Many of you would have read about the news by now.
According to the article, event organizers said there's no standard safety guidelines in place despite the popularity of endurance event. There are at least 36 running, cycling and triathlon events scheduled this year.
As quoted from the article, "organizer said the current practice is for them to come up with their own risk management and contingency plans for each event and submit them to Sport Singapore— formerly known as the Singapore Sports Council — to approve them.
Although the national sports associations and event organizers are given a guidebook on what to include in an emergency response plan — such as reporting procedures, setting up a control center and an evacuation route map — some of them said Sport Singapore should set standard safety guidelines. Coming up with one, however, would be a challenge, they said."
It is too early to comment on the safety arrangement as investigation is still in progress.
I'm sure the organizer has done their homework and based on their past experiences in planning such events, they have taken precautionary measures that is adequate. However, after the fatal accident which the cause is still unclear, there were feedback by participants about road safety and medical assistance issues.
Of course, there's risk in doing any kind of sports. No matter how well you prepare for it, if it happens, it happens.
As what Mr Elvin Ting, Managing Director of race organizer Orange Room said, "what is important is how you attend to emergencies when they arise."
Now, if there's no standard guidelines, most of us have to based on our past experiences and plan accordingly. If we do not have experiences to fall back on, there's always the option to seek the advice of relevant parties and experts in the particular areas.
In your business, instead of looking to a government body or association to set the guidelines, set your own guidelines. Be the one to set the standard for your business and industry where the rest follows.
And keep raising your standards. Things changes and nothing stays the same. What's work perfectly fine last time can be obsolete this time.