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Health and Safety on Educational Excursions
Chapter 1 Responsibilities for excursions
Legal framework
9. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 employers are responsible for the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees. Employers are also under a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of anyone else on the premises or anyone who may be affected by their activities. This includes participants in off-site visits.
10. Employers are the local authority in most establishments which may be organising educational excursions. The owner, governors or trustees are the employers in independent schools.
11. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, made under the 1974 Act, require employers to:
Also under the Health and Safety legislation employees must:
- take reasonable care of their own and others' health and safety;
- co-operate with their employers over safety matters;
- carry out activities in accordance with training and instructions;
- inform the employer of any serious risks.
12. These duties apply to all educational excursions. Teachers and other staff in charge of pupils also have a common law duty to act as any reasonably prudent parent would do in the same circumstances.
Approval for excursions
13. Employers should have a written procedure for arranging excursions which leaders should follow. This will normally include procedures for the approval of certain categories of excursion.
14. Although the employer is responsible for health and safety, decisions about excursions are, in some circumstances, delegated to the head of the establishment. The head of establishment's agreement must be obtained before a visit takes place.
15. See Chapter 11 Model form 1 for an approval application.
Local authorities
16. Local authorities have the following main roles:
- provide written guidelines for heads of establishments and excursion leaders including advice on risk assessment;
- provide access to technical advice where necessary;
- assess proposals for certain categories of excursion;
- have emergency procedures in place for dealing with major incidents/emergencies;
- ensure training needs have been addressed;
- provide access to named staff for advice;
- have appropriate insurance cover in place;
- have in place procedures to monitor and review safety during off-site excursions and activities.
Employers in other educational establishments
17. In the independent and non-local authority sectors, the employer's role will be the same as that suggested for a local authority above. They should satisfy themselves that the risk assessment has been carried out, that appropriate safety measures are in place and that training needs have been addressed.
18. They should:
- ensure that the excursion has a specific and stated objective;
- ensure that the head of establishment/group leader shows how their plans comply with regulations and guidelines, including the establishment's health and safety policy document, and that the head of establishment/group leader reports back after the excursion;
- ensure that they are informed about less routine excursions well in advance;
- assess proposals for certain categories of excursion, which should include excursions involving an overnight stay or travel outside the UK.
Head of establishment
19. Heads of establishments should ensure that excursions comply with regulations and guidelines provided by the local authority or other employer, and the authority's or establishment's own health and safety policy. Heads of establishments should ensure that the group leader is competent to manage and monitor the risks throughout the visit.
20. Heads of establishments should be clear about their role if taking part in the visit as a group member/supervisor. They should follow the instructions of the group leader who will have sole charge of the visit.
21. Heads of establishments should ensure that:
- the excursion has suitable educational aims and effective ways of achieving them;
- adequate child protection procedures are in place;
- all necessary actions have been completed before the excursion begins;
- a written risk assessment has been completed and appropriate safety measures are in place;
- training needs have been assessed by a competent person and the needs of the staff and participants have been considered;
- the group leader has experience in supervising the age groups going on the excursion and will organise the group effectively;
- the group leader or another person is suitably competent to instruct the activity and has suitable knowledge of the location/centre where the activity will take place. See Establishment-led adventure activities in Chapter 8 paragraphs 167 - 169;
- group leaders are allowed sufficient time to organise excursions properly;
- non-teacher supervisors on the excursion are appropriate people to supervise children. See Vetting suitability in Chapter 3 paragraphs 65 - 74;
- any instruction provided by a third party is undertaken by a suitably competent person;
- ratio of supervisors to participants is appropriate. See Ratios in Chapter 3 paragraphs 59 - 62;
- the local authority or other employer has approved the excursion, if appropriate;
- appropriate consent forms have been signed;
- arrangements have been made for the medical needs and additional support needs of all the participants;
- the local authority policy on the administration of medicines has been followed;
- adequate first aid provision will be available;
- the mode of travel is appropriate;
- travel times out and back are known including pick-up and drop-off points;
- there is adequate and relevant insurance cover. See Chapter 7 Insurance;
- they have the address and phone number of the excursion's venue and have a contact name;
- a home base contact has been nominated (this may be the head of establishment) and the group leader has details;
- the group leader, group supervisors and nominated home base contact have a copy of the agreed emergency procedures and know how to activate them;
- the group leader, group supervisors and nominated home base contact have the names of all the leaders and participants travelling in the group, and the contact details of parents' and leaders' next of kin;
- there is a contingency plan for any delays including a late return home.
Group leader
22. One person, the group leader, should have overall responsibility for the supervision and conduct of the excursion and should have regard to the health and safety of the group. The group leader should have been appointed or approved by the head of establishment. The group leader should:
- obtain the head of establishment's prior agreement before any off-site excursion takes place;
- follow local authority regulations, guidelines and policies;
- appoint a deputy where appropriate;
- clearly define each group supervisor's role and ensure all tasks have been assigned;
- be able to control and lead participants of the relevant age range;
- be suitably competent to instruct participants in an activity and be familiar with the location/centre where the activity will take place. See Establishment-led adventure activities in Chapter 8 paragraphs 167 - 169;
- be trained in child protection issues;
- ensure that adequate first aid provision will be available;
- undertake and complete the planning and preparation of the excursion including the briefing of group members and parents;
- ensure a comprehensive risk assessment is in place. See Risk assessment in Chapter 2 paragraphs 35 - 44;
- review regularly undertaken excursions/activities and advise the head of establishment where adjustments may be necessary;
- ensure that all supervisors are fully aware of what the proposed visit involves;
- have enough information on the participants proposed for the excursion to assess their suitability or be satisfied that their suitability has been assessed and confirmed;
- ensure the ratio of supervisors to participants is appropriate for the needs of the group. See Ratios in Chapter 3 paragraphs 59 - 62.
- consider stopping the excursion if the risk to the health or safety of the participants is unacceptable, and have in place procedures for such an eventuality;
- ensure that group supervisors have details of the home base contact;
- ensure that group supervisors and the home base contact have a copy of the emergency procedures and know how to activate them;
- ensure that group supervisors have the details of participants' additional support or medical needs which will be necessary for them to carry out their tasks effectively;
- observe the guidance set out for supervisors and other adults below.
Other paid staff
23. Other paid staff on establishment-led excursions act as employees of the local authority (or managers of non-local authority establishments such as independent schools), whether the excursion takes place within normal establishment hours or outside those hours, by agreement with the head of establishment (or managers of non-local authority establishments).
24. Such staff must do their best to ensure the health and safety of everyone in the group and act as any reasonable parent would do in the same circumstances. They should:
- follow the instructions of the group leader and help with control and discipline;
- consider stopping the excursion or the activity, notifying the group leader, if they think the risk to the health or safety of the participants in their charge is unacceptable.
Adult volunteers
25. Adult volunteers on the excursion should be clear about their roles and responsibilities during the excursion. Adult volunteers acting as supervisors must:
- do their best to ensure the health and safety of everyone in the group;
- not be left in sole charge of participants except where it has been previously agreed as part of the risk assessment;
- follow the instructions of the group leader and group supervisors and help with control and discipline;
- speak to the group leader or group supervisors if concerned about the health or safety of participants at any time during the excursion.
Responsibilities of participants
26. The group leader should make it clear to participants that they must:
- not take unnecessary risks;
- follow the instructions of the leader and other supervisors including those at the venue of the excursion;
- dress and behave sensibly and responsibly;
- if abroad be sensitive to local codes and customs;
- look out for anything that might hurt or threaten themselves or anyone in the group and tell the group leader or supervisor about it.
27. Any participants whose behaviour may be considered to be inappropriate or a danger to themselves or to the group may be stopped from going on the excursion. The curricular aims of the excursion for these participants should be fulfilled in other ways wherever possible.
Parents
28. Parents should be able to make an informed decision on whether their child should go on the excursion. The group leader should ensure that parents are given sufficient information in writing and are invited to any briefing sessions.
29. The group leader should also tell parents how they can help prepare their child for the excursion by, for example, reinforcing the excursion's code of conduct. Parents should also be asked to agree the arrangements for sending a participant home early and, if necessary, who will meet the cost.
30. Special arrangements may be necessary for parents for whom English is not their first language.
31. Parents will need to:
- provide the group leader with emergency contact number(s);
- sign the consent form ( see Model form 7 in Chapter 11);
- give the group leader information about their child's emotional, psychological and physical health which might be relevant to the visit (usually by means of the consent form).
32. See Chapter 5 Communicating with parents. For Tour operators see Chapter 9 paragraphs 196 - 198.
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