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) that may inhibit safe engagement in the activity and include specific support measures within emergency procedures.
Emergency plans and injury management procedures must be established for foreseeable incidents (e.g. emergency shut off procedures).
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. movement around the workspace, location of first aid support and equipment) and are to be informed by information provided as manufacturer’s instructions, product labels, vendor safety data sheets (SDS) and standard operating procedures (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 (DOCX, 159KB), 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
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HLTAID011 Provide first aid; or equivalent competencies.
Induction is required for all adult supervisors on emergency procedures (e.g. evacuation), safety procedures (e.g. movement around the workshop) and correct techniques (e.g. safe use of plant and equipment). 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. safe use of plant and equipment, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and safe work procedures).
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.
It is recommended that teacher demonstration be used as the principal teaching strategy for practical activities.
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 inspect 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 closely monitor students for the duration of the activity
- must comply with control measures from the CARA record and adapt as hazards arise
- must suspend the activity if the conditions become unfavourable.
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 knowledge of the activity, its potential hazards and safe use of equipment; or
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with demonstrated competence (knowledge and skills) in the activity, its potential hazards and safe use of equipment specific to the activity.
For
medium risk activities:
- At least 1 adult supervisor is required to be:
- a registered teacher with demonstrated competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching the activity and safe use of equipment specific to the activity; or
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with a current relevant trade qualification or similar.
For
high risk and
extreme risk activities:
- At least 1 adult supervisor is required to be:
- a registered teacher with qualifications in Design and Technologies or equivalent demonstrated capability (e.g. relevant trade qualification or similar); or
- an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with demonstrated competence in safely using plant, equipment and machinery specific to the activity. Examples of demonstrated competence include:
- relevant VET trainer qualifications; 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.
Location must be suitable for the activity being undertaken, including sufficient space to prevent overcrowding, 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. workshop) or other suitable location (e.g. welding bay). Consider additional hazards created by oversized products (e.g. stability, sharp edges). Undertake a reconnaissance of new or infrequently used locations to ascertain suitability.
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 on chemicals in curriculum activities and
plant, equipment and materials in curriculum activities.
Safe work zones to be outlined (e.g. yellow painted floor lines or similar).
Participants must wear
personal protective equipment when required by the safety data sheets (SDS) or Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) (e.g. safety glasses with Australian Standard specification, appropriate enclosed footwear, earplugs and leather gloves).
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 plant and equipment used in the workspace (e.g. hand/power tools, machinery). Consult
Equipment Maintenance Records (EMR) and
Plant and Equipment Risk Assessments (P&ERA) documents.
A retirement schedule must be developed to replace plant and equipment by manufacturers' nominated expiry date or when significant wear causes a hazard.
If privately owned equipment is being used, principal approval and owner consent/insurance details must be obtained prior to the activity.
The risks associated with
working at heights,
confined spaces (PDF, 1.5MB),
biological,
asbestos,
slip/trip/fall and
noise must be assessed and managed.
Refer to the
design and technologies handbook to manage the workspace in relation to layout and conditions (e.g.
working at heights).
Fire safety equipment must be available, accessible and maintained.
Clean up equipment (e.g. broom, dustpan, bin, spill kit) must be available.
Maintain the ducted waste (dust) extraction system, if installed. Ensure it is connected, operational, cleaned and emptied.