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. evacuation procedure, provision of
first aid, student emergency contact details) 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. 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. inspect the take-off area before each jump) and correct techniques (e.g. lifting heavy equipment). 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. lifting heavy equipment). 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 individually supervise monitor students during participation
- must closely supervene the approach, take-off and landing areas. Participants must not begin their run up until the landing area is clear
- must regularly monitor the landing padding position and condition
- 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, high head winds, 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
concussion in sport resources.
Extreme 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 current
Level 3 Performance Coach accreditation from Athletics Australia and experience in coaching pole vault.
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.
An accredited sporting facility with suitable pole vaulting facilities, as required by the
World Athletics manuals and guidelines (see Track and field facilities manual Chapter 2.3.4) must be used.
Landing area padding, including take-off box padding, as required by the
World Athletics manuals and guidelines (see Track and field facilities manual Chapter 6.2.6) must be used. For example, width = 5 metres, length = 2 metres in front the zero line and extending 5 metres beyond, and thickness = 0.8 metres for activities other than major international competitions.
Landing area padding must be constructed from material that allows both sufficient absorption from the fall and adequate resilience when compressed.
If spikes are worn, the landing area must be covered by a single spike-proof top mat approximately 5cm thick and should have a weatherproof covering.
If multiple pads are used, the landing area must be covered and bound together to prevent any part of the body from catching between the pads.
The uprights should be mounted so that they are not easily tilted.
A range of undamaged poles of different sizes to suit individual needs must be available.
Confirm sport structures (e.g. poles) are regularly inspected to assess and maintain structural integrity. See
safety alert—risks associated with metal sporting equipment.
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.
Ensure spikes, if worn, are no longer than 9mm (synthetic surface) or 12mm (grass surface) per
Little Athletics competition rules and regulations. Follow venue requirements, if available.
Common hazards and controls
Further to those listed, include any additional hazards and control measures considering the local context of the activity.
Biological hazards
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 (e.g. high head winds, thunderstorms). Cease the activity if the conditions become unfavourable.
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.
Follow the
managing excessive heat in schools guidelines when participating in very hot or extreme heat conditions
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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 |
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Faulty or dangerous equipment |
Check equipment for damage before and during the activity.
Dry equipment (including mats) before each jump if conditions cause dampness
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Playing surface |
Cover/fill runway hazards (e.g. sprinkler heads, holes) to be level with the surrounds.
Clear the jumping area from loose items or debris. Do not participate on a slippery surface
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| Student considerations |
Control measures |
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Student technique |
Develop participant take-off skills by beginning in the sand pit off 2 steps increasing to 4 steps. Progress to the mats off 4 steps. Only progress to the mats off 6 steps once take-off skills are determined competent by the qualified adult supervisor.
Determine a safe grip height according to the competence of the participant
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Manual handling
Lifting equipment |
Use correct
manual handling processes when lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying.
Instruct students on procedures to lift and carry mats. That is:
- use handles at the side
- do not lift aloft to carry on backs, shoulders or heads
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Physical exertion
Exhaustion and fatigue |
Schedule regular drink breaks, recommended every 30 minutes in conditions of extreme temperature. Make drinks available for individual players between breaks.
Continually monitor participants for signs of fatigue and exhaustion.
Conduct
warm-up/cool-down activities.
Ensure drink breaks occur regularly. Make water available for individual participants between drink breaks
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Student issues |
Provide specific safety induction for students wearing spikes.
Remove accessories (e.g. jewellery, lanyard) before participating.
Ensure fingernails and hair do not pose a hazard.
Clear the landing area before students start their approach.
Implement procedures (e.g. roll marking mechanisms) to account for all participants before, during and after the activity
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