Risk Indentifier

With the assistance of funding provided by Sport and Recreation Victoria, vicsport has developed an interactive online risk evaluation application to help sport and recreation groups develop comprehensive risk management plans.

The online risk evaluation application takes the user through a series of questions across 8 areas identified by the industry as areas of primary importance. These areas are: 

• Governance: identifies risks associated with management and administration of an organisation and covers important operational areas such as board or committee of management structure and responsibilities, staff duties, financial and risk management plans and ethical standards for example. 
• Insurance: encourages organisations to really ask the question “do our insurance policies fully cover our needs?” Insurance polices should be in place to help limit the impact of unexpected events. Finding out your policy didn’t cover your needs after the event can leave an organisation in serious financial difficulty. 
• Administration, Planning and Finance: Deals with day-to-day operational and administration requirements, financial management practices, and longer term strategic planning. 
• Physical Environment: deals with safety issues associated with any physical structures or grounds in which activities may take place including fields of play and surrounding areas, club rooms, change rooms, kitchens etc. 
• Legal Obligations and industry standards: deals with the various external legislative and legal requirements organisations are expected to abide by. 
• Human Resources: deals with issues regarding the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees, both paid and volunteer, and the provision of safe and enjoyable workplaces. 
• Member Services: deals with issues related to specific member support, such as terms and conditions of membership, member protection policies and privacy rights. 
• Sport Injury Risk Management: deals with the prevention and management of injuries. The nature of sport means there will always be some injuries; however, by taking appropriate steps organisation’s can limit the number, and severity, of injuries.

While vicsport’s online risk management resource will not cover every risk associated with the running of your organisation, nor will working through the application make your organisation litigation proof, the issues covered in the risk management resource will certainly provide a sound base from which an organisation can develop an appropriate risk management plan.

Developing a risk management plan isn’t an easy task. When you take into account the myriad of risk areas organisations are exposed to, it is little wonder risk management plans are often placed in the too hard or leave it for a rainy day basket. The reality however is in today’s highly litigious society, organisation’s cannot afford to leave risk management to chance, and the benefits of completing this process, to both your organisation and your members, make it well worth the time and effort.

vicsport’s online Risk Identifier application is free to all sporting clubs. To access to site you must apply for a password via the vicsport office. For further information on the Online Risk Identifier click here