CPRE Risk Management and Safety 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A park district receives a complaint that a playground surface has deteriorated and poses a fall hazard. What is the FIRST action the risk manager should take?
- File an incident report and wait for the next budget cycle
- Close the area and conduct an immediate inspection (Correct answer)
- Post a warning sign and continue normal operations
- Contact the equipment manufacturer for a warranty claim
Correct answer: Close the area and conduct an immediate inspection
Closing the area and inspecting it immediately prevents further injury and demonstrates the agency's duty of care.
Question 2: Which legal doctrine holds that a public agency may be liable for failing to warn visitors of known hazards on its property?
- Assumption of risk
- Comparative negligence
- Attractive nuisance
- Premises liability (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Premises liability
Premises liability requires property owners to maintain safe conditions and warn of known dangers.
Question 3: When developing an Aquatic Risk Management Plan, which element is MOST critical for preventing drowning incidents?
- Providing complimentary swim lessons
- Establishing clear bather load limits and supervision ratios (Correct answer)
- Installing underwater lighting in all pools
- Requiring all staff to hold lifeguard certifications regardless of role
Correct answer: Establishing clear bather load limits and supervision ratios
Defined bather load limits and supervision ratios directly control the number of patrons a lifeguard must monitor at any time.
Question 4: A park agency is assessing the risk of a new adventure ropes course. Which standard should primarily guide the inspection and operational protocols?
- ASTM F2959 for aerial adventure courses (Correct answer)
- NFPA 101 Life Safety Code
- ISO 9001 Quality Management
- OSHA 1910.132 PPE General Requirements
Correct answer: ASTM F2959 for aerial adventure courses
ASTM F2959 is the industry standard specifically for aerial adventure courses and challenge/ropes courses.
Question 5: A staff member witnesses a serious aquatic incident and is later diagnosed with PTSD. Under risk management best practice, this outcome falls under which category?
- Property loss
- Third-party liability
- Human resource risk (Correct answer)
- Pure speculation risk
Correct answer: Human resource risk
Employee psychological injuries from traumatic incidents are classified as human resource risks that agencies must proactively plan for.
Question 6: Which method of risk treatment involves transferring financial exposure to a third party for a fee?
- Risk avoidance
- Risk retention
- Risk transfer (Correct answer)
- Risk reduction
Correct answer: Risk transfer
Risk transfer shifts financial liability to another entity, most commonly through purchasing insurance.
Question 7: A parks department is evaluating whether to add an off-leash dog park adjacent to a children's play area. Which risk management tool BEST supports this decision?
- A patron satisfaction survey
- A cost-benefit analysis combined with a hazard identification checklist (Correct answer)
- A liability waiver template
- A property appraisal report
Correct answer: A cost-benefit analysis combined with a hazard identification checklist
Combining cost-benefit analysis with hazard identification allows decision-makers to weigh program value against documented safety risks.
CPRE Risk Management and Safety 4
A park district receives a complaint that a playground surface has deteriorated and poses a fall hazard.
What is the FIRST action the risk manager should take?