Page 29 - 2001/02 AMA Winter

supervise and monitor the risk. Having completed a risk assessment it is essential that all personnel involved with the activity or expedition be given a safety briefing to apprise them of the hazards, alert them to the control measures, evacuation plans in the event of an accident and raise their awareness towards their own personal safety.
Risk assessments may need to reflect some or all of the following aspects (the list is not intended to be exhaustive):
Environmental hazards - rock-fall, water hazards, crevasses, avalanches, altitude (an acclimatisation programme should be attached to the risk assessment), local diseases, water contamina­ tion, insect bites, wild animals.
Climatic hazards - precipitation (excessive rain or snowfall), heat, cold, wind, sun (snow blindness, sun burn), dehydration, lightening
Equipment hazards - stoves (fire and burns), crampons, ice axes, transport accidents. The equipment list should include the essential safety items that have been identified as a result of the risk assessment i.e. group shelters, personal locator beacons etc.
Medical - compile a comprehensive list of medical supplies. Specific medical training may need to be arranged in the adminis­ tration of drugs, recognising the signs and symptoms of altitude related illnesses, heat injuries, cold injuries etc.
A risk assessment should include an evacuation plan that outlines the following detail:
Communications - what methods of communication are available in the event of an accident? for example mobile phones - is there coverage in the area? Sat phones may be an alternate option! Radios for communication between separate locations or perhaps marking on the map where the nearest effective communication link is located.
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Climber on Mt Hunler, Alaska, by Stu Macdonald
Medical support - where is the nearest hospital or first aid post? What are the contact phone numbers? Are other any other forms of medical assistance available to you such as hyperbaric chambers sited in the expedition area.
Rescue assistance - what rescue services are available to you? i.e. helicopters, mountain rescue teams etc. How are they contacted?
Access - where is the nearest access point for vehicles or heli­ copters? On a journey you may need to plot a number of escape routes to link up with the nearest access point.
Risk assessments are intended to be living documents as they may need to be adapted to incorporate unforeseen hazards due to the unpredictable nature of the environment. What they do provide is the best possible preparation to deal with most of the eventualities you might encounter. Remember the adage that “prevention is better than cure".
The following list of main Service documents will provide you with the essential information on the regulations for the safe conduct of AT activities:
AGAI Vol 1 Chap 11 AGAI Vol 1 Chap 18 JSP 375 Leaflet 11 DCI JS 83/99
DCI JS 122/01 JSP 419
Adventurous Training (revised 2001) The Hazards of Water
Safety in Military Training and Exercises Cold Injuries in the Armed Forces: Prevention and Treatment
Heat Injuries in the Armed Forces: Prevention and Treatment
Joint service Adventurous Training Courses
Rules for use of climbing walls and mobile climbing towers (updated version, check out the new rules on the scope of the RCP award).
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ARMY MOUNTAINEER