Importance: Medium. If you are the business owner or manager, or you have active recent experience of working within the outdoor adventure activity, then you should already be familiar with the documentation described in this section.
This lesson looks at the four documents that every commercial SUP operation should have. It will take around 20 minutes to complete.
The training video discusses:
- Why we have documentation
- The Safety Management Plan document (SMS)
- The Standard Operating Procedures document (SOPs)
- The Risk Assessment & Management Documentation (RAMs)
- The Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
- The general principles of good documentation management
As with the legal framework stuff, this may all seem a bit tedious, and far too much hassle for just doing a few simple paddleboard lessons. However, the reality is that good documentation can actually make life much easier, and is also the only way of ensuring best practice from a safety point of view.
If you are working as an employee of an organisation, they should have these documents available for your use. If you are running your own business, then you are responsible for creating and managing your own documentation. Guides and templates for creating the necessary documentation are available as part of the Paddle Business Set-Up & Management Course.
The test at the completion of this online course may include questions on the risk assessment procedure.
Check Understanding!
- Do you understand what the following documents are, and what is their purpose?
- SMP
- SOPs
- RAMs
- EAP
- Do you understand the difference between a Hazard and a Risk, and the significance of each?
- Do you understand the general process of risk management?
If you’re unsure on any of these, go back and review the lesson again. Otherwise, you can move on to the next lesson.