10    Safety and Health Plan.

10.1   Revision History

3 Feb 20:      First draft released for everyone’s review.

10.2   General.

When it comes to safety, we all have two simple goals:

  1. No one gets hurt. Rule number 1 of the Geocacher’s Creed is to ensure all cache hunters do not endanger themselves or others.
  2. If someone gets hurt, we are able to get them the help they need quick enough to prevent any kind of permanent injury.

This field trip will be an outdoor adventure on a wild piece of land in the middle of the Missouri River in the middle of Summer. As such, there will be risks to personal safety. We all must take into consideration before going.

Once again, our goal is for no one to get hurt. No piece of Tupperware, pill bottle, or bison tube is worth severe dehydration, torn ACLs, broken bones, Lyme’s disease, or drowning. With everyone cooperation, and proper care, none of these will happen.

10.3   Methodology.

We will continuously examine the field trip to:

  1. Identify any and (hopefully all) threats to safety,
  2. Estimate the probability of a safety threat occurring,
  3. Estimate the severity of each threat to personal safety,
  4. Cross-index the probability with the severity using a matrix rating system to determine an overall risk rating for a threat,
  5. Identify all ways to avoid or mitigate the safety threat, and
  6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 above until everyone is off Goat Island.

10.3.4. Probability. Probability is the likelihood or frequency that the outcome might occur.

10‑1: Safety Risk Probability Definition Index

Probability Description
Frequent Occurs often, continuously experienced.
Occasional Occurs several times.
Likely Occurs sporadically.
Seldom Unlikely, but could occur at some time.
Unlikely Can assume it will not occur.

10.3.5. Severity. Severity is the consequence of a particular outcome if it occurs.

Table 10‑2: Safety Risk Severity Index

Severity Consequence:
Catastrophic Death or permanent total disability.
Critical Permanent partial disability or temporary total disability.
Marginal Temporary disabling injury.
Negligible Only first aid or minor supportive medical treatment needed.

10.3.5. Rating Matrix. See table 10-3 below for the matrix used to rate safety threats.

Table 10‑3: Safety Risk Rating Matrix

Severity SOH Risk Rating
Threat Frequent Occasional Likely Seldom Unlikely
Catastrophic Extremely High Extremely High High High Moderate
Critical Extremely High High Moderate Moderate Low
Marginal High Moderate Moderate Low Low
Negligible Moderate Low Low Low Low

10.4   Identified Safety Risks.

Click the buttons below to see the details of all safety threats the PDT has identified to date.