ABSTRACT
This chapter examines outdoor education (OE) through the lens of serious incidents and considers some conclusions that can be drawn from an examination of past incidents, particularly in the light of what advances in technology have afforded, at least in some parts of the world. It also considers why community responses to OE tragedies are likely to exhibit a clear pattern of strict aversion, rather than weighing risks against benefits, and some questions this poses for OE programmes and staffing. If OE safety is conceptualised and organised around outdoor activities, as is sometimes the case, great care is required to ensure sufficient attention is focused on environmental hazards and all means that those hazards might be encountered. The chapter provides tables that illustrate some key patterns in fatal incidents, and outlines some significant implications for the OE field. The morphology of OE incidents might not be unique to OE, but an imperative to rigorously avoid deadly situations.
