Risk - a vital part of learning

Experiences gained outside the classroom are a valuable part of any young person’s learning - they can help develop personal and vocal skills. Educational visits enjoy a long tradition, be they a visit to the local museum or to far off lands.

However, following a number of high profile accidents involving school staff that participated in educational visits, some may feel vulnerable that they will end up in court. Indeed, those who share the public perception of the UK becoming a ’compensation culture‘ may not wish to participate in educational visits at all. ATL believes that this would be an over-reaction, as more than a million educational visits take place each year, the vast majority of which are without incident or injury to pupils. 



Avoiding risk
While educational visits are not risk free, schools and colleges should avoid being alarmist. Risk assessments are vital in the planning of any educational visit to contain risks within acceptable levels. The importance of risk assessments was reinforced by the Glenridding Beck case in which 10 year-old Max Palmer died while ’plunge pooling’ during an educational visit in Cumbria in May 2002. Plunge pooling involved jumping four meters into a rock pool in a mountain stream and swimming to an exit point. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) subsequently conducted a thorough investigation and produced a report of their findings, which concluded: “The weather was poor. The stream was in spate. The water was very cold. And, most of all, there were serious deficiencies by the party leader in planning and leading the activity.”
       

The group leader was convicted of manslaughter for deciding to continue with the activity, despite very bad weather. While such action is rare, the Glenridding Beck case illustrates the need for group leaders to consider the safety of students at all times, even if this means abandoning a planned event.

Identifying risk
So, why are risks assessments so important? The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 oblige employers to assess the risk of activities, introduce measures to control those risks and inform staff about them. The HSE’s leaflet 5 Steps to Risk Assessment (www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg163.pdf) confirms that this involves identifying the hazards; deciding who might be harmed and why; considering what safety measures need to be implemented to reduce the risks to an acceptable level; recording the findings; and reviewing the assessment at intervals.

A trip to a local museum may only require a single risk assessment. However, more complex activities will generally require more detailed assessment.  It should be ensured that the group leader is competent to have overall responsibility for the group at all times as s/he has a key role to play in the successful completion of the visit. While there are no legal requirements as to how many adults should accompany a group of students, decisions on ratios will need to take account of the nature, duration and hazards of the visit; number/age/gender/aptitude/normal standard of behaviour of the students; special educational/medical needs and disabilities; requirements of the venue; and accommodation.

For trips to local venues, government guidelines offer advice of one adult per every six pupils in years 1-3; one adult for every 10-15 pupils in years 4-6; and one adult for every 15-20 pupils in years 7 onwards.

Many educational establishments take parents and adults who are not members of staff to help out on visits. These volunteers must be vetted under the appropriate child protection procedures. They should be clear about their roles and responsibilities – a parent may feel the need to safeguard their own child ahead of others in an emergency.

The risk assessment should cover the main activities as well as a ’Plan B‘ for contingencies. For example, a sudden change in the weather may render it unsafe to carry on with the activity that was originally planned.

Ongoing risk assessments involve a re-assessment of the risks while the visit is taking place and as the need arises. Changing weather conditions, new safety warnings, illness or behavioural problems may necessitate a re-assessment of the risks. It is the responsibility of the group leader to ensure that ongoing risk assessments are undertaken.

Water Hazards
Fatalities in educational visits have occurred when students were involved in activities in or near water, as in the Glenridding Beck case. Risk assessments for these activities should take account of underwater hazards (e.g. rocks or strong currents), tidal conditions, getting the group in and out of water easily, unexpected panicking, as well as the likelihood of someone falling into the water. The activities must be formal and closely supervised. Impromptu activity should not be permitted, even if students earnestly plead to swim because of the hot weather, for example.

In recent years, risks associated with E.coli 0157 and other infections that could result from farm visits have received publicity. Precautionary measures should include washing hands thoroughly before and after eating, after any contact with animals and again before leaving the farm, never allowing the pupils to kiss animals, making sure that the pupils wear appropriate shoes and clothing, and that all cuts and grazes on hands are covered with a waterproof dressing. Further information is available on the HSE information sheet “Avoiding Ill Health at Open Farms: Advice to Teachers” which can be downloaded from www.hsebooks.co.uk and www.teachernet.gov.uk

Further advice
Equipment: Equipment and clothing should be appropriate for the type(s) of activities being undertaken and for the environmental conditions.

Transport: Risk assessments should take account of traffic routes/conditions and arrangements to deal with breakdowns or other emergencies. In ensuring the safety of all passengers, drivers must have the correct licence and be able to maintain concentration. Members of staff who drive minibuses should not be expected to also maintain discipline whilst driving, unless the journey is very short.

Accidents and emergency procedures: These form an essential part of planning a visit. Every adult should have a checklist for immediate action in an emergency, covering issues such as dealing with casualties and the emergency services, and contacting the school or college and parents. There should also be a ’lost procedure‘ confirming what adults or students should do if they became separated from the group or lost.

All schools should have written procedures when it comes to safeguarding the health and safety of pupils on educational visits. The Education (Independent School Standards - England) Regulations 2003 require independent schools to draw up, effectively implement and promote these procedures.

Staff who follow the information and training they have received are unlikely to be sued personally if a pupil is injured, or worse. In any event, legal proceedings are usually brought against the employer who is vicariously liable for the actions or omissions of their staff, which arise in the course of employment. Being well prepared should give staff the confidence to participate in educational visits. While no one should be complacent, it is clear that the benefits gained on education visits far outweigh the risks involved.