Supervision
Principals make final supervision decisions for the activity. Sufficient adult supervision must be provided to manage the activity safely (including emergency situations).
The number of adult supervisors required to fulfil emergency and supervision roles must consider the nature of the activity, students' ages, abilities and specialised learning, access and/or health needs.
Before the activity, all adult supervisors:
- must be familiar with the contents of the CARA record
- must assess
weather conditions prior to undertaking the activity, inspecting the intended location in order to identify variable risks, hazards and potential dangers (e.g. dampen dust during high wind, control slipping hazards after rain).
During the activity, all adult supervisors:
- must be readily identifiable
- must closely monitor students with health support needs
- must provide direct supervision and guidance to students at all times when operating a tractor
- must comply with control measures from the CARA record and adapt as hazards arise
- must suspend the activity if the conditions become unfavourable (e.g. poor visibility, extreme temperatures, thunderstorms)
- must
not allow students under 15 years of age to operate power take-off (PTO) implements
- must
not allow students under 16 years of age to refuel vehicles.
Supervisor qualifications
Principals make final decisions in determining supervisor capability (competence, relevance and currency) and are responsible for encouraging and enabling school-based activity supervisors to raise their qualifications to improve safety standards.
All adult supervisors must comply with the
working with children authority—Blue Cards procedure and be able to identify, and respond to, risks or hazards that may emerge during the activity.
A registered teacher
must be appointed to maintain overall responsibility for the activity.
Adult supervisors must be
licensed with either class UD licence or class C open licence.
For
high risk activities:
- At least one adult supervisor is required to be:
For
extreme risk activities:
- At least one adult supervisor is required to be:
- a registered teacher with competence (knowledge and skills) in the operation and/or driving instruction of tractors and experience with any associated trailers, PTO implements and rural plant and qualifications (e.g. Certificate III in Agriculture or Certificate III in Rural Machinery Operations or similar) or another method determined by the principal; or
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supevision of a registered teacher, with competence (knowledge and skills) in the operation and/or driving instruction of tractors and experience with any associated trailers, PTO implements and rural plant and qualifications (e.g.
Certificate IV in Agriculture or similar) or another method determined by the principal.
Facilities and equipment
All rural plant (e.g. tractor, front-end loader) must comply with
Australian Standards,
safe design and operation of tractors code of practice 2005 (PDF, 524KB),
rural plant code of practice 2004 (PDF, 659KB), the
tractor safety operating procedure and
agricultural science plant and equipment standard operating procedures.
Tractors must be fitted with suitable
roll-over protective structure (ROPS) and a seatbelt, and used when in operation.
Consider fitting tractors with a remote immobilisation switch that is immediately accessible by the adult supervisor during the activity.
Ensure tractors are fitted with reversing beepers and warning lights.
Consult
chemicals in curriculum activities for support in assessing the risks of chemicals used with/by students in curriculum activities.
If a CARA record is required in OneSchool, a summary of chemicals, plant, equipment and/or materials used in the activity must be provided by entering directly onto the CARA record in OneSchool or by attaching a summary. Sample templates are provided on chemicals in curriculum activities and
plant, equipment and materials in curriculum activities.
Location must be suitable for the activity being undertaken. Undertake a reconnaissance of new or infrequently used locations to ascertain suitability. Plan to avoid hazardous terrain (e.g. slopes, hillsides, depressions and embankments) to reduce the possibility of tractor roll-over. If difficult terrains are unavoidable, provide prior instruction on appropriate techniques to traverse the terrain.
Participants must wear
personal protective equipment appropriate to the activity (e.g. appropriate enclosed footwear [steel cap boots when relevant], hearing protection, safety glasses with Australian Standard specification, breathing protection [e.g. mask] to protect against airborne particles, high visibility workwear or vests).
Equipment must be sized to match the ability and strength of students.
Agricultural machinery must conform to Australian Standards, be fit for purpose, in good working order, properly maintained and used in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions and relevant
codes of practice, and
safe operating procedures (SOP).
A maintenance schedule (e.g. checking for damage, repairing) must be established and enacted for all plant and equipment used in the activity. Consult
Equipment Maintenance Records (EMR) and
Plant/Equipment Risk Assessments (PERA) documents.
A retirement schedule must be developed to replace plant and equipment by manufacturers' nominated expiry date or when significant wear causes a hazard.
A process for checking for damage for all equipment used in the activity (e.g.
PTO implements, shaft, universal joints, guards, warning device/horn) must be established and employed.
If privately owned equipment is being used, principal approval and owner consent/insurance details must be obtained prior to the activity.