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, such as
epilepsy) that may inhibit safe engagement in the activity and include specific support measures within emergency procedures.
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.
Emergency plans and injury management procedures must be established for foreseeable incidents (e.g. provision of CPR and
first aid) and incorporate the advice from local authorities, for example, location of automated external defibrillator (AED).
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. out-of-bounds areas) and incorporate advice from off-site facility, if relevant.
Access is required to
first aid equipment and consumables suitable for foreseeable incidents.
Induction is required for all adult supervisors on emergency procedures (e.g. critical injury), safety procedures (e.g. active and direct supervision for each supervisory role such as spotting) 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. mount/dismount procedures). Rule-reminders are to be provided throughout the activity.
Parent consent (DOCX, 309KB) is required for all activities conducted
off-site and all
extreme risk level activities conducted onsite. It is
strongly recommended that parent consent is obtained for
high risk level activities conducted on-site.
Supervision
Principals, in consultation with the qualified adults, make final supervision decisions for the activity that considers the local context.
Appropriate adult supervision must be provided to manage the activity safely (i.e. prevent an incident from occurring and manage an incident if one were to occur, including managing emergency situations). The principal must give active consideration to the minimum standards set in the CARA guideline for the activity, the CARA planner and the risk assessment when determining the appropriate level of supervision.
See
number of adult supervisors below.
Participants must adhere to all rules and advice communicated by the facility operator/owner and any safety signage at the facility/location.
Before the activity, all adult supervisors:
- must be familiar with the contents of the CARA record, including the emergency and supervision plans.
During the activity, all adult supervisors:
- must provide active and direct supervision—be constantly vigilant, attentive and rescue ready
- must comply with control measures from the CARA record and adapt as hazards arise
- must
not rely on students to recover a person in difficulty at any time. The activity must be suspended if the conditions become unfavourable (e.g. overcrowding).
If circuit stations are being used, the adult supervisor must be positioned at the station with highest risk while still maintaining supervision of all participants and stations. If multiple stations are considered to be high or extreme risk, an adult supervisor must be positioned at each risk point.
For all trampoline activities, a competent spotter must be positioned at each side of the trampoline.
Additionally for
high and extreme risk activities:
- closely supervise students during participation.
Number of adult supervisors
Principals, in consultation with the qualified adults of the activity, determine the final number of supervisors to fulfil instructional, emergency and supervision roles for the local context that consider the nature of the activity, students' ages, abilities and specialised learning, access and/or health needs. In some instances, the final supervision ratio may be 1:1.
If the minimum safety standard cannot be met, modify the activity (or elements of it) and use the
hierarchy of controls to implement alternative control measures to meet or exceed the minimum safety standard (e.g. reduce the number of students participating at any one time).
See
frequently asked questions (FAQs) for further support.
Supervisor qualifications
Qualifications support the minimum safety standard for this activity. Principals make final decisions* in determining supervisor capability (competence, relevance and currency) and whether the activity leader meets an appropriate teaching standard.
*See
FAQs for further support.
All adult supervisors must comply with the
working with children authority—blue cards procedure.
Qualified adults for the activity
Recovery/emergency—CPR, first aid, rescue
An adult with current emergency qualifications is required to be quickly accessible to the activity area.
Supervisors must have CPR and first aid qualifications relevant to the activity. Emergency qualifications may include:
Additionally for high risk activities, an adult with concussion management knowledge or training is required. Consult
concussion management resources.
Medium risk activities
At least 1 adult supervisor is either:
- a registered teacher with competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching the gymnastics activity
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with current accreditation from Gymnastics Australia as an
intermediate coach or similar.
High risk activities
At least 1 adult supervisor is either:
- a registered teacher with qualifications in Physical Education (or equivalent demonstrated capability) and competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching high risk gymnastics activities (e.g. successful completion of a
LaunchPad workshop conducted by Gymnastics Queensland)
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with current accreditation from Gymnastics Australia as an
intermediate coach in the specific Gymsport or similar.
Extreme risk activities
At least 1 adult supervisor is:
- a registered teacher, or an adult supervisor working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with current accreditation from Gymnastics Queensland as an
advanced coach in the specific gymsport or similar.
*See
FAQs for further support.
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.
Confirm sport structures (e.g. trampolines) are regularly inspected to assess and maintain structural integrity. See
safety alert—risks associated with metal sporting equipment.
Participants must wear
personal protective equipment appropriate to the activity (e.g. enclosed footwear).
Equipment must be sized to match the ability and strength of students.
Consider using a whistle for command signalling.
All equipment must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. A maintenance schedule (e.g. checking for damage) must be established and enacted for all equipment used in the activity. Consult Equipment Maintenance Records (EMR) template.
A retirement schedule must be developed to replace equipment by manufacturers' nominated expiry date or when significant wear causes a hazard.
The surface must be even, level, firm and non-slip (e.g. wooden sprung floor or flat grassed area).
Additionally, for all
high and
extreme risk activities:
- apparatus and matting compliant with
International Gymnastics Federation's Apparatus Norms (see Division II) for the gymnastics activity
- each student must provide their own towel
- equipment hygiene must be maintained (e.g. using paper towels and antiseptic spray or antiseptic wipes after each participant).
Additionally, for all trampoline gymnastics activities:
- overhead clearance of 8 metres or higher, with 2 metres clear space on all sides
- trampolines sized 4.5 metres x 2.7 metres (minimum) with a woven 2-string bed
- safety platforms with landing mats and flyaways on the ends of the trampoline
- safety mats cover the floor at the sides of the trampoline and behind the safety platforms
- safety pads secured to cover the frame and springs.
Common 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 open wounds before, during and after the activity. Consult
infection control guidelines and Queensland Health's
exclusion periods for infectious conditions poster (PDF, 1.4MB) for first aid and hygienic practices
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Environmental conditions
Weather, sun, humidity |
Assess
weather conditions prior to undertaking the activity, inspecting the intended location in order to identify variable risks, hazards and potential dangers.
Follow the
school's sun safety policy, including appropriate clothing, sun protection (e.g. sunscreen) and shade facilities when outside.
Follow the
managing excessive heat in schools guidelines when participating in very hot or extreme heat conditions.
Ensure drink breaks occur regularly. Make water available for individual participants between drink breaks.
Dry equipment (including mats) if conditions cause dampness
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| Facilities and equipment hazards |
Control measures |
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Activity location |
Location must be suitable for the activity being undertaken to ensure safe participation and that safety rules and procedures can be followed. Undertake a reconnaissance of new or infrequently used venues to ascertain suitability.
Venue with appropriate toilet and change facilities, accessible to students with disability as required.
Check facility for adequate lighting
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Boundary clearance |
Establish a safety zone around the participation area. If this cannot be achieved, consider ways of reducing risks (e.g. stationing competent spotters near any obstacle, padding the obstacles) |
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Electricity |
If power is required, ensure electrical or extension leads do not pose a tripping hazard |
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Faulty or dangerous equipment |
Use markers made from non-injurious material (e.g. foam).
Check equipment for damage (e.g. loose connections, mats with loss of resilience), dangerous parts (e.g. skipping rope handles) and stability before and during the activity.
Clean and store all equipment safely and securely when not in use.
Secure safety pads to hazardous equipment (e.g. mini-trampolines)
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Playing surface |
Cover/fill playing surface hazards (e.g. post hole sleeves) to be level with the surrounds.
Clear the playing surface from loose items, debris or moisture. Do not participate on a slippery and/or damp surface.
Provide sufficient matting appropriate to the activity, considering falls in any direction. Consult
International Gymnastics Federation's Apparatus Norms (see Division II) for guidance on appropriate thickness and density for specific gymnastics disciplines.
If using several mats to form a single surface, ensure they are secured together. Reposition immediately if disturbed.
Remove all objects from underneath the trampoline bed and instruct students to bounce in the centre.
Wear socks when trampolining to prevent significant toenail injury
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| Student considerations |
Control measures |
Manual handling
Lifting and carrying equipment |
Use correct
manual handling processes when lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying equipment. Closely monitor participants when moving equipment or apparatus |
Physical exertion
Exhaustion and fatigue |
Conduct
warm-up/cool-down activities.
Match equipment to the size, ability and strength of students.
Continually monitor participants for signs of fatigue and exhaustion
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Injury |
Students aware of the location of emergency and first-aid equipment
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Student issues |
Record information about any student condition (e.g. physical or medical, such as
epilepsy).
Use spotters when necessary. Spotters are not to be substituted for inappropriate skill development nor inadequate equipment (matting).
Allow only 1 participant on trampolines at any time.
Remove accessories (e.g. jewellery, lanyards) before participating.
Ensure fingernails, hair and clothing (e.g. pockets) do not interfere with the activity
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