LogbookThe Activity Journal for Outdoor Guides

O u t d o o r E d u c a t i o n S a f e t y S e r i e s

RISK MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

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Annual Record Keeping

Logbook: An Activity Journal For Outdoor Guides

Canadian Cataloguing in PubliCation data

Direct Bearing IncorporatedLogbook: The Activity Journal For Outdoor GuidesISBN 0-9781025-0-91. Logbook 2. Adventure Guiding 3. Outdoor Education 4. Trip Journal-ing 5. Direct Bearing Incorporated.

design and Printing

Concept, Design & Layout by Direct Bearing IncorporatedPrinted in Canada

For Printed CoPies, Please ContaCt Publisher:Direct Bearing Incorporated7466 River Road, RR1Palmer Rapids, ONK0J 2E0Tel: 613-758-2846www.directbearing.ca

CoPyright © 2007 direCt bearing inCorPorated. all rights reserved.All trademarks or copyrights mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. It is illegal to copy this resource in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying with the expection of the material contained in the Templates section which may be used for supporting guiding activities.

Direct Bearing Incorporated is committed to supporting the delivery of quality outdoor programs. The Outdoor Education Safety Series has been developed to produce resources for teachers, administrators and other youth workers who are introducing our young people to the outdoors.

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LogbookName: ____________________

Contact Info: ____________________

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Time Period: ________ ___ - ___________

This logbook is the property of the person listed above. The information herein is personal and confidential and is intended to be read only with the expressed permission of the owner. Please return this logbook to the person named above by using the contact information provided.

ContentsHow to Use This Logbook 3

Certification and Training Record 4

Employer/Supervisor Evaluation Record 6

Activity Log 14

Guide Notes 113The Canadian Search and Rescue SystemRadio CommunicationsSevere Weather PrecautionsWeather – Field ObservationsLeave No Trace (LNT)Estimating Distance & TimeWater DisinfectionWind and Wind ChillNavigation TipsMeasures & ConversionsHelicopter Safety

Useful Templates 127Vehicle Safety Inspection FormSituation ReportTrip Plan SummaryHazard Identification WorksheetIncident ReportRoute Card Worksheet

How to Use This Logbook

Keeping an activity logbook has become standard practice for outdoor professionals, students, or enthusiasts. A logbook, diligently kept, becomes a valuable resource accounting your training, trip details, and leadership activity.

There are four reasons for keeping an activity logbook:1. to prove your outdoor training and trip experience, relevant for potential employment in the outdoor field or for school

related programs;2. to record your outdoor activity days, required by certain certifying bodies to gain or maintain certification levels (i.e.

logging dives to progress to a higher SCUBA level);3. to create a reference for trip details, training progression, or class structure, useful for leading a similar trip or planning

a training course in the future;4. to prove your professional ethics of documentation, constant training and learning, and accountability. A professional

logbook could be used as part of a defense in a negligence lawsuit, by proving your qualifications and demonstrat-ing your attention to detail. As well, it is common for employers to require outdoor professionals to submit their completed logbook before they get paid for their work.

What should I record In my logbook?

This logbook is divided into five sections. The first section is a Certification and Training Record for detailing your training and certification in one convenient location - ideal for tracking certification information and highlighting specific in-house training. This section is setup as a table. Copies of certifications and other relevant documentation can be attached or secured to the blank pages at the end of this logbook.

The next part is a series of pages making up an Employer/Supervisor Evaluation Record. The purpose of this section is to document formal evalution and feedback from work experience.

The third section, the Activity Log documents your actual training and trip days. Best practices include recording each and every day on a separate page. The following types of activities should be logged:

• Formal outdoor training, course days or field trips• Each day of a multi-day trip• All professional or working days in the outdoors• All relevant personal trips that build skill or experience (i.e. days paddling, riding or climbing)

The daily form allows you to capture important information and learning. At a minimum, the factual details of the day are entered – Who, What, When, Where. To be valuable as a resource, expanding on course or trip progression allows you to look back and use this as a reference for planning future trips or courses. Lastly, using the opportunity to reflect on the lessons learned each day and record your insights builds judgment and enforces the ethic of constant learning. A sample entry is included in the beginning of this section.

The last two sections are Guide Notes and Useful Templates such as quick reference sheets, commonly used templates and other notes useful in the field as review or teaching notes and as forms to photocopy and use as needed.

Company profileDirect Bearing Risk Management Consulting, a division of Direct Bearing Incorporated, specializes in safety and risk management consulting. We provide employee training, health and safety program development and safety reviews for organizations operating in the natural resources, education and tourism industries.

integrated SolutionSWe are a full service consulting firm dedicated to providing our clients with integrated solutions that match their specific needs. We work with individual businesses, institutions, large corporations and all levels of government. When working with you, our actions are motivated by your ability to own, imple-ment and continue to develop solutions to your unique risk management challenges.