SYNERGO

Operation Review

 
 
 

Why Do You Need An Operation Review?

 

Accidents in our industry often stem from staff errors, not equipment failures.

 
 

As a course operator you’ve probably noticed that most accidents in our industry are no longer from equipment or structural failures, rather they’re a result of staff errors. Often these errors can be attributed to gaps in supervision, training, poor policies or a lack of following established protocols. One of the best ways to mitigate staff errors is by having a qualified person conduct an operation review of your program.

There are three primary reasons why you should have an operation review:

 
 

Meet ACCT Standards

“The organization shall engage in a review of its practices by an external qualified person(s), at least once every five (5) years.”

Incident Reduction

Help your organization improve operations and reduce the likelihood of incidents.

Insurance Requirement

Your insurance provider likely requires one.

 
 
 
 
 

Included In Your Review

A Synergo Operation Review seeks to assesses the organization’s alignment with the ANSI/ACCT 03-2019 Standards Chapter Two: Operation Standards. The review generally takes place over several days and evaluates compliance with standards AND internal alignment between documentation, management, staff and observed operations.

  • The documentation review can be completed before the site visit or on-site. We evaluate both compliance with the standards and alignment between documentation, staff interviews, and observed operations. Documents reviewed include:

    • Policies and Procedures / Operations Manual 

    • Training procedures and documentation

    • Commissioning documentation

    • Pre-use inspections

    • Periodic Inspections

    • Equipment documentation

    • Employee files

    • Marketing materials

  • We observe at least two staff operating the program being reviewed alongside clients in normal operations. In the case of a commercial tour operation, we like to observe two different tours as secret shoppers. For summer camp or traditional programs we like to observe a typical group and the operation of any specialty elements. We also observe any rescue procedures detailed in the Policies and Procedures manual. Items we’ll observe include: 

    • Pre use inspection

    • Reporting

    • Getting equipment out and inspecting

    • Check in procedure

    • Orientation

    • Gear up

    • Briefing

    • Operations

    • Facilitation/Coaching

    • Wrap Up

    • Post-program equipment storage

    • Rescue demonstration

  • While onsite we interview at least two operations staff members to learn more about your operation from their perspective. Often we find that the people closest to the work have great insights about what is working and not working well. The purpose of these interviews is to determine compliance with standards and alignment with documentation. The interviews are completed on-site in both an office setting and while on-course.

  • We conduct three types of interviews with management/ownership: pre-visit, onsite, and post-report. During the pre-visit interviews we seek to learn about their general operations, changes that have occurred through time, previous incidents or any concerns that they have. Onsite interviews are generally focused on management related topics like equipment purchasing and tracking, insurance, human resource policies, marketing, etc. The post-report meeting summarizes our findings and presents ideas and options for greater internal alignment and compliance with the standards and industry best practices. 

 
 
 

Operation Review

 

VS

 

ACCT Operation Accreditation

 
 

OPERATION REVIEW

An operation review is an in-depth look at your operations that results in a report delivered to you with recommendations for improvement. It’s to be conducted by a qualified person and then it’s up to you what you do with the findings. 

 

ACCT OPERATION ACCREDITATION

The purpose of ACCT Operation Accreditation is to identify challenge courses, aerial adventure/trekking park courses, zip line, and canopy tour organizations that serve the general public through a commitment to quality, professional conduct/business practices, and ongoing use and adherence to industry standards. Organizations will be required to demonstrate compliance with all accreditation requirements and in compliance with the current ANSI/ACCT standards.

 
 
 

How To Prepare For Your Review

Don’t just hire someone and have them show up – get prepared! This is a once every five years event and you want to maximize your learning potential!

 
 

1. DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW!

What parts of your program do you have questions about? Your reviewer has seen lots of programs and different operations and can probably advise on how others have solved similar issues. Compile a list of questions you have for your reviewer and what your desired outcomes are.

 

2. CONDUCT A SELF-REVIEW USING THE ACCT STANDARDS

Thoroughly read and align both your documentation and operations with ANSI/ACCT 03-2019 Standards Chapter Two: Operation Standards. Consider each standard and how you will demonstrate compliance/alignment with that standard, typically with documentation, reviewer observation, and explained reports.

 

3. CLEAN UP YOUR DOCUMENTATION

Documentation in some form is often the best way to ensure compliance. Make sure your documentation is current and accurate – ie. Equipment logs are up to date with recent purchases, pre-use inspections are complete, etc. Also review and compile your old documentation to show a pattern of doing it right!

 
 
 

Ready To Book Your Operation Review?

If you have other questions about operation reviews, ACCT Operations Accreditation or other operations issues please let us know – we are happy to help!