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. evacuation procedure, fire, gas leakage, provision of
first aid).
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 (e.g.
safe operating procedure, turning gas on and off, boiling water, hot ovens) and are to be informed by information provided as manufacturer's instructions, product labels, vendor SDS and SOP as relevant.
Access is required to
first aid equipment and consumables suitable for foreseeable incidents.
For participants with known allergies, schools must comply with the supporting students with asthma and/or at risk of anaphylaxis at school procedure and the school’s
anaphylaxis risk management plan, including an adult supervisor of the activity with
anaphylaxis training.
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 procedure, fire, gas leakage, provision of
first aid) and safety procedures (e.g. turning gas on and off, boiling water, hot ovens). 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 and adult supervisors on correct techniques (e.g. use of equipment including knives, food handling and hygiene practices, waste disposal and spill clean-up procedures).
Parent consent (DOCX, 306KB) is required for all activities conducted off-site and strongly recommended for high risk activities conducted on-site.
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.
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 suspend the activity if the conditions become unfavourable.
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.
For
medium risk activities:
At least 1 adult supervisor is required to be:
-
a registered teacher with competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching in food experimentation and the use of all equipment required for the activity; or
-
an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with qualifications or accreditation in science and/or home economics and/or hospitality (e.g.
Certificate I in Hospitality or similar) or other demonstrated competence determined by the principal.
For
high risk activities:
At least 1 adult supervisor is required to be:
- a registered teacher with qualifications in science and/or home economics and/or hospitality (e.g. Certificate I in Hospitality or similar) or other demonstrated competence determined by the principal and competence (knowledge and skills) in food experimentation and contamination, the use of all equipment required for the activity, and in handling chemicals that constitute a hazard; or
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with qualifications or accreditation in science and/or home economics and/or hospitality (e.g.
Certificate II in Hospitality or similar) or other demonstrated competence determined by the principal and (knowledge and skills) in food experimentation and contamination, the use of all equipment required for the activity and in handling chemicals that constitute a hazard.
Facility 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, including sufficient space to prevent overcrowding (in kitchens – recommended 900mm bench space per student; maximum of 3 students per stove), adequate lighting and ventilation to ensure safe participation and that safety rules and procedures can be followed. Undertake a reconnaissance of new or infrequently used locations to ascertain suitability.
Participants must wear
personal protective equipment as relevant (e.g. safety glasses with
Australian Standard specification, appropriate non-porous enclosed footwear, gloves, clean apron, hair coverings, bright coloured waterproof dressings).
Ready access to appropriate safety equipment, including fire extinguishers and fire blankets, must be available.
Consumables to be provided as required (e.g. cleaning agents, hand soap, paper towel).
Aids for safe handling, lifting and carrying (e.g. oven cloths, guards, safety steps and mobile trolleys) must be available.
Hand washing, washing-up facilities and garbage disposal facilities must be available.
Adequate facilities for food storage (cold and dry) must be available.
Adequate number of easily accessible power outlets must be available.
Equipment must be sized to match the ability of students. Benches to be appropriate height and accessible for all students (recommended height for kitchen benches is 800–1,000 mm).
All equipment must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instruction.
A maintenance schedule (e.g. checking for damage, repairing, sharpening) must be established and enacted for all plant and equipment used in the workspace. Consult
Equipment Maintenance Records (EMR) 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 must be established and employed.
Preparation surfaces and equipment (including serving plates and dish cloths) must be sanitised with commercial cleaning agents used at the minimum necessary strength.
Clean up equipment including a broom, dustpan, breakages bin and spill kit must be available.
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.
For high risk level activities:
A fume cupboard must be available when the presence of toxic gases is a possibility.