Activities Requiring Specific Expertise

Follow the link to access the required Release & Waiver of Liability document for Higher-Risk Activities. Each participant or legal guardian must sign before participating in the event. The activity director should maintain a file of the releases.

Some higher-risk activities require participants to possess a significant degree of expertise and preparation before they safely participate in them. For these activities each group must be supervised by someone holding a current instructor's rating from a nationally recognized certifying body and/or have documented experience indicating specific knowledge and skill in teaching the activity.

Where it is difficult to supervise each participant, the instructor must prequalify each one who has sufficient experience to perform the activity independently. General supervision is to be provided these participants. All others must be directly under the watchful guidance of the instructor.

If these guidelines are not followed and an accident occurs, the sponsoring jurisdiction will be responsible for the first $10,000 of any loss paid, or defense and claims handling expenses paid. Jurisdictions are NOT permitted to purchase an insurance policy to cover this potential exposure.   Insurance coverage for any purpose within Community of Christ is acquired exclusively through the Risk Management department.

• Archery

• Cave Exploring

• Rappelling

• Sailing

• Snorkeling

• Snow Skiing/Snowboarding

• Water Skiing/Tubing

• Windsurfing

Construction and/or Installation of Playground Equipment (In this case the "Specific Expertise" is not required when the equipment is being used as an activity, but during the time it is constructed and the site is being prepared)

Check out local code requirements during the consideration stage. Please be guided by the safety standards that are presented in the following two web links:
Public Playground Safety Checklist
NPPS Fall Surfacing Guidelines for Playgrounds

New installations: following these standards and your local codes will be required.
Existing installations: reviewing these standards and your local codes and comparing the results with your existing installation is required. Then the following steps should be taken:

• Make any improvements that can be done easily, quickly, and with minimal expense as soon as possible.

• Make all remaining improvements as soon as practical.

Updated: 06/08/2009