mountain biking management practice guide

Mountain Biking Management Practice Guide

John Ireland, Visitor Safety Review Co-Ordinator

23/10/2007 Safety Health & Environment2

The Customers in Action from - family


More Customers in Action


To the Extreme


Mountain biking: - Management and Constructionstandards.

Practice NotesPractice Notes update and furtherexpand on specific topics dealtwith in Practice Guides betweenrevisions and provide detailed“How to” information.

Practice GuidePractice Guides give backgroundinformation and providecomprehensive practicalguidance

OperationalGuide Booklet

OGBPolicy, guidance and health

and safety information

Produce a series of practicenotes/field guides on specificsubjects e.g. dirt jumps technical,timber features Signage etc

Aimed at Forest managers, Planners andPractitioners

Outputs - produced by February 08



To provide best practice guidance on managing mountain bike facilities. Guidance needs to cover the management of existing facilities, including legal and health and safety considerations, how to manage conflicting land-uses by different user groups, how to go about setting up new mountain bike facilities, and how to control unauthorised construction. [Detailed guidance and specifications on the building and construction of facilities/apparatus would be in linked supporting publications, not in this management/best practice guide].



The core reason behind this document is to aim and strive for a sustainable pragmatic approach to the subject that benefits both the land manager and the user.

If you follow the process outlined within this guidance you will get a good result.

Audience:

FC and private forest and other land managers.Community groups/cyclists


What will you find in the guide?

1. Introduction

BackgroundMountain biking as a sport/description of disciplinesBenefits of mountain bikingRecognition of risk inherent in the sportImportance of safety and planning ...



2. Legal framework

Health and safety legislation (GB wide)Access issues (different in countries CRoW, etc)Consideration of other forest users



3. Planning a mountain bike trail/facility

Introduction to different types of trailIssues/considerations

Description of the ‘8 stages of planning’



3.1 InitiationYou need to set up a project team with specialist team members experienced in the required skills to initiate, follow through and complete the project.3.2 Design and PlanningYou must capture the key information about: The site; Its status; and most importantly What is the long term objective? And why you want to build it in the first place. 3.3 Detailed information gathering It is essential that you evaluate the trail route to gather site specific information on the design of the trail.


What will you find in the guide?3.4 Creating a specification

- in house or contract? using contractors, inspection regime, budget, OGB 3

3.5 Tender and Award OGB3

3.6 Construction process- fitness for purpose, testing,

trail opening, sign-off etc

3.7 completing work- record keeping, maintenance

3.8 Monitoring & evaluationPlanning ongoing management



4. Managing/controlling unauthorised building by mountain bikers

5. References and Useful sources of informationGlossaryAppendices


Format of the guide

It will be an interactive PDF software system The document will sit on the FC Internet system and be effectively accessed by FC Staff ,general public and other interested bodies. The information within the document, links etc can be easily navigated around and the relevant sections and topics found and printed if required or stored in an electronic format on appropriate devices e.g. pda memory stick etc and accessed in the field.


Format of the guide

This style of system I believe will be a highly appropriate format to present the Mountain Bike Management Practice guide as opposed to the more traditional route of printed material. It will be easy to update and manage.


Format of the guide

A real strength of the system is the ability to link easily to other web sites and organisations that feed and influence the subject as well as other FC sites.You can also easily distribute the whole document as a hard copy on CD /memory stick for example at conferences / meetings etc.

The first draft of both documents has been through internal and external peer review and is currently being revised. External feedback is that we are producing guidance that is not just nationally significant but will also be internationally definitive.


Key points in the management of Cycle Trails

Build Management Systems InformationFit for the purpose thatthey are being marketed

Regularly Inspected andMaintained

Provision of Information

Construction Design &Management (CDM)appliesYou must be able toDemonstratecompetence ofcontractorsYou must be able toCompetence ofManagersGrade the trails (links toprovision of Information)

You must have a RobustSystemYou must know what tolook forYour inspectors must havetraining and you must beable to prove it.

InternetLeafletsOn Ground- trailhead-Way-markersAt Visitor centreVia Clubs /EventsMountain Bike press

RECORD KEEPING-keep it and be able to lay hands on it.


Key points in the management of Cycle Trails


Risk and management of facilities and the natural environment

Use and management of facilities and the natural environment can be complex. For cycling facilities we have identified that features used by visitors can have a complex management pattern. In simple terms they can be:

Forestry Commission facilities, such as a way marked single track trail; user built facilities such as a dirt jump park or; part of the natural environment that is largely unmanaged such as a steep rock face used by downhill riders.

In practice the situation is much more complex and we have identified 7 models of management with varying levels of duty of care and business risk. Diagram 1 sets out the overlapping responsibilities and table 2 sets out the associated business risk and duty of care. NB these examples need to be seen as a continuum not with hard edges as the degree of management by the Forestry Commission or user group will vary considerably from site to site


Diagram1Interaction between ownership models in Cycling


Table 2 - Business risk compared to duty of care for different management models.

Table 2- Levels of business risk compared to duty of care related todifferent management models

Managementmodel

Example Duty ofCare

Business Risk(moral, legal,financial, PR)

FC Facilities Waymarked trail High ModerateFC/ Users Club agreement

for downhill routeModerate High

FC/ Users/Environment

FC/ User jointpromote routebut no built trail

Moderate Moderate

FC/Environment

FC promoteroute but no builttrail

Moderate Moderate

User builtfacilities

Jump park withno agreement

Low High

User /Environment

Club promoteroute but no builttrail

Low Low

ForestEnvironment

Steep rock faceused by downhillriders

Low Low


This table highlights that the land manager has the highest duty of care when we are providing facilities for the visitors.

It is reasonable to expect that these locations will be well managed and that the visitor will be as safe as possible with risks and hazards largely managed by the land manager.

In the natural environment it is reasonable for the land manager to expect visitors to take greater responsibility for their own actions and manage the risks associated with their activity and as a result they have a lower duty of care.

Business risk compared to duty of care for different management models.


Types of Cycling,likely hood of an Accident and Associated Business Risk

Low Accident Risk High

Leisure Cyclists

(low user self reliance)

Cross CountryCyclists

(moderate user selfreliance)

SpecialistCyclists

(high user self reliance)

High Business Risk(Moral, legal, financial)

Low


Although accidents are more likely the amongst the more specialistcyclists taking part in more challenging activity this group are unlikelyto make a claim as so far, it is contrary to the culture of the activity.

leisure cyclists may be unaware of the risks faced when cyclingand, although in reality, the risk of a serious accident is very low, theymay be more likely to claim if they are injured. Of particular concernis leisure cyclists inadvertently entering a downhill course or comingacross a jump without warning.

Genuine cross-country cyclists with some experience will expectsome technical challenge and be more wary of their environment.The chances are they will have fallen or crashed at some point.However this group may have a go at more challenging features, butin general will not be looking for someone to blame

Types of cycling,likely hood of an accident and associated business risk


Duty of Care

Forestry Commission has the highest duty of care when we are providing facilities, it is reasonable to expect that these locations will be :- • well managed and that • visitor safety will be as safe as possible with • risks and hazards largely managed by the Forestry Commission


Forestry Commission must manage challenging cycle areas to a level of acceptable risk and ensuring that the hazards are clearly identified before entering the site.

Ensuring that less experienced cyclists are fully informed about hazards on trails and where possible provided with easy trails to build up their experience.

Duty of Care


Where visitors have worked with land managers to develop their own facilities or services the duty of care is shared between the visitor and the land manager. However the land manager may have less control over quality and there may be increased risks associated with the facilities. Also a general visitor to the facility may see these as the land manager’s facilities and expect the same quality of management and risk associated with other facilities that are run solely run by the land manager.

It is in these visitor-developed facilities that land managers have the highest business risk.

Business risk compared to duty of care for different management models.


Physical Risk

Mountain biking can be a dangerous sport, and taking a few risks is part of the attraction to many who take part.

Mountain biking remains popular, particularly among men, and is considered a hazardous activity. The main risks are from:the constantly varying trail surfaces;varying terrain;natural and man-made obstacles; anda rider’s speed.


Physical Risk

We should see fewer injuries in future as improvements are made in: safety equipment, like helmets, gloves and pads; rider training; trail design and construction techniques; and more trails available to help riders improve their skills.but this will depend on rate of growth of the sport and overall skills levels


Accidents

We have a reporting system for serious accidents and accidents where it is considered that there are lessons to be learnt. Within this system the number of reported accidents involving members of the public is increasing:

The Compensation Act 2006 has attempted to reduce ‘ambulance chasing’ activity making it clear that courts should consider what standard of care is reasonable in a claim for negligence or breach of statutory duty. When considering what is reasonable they can take into account whether requiring particular steps to be taken to meet the standard of care would prevent or impede a desirable activity from taking place.


Accidents

As well as the number of accidents involving members of the pubic we need to consider the severity of the accidents. The types of injuries for bike accidents in 2006/07 include:

fractures, concussion, facial injuries, suspected neck/spinal injuries,1 fatal accident.

226 Cycle accidents on FC ground in total in GB 06/07 that we know aboutThe majority of these were fractures and concussions


Cycling Accidents 03-04 to 06-07

0102030405060708090

100

year03-04

year04-05

year05-06

year06-07

ScotlandEnglandWales


Cycling Accidents 03-04 to 06-07

Cycling accidents reported to the FC have continued to rise in number – an increase of 502% over 4 years. All member of the public accidents reported to the FC over the same period have increased by 123%.

As an organisation we only find out about a small proportion of accidents on FC land


Cycling Accidents detailed study 1st July - 30th Sept 07 at one trail location in Scotland

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Numberaccidents

Unknown

Blue

Red

Black

Freeride /Jump-park


Type Cycling Accidents detailed study 1st July - 30th Sept 07 at one trail location in Scotland (hospital treated)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Head / Face / NeckTorsoUpper LimbLower Limb


Landowners role

Ensure that your current guidance and best practice for recreational facilities are being rigorously implemented and support your staff in doing this.

If you don't do what you have said you will do then the Business risk (prosecution, claim & bad PR) is high.

Planning, Planning, Planning is the key to success whether it be a new build / maintenance or furtherdevelopment of an existing facility


Example of current signage


Example of the Trail grading system


“Is this for you”


Example of a Dirt jump facility


Example of a well constructed Dirt jump facility

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