choose to do voluntarily. These are conducted by experts in various fields, ensuring we maintain high safety standards. Additionally, senior staff coach junior staff in the field, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement, ensuring that all staff members are well-prepared to manage any situation that may arise.
Training is a big part of our safety commitment. New instructors go through four months of intensive training. We also invest heavily in ongoing training, with over 375 people-days and a training budget exceeding $40,000 annually. This investment ensures our team is well-prepared to deliver safe and enriching experiences for students.
Our External Safety Advisory Committee (ESAC), includes staff, Board members and experts like Phil Bishop, a Royal Yachting Association master trainer, Mark Lewis, a people management specialist, and Gemma Parkin, a leader in the outdoor industry. ESAC meets five times per year and provides invaluable insights. Our Board members are also well-acquainted with our safety systems through regular Board meetings, and direct engagement with our safety team.
Outward Bound extends a huge thanks, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou to our external advisors.
Tell us a bit about your experience in the outdoors.I’ve been working in the outdoor sector for the last 20 + years, after being inspired toward the world of outdoor instruction by the amazing experiences I was part of while in high school. I initially trained and worked in Canterbury before moving to Aotea Great Barrier Island 10 years ago. Currently I work for NZ Land Search and Rescue and stay connected to the sector via a board position with the NZ Outdoor Instructors Association.
In your experience, what are the most effective ways to balance the need for adventure with ensuring participant safety? By reframing our definition of the word ‘adventure’ and delivering this in a way that aligns with our participants' needs and level of experience. Some say an adventure is anything we enter into that has an unknown outcome. With that in mind it’s easy for our participants to be having an adventure while instructors are completely aware of what’s about to happen. What an adventure looks like for those who work in the outdoors as a profession is completely different to what it looks like for most of our participants.
What qualities do you believe are essential for leaders in the outdoor industry to cultivate a safety-first mindset? Openness and honesty. The more we share, with our colleagues, our participants, and others in the sector, the more aware we all become. This mindset or culture also encourages people to speak up when they see something that might not be right, or when they need clarification to perform their role.
Looking ahead, how do you see safety in the outdoor industry evolving? What steps can organisations take to prepare for these changes? Gosh, that’s a better question for the auditors on the team, but what I’d like to see is more sharing between organisations. Safety isn’t a trade secret - if you have a learning that another organisation can benefit from, share it. A safe sector benefits everyone.
We’re excited to announce the final touches on our new state-of-the-art high ropes course, nestled in the iconic kahikatea grove. This cutting-edge facility promises a challenging, safe experience for all tauira, reflecting our commitment to leadership in outdoor education and safety.
Course features and highlights
Spanning an impressive length of 265m, our new ropes course incorporates 18 elements (as well as a zipline) such as an old cutter mast and oars and upside-down kayaks. These unique components not only enhance the physical challenge, but also connect participants to the maritime heritage of Outward Bound.
Innovative & inclusive design
Building such a course in Aotearoa posed unique challenges due to limited specialised builders and equipment available. Despite these hurdles our team excelled, bringing in the right experts and equipment (some from overseas) to deliver a world-class facility.
In collaboration with accessibility expert Jezza Williams of Making Trax, the course has been designed to ensure that everyone, regardless of physical ability, can engage with the course and experience the learning opportunities it provides.
Special attention has been paid to minimise the environmental impact. Root compaction, a significant threat to the kahikatea trees, has been largely eliminated due to the design of the new course, which requires very little ground activity beneath the trees. This ensures that the majestic kahikatea will thrive for generations to come.
Advanced safety systems
Our new high ropes course marks the first use of the Kanopeo Saferoller® system in Aotearoa. Used by over 500 ropes courses in 56 countries, this system has unparalleled safety. Unlike our old course, described as "functioning but a relic," the new system shifts the focus from safety as a student responsibility to the challenge presented by the course itself. This means participants can fully engage with the elements without the need for constant safety checks.
Gratitude to our donors
The build of this new high ropes course wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our donors. A massive thank you, ngā mihi maioha to the David Levene Foundation, Michael Sidey and The Lion Foundation. Your contributions have enabled us to build a world-class facility that will serve students for years to come.
