Supervision
Principals make final supervision decisions for the activity. Sufficient adult supervision must be provided to manage the activity safely (including emergency situations).
Note: Lifeguard services are not considered as supervisors of the activity.
All risk levels
Specific roles for supervisors must include recovery, emergency and general supervision roles. All adult supervisors must be able to identify, and respond to, risks or hazards that may emerge during the activity including the ability to:
- recover a student from the water
- operate signalling devices needed in a duress situation, including marine radio and flares.
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. The
recreational diving, recreational technical diving and snorkelling—code of practice 2024 (PDF, 606KB) must be consulted for regulations regarding guides and lookouts and recommended supervision.
Before the activity, all adult supervisors:
- must be familiar with the contents of the CARA record
- must assess
weather conditions, and obtain accurate information on
tides, depths, currents and other expected water conditions (if applicable) 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 and all students in sight of at least one adult at all times.
- 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)
-
must not allow students to be relied upon to recover a person in difficulty.
At least 2 adult supervisors, including a registered teacher to assume overall responsibility for the activity, to assume the roles of
snorkelling guide and
lookout.
-
Snorkelling guide is a qualified adult supervisor, positioned either in the water or on a boat close enough to communicate with the snorkelers, and ready to carry out an emergency procedure. Each snorkelling guide to no more than 10 snorkelers. The
snorkelling guide must complete a snorkelling induction specific to the site.
- The
lookout must be positioned out of the water, solely engaged in watching for approaching vessels, dangerous marine life and divers in difficulty. This lookout must be able to rescue, provide first aid, CPR and resuscitation or direct someone who can immediately perform these duties. Consider rotating duties and ensure lookouts are able to focus on supervision without distraction.
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 risk levels
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 demonstrate capacity to perform an appropriate rescue procedure including using appropriate rescue aids.
At least one adult supervisor is required to be:
For high risk level activities:
An adult supervisor with qualifications or current accreditation in the following, or similar:
- qualifications in physical education teaching or similar and demonstrated capability and competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching snorkelling activities
-
SISOSNK002—lead snorkelling activities
or
In addition to the above, for
extreme risk level activities:
At least one adult supervisor is required to be an experienced snorkelling guide with qualifications in:
or
or
- Guide or instructors qualification from a professional diving association (e.g.
PADI or
NAUI).
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.
All risk levels
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 locations to ascertain suitability. Consider depth of water,
tidal flow, currents, visibility, underwater vegetation (e.g. coral), marine life (e.g. stonefish, blue-ring octopus, crocodiles, sharks, eels), and debris. Obtain advice from lifeguards, local authority or other relevant authority (e.g.
Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation) about waterway conditions (e.g. contaminants such as blue-green algae) and other potential hazards (e.g. rips, tides, currents, submerged rocks, water temperature, depth conditions).
Snorkelling area of an appropriate depth, considering student age and ability, must be clearly defined. Consult the
water safety and swimming education program for guidance at each year/band level. Navigational markers must be appropriate for use in the context of the activity and local laws or regulations (e.g. flags, rope floats, anchored buoys linked with ropes).
Participants must wear
personal protective equipment as relevant for the location and conditions (e.g. sunscreen, high visibility stinger suit, enclosed footwear with thick soles when snorkelling where dangers such as stonefish may be present). Consider using the same colour fins or masks, or attaching coloured ribbons/high-visibility wrist bands for medically at-risk students (e.g. asthma, anaphylaxis, epilepsy) if appropriate.
Consider the use of binoculars and polarised sunglasses to improve visibility across and into the water for adult supervisors who are designated lookouts.
Snorkelling equipment must be available (e.g. snorkels, fins, masks), that is correctly fitted and complies with the requirements of
recreational diving, recreational technical diving and snorkelling—code of practice 2024 (PDF, 606KB).
Use student-owned equipment (e.g. masks), if possible, and maintain hygienic practices.
Oral/nasal equipment must be disinfected prior to use by another person.
Equipment must conform to Australian Standards specifications, be properly maintained, hygienic, in good working condition, fit for purpose, correctly fitted and used as intended in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions (e.g. face masks with nose pockets and tempered glass, small-bore diameter snorkels for young students with snorkel length less than 30cm).
Equipment must be sized to match the ability and strength of students.
A retirement schedule must be developed to replace plant and equipment by manufacturers' nominated expiry date or when significant wear causes a hazard.
Ensure adequate drinking water, food and shade is available for the duration of the activity.
Access to waterways for emergency vehicles and vessels must be available.
If privately owned equipment is being used, Principal approval and owner consent/insurance details must be obtained prior to the activity (e.g. volunteer owned/operated vessels).
In addition to the above, for
extreme risk level:
- An oxygen system capable of providing a spontaneously breathing person with an inspired oxygen concentration of as near as possible to 100%. The equipment shall also facilitate oxygen enriched artificial ventilation of a non-breathing person. The person/s administering the oxygen must hold a current qualification in the correct use of the system (e.g.
HLTAID015—provide advanced resuscitation and oxygen therapy).
- Oxygen equipment and oxygen levels are to be checked daily by a person who has received training to carry out the checks correctly. Any other maintenance of the oxygen system must be carried out by an authorised service agent.
- Sufficient oxygen must be available to supply the injured person, taking into account the location of the diving/snorkelling site and access to medical facilities.
- Ensure a pontoon, boat or float is in close proximity to students.
- Ensure flotation devices (e.g. water noodles) are available for participants and are in close proximity.
- No single navigation system to be relied upon. Where an electronic system (e.g. GPS) is used, have spare batteries and another position-fixing method available (e.g. chart and compass).
- Ensure availability of a knife, dive tool or shears if there is a chance of entanglement.