Hey, A quick addition to thelast post… I had this article in mind when I wrote that post and I couldn’t find it. But alas, I found it. Sylvia Dresser (ACCT Executive Director)wrote “ACCT’s Accreditation Program and Practitioner Certification Challenge (Course) Standards: What Do They Mean to Camps?” in the Winter 2008 CampLine Publication from ACA, in which she does a great job summarizing the framework of the ACCT Practioner Certification Standards and relates them to ACA’s veiws.  In my post I refer to certification and put a large emphisis on training, as does Sylvia…

The type of training for camp staff who supervise a challenge course is something to be taken very seriously. We know anecdotally that equipment when used properly does not fail, and human error (sometimes attributable to lack of proper training) is the cause of most accidents on the challenge course. Training concerns cannot be taken lightly in this industry. A definite focus exists on challenge course “staff” being trained by a professional trainer in first generation training versus the often seen “in-house” training.

In that same Publication, Recommended Zip Line Procedures and Protocols are given with content from Bobby Tod of Ropeworks, Inc. Some great thoughts there too.

Special attention to the “critical points” of activity. Staff may fall into an assembly-line stupor when sending participants on the zip line one after the other after the other. Action must be taken to prevent staff members from “zoning out” while facilitating this or any adventure challenge.

This is exactly my point when I to referred, what I called “Repetetive Strain Injury”.  This article references operating procedures and maintenance… and of course training.

Here is the link  to this newsletter I am referring to at the ACA website where you can also view pdf’s of archived CampLines as well as subscribe to the publication. Next post on Challenge Course Maintenance tips to come soon. Have a great summer.

Chris