Guidelines & Standards.
Individuals and organizations that engage CAA members to provide risk assessment and management services can expect that guidance from this resource material will be applied, in a manner appropriate to the situation and conditions, in the work CAA members undertake on their behalf.
At times, situations will arise that are not fully addressed by the guidance currently available; CAA members will ensure that all stakeholders are advised of the conditions and reasoning that necessitate using methods that fall outside current guidelines.
Links on this page provide access to reference material relevant to CAA members who provide avalanche risk assessment and management services to the public, as well as to those who seek those services.
The CAA developed most of the documents listed below to ensure consistent approaches to assessing and mitigating avalanche problems in Canada. Development considered material developed by the international avalanche risk management community. In turn, some CAA guidance has been adopted internationally.
Observation Guidelines & Recording Standards (OGRS)
A reference manual for Canadian avalanche workers, providing a consistent use of terminology, techniques and data codes for taking and recording observations of avalanches, snowpack, snowpack tests, and mountain weather.
Snow Profile Procedures
In the video below, the CAA’s Industry Training Program has compiled basic information about snow profile procedures based on the Observation Guidelines & Recording Standards for Weather, Snowpack and Avalanches – 2024 Edition.
These procedures were developed over several decades, drawing on research from many of the world’s leading snow scientists. The CAA offers this informational video to help practitioners complete profiles more efficiently and with fewer errors.
Guidelines for Instructing in Avalanche Terrain (GIAT)
As of September 2022, Guidelines for Instruction in Avalanche Terrain (GIAT) is a requirement for CAA members teaching avalanche courses to the public. The GIAT page provides the GIAT guideline itself and several resources to help members teaching avalanche courses to the public.
Technical Aspects of Snow Avalanche Risk Management (TASARM)
This document describes all aspects of avalanche planning and operations with the goal of greater industry-wide consistency in decision-making and higher levels of safety. This comprehensive resource helps avalanche practitioners, stakeholders, and members of the public understand the broad scope of avalanche safety work in Canada.
This document was made possible through generous funding by the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund
