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. medical emergency, thunderstorm,
first aid,
preventing and managing snake bites) and incorporate the advice from local authorities.
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. 2-way radio, mobile phone) and a process for obtaining external assistance and/or receiving emergency advice. Note that battery life can be impacted by weather conditions
- recovery/rescue equipment suitable to the location, for example, emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or personal locator beacon (PLB), flares
- an appointed emergency contact (e.g. the principal, a park ranger or local police) who is provided with a route card listing activity details (outline of the route to be followed, the number and names of the party, the estimated time of departure/arrival)
- emergency shelter/protection locations and alternative routes that consider foreseeable emergencies (e.g. injury, bushfire, thunderstorm, extreme temperature, tides).
Safety procedures must be determined for the location (e.g. location of first aid support and equipment, roll marking, process to rapidly communicate emergency advice to adult supervisors of impending severe events) 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. separation from group), basic first aid procedures (e.g.
snakes, ticks, leeches) and safety procedures (e.g. remain on the path, maintain a reasonable walking speed). 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. appropriate toileting procedures for the duration of the walk, sources of drinking water). 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
- must roam the site/course, positioned at control points and/or on the extremities of the course, especially when students are beginners or where the area contains uncontrollable risks.
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
bushwalking Australian adventure activity good practice guide (PDF, 485KB), 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 recommended. Consult
concussion in sport resources.
Medium risk activities
At least 1 adult supervisor is either:
- a registered teacher with competence (knowledge and skills) in the teaching of orienteering
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with
orienteering instructor coaching accreditation from Orienteering Queensland or equivalent.
High risk activities
At least 1 adult supervisor is:
- a registered teacher, or other adult supervisor working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with
Learn and Play coaching accreditation from Orienteering Queensland or equivalent.
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.
Location must be suitable for the activity being undertaken. Undertake a reconnaissance of new or infrequently used locations to ascertain suitability. Survey the area and update the map where necessary.
Consider the geography when planning the route to avoid walking along cliff edges (slipping hazard) and below cliff faces (falling rocks). Avoid setting controls at the top of cliffs or on steep slopes or that cross dangerous/deep water. Be aware of hazards when setting courses (e.g. potential hazards from rising water) and monitor throughout the activity. Plan alternative routes in case of emergency situations (e.g. bushfire, thunderstorm, extreme temperature, king tide).
Ensure a copy of all courses to be used, including any updates made during the initial survey, are available for the duration of the orienteering activity.
Participants must wear
personal protective equipment as relevant (e.g. long-sleeved shirt and pants for all weather extremes, wind and rain jacket and suitable enclosed footwear).
Personal equipment for all participants required including, but not limited to:
- drinking water in individual drinking containers (e.g. available at start/finish areas)
- insect repellent, sunscreen and personal hygiene items as necessary
- toileting equipment (if applicable)
- a plastic (or reusable) bag for rubbish
- waterproof containers for all equipment that can be damaged by water.
Equipment for each student/group of students and the activity leader, including:
- an accurate orienteering map (i.e.
larger scale appropriate for the age group)
- a whistle or airhorn for an emergency signal
- an orienteering compass (for bush orienteering)
- timekeeping device (e.g. watch, mobile phone, stop watch).
All equipment must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Establish and employ a process for checking for damage for all equipment used in the activity.
A retirement schedule must be developed to replace equipment by manufacturers' nominated expiry date or when significant wear causes a hazard.
Common hazards and controls
Further to those listed, include any additional hazards and control measures considering the local context of the activity.
Animal bites/diseases
Stings, poisoning, infection
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Observe wildlife from a safe distance.
Instruct students not to feed wildlife and how to respond to approaching wildlife.
Adhere to established practices regarding the use of insect repellent, outlined in
insect viruses and allergies
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Environmental conditions
Weather, surfaces, surrounds
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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.
Brief all participants on the potential hazards (e.g. thorned flora, steep slopes).
Constantly monitor surroundings for weather, terrain and wildlife hazards during the bushwalk.
Monitor participants for cold related illness (e.g. hypothermia) in cold weather conditions
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| Facilities and equipment |
Control measures |
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Vehicles |
When courses expose students to traffic and/or roads, ensure they have been instructed to be aware of vehicles and adhere to
pedestrian road rules
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| Student considerations |
Control measures |
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Injury |
Students aware of the location of emergency and first-aid equipment |
Physical exertion
Exhaustion and fatigue |
Establish rest stops, considering the age and fitness level of students.
Ensure drink breaks occur regularly. Make water available for individual participants between drink breaks.
Instruct students to proceed 'at their own pace' to avoid over exertion.
Continually monitor participants for signs of fatigue and exhaustion.
Adopt system of signals to clearly communicate the need for assistance if in difficulty
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Student issues
Separation from the group, high risk behaviours |
Conduct appropriate lead-up activities (e.g. map and compass work; basic physical fitness; and navigation skills including the use of handrails, attack points, aiming off, collecting features and catching features).
Brief students on:
- basic first aid procedures for biological hazards they may encounter (e.g. ticks, leeches)
- appropriate behaviours to help keep themselves safe during the activity, including procedures if they become lost or injured
- appropriate toileting procedures for the duration of the event
- relocation techniques
- predetermined safety bearings (e.g. easily identifiable geographic feature) and how to use them
- use of the emergency whistle
- the set finishing time and the requirement to return at that time, whether or not they have completed the course
- areas that are out of bounds.
Maintain contact between all group members through regular checks on group numbers.
Implement procedures (e.g. buddy system, roll marking mechanisms) to account for all participants when participating off-site before, during and after the activity.
Appoint designated group roles (e.g. leader, group member, tail end)
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Visibility |
Have students wear easily identifiable clothing (e.g. high visibility rash vest).
Ensure staff can easily recognise those students with health support needs and are familiar with their needs
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