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. raising alarm, provision of CPR and
first aid) and incorporate the advice from local authorities, for example, location of automated external defibrillator (AED).
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. 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. provision of first aid), safety procedures (e.g. active and direct supervision for each supervisory role, safe operation of fog machine) and correct techniques. 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. stage awareness). 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.
The activity must be suspended if the conditions become unfavourable (e.g. unexpected staging hazards).
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:
Low risk activities
At least 1 adult supervisor is either:
- a registered teacher with knowledge of drama and its potential hazards
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with competence (knowledge and skills) in drama.
Medium risk activities
At least 1 adult supervisor is either:
- a registered teacher with competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching dance
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with
CUA10120—Certificate I in Dance or similar.
High risk drama activities
At least 1 adult supervisor is either:
- a registered teacher with qualifications in drama (or equivalent demonstrated capability) and competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching drama
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with qualification or current accreditation in
CUA20220—Certificate II in Creative Industries or similar, and competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching drama.
High risk dance activities
At least 1 adult supervisor is either:
See FAQs for further support.
Facilities and equipment
The qualified adults of the activity, in consultation with the principal, determines the requirements for facilities and equipment appropriate to the local context.
Barres, if used, must be firmly secured and arranged to avoid congestion. Barre height must be appropriate to the abilities and physiques of the students.
Ceiling height must be adequate and free from obstruction/s (e.g. lighting, ceiling fans) if practicing lifting techniques.
Mirrors, if used, must be firmly attached (e.g. either fixed to the wall/s or securely supported).
Stage edges must be clearly visible and delineated, regardless of lighting.
Ensure props do not impede entry and exit to the stage.
For curriculum activities involving chemicals, consult the chemicals in curriculum activities notes. Note that all chemicals in schools must be managed in accordance with the department's
chemical management procedure.
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 document. For chemicals, see sample template on page 2 of the chemicals in curriculum activities notes.
Adhere to
safe operating procedures for special effects and props (e.g. lighting, fog machine).
Ensure special effects and props (e.g. lighting, fog machine) consider the location and hazards (e.g. ventilation; proximity to flammable materials—stage curtains; volume of fog and overflow into depressions—stage pits; positioning—secure from being bumped).
Participants must wear
personal protective equipment as relevant (e.g. enclosed footwear when dancing on non-sprung wooden floors).
Equipment must be sized to match the ability and strength of students.
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.
A maintenance schedule (e.g. checking for damage, repairing, sharpening) must be established and enacted for all equipment used in the workspace. Consult
Equipment Maintenance Records (EMR) template.
A retirement schedule must be developed to replace plant and 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.
Environmental conditions
Weather, surfaces, surrounds |
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.
Ensure drink breaks occur regularly. Make water available for individual participants between drink breaks
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Noise
Loud and/or continuous |
Ensure the music volume is at a reasonable level for the supervisor's instruction to be heard.
Implement strategies to
minimise voice strain
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| Facilities and equipment hazards |
Control measures |
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Location |
Location must be suitable for the activity being undertaken, including sufficient space, adequate lighting and ventilation to ensure safe participation and that safety rules and procedures can be followed. This may be in a specialised facility (e.g. dance studio) or other suitable location. Undertake a reconnaissance of new or infrequently used locations to ascertain suitability.
A performance space that is flat, free from stones and loose objects, with even, firm and non-slip floors, which is large enough to accommodate the activity safely must be used. For dance activities, use a spring wooden floor if available.
Venue with appropriate toilet and change facilities, accessible to students with disability as required
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Hair and make-up equipment and products |
Manage hair and make-up equipment and products safely and hygienically. Consult
infection control guideline, industry standard hygiene and safety practices and manufacturer instructions for support to prevent infection and injury (e.g. burns) |
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Breakages |
Remove any broken equipment from the activity surface immediately |
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Electricity |
If power is required, ensure electrical or extension leads do not pose a tripping hazard, are tangle-free and connected correctly.
Ensure the power supply to the dimmers is turned off before undertaking the rigging and patching of lighting equipment.
Use safety chains/wires on all hung lights and strong secure stands for spotlights
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Faulty or dangerous equipment |
Check performance area for splinters, rough edges, slippery surfaces and loose nails or screws.
Remove or fix broken props and/or sets before being put into storage
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Manual handling |
Use correct manual handling processes when
lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying (e.g. props, equipment).
Ensure sets are safe to move on and around.
Ensure students are aware of safety when selecting and using props (e.g. prop weight and using ropes).
Ensure appropriate equipment is used to lift heavy objects or materials (e.g. use of ramps)
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Heights/falling objects |
Assess and manage risks associated with
working at heights.
Ensure ladders are industrial rated to more than 120kg, if used. Extension ladders should not be left in a vertical position after use and have a second person hold the bottom of the ladder.
Ensure equipment is stored safely (e.g. not piled too high).
Use mats when teaching lifting techniques.
Reinforce the need for spatial awareness in relation to the stage edge, choir stands, working at heights and near stairs during rehearsals/performances to minimise the risk of trips and falls
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Stage lighting and special effects |
Ensure smoke machines are carefully managed to avoid allergic reactions to fog (smoke) and damage to voice from prolonged exposure. The risks associated with artificial fog may be increased by lack of ventilation and/or strenuous movement. Do not position smoke machines to blow directly at people.
Ensure participants are aware of the risk associated with flashing lights (e.g. strobes) especially to people prone to
epilepsy.
Allow lights to cool before moving
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Footwear |
Participants must wear
personal protective equipment (e.g. dance shoes) suitable to the activity and the floor surface |
| 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 |
Conduct
warm-up/cool-down activities.
Continually monitor participants for signs of fatigue and exhaustion.
Ensure drink breaks occur regularly. Make water available for individual participants between drink breaks
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Physical contact |
Provide sufficient space for participants to reduce the risk of collisions
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Student issues |
Monitor shared facilities (e.g. change rooms, public access areas).
Ensure activities match students' strength, flexibility and coordination.
Forward-plan to ensure rehearsal workload is not increased dramatically in preparation for performances to avoid the risk of overuse injury
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