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Health and Safety on Educational Excursions

Chapter 2 Planning excursions

Planning

33. Whether the excursion is to a local park, museum or swimming pool, or includes a residential stay in the UK or abroad, it is essential that formal planning takes place, and begins sufficiently in advance of departure. This involves considering the dangers and difficulties which may arise and making plans to reduce them. In practice, the head of establishment - who is responsible for planning excursions - will often delegate the detailed planning to the organiser of the excursion or the group leader. Heads of establishments must satisfy themselves that the person planning the excursion is competent to do so and has the necessary relevant experience or access to an appropriate technical adviser.

34. Many local authorities have detailed guidance on excursions, including risk assessment, which establishments must follow. For residential visits at home or abroad, or for potentially hazardous activities and/or environments, some local authorities require establishments to obtain the authority's approval before the excursion takes place.

Risk assessment

35. In practice, risk assessments, which employers are legally required to do ( see Legal framework in Chapter 1 paragraphs 9 - 12), are usually carried out by the group leader. A written assessment should be completed well before the excursion, and should be made available for inspection by the head of establishment or local authority as appropriate.

36. A written risk assessment for an excursion need not be complex but it should be comprehensive. It does not generally require technical formulae or professional health and safety expertise. However, specialised information for some excursions may be necessary and heads of establishments should ensure that the person assessing the risks is competent to do so.

37. A formal assessment of the foreseeable risks that might be met on an excursion should have the aims of preventing the risks or reducing them. Participants must not be placed in situations which expose them to an unreasonable level of risk. Safety must always be the prime consideration. If the risks cannot be contained, or the programme modified, then the excursion must not take place.

38. The risk assessment should be based on the following considerations:

• what are the hazards?
• who might be affected by them?
• what safety measures need to be in place to reduce risks to a reasonable level?
• can the group leader ensure that the safety measures in place are adhered to?
• can an assessment of the effectiveness of the safety measures and any proposed changes be made?
• what steps will be taken in an emergency?

39. The person carrying out the risk assessment should record it and give copies to all leaders and supervisors on the excursion, with details of the measures they should take to avoid or reduce the risks. Depending on the category of excursion and local authority approval arrangements, local authorities and heads of establishments should also be given a copy so that approval, as necessary, can be given with a clear understanding that effective planning and risk assessment has taken place.

40. Frequent excursions to local venues such as swimming pools may not need a risk assessment every time. Nevertheless it is essential not to become complacent. A generic assessment of the risks of such excursions should be made at regular intervals, and careful monitoring should take place.

41. The group leader and other supervisors should monitor the risks throughout the excursion and take appropriate action as necessary.

42. Before booking an excursion with an external provider the group leader should obtain a written or documentary assurance that providers have themselves assessed the risks and have appropriate safety measures in place.

43. Detailed advice on risk assessment can be obtained from the local authority's health and safety officer. In addition, the Health and Safety Executive has published two booklets entitled Five Steps to Risk Assessment and Five Steps to Risk Assessment in Adventure Activity Centres. See Annexes A & B for details and Model forms 3 and 4 in Chapter 11 for a basic risk assessment format.

44. The group leader should take the following factors into consideration when assessing the risks:

• the type of excursion/activity and the level at which it is being undertaken;
• the location, routes and modes of transport;
• the competence, experience and qualifications of supervisory staff;
• the composition of the group, including the role of supervisors whose own children may be participants;
• the ratios of supervisory staff to participants;
• the group members' age, competence, fitness and temperament and the suitability of the activity;
• the additional support or medical needs of participants;
• the quality and suitability of available equipment;
• seasonal conditions, weather and timing;
• emergency procedures;
• how to cope when a participant becomes unable or unwilling to continue;
• the need to monitor the risks throughout the excursion.

Exploratory visit

45. Wherever possible, the group leader should undertake an exploratory visit to:

• ensure at first hand that the venue is suitable to meet the aims and objectives of the excursion;
• assess potential areas and levels of risk;
• ensure that the venue can cater for the needs of the staff and participants in the group;
• become familiar with the area before taking a group there.

If the excursion is to a residential centre, group leaders may additionally wish to:

• obtain names and addresses of other establishments who have used the venue;
• obtain advice from the manager of the residential centre;
• view the organisation's Operating Procedures Document, risk assessment documentation, health and safety policy and insurance cover.

46. If, in the last resort, an exploratory visit is not feasible then the group leader will need to consider how to complete an adequate assessment of the risks. A minimum measure would be to obtain specific information by letter from the venue, from other users who have recently visited it, and from local organisations such as tourist boards.

47. Detailed advice on particular categories of excursions which carry specific risks is provided in Chapters 8 Types of visit and 9 Visits abroad. Advice may also be sought from the local authority and from specialist bodies listed at Annex B.

48. Many establishments will take new groups to the same location each year. As some factors will change from year to year, it is prudent to re-assess the risks each time - even when the group leader stays the same. It may be useful to evaluate each completed excursion and keep a record. Model form 5 in Chapter 11 provides a suggested format.

Other considerations

49. Other factors which should form part of the planning stage include:

• the facilities/equipment the group will need to take on the visit;
• the facilities/equipment to be provided at the venue;
• staff training needs;
• the designation of someone to record the details of the excursion and to carry accident forms etc;
• transport arrangements;
• insurance arrangements;
• information to the provider;
• communication arrangements;
• supervision ratios;
• contingency measures for enforced change of plan or late return;
• information to parents;
• preparing participants;
• emergency arrangements;
• arrangements for sending participants home early.

50. Further information on these issues is provided in subsequent chapters.

Financial planning

51. The group leader should ensure that parents have early written information about the costs of the excursion, how much will come from school or other establishment funds, and how much each parent will be charged or asked to contribute. Parents should be given enough time to prepare financially for the excursion. It may be useful to break the costs down into subheads such as travel, accommodation, meals etc.

52. The head of establishment should ensure that banking arrangements are in place to separate the excursion's receipts from other establishment funds and from private accounts in line with their local authority's financial procedures.

53. The head of establishment/group leader should reach a pre-agreement with parents on whether any funds left surplus after the visit will be returned to parents or retained for another excursion.

First aid

54. First aid should form part of the risk assessment. Before undertaking any off-site activities the head of establishment or the group leader should assess what level of first aid might be needed. For adventure activities, excursions abroad or residential visits it is sensible for at least one of the group's leaders to hold a current and valid first aid certificate. All adults in the group should know how to contact the emergency services.

55. The minimum first aid provision for an excursion is:

• a suitably stocked first aid kit;
• a person appointed to be in charge of first aid arrangements.

• Other considerations when considering first aid needs should include:
• the numbers in the group and the nature of the activity;
• the likely injuries and how effective first aid would be;
• the distance to the nearest hospital.

56. First aid should be available and accessible at all times. The Health and Safety Executive recommends the following minimum contents for a travelling first aid kit where no special risk has been identified:

• a leaflet giving general advice on first aid;
• six individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings;
• one large sterile unmedicated wound dressing approximately 18 cm x 18 cm;
• two triangular bandages;
• two safety pins;
• individually wrapped moist cleaning wipes;
• one pair of disposable gloves;
• a resusciade (for hygienic mouth to mouth resuscitation) would also be useful.

57. All minibuses are required by law to carry a first aid kit. See Chapter 6 Planning transport.

58. There is the possibility, during an excursion, of the need to clear away clinical waste such as blood, faeces, stained dressings etc. Staff on excursions should be aware of and follow the authority's policy on dealing with clinical waste.

Planning the excursion
This page charts the likely stages of planning an excursion

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