Outdoors New Zealand recognised as Audit Safety Provider

Outdoors New Zealand (ONZ) has been approved as a safety audit provider by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to carry out safety audits of adventure activity operators.

OutdoorsMark, the national outdoor safety audit programme managed by ONZ, is one of three safety audit programmes recognised under the new audit standard. OutdoorsMark is also the only audit programme approved to audit all of the 17 activities under the Adventure Activities Regulations 2011.

ONZ Chief Executive, Garth Dawson, says the recognition of the approved audit providers is another step in making the outdoor recreation community safer.

Dawson explained "the New Zealand outdoors sector is establishing one of the most comprehensive adventure safety environments in the world. This is a shared effort, achieved through government support and close collaboration with the outdoors community.

"New Zealand is building a better risk management framework with a unique combination of regulation, education and compliance that increases the assurance of safe operating practices in New Zealand's outdoors."

New Zealand Labour Minister Simon Bridges, says the audit providers have been independently assessed against an international auditing standard and against their ability to apply the new safety standard, stating "they are already active in auditing the safety management systems of adventure activity operators and have the capability to carry out audits objectively."

Outdoor recreation operators, including organisations in outdoor education, outdoor leisure and outdoor adventure tourism, should embrace these changes in safety management. Even organisations that are not required by the regulation to undergo a safety audit should be operating to the same safety standards.

The expectations of safety in the outdoors have evolved. While organisations in the outdoor recreation community have been committed to providing enjoyable and safe experiences in the outdoors for years, these changes ensure that there are now coherent structures and resources in place to support them.

OutdoorsMark has been running for nine years and is a national outdoor safety audit programme designed by the New Zealand outdoors sector for the New Zealand outdoors sector.

ONZ is the peak organisation providing leadership, support and advocacy for the outdoors community. Its vision is to see New Zealanders and visitors to New Zealand enjoy the opportunity for positive outdoor recreation, outdoor education and adventure tourism experiences through a coherent, vibrant, and effective outdoors community.

21st March 2013 - OUTDOORS NEW ZEALAND WELCOMES SAFETY AUDIT STANDARD FOR ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES