Waivers and Guidelines
Trip Leaders & Trip Participants: Don't Forget Trip Waivers - Sign Before The Trip Starts!
A reminder that all participants for an ACC Ottawa Section-sanctioned trip (hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, climbing, ice climbing and/or training) must sign the ACC Release of Liability, Waiver of All Possible Claims, and Assumption of Risk (“trip waiver”) before the trip starts; otherwise they cannot participate in the trip. An ACC Ottawa Section-sanctioned trip is one that is posted on this website, listed in the ACC Ottawa weekly e-letter and/or listed in the Ottawa Section newsletter "The Leader".
For a recurring activity, such as weekly indoor gym climbing nights or weekly training scrambles, participants can sign a blanket waiver – good for the year – for each activity.
The ACC insurance provider requires that trip waivers must be signed by all trip participants before the trip or activity starts.
Signed trip waivers (original document) should be forwarded to the Hiking Coordinator, the Climbing Coordinator, the Training Coordinator or the Section Chair. ACC Ottawa needs to keep the waivers on file for several years (legal stuff).
Trip waiver guidelines and the trip waiver is available on the ACC National website: http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/services/safety/index.html#policies
International Section Trips Require Advance Notice & Approval
All ACC Sections must submit – to ACC National – a list of scheduled Section-sanctioned international trips for approval before the trip starts. An international trip is one that takes place outside of Canada – including the USA. An ACC Ottawa Section-sanctioned trip is one that is posted on this website, listed in the ACC Ottawa e-letter and/or listed in the Ottawa Section newsletter "The Leader".
This is a requirement from the ACC insurance provider – the insurance contract states that they will review and approve international trips in advance. The insurance provider estimates that they require at least two weeks notice in advance of a trip.
For each trip, required information includes: date(s), location, brief description, rating, and leader. The ACC Section international trip list can be modified – i.e. a trip can be added or details for a previously-approved trip can be changed.
ACC National has designated one contact person from each Section – the Section ACC Board Representative. ACC National will not accept calls/e-mails from individual trip leaders. If you are planning to lead an international trip, please make sure you provide the trip information to the Hiking Coordinator, the Climbing Coordinator and/or the Training Coordinator who will forward the information to the Section ACC Board Representative (who will send it to ACC National for approval by the insurance provider).
If you have questions about ACC Ottawa international trips, please contact the Ottawa Section ACC Board Representative or the Hiking, Climbing or Training Coordinator – not ACC National. ACC National will not accept calls/e-mails from individual trip participants.
If an international trip is not reported to ACC National in a timely fashion and/or if ACC National is not able to obtain the required approval from the insurance provider, the trip will be a non-ACC trip – and will not be sanctioned by ACC Ottawa.
Please Note: US residents are not allowed to participate in ACC-sanctioned trips in the U.S. (Insurance provider restriction).
Incident Reporting
In the event of an accident on any Ottawa Section-sanctioned activity, it is essential that the incident be documented and reported – to the Ottawa Section Chair and to the ACC National Office. In the event of a serious incident, it is recommended that the Section Chair be notified as soon as possible who, in turn, is requested to notify the ACC Executive Director as soon as possible (preferably within 24 hours).
Incident reporting forms include: the Field Accident Report - to record information to be passed to medical professionals; and the Incident Report Form - to report the incident to ACC National. Incident reporting guidelines and forms are available in the ACC National website
http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/services/safety/index.html#policies
It is recommended that trip leaders carry a copy of these documents.
Waivers & Guidelines
1. Single (English), Multiple (Francais/English) Participant(s) Waiver forms
2. Standard Emergency Response Protocol & Emergency Scene Management Checklist
3. Safety on Club Beginners' Days and Trips
6. Hiking Trip Level Definitions
7. Telemark Skiing Level Definitions
8. Trip Participant Guidelines
9. Trip Co-ordinator Guidelines
10. Backcountry Skiing Safety In the East
11. ACC Gear Policy