Scope of Practice

Learning Objective

Understand the concept of Scope of Practice in outdoor leadership.

Explore its implications on planning and decision-making in risk environments.

What is Scope of Practice?

Scope of Practice refers to the specific activities, procedures, responsibilities, and limitations that are permitted for a particular profession or occupation. It outlines the boundaries within which individuals in that profession can legally and ethically operate and provide services.

The Scope of Practice for any profession is typically defined by regulations, laws, licensing boards, professional organizations, and ethical guidelines, which dictate or define actions. The parameters of those actions may be pre-determined by limits, equipment, locations, and/or experience.

For example, the Scope of Practice for a camp cook would encompass a different set of responsibilities compared to that of a trip leader.

It is critical to understand what training, experience and qualifications are recognized as the industry standard to work in the region, terrain and activity you are leading. Adhering to one’s defined scope of practice is crucial for maintaining high standards, avoiding legal issues, and managing risk.

Most outdoor leadership certification schemes have defined parameters around Scope of Practice for their guides or instructors. If you work for an organization their standards and policies will also provide guidance.

In the outdoor leadership realm, your professional Scope of Practice can relate to factors such as terrain choice and difficulty, group size, weather conditions, participant skill level, land use regulations, equipment choice, care and use, participant age, supervision, program purpose and goals and the intersections of these factors.

Understanding and working within your professional Scope of Practice while leading groups is critical.

Case Study: The Strathcona Tweedsmuir Incident

The Strathcona Tweedsmuir School (STS) avalanche has had a profound impact on how scope of practice and legal liability are viewed and regulated in the outdoor industry, in particular when working with minors.

In 2003, fourteen Grade 10 students of STS, set out on a trip from Okotoks, Alberta to Glacier National Park in British Columbia.

The trip was overseen by experienced avalanche-certified teachers who regularly checked reports and guided the students through compression tests, digging avalanche pits and snowpack testing. The group made sure to repeatedly test snow stability.

On the second day of the trip, the class entered the Connaught Valley area of Rogers Pass and an avalanche struck, burying everyone.

Two mountain guides on a personal ski trip witnessed the event, and set about freeing those they could find. Emergency services arrived quickly, but ultimately seven students lost their lives.

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School had facilitated dozens of trips to Rogers Pass without incident since 1990. The teacher and group leader had overseen several of them himself.

The Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School had a history of successful trips to Rogers Pass, fitting well with the Alberta curriculum, which required students to examine the “consequences of their actions [in] relationship with the environment,” and “assess physical hazards imposed by particular terrain and conditions (e.g., avalanche, lake and river ice, and bush travel).

However, the incident sparked scrutiny regarding the choice of a location with avalanche hazards, especially when alternative routes without such risks were available.

This tragedy has significantly influenced the outdoor industry’s approach to Scope of Practice and legal considerations, emphasizing the need for heightened diligence and risk assessment, particularly when working with young participants in potentially hazardous environments.

Environmental Factors

Terrain choice is a chief consideration when leading outdoor experiences, as it directly impacts the safety, and effectiveness of the learning experience. It’s important to weigh the choice of terrain vs. the program goals or learning outcomes. Does the level of risk of the specific environment match the goals of the activity?

Good terrain choice provides opportunities for hands-on exploration, skill-building, and practical application of concepts within an appropriate level of risk. The Strathcona-Tweedsmuir (STS) avalanche incident shows us that the terrain chosen was perhaps much riskier than was necessary to achieve the objectives of the trip.

Terrain classifications are commonly used to as a metric in ocean, river and mountain environments, and can guide us in understanding our Scope of Practice. Since the STS accident there has been an increased awareness and attention to terrain classification as a metric for those that plan and lead outdoor experiences. The Connaught Creek area, where the incident occurred is considered 3rd class terrain, which would now be considered ‘off limits’ for a school group.

Other examples of terrain classification are the International River Classification System that places white water rapids on a scale from Class 1-6, and this water classification map developed by the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC. Both of these are used as tools within the outdoor industry to define and set operating standards in whitewater paddling and sea kayaking.

It is important to note that the time of year or season can profoundly impact your choice of terrain – in fact an area that is relatively low risk and ‘friendly’ in one season might be completely inappropriate in another season. Even a short hike in a Provincial Park can be a vastly different experience in July versus January, requiring different training, equipment and skills to lead. Even within the same month, changing weather systems and conditions can change an area from relatively low risk to high risk and impact the accepted scope of practice by impacting terrain. Rivers are an example of this, where changes in water level can increase the classification of rapids.

Human Factors

Leader Qualifications

The skill level and training of outdoor leaders is a critical factor in understanding Scope of Practice – ensuring that you are well within your range of comfort and skill to manage groups in the terrain you are leading in. In general terms you should not be leading a group in conditions beyond or at the edge of your own ability. Guide and instructor training programs like Paddle Canada, the ACMG and SKGABC require that candidates are trained to perform in conditions above the level of difficulty they will be leading in (see Stress Inoculation Training). For example, to become an Level 1 Paddle Canada Instructor, you must first have Level 2 Skills certification.

After the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir avalanche incident, there was a significant uptick in the use of 3rd party providers in the provision of outdoor experiences – hiring companies who could provide certified guides as well as take on the legal liability of these activities. It is now common practice for school groups like STS to hire certified guides in the terrain and activity, rather than relying solely on the personal or institutional experience of their own staff.

Note that in addition to specific activity or terrain related training, having adequate and recognized First Aid or First Responder training is a requirement of outdoor leaders. Ensure you know what the industry standards are – these are often dictated by your employers and certifying bodies.

Many organizations rely both on external certification standards as well as internal training.

Age of Participants

The age of the participants has an impact on Scope of Practice. Since parents cannot assume risk on behalf of minors, and outdoor leaders are acting ‘in loco parentis’ the standard of care is to make more conservative decisions when working with youth. Most youth programs today tend to have a much lower risk tolerance than they have in the past, steering clear of terrain types or activities where there is a high potential for events that pose a serious threat to life.

Participant Skill Level

Participant training is another important factor in Scope of Practice – preparing participants with adequate training for the conditions and skills they will need. In most scenarios there are training progressions needed to move from simple to more complex terrain. For example, teaching whitewater canoe strokes, rescues and communication skills in more controlled flat water environment before taking a group into any moving water is considered best practice.

Group Size

Most outdoor programs have accepted student: instructor ratios for participation in certain activities. Certifying bodies such as Paddle Canada and the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC have strict ratios for leading groups in water activities based on levels of supervision as well as environmental ethics. Other factors can also impact Scope of Practice in relation to group size, including terrain classification (i.e. the higher the terrain classification or level of difficulty, the lower the accepted leader to participant ratios will be). Provincial, National and regional Parks also often have group size limits in backcountry areas, which are important to be aware of to ensure you are within your scope of practice as an outdoor leader in these areas.

References

Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. “Scope of Practice.” ACMG. April 1, 2019. https://www.acmg.ca/05pdf/ACMG_SOP_04-2019.pdf

Cloutier, R. (2003, June 23). Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School Avalanche Accident Investigation. Academia. https://www.academia.edu/185104/Strathcona_Tweedsmuir_School_Avalanche_Accident_Investigation

Doty, A. (2015, March 29). Buried alive: An avalanche survivor breaks his silence. Maclean’s. https://macleans.ca/news/canada/buried-alive-an-avalanche-survivor-breaks-his-silence/

Planggar, F., Sole, A. (2017). “Field Leader (Hiking): Student Manual – 2nd Edition”, The Outdoor Council of Canada.