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Health and Safety on Educational Excursions

Chapter 6 Planning transport

General

119. The group leader must give careful thought to planning transport. Local authority schools should follow their authority's transport policies. The main factors to consider include:

• passenger safety;
• the competence and training of the driver to drive the proposed vehicle and whether the driver holds the appropriate valid licence;
• number of driving hours required for the journey and length of the driver's day (including non-driving hours);
• capacity and experience of driver to maintain concentration - whether more than one driver is needed to avoid driver fatigue;
• type of journey - will the excursion take place locally or will it include long distance driving ie motorways;
• traffic conditions;
• contingency funds and arrangements in case of breakdown/emergency;
• appropriate insurance cover;
• weather;
• journey time and distance;
• stopping points on long journeys for toilet and refreshments;
• supervision.

Legislation

120. The employer, usually the local authority, should satisfy themselves that all travel arrangements, including the hire of private coaches or buses, are suitable for the nature of the visit. In practice heads of establishments will normally carry out these checks.

121. The driver is responsible for the vehicle during the visit.

122. Seat belts: All minibuses and coaches which carry groups of three or more children aged between 3 and 15 years inclusive must be fitted with a seat belt for each child. The seats must be forward or rearward facing and seat restraints must comply with legal requirements. For further information contact the Department for Transport (DfT). See Annex B for address details.

Supervision on transport

123. The level of supervision necessary should be considered as part of the risk assessment for the journey. The group leader is responsible for the party at all times including maintaining good discipline.

124. The driver should not normally be responsible for supervision. Driver supervision may be sufficient if a small number of older participants are being taken on a short journey. All group members should be made aware of the position of the emergency door and first aid and anti-fire equipment on transport. The group leader should also be aware of alternative routes or means of travel in the event of delay or cancellation.

125. Factors that the group leader should consider when planning supervision on transport include:

• the level of supervision that will be necessary on double decker buses/coaches - one supervisor on each deck should be appropriate in normal circumstances;
• safety when crossing roads as part of the journey - the group leader should ensure that participants know how to observe the safety rules set out in the Highway Code and the Green Cross Code. Pedestrian crossings and traffic lights or footbridges should be used to cross roads, whenever possible;
• safety on buses, trains, ferries and boats - the group leader should make clear to participants how much or little freedom they have to 'roam'. Misbehaviour is a main cause of accidents to young people on such means of transport. Appropriate supervision and discipline should be maintained at all times. Participants should also be made aware of what to do in an emergency and where emergency procedures are displayed;
• booking transport - the group leader should arrange for seats to be reserved well in advance to ensure that the party can travel together;
• safety of participants whilst waiting at pick-up and drop-off points and when getting on or off transport, particularly when using UK vehicles abroad. Participants should be made aware of safety rules and expected standards of behaviour. See Transport and participants in Chapter 4 paragraphs 93 - 94;
• safety while on stops or rests during the journey - group leaders should plan with the driver sufficient stops at suitable areas to ensure the safety of all group members including the driver. Drivers of buses and coaches must comply with legislation covering maximum periods of driving and minimum rest periods;
• safety of the group in the event of an accident or breakdown - the group should remain under the direct supervision of the group leader or other supervisors wherever possible;
• head counts, by the group leader or another delegated supervisor, should always be carried out when the group is getting off or onto transport or whenever the vehicle has stopped and there is the possibility that someone has got off without letting a leader know e.g. at a service station during a refuelling stop;
• responsibility for checking that seat belts are fastened;
• consider whether a visible and easily recognisable article of clothing should be worn in common by participants;
• participants should be made aware that they are not allowed access to the driving area at any time;
• group members should be made aware that travel sickness tablets should only be administered to a participant with previous authorisation from the parents in line with the authority's policy on the administration of medicines;
• vetting non-leader drivers. See Vetting suitability in Chapter 3 paragraphs 65 - 74.

Hiring coaches and buses

126. The group leader is responsible for ensuring that coaches and buses are hired from a reputable company. Professional operators of buses and coaches are legally required to be licensed. Establishments using operators to transport participants should ensure that the operators have the appropriate public service vehicle (PSV) operators' licence. When booking transport, the group leader should ensure that seat belts are available for participants. Whilst seat belts must be fitted on coaches which carry groups of children, they are not legally required on buses. Buses where seat belts are not fitted are not normally appropriate for excursions involving long journeys.

127. If any of the group use a wheelchair, the group leader should ensure that transport used has appropriate access and securing facilities. It may be appropriate to use portable ramps. DfT can provide advice. See Annex B for address details.

Licences and permits

128. A public service vehicle (PSV) licence is required by establishments running or hiring their own vehicles where any payment is made towards the cost of participants being carried. There are two types of licence - restricted (for up to two vehicles) and standard national (more than two vehicles). Local Traffic Commissioners can provide advice and application forms for PSV operator licences.

129. Establishments can apply to their local authority or the local Traffic Commissioner for a permit issued under Section 19 of the Transport Act 1985. Permit holders are exempt from the need to hold a PSV operators' licence and, in certain circumstances, from meeting all the driver licensing requirements. Section 19 Permits cannot be used outside the UK and separate rules exist for all those wishing to take minibuses abroad. DfT can provide advice - see Annex B for contact details.

130. The law on driver licensing no longer permits car drivers who pass their test after 1 January 1997 to drive vehicles with more than 8 passenger seats without passing a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV bus) driving test - unless they are driving under a section 19 permit, in which case the following conditions must be met:

• the driver has held a category B (car) licence for at least 2 years (all permit drivers must be 21 or over);
• the driver receives no payment or consideration for driving the vehicle other than out-of-pocket expenses;
• the minibus has a gross weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes (4.25 tonnes including any specialised equipment for the carriage of disabled passengers).

131. Drivers of any vehicle must ensure that they have the correct entitlement on their licence.

Private cars

132. Leaders and others who drive participants in their own car must ensure their passengers' safety, that the vehicle is roadworthy, and that they have appropriate licence and insurance cover for carrying the participants. This could include a sight of original documents, if appropriate. Volunteers should be carefully vetted by the establishment before they are permitted to drive participants in their car. If necessary, assurances should be requested by the head of establishment. See Vetting suitability in Chapter 3 paragraphs 65 - 74.

133. The driver is responsible for making sure that participants have a seat belt and use it at all times. Vehicles without seat belts must not be used.

134. Heads of establishment or group leaders who wish to use parents, volunteers or other participants to help transport participants in their own cars must ensure that they are aware of their legal responsibility for the safety of the participants in their cars, that the vehicle is roadworthy, and that they have appropriate licence and insurance cover for carrying the participants. Parents' agreement should be sought (on the consent form) for their children to be carried in other parents' cars. It is advisable that parents driving participants are not put in a position where they are alone with a participant. The group leader should arrange a central dropping point for all participants rather than individual home drops.

Transport in the establishment minibus

135. Many establishments use their own minibuses for short frequent journeys and sometimes for longer trips. Minibuses have a maximum capacity of 16 seated passengers plus the driver. They must comply with the various regulations about construction and fittings. A forward or rearward facing seat with seat belt must be provided for each participant. An important source regulation is the Road Vehicle (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, particularly Schedule 6 of that regulation. DfT can provide further advice. See Annex B for contact details.

Establishment minibus driver

136. Although the head of establishment is ultimately responsible for the establishment's minibus, the driver is responsible for the vehicle during the visit. The minibus driver must be qualified to drive a minibus and have a valid and clean driving licence - see Licences and permits above. It is advisable for all those who may drive the establishment minibus to receive training in minibus driving and the management of passengers such as that provided under the Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme (MIDAS). The head of establishment should ensure that those driving establishment minibuses have a rest period before driving. Minibus drivers must always adhere to transport regulations. DfT can provide advice on relevant transport legislation. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents have issued Minibus Safety: a Code of Practice. See Annexes A and B for contact addresses and publication details.

137. The minibus driver must:

• observe local authority or other establishment manager's guidance, where appropriate;
• not drive when taking medication or undergoing treatment that might affect their ability or judgement;
• know what to do in an emergency;
• know how to use fire fighting and first aid equipment;
• avoid driving for long periods and ensure that rests are taken when needed;
• clarify and comply with transport regulations and the requirements of the vehicle's insurance cover;
• take into consideration the effects of teaching and the working day;
• have regular medical checks e.g. eyesight.

Maintenance and checks of the establishment minibus

138. The head of establishment will usually be responsible for the minibus. However, a head of establishment may delegate to a willing member of staff responsibility for carrying out regular checks and ensuring that the minibus is maintained. This member of staff should report to the head of establishment, who is responsible, along with the local authority and other leaders, for ensuring the safety of participants on establishment-organised journeys. The person responsible for maintaining the minibus should:

• check the vehicle's condition on a weekly basis;
• ensure proper servicing by a reputable garage;
• maintain the record-of-use book with the service history, insurance and other relevant documents;
• check with the head of establishment before allowing anyone not so authorised to drive the vehicle;
• ensure that any staff driving the minibus are competent and have undertaken suitable training to do so, such as MIDAS;
• always be informed before other staff use the establishment's minibus;
• ensure that drivers of the establishment's minibus are aware that the vehicle should always be logged in and out.

For organising your own transport for visits abroadsee paragraphs 194 - 195 in Chapter 9.

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