Risk Assessments and Mitigation

[silverwings]

I copied this from the Hyner post and feel this gives a good review of the topic.

USHPA UPDATE
March 30, 2012


USHPA Headquarters
Contact:
Jeff Mosher,

Program Manager
800-616-6888

Additional Information for Chapters

Regarding the update from the Spring 2012 Board of Directors Meeting


Chapter Officers,


USHPA just completed its Spring 2012 Board of Directors meeting in Colorado
Springs, where the board focused much of its attention on the challenge
USHPA faces in continuing to provide membership, site and instructor
insurance. The purpose of this message is to let USHPA chapters know how
USHPA intends to respond to the current situation and to ask chapters for
their support in developing site-specific risk management plans. Chapter
involvement is critical if we are to succeed in preserving an insurance
program. USHPA recognizes that member and site insurance is an essential
element in preserving and developing flying sites in the US.

Risk Assessments and Mitigation at Flying Sites and USHPA Chapter Events
below

By way of background, USHPA is experiencing a spike in the number of
accidents and the magnitude of insurance claims. The claims causing the
greatest concern have been spectator-related although there are claims
involving tandems, towing and property damage. Simply put, the current level
of claims activity isn't sustainable. The insurance underwriters have told
USHPA to either develop a comprehensive risk management plan that will
reduce claims or face cancellation of the insurance program altogether. In
late January, USHPA was successful in negotiating a 90-day extension of the
insurance policy in order to develop and implement this plan.

The Board of Directors approved a program to develop and implement a
comprehensive risk management plan. USHPA has retained a consultant to help
develop and execute this plan. Since USHPA chapters-and not USHPA-manage
flying sites, USHPA's success is largely dependent on working with chapters
to develop and execute site-specific risk management plans. USHPA is
preparing templates and other training materials to assist chapters in
completing this process. Copies of the risk management proposals approved by
the board are included below this introductory letter. The balance of the
material will be made available as it becomes available.

Looking forward, Chapters are now required to appoint chapter Safety
Officers to work with USHPA in preparing these plans and working with
landowners, as appropriate, to implement the mitigation recommendations that
come out of the risk assessment plan. These Safety Officers will be asked to
be the liaison between the local chapter and USHPA, perform the Risk
Assessment, produce a Risk Mitigation Plan, then verify with USHPA in
writing that the plan was implemented by the chapter. Training materials,
legal consultation, templates, and examples will be provided by USHPA to
assist the Safety Officer in the process. Please provide the name and
contact information for your chapter's Safety Officer no later than Friday,
April 6th. Send the name and contact info to membership@ushpa.aero. Please
note, chapters shouldn't need to amend chapter bylaws or take other formal
action to appoint someone. USHPA is simply looking for the 'go-to' person at
each chapter charged with safety and risk management (this could be a
current officer or chapter member). With the above concerns in mind, as of
the Spring meeting, chapter officers are now required to be USHPA members
including the Safety Officer.

The document below outlines the steps chapters will be required to take for
all flying sites under its control or management. Please note that from an
insurance perspective, it doesn't matter whether or not the site is covered
by site insurance. The risks and exposures to the insurance program are the
same. As such, the underwriters expect USHPA to identify substantially all
of the active flying sites and develop and implement risk management plans
for these sites. At the same time, there are occasional or primitive flying
sites not managed by anyone. The focus of this exercise is limited to sites
where chapters have some level of responsibility and where spectators may be
present; not every mountaintop where flying may occur.

Please understand, USHPA recognizes your chapter's ultimate autonomy and
would like to support you in these efforts through resources we will be
unveiling through this process. USHPA will expect Safety Officers to certify
their compliance with the risk assessment and risk mitigation process in
order to demonstrate a commitment to risk reduction to the insurance
company. Specifically, USHPA expects chapters to evaluate the sites they
manage and take reasonable steps to mitigate identified risks, taking into
account there will be a number of ways to respond to and mitigate risks; how
this is done is left to the chapters. Hopefully, risk management is already
being done-developing a site risk assessment plan formalizes the process,
making sure remaining risks are eliminated wherever possible.

Thanks in advance for your support and cooperation.

Rich Hass
USHPA President
president@ushpa.aero
-------------------------



Risk Assessments and Mitigation

at Flying Sites and USHPA Chapter Events



In order to reduce the possibility of incidents involving bodily injury to
pilots, spectators and the general public due to hang gliding and/or
paragliding activities engaged in by members of USHPA, the USHPA Board of
Directors adopted and is implementing the following Risk Assessment and
Mitigation Plan.


Purpose

The purpose of the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan is to encourage USHPA
Chapters and USHPA Members that manage flying sites to identify risks of
bodily injury and property damage to pilots, spectators and the general
public due to hang gliding and/or paragliding activities at those flying
sites, evaluate those risks, and implement, at each flying site, measures
designed to minimize those risks where practical.


Plan Details

USHPA Flying Site Recommended Operating Guidelines

The USHPA adopts The USHPA Flying Site Recommended Operating Guidelines
(attached as Appendix "A") for all of its Members and Chapters to use as a
starting point for establishing sensible rules governing flight operations
at each local site.


Program of Local Site Risk Assessments And Risk Mitigation Plans

As a condition of Chapter affiliation with the USHPA, Chapters are required
to perform an initial risk assessment of the Chapter's operations, to update
that risk assessment on an annual basis, and to establish a written plan to
mitigate the risks identified in that risk assessment. On an annual basis,
in connection with the renewal of their Chapter affiliation, Chapters will
provide a certification signed by the Chapter's designated safety officer,
affirming that the Chapter has performed the required risk assessment and
has adopted and implemented a written risk management plan.



Risk Assessments by Chapters

The Risk Assessment should review the following Chapter operations for
significant risks of significant injuries to pilots, spectators, and members
of the general public:

* The Chapter's physical facilities, such as club houses, storage
sheds, wind sock towers, launch ramps, towing equipment, etc...;
* Launch Sites owned, leased, permitted, managed and/or controlled by
the Chapter, or over which the Chapter has any control;
* Landing Zones regularly utilized by Chapter's member pilots after
launching from the Launch Site(s);
* Glider Setup and Teardown Areas regularly utilized in connection
with the Launch Sites and Landing Zones;
* Parking Areas adjacent to such Launch Sites and Landing Zones;
* Roads leading to and from Launch and Landing sites;
* Events in which the Chapter or its members participate, such as
chapter meetings, fly-ins, flying competitions, air shows, displays and
demonstrations, lessons, clinics, training sessions, etc . . .
* USHPA will provide Chapters with a Model Risk Assessment Protocol to
assist them in performing their risk assessment.
* USHPA will provide Chapters with training on performing a Risk
Assessment under the Model Risk Assessment Protocol and will provide
Chapters with consultation in assisting them in making their risk
assessments.

Risk Mitigation Plans by Chapters

The Chapter will prepare a written Risk Mitigation Plan, addressing the
significant risks identified in the Chapter's Risk Assessment of that
Chapter's Operations. At a minimum, the Risk Mitigation Plan should take
into account the USHPA Flying Site Recommended Operating Guidelines, and
apply those guidelines, as appropriate, to the Chapter's operations.



It is understood that Hang Gliding and Paragliding both involve risks that
cannot be decreased or eliminated.



It is also understood that Hang Gliding and Paragliding pilots are free to
make choices in their own flying as to the amount of risk those pilots are
willing to assume. Nothing in this Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan is
meant to take away from any pilot his or her right to choose to take
whatever risks of his/her own bodily injury that such pilot deems
acceptable. Each member pilot has signed the USHPA Release, Waiver and
Assumption of Risk Agreement, allowing the member pilot to take such risks
and relieve all others from any liability for any resulting bodily injury or
property damage to the pilot.



The Risk Mitigation Plan will address mitigation of significant risks of
significant injuries to pilots, spectators and the general public that are
identified in the Chapter's Risk Assessment. Where mitigation is both
possible and practical, the Risk Mitigation Plan will provide for mitigation
of the risk.



The Chapter will appropriately communicate its Risk Mitigation Plan to its
members and to those who utilize the facilities and operations managed by
the Chapter.



USHPA will provide Chapters with training on the preparation of Risk
Mitigation Plans.



USHPA Training Resources:

USHPA will provide the following training resources to local Chapters and
Event Coordinators:

* USHPA Flying Site Recommended Operating Guidelines
* Model Risk Assessment Protocol
* Example Risk Assessment(s)
* Example Risk Mitigation Plan(s)
* Series of Video Training Presentations available to Chapter's
Designated Safety Officers, presented by USHPA Counsel as Attorney-Client
Communications, via secured video delivery.



APPENDIX A

USHPA Flying Site Recommended Operating Guidelines

USHPA has determined that USHPA Members and USHPA Chapters are generally
careful in their selection of flying sites, site layout, and operational
practices.



The suggested guidelines detailed below have been developed to promote
improved site management and provide added margins of safety for the
ever-increasing numbers of gliders, structures, vehicles, and spectators.
Most flying sites and pilots should be able, with reasonable effort, to
comply with the suggested layout for general setup, launch and landing zones
and conditions for launching, flying, and landing.



These suggested guidelines are not mandatory requirements, and compliance
with these suggestions does not, of course, guarantee that no accident will
occur. USHPA recommends that USHPA Chapters and Members choose and, where
appropriate, design, their flying sites based not only on the geographic
area available for those sites but also on obstructions, proximity of
neighbors, parking areas, overhead lines, access etc., while incorporating
the recommendations presented below. When choosing, and where appropriate,
designing or redesigning, any flying site you are encouraged to contact
USHPA with any questions, comments, or concerns regarding these guidelines,
layout, and safety.



The official USHPA PILOT PROFICIENCY SYSTEM - Standard Operating Procedures
- 12-2 remains the governing guideline for pilot proficiency and all USHPA
Members and USHPA Chapters should conduct their flight operations in
accordance with those standards.



USHPA recommends that each USHPA Member, whenever he flies, and each USHPA
Chapter, in connection with the management of sites under their control,
follow these guidelines in conducting flight operations. USHPA encourages
each USHPA Member, whenever he flies, and each USHPA Chapter, to use,
further enhance, and adapt these general recommendations, and add site
specific operational guidelines to further increase spectator and pilot
safety at the sites they fly and manage.

1. All participants in setup, launch, flight and landing activities
should be current members of USHPA, having signed the current USHPA Release,
Waiver and Assumption of Risk Agreement.
2. All participants must comply with all FAA Rules and Guidelines
applicable to the setup, launch, flight and landing activities at the site.
3. All pilots must wear appropriate Safety Helmets during launch,
flight, and landing.
4. All pilots should perform a harness connection check before
launching.
5. Before flight operations are first conducted at a new flying site,
the local FAA Branch and local general aviation operators should be notified
of the operational area.
6. In the event that other exempt air space uses are present in the
vicinity of the flying site (ex: Radio Controlled Aircraft, Model Rockets,
Kite Flying, etc...) coordination with those other uses should be made to
minimize the risk of interference or possible mid-air collisions.
7. All flight activities should be in compliance with USHPA PILOT
PROFICIENCY SYSTEM - Standard Operating Procedures - 12-2.
8. Launch Areas - Launch Areas should be clear of personnel (other than
current USHPA members directly involved in flight operations), structures,
and vehicles 50 feet forward and 30 degrees either side of center of
anticipated take off course and 30 feet rearward of starting point target.
(Distance is 75 feet forward for tandem flights)
9. Designated Landing Zones and Targeted Landing Areas - Spots
designated or targeted for landings should be located at a minimum of 100
feet from overhead power lines and 50 feet from ground personnel, vehicles,
structures, in-use roads and spectators.
10. Clearance from Overhead Power Lines, Trees and Towers - Planned
flight path should remain clear of overheard power lines, trees and towers
by 75 feet. Launch points should be clear of overhead lines, trees and
towers by 50 feet. Landing target spots should be clear of overhead lines,
trees and towers by 100 feet.
11. No planned flight should take place within 50 feet of spectators on
the ground
12. When spectators are present or at organized events in areas where
weather conditions exist that increase the chance of a glider inadvertently
lifting-off, tie downs or other methods of securing the aircraft should be
employed for unattended gliders, in the set-up and disassembly areas.
13. Demonstration equipment at organized events should be manned and
secured by authorized personnel until disassembled. Signs should be placed
in front of all such equipment at events, cautioning the public not to
attempt to utilize the equipment without supervision.
14. At organized events the designated Safety Director will be
responsible for designating a spectator and vehicle parking area clear of
gliders in a manner reasonably calculated to separate spectators and
vehicles from glider operations.
15. At organized events, signs should be posted and/or personnel should
be assigned at launch and landing areas to warn spectators and competitors
to stay clear of launch and designated landing areas.
16. At organized events, only USHPA pilots and approved competition
staff who have signed a USHPA waiver should be allowed in the designated
launch area.
17. At organized events, only photographers approved by the event
coordinator who have signed the USHPA waiver should be allowed in launch
area or below launch area.



US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association, Inc.

(800) 616-6888

Mail: PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901

http://www.ushpa.aero