Schools must consider age, maturity and skill level of students when planning curriculum activities. Adjustments are required for
students with disability to support access and participation in the curriculum. Consult with the parents/carers of students with disability, or when appropriate the student, to ensure risks related to their child's participation in the activity are identified and managed.
Schools must consult current student medical information and/or health plans in accordance with the
managing students' health support needs at school procedure. Record information about any student condition (e.g. physical or medical) that may inhibit safe engagement in the activity and include specific support measures within emergency procedures.
Emergency plans and injury management procedures must be established for foreseeable incidents (e.g. separation from group,
snake bites).
Adult supervisors must have:
- emergency contact details of all participants
- a medical alert list and a process for administering student medication
- communication equipment suitable to conditions (e.g. mobile phone) and a process for obtaining external assistance and/or receiving emergency advice.
Safety procedures must be determined for the location that consider specific course hazards (e.g. road crossings, narrowed path).
Access is required to
first aid equipment and consumables suitable for foreseeable incidents
An adult with current emergency qualifications is required to be quickly accessible to the activity area. Emergency qualifications include:
Induction is required for all adult supervisors on emergency procedures (e.g. evacuation), safety procedures (e.g. course supervision specific to the hazards at each location, communication of emergency advice to adult supervisors) and correct techniques. If the activity is conducted at an off-site facility, induction is to be informed by advice provided in consultation with expertise at the venue.
Instruction is required for students on safety procedures and correct techniques (e.g. safe overtaking). Students must be made aware of the location/s of emergency and first-aid equipment.
Supervision
Principals make final supervision decisions for the activity. Sufficient adult supervision must be provided to manage the activity safely (including emergency situations).
For activities with students with a medical condition or disability that may impact on safety during the activity, consultation with parents is required prior to allocating supervision to determine the impact of students' medical condition or disability on safety during the activity.
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.
Specific roles for supervisors must include emergency and general supervision roles. Road/water crossings, course hazards and places where participants may go off-course must be directly supervised and controlled.
A course organiser must be appointed to make risk, hazard and safety decisions specific to the course. The course organiser, in consultation with other adult supervisors:
- must assess
weather conditions prior to undertaking the activity
- must inspect the intended course in order to identify variable risks, hazards and potential dangers
- must suspend the activity if the conditions become unfavourable (e.g. extreme temperatures, thunderstorms).
Before the activity, all adult supervisors:
- must be familiar with the contents of the CARA record
- must be sufficiently located around the course to provide adequate supervision and direction.
During the activity, all adult supervisors:
- must be readily identifiable
- must closely monitor students with health support needs
- must comply with control measures from the CARA record and adapt as hazards arise
- must immediately notify the course organiser when emerging risks and hazards cannot be adequately managed.
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.
At least one adult supervisor is required to be:
- a registered teacher with competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching cross country running or
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with accreditation as a
level 2 recreational running coach through Athletics Australia or equivalent.
Facilities and equipment
The qualified adult supervisor of the activity, in consultation with the principal, determines the requirements for facilities and equipment appropriate to the local context.
Location must be suitable for the activity being undertaken to ensure safe participation and that safety rules and procedures can be followed.
The intended course must:
- avoid running on public roads, where possible
- provide access to emergency vehicles
- cater for the capability and skill level of participants
- is well-defined and clearly marked on both sides
- is clear of obstacles and spectators.
Course hazards must be clearly identified and marked around the course. When courses use public roads and/or shared paths, adhere to
pedestrian safety tips.
The starting/staging area must have sufficient space to avoid trips/falls/pushing at start of event, and an adequate straight section to spread the field of athletes.
Participants must wear
personal protective equipment appropriate to the activity (e.g. enclosed footwear).
Water must be available at the start and finish area.
Hazards and controls
Further to those listed, include any additional hazards and control measures considering the local context of the activity.
Biological material
Body fluids (e.g. blood, saliva, sweat) |
Manage bodily substances (e.g. blood) and open wounds before, during and after the activity. Consult
infection control guidelines and Queensland Health’s
exclusion periods for infectious conditions poster for hygienic practices and first aid.
Follow appropriate cleaning and hygiene management practices when using shared equipment (departmental staff search 'practical subjects cleaning equipment' in OnePortal).
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Environmental conditions
Weather
Sun
Humidity
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The school's
sun safety strategy must be followed.
Follow the
managing excessive heat in schools guidelines when participating in very hot or extreme heat conditions. Consider water mist locations in hot weather.
Establish hydration protocols for particpants before during and after the event. Make water available more frequently around the course in conditions of extreme temperature.
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Vehicles |
Closely supervise the course at vehiclular access points. |
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Chemicals |
Follow the
line marking of sports fields fact sheet, if line marking is required. |
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Electricity |
If power is required, ensure extension leads do not pose a tripping hazard. |
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Hazardous equipment |
Use course markers made from non-injurious material.
Consider alternatives to hammer cap starting pistols (e.g. electronic starting pistol, gas powered horn, whistle, portable PA system).
Starter pistol caps, if used, must be used in accordance with the
Explosives Safety Alert issued by the Resources Safety and Health Queensland. That is, the caps must:
- be carried in a rigid container and
never carried loose in pocket or hand
- be limited to the immediate number required
- avoid exposure to high temperatures
- avoid conditions where impact or abrasion may occur.
- be loaded into the starter pistol only when it is about to be used.
Wear hearing protection when using any starting pistol or air horn.
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Collision
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Ensure participants are sufficiently spaced at the start to avoid collisions.
Keep non-participants clear of the running course.
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Physical exertion
Exhaustion and fatigue |
Conduct warm-up/cool-down activities.
Instruct students to proceed at their own pace.
Continually monitor participants for signs of fatigue and exhaustion.
Manage injuries according to established procedures. If in doubt, do not allow students to return to participation after injury until medically cleared.
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Student issues |
Ensure students have undertaken sufficient training before competing.
Implement procedures (e.g. roll marking mechanisms) to prevent separation from the group when participating off site.</p> </p>
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