Risk Management

Training courses to foster positive safety outcomes

Viristar offers comprehensive, engaging trainings designed to help outdoor, adventure and experiential professionals achieve excellence in safety outcomes.

Viristar offers a 40-hour online Risk Management for Outdoor Programs course, which takes place over the span of four weeks (29 days). 

Viristar also offers a 16-hour in-person Foundations of Adventure Safety course, which is classroom-based and takes place over two days.

Both courses are globally acclaimed for their world-class quality, depth and rigor. Participants from over 80 countries on six continents have benefited from these trainings.

In addition to risk management trainings, Viristar also offers other risk management services, including risk management audits, incident reviews, expert witness services, adventure safety accreditation, and support with developing safety system documents, procedures and systems.

Rigorous and intensive online training course, taking 40 hours over four weeks (29 days)

Content includes safety science, incident causation models, risk assessment, human factors, systems thinking, legal considerations, documentation, emergency response, safety management systems, and much more

Curriculum designed for managers of adventure, experiential, wilderness and travel-based programs

Course includes five once-a-week video-conference calls with approximately 10 hours of independent work between each call

Textbook included with training. Course completion certificate valid for three years.  Custom courses also available. 

Sixteen-hour in-person class, usually held over two days, covering essential outdoor and adventure safety topics

Course subjects include safety standards, legal considerations, risk assessment, risk management plans, safety culture, human factors, emergency response, medical screening, incident reporting, working with third parties, systems thinking and more

Course is designed for coordinators, managers, directors and other leaders of adventure, experiential, wilderness and travel-based programs

Print copy of textbook included with training. Course completion certificate valid for three years.

Testimonials

  • I feel more equipped and better prepared now than I have ever been.

    Jon Twofifty

    Outdoor Experiential Trainer, Urbanite Camps, Nairobi, Kenya

  • The most comprehensive risk management course I have completed. I highly recommend Viristar’s Risk Management for Outdoor Programs training.

    Phil Austen-Smith

    Expedition Director, Ability Expeditions, Malaysian Borneo

  • Excellent curriculum based on well researched, evidence based, current, up to date content.

    Lanny Donde

    Outdoor Education Teacher, Calgary Academy, Alberta, Canada

  • This is one of the most useful courses I have done…gives a real insight to managing risk. Definitely recommend.

    Peter Osongti Ayompe

    Outdoor Education Specialist, Tanglin Trust School, Singapore

  • Jacob Beland

    Youth Specialist, Ocean Wise Conservation Association, British Columbia, Canada

  • I loved the ample opportunities we had to network and collaborate with other outdoor risk management professionals.

    Claire Sutton

    Outdoor Education Program Coordinator, San Francisco Waldorf High School, California, USA

  • Ross McHenry

    Program Coordinator, The Hutong, Beijing, China

  • Catherine Alexander

    CEO and Director of Programs, Red Alder Group , Oregon, USA

  • Ryan Moss

    Live Adventure Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Covers extensive topics and real life case studies to easily understand how to initiate risk management within an organization.

    Long Henson

    Metropolitan Mountaineering Society, Philippines

  • A great foundation for anyone looking to understand risk management, or someone tasked with managing risks in an organization.

    Dave Acton

    Chief Executive Officer, OrcaNation, Singapore

  • Amanda Preperato

    Grinnell Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP) Director, Grinnell College, Iowa, USA

  • Highly recommended course to anyone working in experiential learning of any kind.

    Tiffany Cavanagh

    Head of Girls Boarding, Martin House Trust School, United Kingdom

  • I found this course incredibly useful…I was surprised and impressed with how much I learned and how applicable everything was.

    Dave Payne

    Director of Experiential Education, Sparks Rowing, Washington DC, USA

  • The material was very thought provoking, giving insights into the short falls of our own organization.

    Wayne King

    Experiential & Service Learning Coordinator, International School of Beijing, Beijing, China