Safety Management System Development for the Risk Management of Adventure Activities
As an outdoor adventure safety specialist with deep experience across New Zealand’s regulatory, operational, and instructional environments, I can support your organisation to design and implement a robust, practical Safety Management System (SMS) that fully meets the requirements of the Adventure Activities Regulations, the Health and Safety at Work Act, and WorkSafe’s Good Practice Guidelines.
With past experience as the interim Center Director of the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Center (1 year), Avalanche and Mountain Field Officer for the Mountain Safety Council, mountaineering instructor for Adventure Recreation, snow survival instructor for the Army Adventurous Training Unit and New Zealand's first certified outdoor safety audit instructor (for the ACC Loss Control Management Systems) with thirty plus years of experience in providing, managing and administrating outdoor adventurous activities, I bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and understanding of what is required to create a full and complete safety system for your organisation.
With this background my approach is grounded in real-world field operations and nationally recognised safety frameworks, ensuring your systems are not only compliant on paper but genuinely effective in practice. I can assist with risk management processes, SOP development, staff competency pathways, incident and emergency planning, audit preparation, and continuous-improvement mechanisms—creating an SMS that protects participants and staff, strengthens organisational capability, and provides the assurance needed for regulatory approval and operational confidence.
Building a safety management system that meets WorkSafe standards, is compliant ready for a safety audit and achieves the standard needed for certification is a five phase process that takes you through to passing the Audit and WorkSafe Registration. Adventure Safety will help you through all 5 phases.
Building your safety management system to Work Safe Audit Standards
1. Free Consultation
2. Build The Core SMS
3. Implement THE SMS
4. Go for Audit
5. Pass the audit
1. Define Your Activities, Terrain, and Risk Profile
What it is:
We start with a free online/phone consultation. This will determine what the parameters of your adventure business are, and where do they fit within the context of the New Zealand adventure regulations administered by WorkSafe.
Critical at this time is to determine if you need certification and then registration with WorkSafe. If you are also hoping to work on the DOC (Department of Conservation land), we need to get clarity about concessionaire requirments
We usually do this with series of phone and/or ZOOM/Teams calls.
At this time we sort out what is already in place and what needs to done, but it's important when we have this conversation to have all your safety resources (if you have them) easily accessible so we can talk about what you have, what you don't have and will need.
Depending on the answers we get will determine what happens next and how big or small it needs to be. and what the next steps will cost.
What we end up with:
Create a precise description of the activities you offer (e.g., guided 4WD back-country tours, quad-bike, river rafting, mountain-biking, etc), the terrain type, client involvement, and environmental hazards.
Why it matters:
Clear activity scoping is the foundation for everything else.
2. Build the Core Safety Management System (SMS)
What it is:
Develop the policies, procedures, and documentation required under the Safety Audit Standard for Adventure Activity Operators.
What we end up with:
A safety management document that includes:
- Leadership & safety culture
- Hazard identification & risk assessment
- Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Emergency and incident response plans
- Competence requirements for guides & drivers
- Equipment, vehicle, and maintenance standards
- Client briefing and participation rules
- Environmental and weather decision systems
Why it matters:
Your SMS must demonstrate you can systematically identify, control, monitor, and manage the risks associated with you adventure activities, as well as implement processes to improve safety on an ongoing basis.
3. Implement the SMS in Real Operations
What it is:
Put all procedures into practice. Train your guides and staff, run briefings, follow vehicle maintenance schedules, use checklists, document hazards, and implement emergency response drills.
What we end up with:
What you write that you do is how it must be done in the field. Just having a document isn't enough.
Adventure Safety will review the practical implementation of the SMS and make sure that you are compliant.
Why it matters:
Auditors will not accept a “paper-only” system. They must see your SMS alive in the field, not just written down.
4. Engage a Recognised Safety Auditor
What it is:
Choose one of WorkSafe’s approved auditors (e.g., AdventureMark, OutdoorsMark -(QualWorks)). Submit your SMS documents for pre-assessment, then undergo the on-site audit.
"On-site" means an auditor will come to you and assess your SMS in operation. This is at a cost to you so you want to make sure everything is in place to pass. Failure and subsequent visits can be a costly undertaking.
What you end up with:
A Safety Auditor will take you through what they will assess and determine the process for their audit.
This involved agreeing costs, dates, times and processes.
It will also provide you with and ensure you have clear understanding of what will be audited.
The auditor will the come and complete the Safety Audit. They will write a report and advise you of any corrective actions required and give you a time line to implement these, if needed.
Why it matters:
Only a recognised auditor can issue the Safety Audit Certificate required for WorkSafe registration.
5. Pass the Audit and Apply for WorkSafe Registration
What it is:
After successfully completing the audit and addressing any corrective actions, you receive your Safety Audit Certificate.
What you end up with:
You then:
- Complete the WorkSafe online registration
- Upload your certificate from either Qualworks or AdventureMark
- Pay the registration fee
- Await confirmation from WorkSafe that you are good to go
Why it matters:
Registration is the legal requirement. Once registered, you must maintain the SMS and undergo periodic surveillance or re-audit.
Adventure Safety
www.adventuresafety.co.nz
Phone/Txt +64 21 773 003
Email contacts