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. separation from group) 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 (e.g. mobile telephone)
- an appointed emergency contact (e.g. the principal 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, flash flooding, thunderstorm, extreme temperature).
Safety procedures must be determined for the location (e.g. appropriate distance between riders, 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. separation from group) and safety procedures (e.g. road rules, appropriate distance between riders). 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. use of brakes and gears, correct adjustment of seat and/or handlebars, manual handling techniques for transporting maintenance 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 comply with control measures from the CARA record and adapt as hazards arise
- must accompany inexperienced students
- must
not rely on students to recover a person in difficulty at any time.
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.
Consult the
cycling and mountain biking Australian adventure activity good practice guide (PDF, 1.4MB) for supervision ratios.
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 cycling and the potential hazards
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with qualifications relevant to road cycling activities from the
sport, fitness and recreation training package or similar.
High risk and extreme risk activities
At least 1 adult supervisor is either:
Refer to the
cycling and mountain biking Australian adventure activity good practice guide (PDF, 558KB) and
sport, fitness and recreation training package for further information on supervisor qualifications.
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. Consider the geography when planning the route, minimising the number of extreme inclines and sharp corners where possible, in relation to experience of students.
Adult supervisors must walk and cycle the course to check the level of difficulty including gradients, altitude gain and any other hazards, prior to students cycling it to ascertain suitability including surface suitability, hazards, rate of traffic flow and use of roads, tracks, paths suitable to age, maturity and skill level of participants.
Participants must wear:
- secured and correctly fitted helmets that are without defect (Australian Standard AS/ANZ 2063-2008 compliant) for the duration of the activity.
-
personal protective equipment as relevant (e.g. enclosed footwear, sunglasses, brightly coloured vests or clothing that is close fitting and appropriate for weather conditions, gloves, elbow pads, knee pads and wrist guards).
Bicycles and tyres appropriate for the activity and terrain that have been maintained, inspected and serviced regularly by an appropriately competent person must be used ensuring:
- brakes function as designed and provide effective braking
- wheels are firmly attached and have no loose or damaged spokes and are sufficiently straight and true
- tyres have sufficient tread and are at the appropriate pressure
- all bearing surfaces and fittings are appropriately adjusted
- handlebars are suitably tightened to prevent movement and handlebar grips and plugs are fitted and secured
- pedals are intact and saddles are attached and secure
- seat posts do not exceed the manufacturers specified maximum height after adjustment
- appropriate parts lubricated
- lights work where appropriate
- bar end plugs are fitted.
Equipment must be sized to match the ability and strength of students.
Supplies must be available for all participants (e.g. individual drinking containers in a bike carrier or camelback style backpack, a whistle, insect repellent, sunscreen, personal hygiene items as necessary, food, a plastic bag for rubbish and a personal first aid kit).
Emergency maintenance equipment must be available (e.g. chain breaker, pliers, spoke key, spanner, pump, puncture repair kit).
Compass and/or other navigation aids and a waterproof method for storing must be available.
A support vehicle accessible to the cyclists to transport exhausted riders or defective bicycles must be available. This vehicle can be used for emergencies, must be registered with Queensland Transport and Main Roads and should be suitably signed, giving warning to motorists that cyclists are on the road.
All equipment must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
A log of equipment use, maintenance and inspection for bicycles must be kept.
A retirement schedule must be developed to replace equipment (e.g. bicycles, helmets) by manufacturers' nominated expiry date or when significant wear causes a hazard.
Establish and employ a process for checking for damage for all equipment used in the activity. Bicycle and equipment checks to be carried out before each activity by appropriately competent adult supervisors.
Common hazards and controls
Further to those listed, include any additional hazards and control measures considering the local context of the activity.
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Environmental conditions
Weather, surrounds, surfaces
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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.
Monitor participants for cold related illness (e.g. hypothermia) in cold weather 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.
Road rules must be observed, if applicable.
Ensure that groups of riders have intervals between them so traffic flow is not hindered. Riders must remain in single file on busy single lane roads, if applicable.
Strategically place marshals with appropriate signs to inform traffic users when/if a race is in progress.
Ensure that training programs and modified races for inexperienced cyclists are conducted in traffic-free zones.
Brief all participants on:
- potential hazards (e.g. steep slopes, sharp turns, swooping birds)
- appropriate toileting procedures for the duration of the ride
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Manual handling
Lifting equipment, manipulating/moving students |
Use correct manual handling processes when
lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying (e.g. bicycles)
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Facilities and equipment |
Regular equipment checks to be conducted during the activity on all parts of bicycles (e.g. brakes, tyres, chains and gears, handlebars and seats).
Ensure spare equipment is available in case of emergency.
Study route/provide maps to the participants prior to the activity
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| Student considerations |
Control measures |
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Injury
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Students aware of the location of emergency and first-aid equipment
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Physical exertion
Exhaustion and fatigue
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Continually monitor students for fear and/or hesitancy, loss of balance, signs of fatigue and exhaustion.
Establish regular rest stops, considering the age and fitness level of students.
Carry out route briefings at the rest stops.
Ensure drink breaks occur regularly. Make water available for individual participants between drink breaks
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Student issues
Student numbers, special needs, high risk behaviours, medical conditions, separation from the group
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Adopt system of signals to clearly communicate the need for assistance if in difficulty.
Remove accessories (e.g. jewellery, lanyards) before participating.
Ensure fingernails and hair do not pose a hazard.
Footwear to be appropriate to the activity.
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 before, during and after the activity.
Appoint designated group roles (e.g. leader, group member, tail end).
Brief all participants on:
- appropriate behaviours to help keep themselves safe during the activity (e.g. monitor speed on steep downhill grades. Avoid skidding and sliding around turns)
- procedure should a participant become separated or lost from the group
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Visibility
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Strongly encourage students to have high-visibility attire.
Ensure staff can easily recognise those students with health support needs and are familiar with their needs
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