In the interests of safety, it is common bushwalking practice to leave detailed trip intention information which is accessible to committee members. This information enables suitable action to be taken in the event of a serious accident or unexpected delay in a party’s return from an activity.
Bushwalking Australia recommends that state bodies risk management guidelines encourage all member clubs to have in place an efficient emergency contact procedure for all official club events.
MVB policy
• The club provides an electronic booking form which leaders are required to use. As this form contains personal details of participants it is password protected and only accessible by designated leaders of official MVB events. The form provides all of the information required for alerting police when a search or assistance is judged to be needed by a club activity group or committee member. The leader must ensure that the form is complete prior to the event commencement and that there are other club member who are not participating in this event with access rights to this form. The form is available to leaders from the Leaders, Events, Booking Form Leaders menu path on the website when logged in.
Before a trip:
• The leader ensures that the booking form is complete and accurate and advises participants what other club member(s) have access to the booking form info for this event
• Participants advise their emergency contact person of at least one of the other club members (club contacts) who have access to the booking form and supplies their contact details to be used if concerned about an unexpected delay in return.
• The leader either documents the trip route plan in the event details on the website or supplies the club contacts with this info and an expected time of return. This is the minimum of information required with respect to safety of the club activity group as a whole.
On return:
• The leader records a safe return on the electronic booking form and/or contacts the club contacts as soon as possible by phone, sms or email of a safe return.
• Participants advise their emergency contact person of safe return.
• If no safe return advice is received within a specified time of the arranged return, and after attempts have been made to contact and communicate with the activity group one of the club contacts establishes if possible that the entry in the booking form or the call has not simply been forgotten, police will be alerted of a possible need for assistance.
The online bookng form contains
• Names, phone numbers and emergency contact details for all group members
• Vehicle registration numbers and location
The online event contains If applicable, weather and terrain expected and equipment being carried
Each participating club member will have in their posession
• Confidential details of medical conditions or special requirements in accordance with club policy.
Status:
POLICY - REVIEWED AT committee meeting held December 5 2018
Policy - ratified at MVB Inc Committee Meeting held on Oct 8 2012
Draft - not ratified at MVB Inc Committee Meeting held on December 9 2011 - based on document produced by Bushwalking Australia accessible here