I'm sure the industry is behind me as we extend our heart-felt prayers to the participants in Thursday's Outdoor Education activity which resulted in the tragic loss of life of an experienced outdoor leader. The process of grieving is a journey best travelled as a community and the industry is behind and beside each person that has been affected by this incident.
Safety is not just a process we go through in planning an activity, it is something we need to live and breathe and embed into the culture of our organisations.
It is too soon to understand what went wrong in last Thursday's incident, but it is a reminder to all that we must adhere to best practice safety systems every time, so we all return home to our loved ones each day.
Please, this week, today or tomorrow, meet with your team to discuss your safety systems, attitude to risk and then continue to embed them into your organisation's culture. If there any concerns raised about the processes of activities or complacency that has slipped into systems, make the required improvements immediately and ensure you make some good come of this tragedy. The prevention of loss of life is always our required outcome.
Lori Modde
CEO - Outdoors NSW & ACT Limited and
The Australian Outdoor Industry