Safety Differently! Key Concepts from Safety Experts in Other Industries

Tuesday, February 4 | 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM

Session Description:

Traditional views of safety are deeply ingrained in how we talk about, measure, and attempt to manage risk in the outdoor/experiential education industry. Experts and researchers from other sectors (manufacturing, aeronautical, health care, occupational health and safety, etc.) have evolved and are making great strides in what is known as Safety Differently–a progressive new way of thinking about safety. Although the sectors that have primarily led this movement are not outdoor education programs, we have much to learn from the high level research and thinking associated with Safety Differently. Participants will walk away with a one-page handout showing a compare/contrast and outlining key action steps to take to apply a Safety Differently lens to their own program.

About the Speaker:

Steve Smith
Experiential Consulting, LLC

Steve Smith is the founder of Experiential Consulting, LLC, a risk management consultancy based in Seattle. Steve has served as the Chair of the Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC) for three years (2014 - 2016) and he was a standing member of the WRMC Steering Committee (2011-2017). His career has included administrative leadership roles with national organizations including Outward Bound and The Student Conservation Association. He served two terms as a board member for the Northwest Outward Bound School, where he still serves on the school's Safety Committee. He has a master's degree in teaching English, along with eight years of university-level teaching experience, and earned a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from the Society for Human Resources Management, all of which help him view outdoor education through a variety of educational and administrative lenses.