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.
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 (DOCX, 159KB), including an adult supervisor of the activity with
anaphylaxis training.
Emergency plans and injury management procedures must be established for foreseeable incidents (e.g. catastrophic injury management).
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, location of first aid support and equipment) 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. catastrophic injury management), safety procedures (e.g. collecting thrown hammers) 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. throwing techniques). 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 closely supervise the cage, surrounds, throwing and landing areas at all times. Participants must not throw until these areas are clear
- monitor and enforce the correct approach, throw and retrieval safety procedures
- must allow only 1 thrower in the cage whenever throwing is in progress
- must
not allow return throwing
- must comply with control measures from the CARA record and adapt as hazards arise.
The activity must be suspended if the conditions become unfavourable (e.g. poor visibility, extreme temperatures, thunderstorms).
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:
An adult with concussion management knowledge or training is required. Consult
soncussion in sport resources.
Extreme risk activities—standing throws
At least 1 adult supervisor is:
- a registered teacher, or other adult supervisor working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with current
level 2 development coach accreditation from Athletics Australia and experience in coaching hammer throw.
Extreme risk activities—turning throws
At least 1 adult supervisor is:
- a registered teacher, or other adult supervisor working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with current
level 3 performance coach accreditation from Athletics Australia and experience in coaching hammer throw.
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.
U-shaped hammer cage capable of stopping the hammer head moving at speed and provide protection from ricocheting or rebounding back towards the athlete or over the top of the cage must be used. Additional cage requirements for when activities occur simultaneously with other events are found at
World Athletics—manuals and guidelines (see competition and technical rules rule 192).
Confirm sport structures (e.g. throwing cages) are regularly inspected to assess and maintain structural integrity. See
safety alert—risks associated with metal sporting equipment.
Clearly defined throwing sector that extends beyond the ability of the group must be used. Consult the
World Athletics—manuals and guidelines (see competition and technical rules rule 192) for specifications.
Throwing and landing areas must be defined using highly visible markers.
Lines must be marked in accordance with the
line marking sports fields fact sheet.
Participants must wear
personal protective equipment appropriate to the activity, for example, appropriate footwear for the type of activity (i.e. training or competition), surface and age of participants.
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 process for checking for damage for all equipment used in the activity must be established and employed.
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 (e.g. long sleeved shirts), sun protection (e.g. sunscreen) and shade facilities when outside.
Dry equipment (including grips) before each throw if conditions cause dampness.
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
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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, including sufficient space to ensure safe participation and that safety rules and procedures can be followed |
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Boundary clearance |
Mark an exclusion zone at least 4 metres from an approved throwing cage. Non-throwers are to be behind the cage outside the exclusion zone.
Instruct non-participants to remain behind the cage, well clear of the wire and outside the exclusion zone
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Fast moving objects
Hammer |
Instruct participants to check the throwing and landing areas are clear before commencing preparation to throw
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Faulty or dangerous equipment |
Check equipment for damage before and during the activity (e.g. the wire is secure at the handle and swivel end of the hammer head). Withdraw any damaged equipment from use.
Change wires regularly to avoid metal fatigue.
Consider the use of gloves when throwing
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Playing surface |
Conduct a field check to identify and manage surface hazards. Clear the approach and throwing areas from loose items or debris. Do not participate on a slippery surface.
Perform turning throws on a firm surface only, preferably concrete
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| Student considerations |
Control measures |
Manual handling
Lifting and carrying equipment |
Transport/carry hammers safely.
Drag, not carry, hammers to the throwing area.
Use correct
manual handling processes when lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying
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Physical exertion
Exhaustion and fatigue |
Ensure activities are planned appropriate to age and skill level and are biomechanically sound.
Conduct
warm-up/cool-down activities.
Continually monitor participants for signs of fatigue and exhaustion
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Student issues |
Remove accessories (e.g. jewellery, lanyards) before participating.
Ensure fingernails and hair and clothing (e.g. pockets, loose shirts) do not interfere with the activity.
Implement procedures (e.g. roll marking mechanisms) to account for all participants before, during and after the activity
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