Camp Health and Safety:

Love It? Hate It? Forget About It!

If you have been in the workforce for any length of time, in any industry, you will know that the term “health and safety” has become a buzz work. In fact the statement is often over used. Pressure from government regulatory bodies in North America have caused companies and organizations to get their health and safety procedures up to par within the regulations that have been set for them.

Where do camps fit into all of this? We have great state and provincial camping bodies like the ACA and OCA that work hard to set standards for our camps to follow. We have state and provincial laws that we must follow in our day-to-day operations. Some camps even have county or municipal regulations to which we must conform.

With all these external pressures, often camps simply just don’t know where to begin. Camp boards and committees put pressure on camp directors to comply with all regulations. Directors become overwhelmed by the magnitude of this task, resulting in burnout or an attitude of hostility towards the health and safety run-around. Camp staff receive training in health and safety, but it is often ambiguous and irrelevant to the responsibilities they have been hired carry-out.

Camps need health and safety boiled down into it purest form. Camp Directors and Board Members need to know where their camp is at in the grand scheme of health and safety. Once the big picture is understood, they can then understand what needs to be done to get on the right track. Once a clear plan is before them, camp leaders can confidently move forward, making positive steps to towards a safer camp environment.

Frequently Asked Questions