Self-assessment
The OutdoorsMark audit begins with a self-assessment. The self-assessment provides a strong platform upon which the audit can stand. Working through the list of audit criteria, or 'questions', gives you a very valuable insight as to how close your safety management system is to the required standard.
There are fifty audit criteria on the form. Each audit criterion has a yes/no function (and sometimes 'not applicable') and then a space in which you explain where the evidence to justify your self-assessment can be located.
'Not applicable' option
Some audit criteria include a 'not applicable' button. Outdoor activity organisations are diverse and not all organisations need to conform with every audit criterion. You should make it clear to the auditor why you think that particular audit criterion is not applicable to your operation.
OutdoorsMark 101 Guide
To help you navigate your way successfully through the self-assessment, each audit criterion is hyperlinked to an explanatory note in a resource called OutdoorsMark 101: A Guide to the OutdoorsMark Outdoor Safety Audit.
The resource provides clarity around each audit criterion and explains what the auditor will be expecting to see in your safety management system.
How the OutdoorsMark audit form looks
Shown below is the first audit criterion as it looks in the online audit form.
The magnifying glass icon is the hyperlink that takes you to OutdoorsMark 101.
Clicking on the 'green tick' button means you have what is stated in the audit criterion. You then jot down in the Audit Evidence box where in your safety management system the auditor will find evidence to back up your claim.
What is in OutdoorsMark 101
The resource OutdoorsMark 101 has an introduction section explaining how to complete the audit.
It then has guidance notes for each of the fifty audit criteria.
Shown below is the guidance note for Audit Criterion No.1. What is not shown are any additional hyperlinks to templates, exemplars and other material.
1. There is an explanation of the organisation and its activities
Explaining who you are and what you do is the logical first step in the audit process. You might have this explanation written down at the start of your main safety management system record, the centrepiece of your documented information. Brochures, websites and other promotional material can also be used to check off this audit criterion.
Its purpose is to set the scene, and it allows all readers of your safety management system to understand what you do, where you do it, and who you do it with. You might even like to answer one more question about why you do it.
If your organisation is called something other than the legal name of your business, i.e., a trading name, that needs to be stated. Similarly, if your organisation fits within a larger entity, and that larger entity is not subject to this OutdoorsMark audit process, clearly state your organisation’s name. Unless you specify otherwise, it is this name that will be typed onto your OutdoorsMark Certificate of Achievement and all other OutdoorsMark material.
You must list your main activities; explain where they are conducted and, if there are any seasonal variations or similar conditions, provide some details. Some of your main activities may have subsidiary activities. An example could be a day hike. The hike is the main activity, and it could have a couple of subsidiary activities: river crossings and bush cooking. Both of these subsidiary activities have significant hazards that must be managed. If you only wrote ‘We do day hikes’, it may not be immediately obvious to the auditor that there was a bit more involved than just wandering along a track putting one foot in front of the other.
Driving is one of the most dangerous things we do. Plenty of statistics (and TV adverts) will tell you that. If you transport people – staff, participants, and contractors – as part of your business, you need to clearly state it in your safety management system. Some organisations devote an entire section or appendix to their policies and procedures about driving.
Depending on your organisation's legal status your staff may need to obtain passenger endorsements on their driving licences and your operation may need to comply with passenger service and vehicle standards requirements. Check the NZ Transport Agency website for more information. Even if your organisation is exempt, it is worthwhile understanding the intent of the passenger service legislation and requirements.