Annual Safety Review & Report Template

Annual Safety Review & Report Template

An annual safety review is both a regulatory requirement for registered operators and best practice for all outdoor recreation providers. This template provides a structured framework for conducting and documenting your review.

Why Annual Reviews Matter

• The Adventure Activity Regulations require operators to maintain and continuously improve their SMS
• An annual review is expected evidence in your safety audit
• It forces a systematic look at whether your procedures are still appropriate
• It provides a record that you take safety seriously — valuable if an incident leads to legal scrutiny

What the Review Should Cover

1. Incident and near miss review

• What incidents occurred in the past year?
• Were root causes identified and corrective actions taken?
• Are there patterns that indicate a systemic issue?

2. Equipment review

• Is all equipment within its service life?
• Were any equipment issues identified during the year?
• Are maintenance records complete?

3. Staff and qualifications review

• Are all staff qualifications and first aid certificates current?
• Was any training identified as needed? Was it completed?
• Are staffing ratios appropriate for the activities delivered?

4. Procedures review

• Are your SOPs and risk assessments still current and accurate?
• Do they reflect any changes to your activities, routes, or equipment?
• Have natural hazard considerations been explicitly included (required from April 2024)?

5. Emergency procedures review

• Were emergency procedures practised?
• Did any incidents reveal gaps in your emergency response?
• Are emergency contacts still current?

6. Participant safety review

• Were there any participant safety concerns during the year?
• Were briefings effective?
• Were screening procedures appropriate?

7. Action plan for next year

• Specific actions identified from the review
• Owner for each action
• Target completion date
• Review date

Who Should Conduct the Review

The review should be led by the person responsible for safety in the organisation (owner, safety manager, or operations manager) and should involve input from field staff who deliver the activities.