Handball (Olympic style)

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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 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.

Activity scope

This guideline relates to student participation in handball (an Olympic sport sometimes referred to as team handball or Euro) or modified handball formats (e.g. beach handball, street handball) as a curriculum 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.

For activities conducted as part of representative school sport programs, schools should consult with Queensland School Sport.

Risk level

Medium risk
Handball activities involving minimal risk of oppositional contact and/or mouth injury.

High risk
Handball activities involving risk of oppositional contact and/or mouth injury.

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.

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Students

Emergency and first-aid

Induction and instruction

Consent

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' 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 prior to undertaking the activity, inspecting the intended location in order to identify variable risks, hazards and potential dangers.

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).

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.

At least one adult supervisor is required to be:

Medium risk level:

a registered teacher with competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching handball or
an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with Beginning Coaching Handball accreditation from Handball Queensland, or international equivalent.

High risk level:

a registered teacher with qualifications in HPE (or equivalent demonstrated capability) and competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching handball or
an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with Beginning Coaching Handball accreditation from Handball Queensland, or international equivalent.

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, including sufficient space to ensure safe participation and that safety rules and procedures can be followed.

Participants must wear personal protective equipment appropriate to the activity (e.g. enclosed footwear).

Fit-for-purpose goalpost padding made from impact absorbing foam.

Ball size and weight appropriate to participant age. Handball Queensland recommend size 1 ball or equivalent for primary and junior secondary students and size 2 ball or equivalent for senior secondary students. Do not use hard rubber balls.

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
Biological hazards Body fluids (e.g. blood, saliva, sweat)	Manage bodily substances (e.g. blood) and open wounds before, during and after the activity. Consult infection control guidelines and Queensland Health's exclusion periods for infectious conditions poster for hygienic practices and first aid. Follow appropriate cleaning and hygiene management practices when using shared equipment (departmental staff search 'practical subjects cleaning equipment' in OnePortal).
Chemicals	Lines are marked on grass in accordance with the line marking of sports fields fact sheet.
Environmental conditions Weather Sun Humidity	The school's sun safety strategy must be followed if participating outside. Assess weather (Bureau of Meteorology) and environmental conditions prior to participating 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.
Facilities and equipment hazards	Control measures
Boundary clearance	Establish a clearance zone around the playing area (1m along the side lines and 2m behind the goal lines). If this cannot be achieved, consider ways of reducing risks (e.g. reducing the field size, padding the obstacle).
Fast moving objects Balls	Intentionally under inflate balls to ensure softness. Ensure goalkeepers defend their goal against one ball only at a time during lead up activities.
Faulty or dangerous equipment	Use markers made from non-injurious material (e.g. cardboard, foam). Check equipment for damage before and during the activity. Check footwear before each match to ensure they provide sufficient protection for the feet. Look for non-slip soles, no buckles or zips, no metal studs, no loose, sharp-edged or excessively worn studs and no sharp-edged soles.
Playing surface	Conduct a field check to identify and manage surface hazards. Clear the playing surface from loose items or debris. Do not participate on a surface that is slippery, unduly rough or chopped up. Cover/fill playing surface hazards (e.g. sprinkler heads, holes) to be level with the surrounds.
Student considerations	Control measures
Physical contact Breaks/sprains Cuts/abrasions/grazes Concussion Accidental bumping	Enforce rules to prevent rough play. Consult Play by the Rules (conduct and behaviour resources) and International Handball Federation's Rules of the game. Do not allow students to return to play after injury until the injury has been managed according to established procedures. If in doubt, the student should not play until medically cleared.
Physical exertion Exhaustion and fatigue	Conduct warm-up/cool-down activities. Continually monitor participants for signs of fatigue and exhaustion.
Student issues Student numbers Special needs High risk behaviours Medical conditions Separation from the group	Select students for on-field position(s) on the basis of ability, size and suitability. Remove accessories (e.g. jewellery, lanyards) before participating. Ensure fingernails, hair and clothing (e.g. pockets) do not interfere with the activity.

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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.

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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