Agricultural activities (construction)

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Guideline review date: 28 October 2021

This guideline is provided to support schools in implementing the managing risks in school curriculum activities procedure.

The CARA planner (DOCX, 600KB) 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, 488KB).

Activity scope

This guideline relates to student participation in agricultural construction as an activity to support curriculum delivery. Agricultural construction includes using plant and equipment to manipulate materials for construction for all types of foundations (e.g. concreting), flooring and construction performed in agricultural field sections, such as stockyards, work benches and fencing, and more complex construction (e.g. animal shelters).

Note: This activity does not include the use of auger-type post hole diggers.

Depending on the scope of this activity, other risk assessments may be required when planning. Curriculum activities encompassing more than one CARA guideline (e.g. practical workshop activities guideline and agricultural activities (hand operated machinery) guideline) must comply with the requirements of all CARA guidelines appropriate to the activity.

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

The risk level of the activity is determined by the highest risk level of the plant/equipment/materials planned for use in the activity, in conjunction with risks associated with the school context (e.g. location, student participants).

The plant, equipment and materials in curriculum activities template may be completed, referenced and attached to this CARA record prior to conducting the curriculum activity. Consult the Plant and Equipment Risk Assessments (PERA) and Safe Operating Procedures (SOP) to assist in determining the risk level.

Low risk
Surveying; landscaping using small, simple-operation hand tools (e.g. hand fork or hand trowel).

Medium risk
Landscaping using hand tools (e.g. spades, rakes).

High risk
Landscaping with hand tools with sharp cutting edges or points (e.g. mattocks, digging forks, hoes, secateurs, pruning saws); concreting; welding; construction of fencing using plain, electrified wire, wooden posts, plastic posts, barbed wire and/or steel posts; construction of floors, stockyards, animal shelters, shade-houses, garden sheds.

Activity requirements

If any requirement cannot be met, the activity must not occur.

If any other safety recommendation cannot be met, modify the activity (or elements of it) and/or identify and use the hierarchy of controls to implement alternative control measures to meet or exceed the minimum safety standard.

Reference to the children and young workers Code of Practice 2006 (PDF, 436KB), the WorkSafe serious about farm safety guide and the hazardous manual tasks Code of practice 2011 (PDF, 1.5MB) is required when planning this activity.

The guide to managing electrical equipment in departmental schools and workplaces and the standard operating procedures (SOP) for equipment and machinery resources must be followed.

The risks associated with working at heights, confined spaces, biological, asbestos, slip/trip/fall and noise must be assessed and managed.

Local government building and planning requirements must be complied with.

Permission/permits are required to be obtained from land managers (e.g. local councils or private landholders), if applicable.

Parents/carers must be informed about the necessity of relevant vaccinations (e.g. Q fever).

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Students

Emergency and first-aid

Emergency plans and injury management procedures must be established for foreseeable incidents (laceration, pinch/crush, electric shock, provision of first aid).

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. working at height) and are to be informed by information provided as manufacturer's instructions, product labels, vendor SDS and SOP as relevant.

Access is required to first aid equipment and consumables suitable for foreseeable incidents.

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, including an adult supervisor of the activity with anaphylaxis training.

An adult with current emergency qualifications is required to be quickly accessible to the activity area. Emergency qualifications include:

HLTAID009—provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
HLTAID010—provide basic emergency life support
HLTAID011—provide first aid
HLTAID012—provide emergency first aid response in an education and care setting
HLTAID013—provide first aid in remote situations
or equivalent competencies.

Induction and instruction

Consent

Parent consent (DOCX, 306KB) is required for all activities conducted off-site.

Parent consent (DOCX, 306KB) is required for all activities conducted off-site and strongly recommended for high risk activities conducted on-site.

Supervision

Principals make final supervision decisions for the activity. Sufficient adult supervision must be provided to manage the activity safely (including emergency situations).

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.

The number of adult supervisors required to fulfil emergency and supervision roles must consider the nature of the activity, students' ages, abilities and specialised learning, access and/or health needs.

Before the activity, all adult supervisors:

must be familiar with the contents of the CARA record
must assess weather conditions and obtain accurate information expected conditions prior to undertaking the activity, inspecting the intended location in order to identify variable risks, hazards and potential dangers. Prevent hazards by ensuring appropriate control measures are in place for unfavourable weather conditions (e.g. dampen dust during high wind, control slipping hazards after rain).

During the activity, all adult supervisors:

must be readily identifiable
must closely monitor students with health support needs
must comply with control measures from the CARA record and adapt as hazards arise
must suspend the activity if the conditions become unfavourable (e.g. poor visibility, extreme temperatures, thunderstorms).

Supervisor qualifications

Principals make final decisions in determining supervisor capability (competence, relevance and currency) and are responsible for encouraging and enabling school-based activity supervisors to raise their qualifications to improve safety standards.

All adult supervisors must comply with the working with children authority - blue cards procedure and be able to identify, and respond to, risks or hazards that may emerge during the activity.

A registered teacher must be appointed to maintain overall responsibility for the activity.

For low risk activities:

At least 1 adult supervisor is required to be:

a registered teacher with demonstrated knowledge of the activity and its potential hazards; or
an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with demonstrated competence (knowledge and skills) in the activity.

For medium risk activities:

At least 1 adult supervisor is required to be:

a registered teacher with competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching the agricultural construction activity; or
an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with competence (knowledge and skills) and qualifications in the agricultural construction activity (e.g. Certificate II in Agriculture or similar) or another method determined by the principal.

For high risk activities:

At least 1 adult supervisor is required to be:

a registered teacher with qualifications in the agricultural construction activity (e.g. a Certificate II in Agriculture or similar) or another method determined by the principal; or
an adult supervisor, working under the direct supevision of a registered teacher, with qualifications in the agricultural construction activity (e.g. Certificate III in Agriculture or similar) or another method determined by the principal.

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.

Consult chemicals in curriculum activities for support in assessing the risks of chemicals used with/by students in curriculum activities.

If a CARA record is required in OneSchool, a summary of chemicals, plant, equipment and/or materials used in the activity must be provided by entering directly onto the CARA record in OneSchool or by attaching a summary. Sample templates are provided in chemicals in curriculum activities and plant, equipment and materials in curriculum activities.

Location must be suitable for the activity being undertaken. This may be in a specialised facility (e.g. workshop, project site for projects that are too large to be undertaken in a workshop) or other suitable location. Undertake a reconnaissance of new or infrequently used locations to ascertain suitability.

CCA-treated posts must not be used in state school facilities.

Star pickets must only be used as a temporary measure and must be capped appropriately at all times if used.

Participants must wear personal protective equipment as relevant (e.g. appropriate enclosed footwear [steel cap boots when relevant], leather gloves [if using split posts or other splintering timber or barbed wire], hearing protection, safety glasses with Australian Standard specification, breathing protection [e.g. mask] to protect against airborne particles).

Equipment must be sized to match the ability and strength of students.

Plant and equipment must conform to Australian Standards, be fit for purpose, in good working order, properly maintained and used in accordance with manufacturers' instructions and relevant codes of practice and safe operating procedures (SOP).

A maintenance schedule (e.g. checking for damage, repairing, sharpening) must be established and enacted for all plant and equipment used in the activity (e.g. hand/power tools, machinery). Consult Equipment Maintenance Records (EMR) and Plant Equipment Risk Assessments (PERA) documents.

A retirement schedule must be developed to replace plant and equipment by manufacturers' nominated expiry date or when significant wear causes a hazard.

A process for checking for damage for all equipment used in the activity must be established and employed.

Tools to be well maintained and sharpened, stored appropriately when not in use, transported safely (e.g. using a protective cover) and cleaned following use. Consult managing plant and equipment in industrial technology and design fact sheet for advice on tool maintenance.

Portable safety switches must be used where there are no residual current devices installed.

If privately owned equipment is being used, principal approval and owner consent/insurance details must be obtained prior to the activity.

Common hazards and controls

Further to those listed, include any additional hazards and control measures considering the local context of the activity.

Environmental hazards	Control measures
Animal bites/diseases Stings, poisoning, infection	Ensure the location is clear of obstacles and wildlife (e.g. snakes) that may pose hazards. Control allergen and disease risks associated with working with animals and with dust, dry matter and airborne organisms in stockyards (e.g. Q fever). Follow appropriate hand washing procedures after working in and around animal environments.
Environmental conditions Weather, surfaces, surrounds	The school's sun safety strategy must be followed. Follow the managing excessive heat in schools guidelines when participating in very hot or extreme heat conditions. Drink breaks to occur regularly. Make water available for individual participants between drink breaks.
Facilities and equipment hazards	Control measures
Electricity Burns, electrocution	If power is required, ensure electrical or extension leads do not pose a tripping hazard.
Faulty or dangerous equipment	Disengage/turn off electric fencing and display signage to signify which wires are electrified when working in close proximity to electric fencing. Do not overstrain wire. Use a wire strain gauge to measure the strain on the wire at all times. Equipment to be situated where it does not pose potential hazards.
Hazardous substances Chemicals	Ensure all chemicals required for the decontamination processes are arranged in advance and are readily available.
Heat sources Burns	Sufficient space must be available to work safely with hot equipment/heat sources (e.g. a safety zone when using welding tools).
Heights/falling objects Falling from height	Assess and manage risks associated with working at heights. Exclusion zones clearly marked to prevent falling objects striking participants when working at heights.
Noise	Consult managing noise in manual arts/industrial technology and design workshops fact sheet.
Sharp implements or objects	Safety guidelines enforced when using sharp implements (e.g. keeping fingers out of the way, carrying sharp implements appropriately).
Student considerations	Control measures
Injury	Students aware of the location of emergency and first-aid equipment.
Manual handling Lifting equipment	Use correct manual handling processes when lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying. Ensure appropriate lifting equipment is used to lift heavy objects or materials.
Physical exertion Exhaustion and fatigue	Continually monitor participants for signs of fatigue and exhaustion. Establish rest stops, considering the age and fitness level of students. Adopt system of signals to clearly communicate the need for assistance if in difficulty.
Slips, trips, falls	Assess and manage potential fall, trip and crushing hazards (e.g. surfaces with poor footing, obstacles, high loads). Consult preventing slips, trips and falls fact sheet.
Student issues Student numbers, special needs, high risk behaviours, medical conditions, separation from the group	Establish and maintain a safety zone around the area where dangerous activity is occurring (e.g. wire strainers are in use). Ensure all students are on the post side of the wire tensioner to avoid injury from wire strain or wire failure. Students must be supervised in a safe location when not actively receiving instruction.
Visibility	Have students wear easily identifiable clothing (e.g. high visibility shirt). Ensure staff can easily recognise those students with health support needs and are familiar with their needs.

Additional links

Disclaimer

This information is developed and distributed on this website by the State of Queensland for use by Queensland state schools only.

Use or adaptation of, or reliance on, this information by persons or organisations other than the State of Queensland is at their sole risk. All users who use, adapt or rely on this information are responsible for ensuring by independent verification its accuracy, currency and appropriateness to their particular circumstances. The State of Queensland makes no representations, either express or implied, as to the suitability of this information to a user's particular circumstances.

To the full extent permitted by law, the State of Queensland disclaims all responsibility and liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs arising from the use or adaptation of, or reliance on, this information.

Links to external websites are for convenience only and the State of Queensland has not independently verified the information on the linked websites. It is the responsibility of users to make their own decisions about the accuracy, currency, reliability and correctness of the information at these external websites.

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CARA guidelines

Agricultural activities (construction)

Activity scope

Risk level​

Activity requirements

Students

Emergency and first-aid

Induction and instruction

Consent

Supervision

Supervisor qualifications

Facilities and equipment

Common hazards and controls

Additional links

Disclaimer

Risk level