Informed Consent
The YETI Outdoor Program makes every effort to provide quality programming and to manage the risk posed in any of the provided programs. Careful consideration is given to the size of groups, adult to student ratios, the types of activities undertaken, equipment used, terrain selected and instructors’ decision making. There are, however, inherent risks involved in outdoor activities. These include a host of factors during travel and while participating in activities ranging from environmental (weather, terrain, animals, etc.) to human actions and inactions. It is important that parents understand the types of activities their adolescents will be participating in and acknowledge the risks associated with these activities. If you have any questions or concerns, please seek clarification from teachers or administrators at Kootenay River Secondary School, YETI Outdoor Program or from outside sources. By completing the informed consent question below, you acknowledge that you understand the risks involved and are providing a digital signature of informed consent. Do not do so until you have read this entire proposal in full. You do have choice and it is acceptable for you not to offer consent for this activity.
Transportation for this activity will be a school bus.
Risks associated with this program include, but are not limited to:
• Avalanche risks that will be minimized, but can not be eliminated;
• Becoming lost or separated from the group or the group becoming split up;
• Injuries related to slips, trips, and falls in the program area or en route to/from it;
• Injuries related to colliding with another person or with a fixed object;
• Injury or delay related to ill-fitting equipment or clothing, equipment malfunction, failure to use the equipment properly or becoming tangled in apparatus;
• Injuries related to the physical demands of the activity and/or lack of activity skill;
• Acute or overuse injuries/conditions;
• Weather changes creating adverse conditions;
• Hypothermia, frostbite or other cold injuries due to insufficient clothing;
• Loss of manual dexterity in hands during cold and wet weather;
• Illness related to poor hygiene;
• Injuries related to interactions with animals in the environment;
• Psychological injury due to anxiety or embarrassment (e.g., re: body size or shape, lack of fitness or skill);
• Other risks normally associated with the activity and environment.
Additional Challenges of Activity in a Cold Environment
• Decreases in body temperature; the colder it is out, the faster the loss.
• Faster cooling of skin wet from sweating or precipitation.
• Magnification of the loss of body heat in the wind, especially if the skin is wet.
• Greater perception of the cold in environments with higher humidity.
• Frostbite of extremities (e.g., nose, ears, toes, fingers) can lead to long term tissue damage.
• Compromise of brain function in severe cold, contributing to increased chance of injury.
• Dehydration in dry cold environments, due to water loss through respiration and sweat.
• Increased injury susceptibility of muscles, ligaments and tendons when they are cold.
• Children get cold faster than adults and suffer frostbite more easily. They may lack of experience in the cold and forget to stay well-dressed; e.g., removing toques, tubes, mitts, and/or getting these items wet while playing so they do not function as well.