Guideline review date: 24 September 2025
This guideline is provided to support schools in implementing the
managing risks in school curriculum activities procedure.
The
CARA planner (DOCX, 232KB) must be used for the specific school context in conjunction with this guideline considering additional risks, hazards and controls and including environmental, facility, equipment and student considerations.
For activities beyond the scope of this guideline, complete a CARA record using the
CARA generic template (DOCX, 98KB).
When more than 1 school is involved, each school must approve their own students' participation.
Activity scope
The Department of Education is committed to ensuring that curriculum activities are planned for and managed in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of students, staff and others.
This guideline demonstrates the minimum safety standard for student participation in activities involving marine organisms (e.g. dissecting marine specimens, bait gathering, fishing, preparing marine organisms for consumption) to support curriculum delivery. This activity may involve the use of a range of equipment (e.g. sharp tools, fishing tackle, heating equipment).
Principals make final decisions in approving student activities, ensuring they are justified by the expected educational outcomes, given the level of residual risk. Activities with unacceptable risks are not recommended.
Depending on the scope of this activity, other risk assessments may be required when planning. Curriculum activities encompassing more than 1 CARA guideline (e.g.
swimming in locations other than pools,
power boating) must comply with the requirements of all CARA guidelines appropriate to the activity.
Rock fishing (fishing from rocky outcrops into the sea) is not permitted.
For curriculum activities involving:
- biological material (e.g. studying biological specimens in a laboratory), consult the
biological activities activity guideline.
- the introduction of agents or conditions that may contaminate food, consult the
food experimentation activity guideline.
For activities conducted at a non-Department of Education venue, and/or when engaging external expertise, request written risk assessment advice and attach it to this CARA record.
For activities conducted off-site, schools must comply with the
school excursions procedure.
Risk level
Low risk
Activities at low risk locations (e.g. at the tideline) and/or with low risk equipment (e.g. yabby pump) and/or marine organisms that pose insignificant risk to most people (e.g. most starfish, sea cucumbers, plankton, most shells, molluscs).
Medium risk
Activities at medium risk locations (e.g. on a jetty) and/or with medium risk equipment (e.g. single hooks, bait nets) and/or organisms that may cause a minor injury (e.g. spiny fish, prawns, crayfish, barbless rays).
High risk
Activities at high risk locations (e.g. in or on water) and/or with high risk equipment (e.g. multiple hooks, lures) and/or organisms that may cause a serious injury (e.g. Crown-of-thorns starfish, diadema urchins, fire corals, bluebottles, mud crabs).
Extreme risk
Activities at extreme risk locations (e.g. known crocodile habitats), night activities and/or with extreme risk equipment (e.g. drag nets) and/or organisms that may cause a major or fatal injury (e.g. cone shells, Irukandji, sea snakes, box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, stone or lion fish).
Activity requirements
If any requirement cannot be met, the activity must not occur.
A registered teacher must be appointed to maintain overall responsibility for the activity.
Departmental workers are required to report all allegations of harm or risk of harm, including reportable conduct committed against a child or student by a worker of the department. Department employees can search for the Reportable Conduct Scheme on OnePortal.
Teachers, in collaboration with other adult supervisors of the planned activity, determine additional risks, hazards and control measures relevant to the activity and the specific school/group circumstances in order to lift the safety standard above the minimum identified in the CARA guideline.
Consult review comments from previous CARA records to improve safety standards based on the advice from the previous supervisors of the activity at the school.
Prior consultation and collaboration with local expertise (e.g. local council,
marine park managers) is required for local advice, emergency support mechanisms and additional supervision requirements to ensure participant and public safety.
Schools must comply with animal welfare legislation. Consult the department's
animals in education page. Comply with
animals in Queensland state schools procedure when handling live animals. Follow the relevant standard operating procedures from
Queensland Schools Animal Ethics Committee's forms and publications to maintain the duty of care associated with any use of an animal.
All organisms that cannot be positively identified by a qualified adult supervisor are to be considered potentially hazardous.
Obtain any approvals,
permits or safety advice from the local authority (e.g. lifeguards,
marine park managers,
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, property owners), if relevant.
Schools must prevent and manage infection control in accordance with the
infection control procedure. Utilise the
infection control guideline for practical implementation advice.
Unfamiliar activities (e.g. from online sources) must be trialled without students to identify foreseeable hazards and plan safety processes. Do not proceed if risks of the activity outweigh educational outcomes.
Include any additional information used to support student safety in the activity (e.g. resources from standard operating procedures from
Queensland Schools Animal Ethics Committee's forms and publications, published experiments/activities or online risk assessment tools) on the CARA record.
Comply with the Queensland Government's
recreational fishing rules (e.g. catch limits, closed waters when conducting fishing and/or bait gathering activities).