4-H Club Risk Management: Creating Safe Environments for Fun Activities

1. 4-H Club Risk Management Creating Safe Environments while having Fun

2. Objectives • Strengthen 4-H volunteers abilities to • Identify, assess, and manage risks • Understand volunteer insurance coverage • Create safe environments for 4-H members

3. Safe Environments • Effective clubs are active • Fun • Educational • Safe • Comply with ISU policies • Good stewards • Protect Stakeholders

4. 4-H Activity Risks • Field Trips • Recreation • Camping • Workshops • Overnight Trips • Shooting Sports • Canoeing • Winter activities • Club meetings • Fundraising • Bake sales • Transportation • Service Learning • County Fair

5. The Fun Trip • Your 4-H club, the Willing Travelers, wants to take a recreational trip to Adventureland in Des Moines. The trip will be a one-day trip and most of the club members will attend, along with both leaders and several parents. Members want to invite non-4-H member family and friends to participate. You expect that approximately 35 – 40 people would attend.

6. Options • Sure, tell the members OK. Don’t worry, be happy. • Say OK, but only if someone else plans the trip. • Contact your county extension office for help. • No go. This trip is a disaster waiting to happen.

7. What are the risks/issues? • Permission • Youth • Adults • Transportation • Non-Members • Accident/injury • Health/medical • Physical activity • Food/drink • Age of participants • Supervision • Insurance

8. Basic Risk Management • Identify • Assess/Evaluate • Probability of occurrence • Seriousness of risk • Manage • Select appropriate strategy • Implement chosen strategy • Monitor and evaluate

9. Key Question • “How bad would it be if something did happen, and if it would be bad, is it worth trying to prevent?”

10. How manage risk? • Avoid – don’t do • Insure • Train • Participation waivers • Accept the risk • Reduce • Share • Others

11. Risk Management Strategies • Retain the risk • Reduce the risk • Share/Transfer the risk • Avoid the risk

12. Retain • Accept the risk • Prepare for possibility of loss • Normally used when consequence is minor

13. Reduce • Change the activity or conditions • Decrease likelihood of loss • Reduce exposure • Examples: • Screen volunteers • Train staff • Adequate supervision • Emergency management plan

14. Reduce • Iowa State University requires for all youth programming: • Emergency Plan • First Aid Protocol • http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/page/4-h-risk-management

15. Share/Transfer • Find someone else to share the risk or assume the risk • Examples: • Insurance • Waivers of liability • Use commercial travel

16. Avoid • Do not conduct the activity • If risks too severe • If consequences too great • If risks cannot be reduced or shared • Then unacceptable to conduct the activity

17. Sharing Risk • Permission forms – grants child permission from legal guardian to participate in activity • Informed Consent – provides information about activity, guardian signature indicates they have read and understand • Waiver of liability – voluntary surrender of a known right or privilege (e.g. right to sue) • Combination

18. Insurance Coverage 4-H Members • Basic accident coverage through AIL • $1/member/yr, required • Club members only • May include volunteers • Horse project members $2/yr • Does NOT include coverage for injuries during downhill winter sports

19. Special Activity Insurance • Separate policy through AIL • Activity/event specific • Daily rate • Can include non-members, guests • Includes coverage for winter sports excluded under the $1/yr policy

20. Volunteer Insurance • Personal liability protection through CAED commercial insurance policy • Authorized volunteers • Acting within scope of volunteer duties and responsibilities

21. Volunteer Insurance • Auto Liability through commercial policy • Authorized volunteers • Excess liability only (over personal auto coverage) • Does not include physical damage to vehicle or loss of contents

22. Volunteer Insurance • Medical available through AIL • Same levels as for 4-H members • Confirm that volunteers are included in your county or club policy • No Workers Compensation coverage

23. The Fun Trip • Will the trip be permitted? • What forms need to be completed? • What screening, background checks? • Insurance coverage? • Special safety precautions?

24. Is the trip permitted? • Yes, if… • Planned as part of club program • Approved by Extension Office • Iowa 4-H risk management policies are followed • http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/page/4-h-risk-management

25. What forms? • No additional for members and leaders • Guests (including siblings and parents) will need to complete a Medical Information/Release form • Consider using an informed consent form with all participants

26. Screening and Background Checks? • If using private vehicles, check MVR of all drivers • Check National Sex Abuse Registry for anyone designated as a “chaperone” for the event • Proper supervision ratios

27. Insurance Coverage • Members and club leaders have basic accident through $1/yr/member policy • Special Activity policy needed for all others attending • Limited liability coverage provided for volunteers using personal autos • Liability coverage through county policy for approved volunteers

28. Special Safety Precautions • Check transportation options • Have emergency plan • Have a First Aid Kit • Plan for periodic “check-in times” • Check insurance coverage on private vehicles • Check health forms for conditions or medications • Other

29. What changes if….. • The event is an overnight trip? • The amusement park is out-of-state? • You want to rent vans instead of use personal vehicles?

30. Certificate of Insurance • Information needed: • Name of event/activity (brief description) • Beginning and end dates of event/activity • Location of event/activity • Name and address of the outside entity requiring the proof of insurance • Distribution instructions • Date certificate is needed

31. In case of Incident • Follow procedures! Execute your emergency plan! • Document everything • Represent 4-H and ISU interests • Incident Report forms • AIL claim forms

32. Practical Risk Management for 4-H Clubs • Accident/medical insurance coverage • Use Informed Consent forms • Consider using vendors for service • Screen all volunteers – ask extension staff for help • Establish behavior expectations for participants

33. Practical Risk Management for 4-H Clubs • Job descriptions for all volunteers • Valid license and proof of insurance for all drivers • Basic first aid kit • Access to telephone • Have emergency contact information available for participants

34. Practical Risk Management for 4-H Clubs • Make an emergency plan • Health/accident • Safety • Weather • Expect the unexpected • Adequate adult supervision

35. Practical Risk Management for 4-H Clubs • Follow 4-H Club financial guidelines • Age appropriate activities • Survey location of event or activity • Remove hazards • Place locations off limits • Choose alternate location

36. Thank You • Return and review Learning Guide • Return Evaluation • Use checklists to plan club activities • Turn in club calendar annually to county Extension office for approval Thank you for being an Iowa 4-H Volunteer!