Recreational Risk Management
Recreational Risk Management
UnitedFuture believes that Occupational Health and Safety regulations are not always compatible with outdoor recreation pursuits. The key to the problem lies in the fact that these types of regulations are literally designed for ‘occupational’ (i.e. employment related) activities and not ‘recreational’ activities. Whereas occupational activities should of course be made as safe as possible, recreational pursuits carry an inherent degree of risk that is (or should be) accepted by most participants. We do not wish to see hand-rails on mountains!
At present many outdoor events are being put under pressure or cancelled by the increasing application of OSH regulations that were originally designed, quite appropriately, for commercial and industrial environments.
It is UnitedFuture policy to:
- Amend OSH and related regulations to take into account the fact that there is an inherent risk in outdoor activities – and that this forms part of their very appeal.
- Clarify the law relating to the liability of event organisers.
- Legislate to enable outdoor recreation event participants to sign a binding organiser’s liability waiver to take effect in the event that something not easily foreseeable goes wrong.
- Generally work to ensure that schools, sporting organisations and individuals are free to organise and participate in outdoor events without fear of legal reprisal if something not easily foreseen goes wrong.
- Ensure that access rules are clarified (see Practical Access to Public Land policy) in conjunction with OSH related regulations to ensure that liability concerns cannot be used as an excuse for landowners to refuse access to their land for outdoor recreation events and activities.
- Add an outdoor education component to the school curriculum that encompasses reasonable care and safety in New Zealand’s outdoor environment.