As warmer weather begins to hit many areas of the country, many people look to spend more time outdoors, enjoying nature at camps. Whether a camp operator provides lodges and cabins for guests, or campsites for tents, Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) has found common risks for these operators to be aware of and has recommendations for preventing potential claims this camping season.
From a recent three-year review of camp operators, PHLY found high severity liability claims predominantly fell into one of four categories:
Falls from heights - camp guests falling from trees, towers, roofs, climbing walls, etc.
Playground and challenge course injuries - camp guests being injured while playing on recreational equipment, such as playground equipment, jumping pillows and pads, and swings
Aquatic losses - injuries and drownings from diving, swimming, boating, or other water activities
Trees and tree limbs falling onto campers
PHLY offers camp operators four simple steps to address these and other claim drivers:
1. Give special attention to high risk equipment and activities. For playgrounds, challenge courses/climbing walls, swings, and special recreational equipment, be sure you have the following in place:
Installation should be completed by an experienced company that can certify the installation followed the manufacturer's instructions
Supervision should be provided and employees should be trained on safe operation as outlined by the manufacturer or as indicated by best practices from organizations such as the Climbing Wall Association, the American Camp Association, or the National Program for Playground Safety
Inspections and maintenance should be in place per the manufacturer's recommendations. Conduct daily visual inspections for hazards and annual inspections for structural soundness and adherence to industry best practices (such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Public Playground Safety Handbook and the Climbing Wall Association's Industry Practices)
2. For aquatics, be sure you comply with local laws and industry best practices. Supervision must be in place for minors by either their guardian or by lifeguards employed by your camp. If no lifeguards are present, guardians need to sign off that they have been informed and will supervise their children.
3. Ensure you have risk transfer and adequate warnings in place. Guests should be required to sign waivers for usage of higher risk activities. Any third parties who install, inspect, maintain, or operate higher risk operations on your site should provide you with a certificate of insurance with your camp named as an additional insured. Also, have clear warning signs around areas with bodies of water or higher risk activities. These signs should clearly indicate restrictions and rules for those areas, and you should enforce all rules.
4. Employ an arborist or have experienced personnel inspect your camp's trees. These experts should identify and safely remove any trees or tree limbs that are showing signs of falling over or breaking off.
Additional Resources
PHLY has partnered with Safe-Wise Consulting, a leading resource for camp and aquatics safety. PHLY covers the costs of Safe-Wise's remote or onsite consultation for PHLY insured camp operators. Also, the Safe-Wise website provides a well-developed resource library and a newsletter - available at no cost. PHLY agents and policyholders can access more risk reduction information through your MyPHLY account. Some of our services include: