Challenge Course Safety Guidelines

Name and Purpose

• Challenge Course Safety Guidelines is a pre-activity briefing protocol for facilitators running any ropes or challenge course element.
• It establishes clear expectations, reduces risk, and builds participant confidence before play begins.

a.k.a.

• Ropes Course Safety, Course Safety Briefing

Age / Group / Time / Space

• Ages 13+ (teens and staff) | Any group using the course | 15-25 minutes | Challenge course area; deliver before any participant touches equipment

Materials

• Closed-toe, low-heel shoes for all participants
• Hair ties for long hair
• Glasses straps for eyeglass wearers
• Harnesses (for high course elements, fitted and checked per course protocol)
• Accident and incident report forms on site
• First aid kit accessible to all facilitators
• No-jewellery policy enforced before the course begins

Quick-Run Card

1. Deliver the full safety briefing before anyone touches any equipment or event.
2. Check: closed-toe shoes, hair tied back, no jewellery (including watches and non-prescription sunglasses), glasses straps if needed.
3. Review rules: no stacking more than one person high, no jumping off events, no unsupervised starts.
4. Confirm at least one facilitator on site is currently certified in first aid and CPR.
5. Check current weather and have a lightning protocol in place before the group arrives.

Setup and Boundaries

• The facilitator has final authority on safety. If an element feels unsafe for any reason, stop the activity.
• No participant may attempt or touch any event until the facilitator has delivered safety considerations, objectives, and parameters.
• Signal: agreed stop signal stated clearly at the start (e.g., two short whistle blasts, or “STOP” called loudly).
• Boundaries of the course are defined by the course infrastructure; no participant moves beyond these without facilitator direction.

How to Deliver the Briefing

1. Gather the group before entering the course area.
2. Cover the rules:
   • No stacking more than one person high on another person. Avoid stacking where alternatives exist.
   • No jumping off any element.
   • No one starts or touches an element until the facilitator gives the go-ahead.
   • Closed-toe, low-heel shoes at all times (tennis shoes or equivalent).
   • No stepping on another person’s back or on the end of a bent knee.
   • Long hair must be tied back.
   • No jewellery, watches, or non-prescription sunglasses on the course.
   • Glasses wearers: use a restraining strap.
   • No food, gum, or candy on the course.
   • No knives or sharp objects.
   • No smoking, alcohol, drugs, fireworks, radios, or firearms in the area.
   • Height restriction: participants must be tall enough to reach the top rope or cable while standing on the bottom rope or cable for high elements.
   • Harness fit: participants who cannot properly fit a harness may not do high course elements.
   • No one with a relevant medical condition does an element that could aggravate it. Facilitators will already be aware of relevant health needs in their group.
3. Explain the stop signal.
4. Walk through the day’s elements briefly, so participants know what to expect.
5. Invite questions before anyone moves to the first event.

Weather Protocol

• Check the weather forecast before the course begins.
• Be aware of wind, rain, and electrical storms throughout the session.
• If lightning is present or suspected, end all course activity immediately. Move the group to a safe shelter.
• After a storm passes, the facilitator inspects the course and removes equipment before resuming.
• Equipment left out during a storm must be spread to dry before it is used again.

Reporting

• Complete an accident report form for any injury beyond minor cuts and bruises inherent to the activity.
• Complete an incident report form whenever safety was compromised, even without injury.
• All reports go to the ropes course director.
• Facilitators keep a personal log of events and actions after any incident, as detailed as possible and written immediately after the event.

I-OPt Options

• Start: A (Active) – engage with the briefing, ask questions. S (Support) – help the facilitator do a gear check on the group. Q (Quiet) – listen and note questions to ask after. O (Observer) – take in the full briefing before deciding on participation level.
• Mid (during course): A – attempt elements with full participation. S – spot, cheer, and support other participants. Q – attempt lower-intensity ground elements. O – observe elements before choosing to join.
• Late: A – attempt more challenging elements. S – assist the facilitator with transitions between elements. Q – continue at ground level or partial elements. O – watch final elements and join if comfortable.
• End: A – participate in the closing debrief. S – help collect equipment. Q – share one observation. O – rejoin the group for the debrief.

Inclusion Adaptations

• Every element should have a ground-level or reduced-height alternative wherever possible.
• Facilitators work with participants individually to find appropriate challenge levels; no one is singled out in front of the group.

Stewardship Moment

• Equipment well cared for is equipment that keeps people safe for years.
• Reflection: “The rules we followed today exist because someone learned something the hard way. What rule made the most sense to you once you understood why it was there?”

Consent

• Pre-brief: “Before we start, I am going to walk through how this course works. You will not be asked to do any element before you know what it involves. For those not comfortable with any element, there is always a ground-level option or a support role available.”
• Mid-course check: At natural transition points between elements, pause. “How is everyone feeling? Any questions or adjustments needed?”
• Opt-out/re-entry: Any participant may step back from an element at any time. They may rejoin the next element by letting the facilitator know.

Risks and Mitigation

• Participant on an element without briefing: enforce the no-touch rule; deliver the full briefing before anyone approaches.
• Jewellery snagging: confirm removal before entry; do a quick visual check.
• Lightning: stop immediately and move to shelter; do not wait for full storm development.
• Equipment damaged by weather: inspect and dry before resuming use.
• Injuries: complete report forms; facilitators log their own recollections immediately after any event.

Warm-Up Suggestions

• “Trust Lean”: in pairs, one partner leans back gently while the other steadies them; builds physical trust before spotting work.
• “Boundary Walk”: facilitator walks the group around the course boundary so everyone knows the space before play begins.

Debrief Questions

• What? “Which rule surprised you today, and which one felt most important while you were on the course?”
• So What? “What is the connection between following safety guidelines and being able to take on bigger challenges?”
• Now What? “How does what you practised on the course today connect to trusting a team in other situations?”

Cleanup and Reset

• Return all harnesses and hardware to designated storage.
• Spread and dry any equipment exposed to rain.
• Complete all incident or accident reports before leaving the site.
• Secure the course area.