Risk Assessment and Management Plan OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ACTIVITY

Risk Assessment and Management Plan – OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ACTIVITY

ALPINE SKIING / SNOWBOARDING Activity

Completing the risk assessment and management Plan and a Checklist for the event

Risk Assessment and Management Plan - Completing the 5 parts.
·  Part A – Event Summary and Approval: is a summary of the event to be completed by all schools holding an alpine skiing and snowboarding activity. Signed by Activity Manager/Teacher in Charge and Principal acknowledging the risk assessment has been read and tailored to the school’s practices by adding or deleting within the Risk Treatment / Prevention measure column.
·  Part B – Risk Criteria to identify risk ratings: is for information. It contains the risk criteria, risk matrix, risk control rating and priority ratings. Part B is to be used in Part C to apply a consistent approach to risk rating across schools.
·  Part C – Identifying and Analysing Risk Worksheet: is required to be completed by all schools holding an outdoor adventure activity. PartC should be reviewed for practices and application by your school and tailored accordingly by adding or deleting actions within the Risk Treatment / Prevention measure column.
·  Part D – Site specific information and hazards: is to assist the schools: select a site that suits student capability; and understand some of the hazards. Delete the locations not being visited on your excursion and add any other hazards you are aware of.
·  Part E – Treatment Plan : a table to be completed if there are residual risks rated high or above to ensure familiarity with the treatments / controls identified for these risks. Part E is for bringing attention to the risks with the highest risk ratings. The treatment/controls around these risks require the greatest attention.
For assistance completing this Risk Assessment and Management Plan contact Audit and Assurance on 6205 6207 or . / CHECK LIST FOR THE EVENT (Tailor this to your school practice)
 BANNED ACTIVITY Snow Tobogganing.
 First aid, medications, medical forms for students and staff
 Equipment – inspected, checked, spares, PPE
 Communications – mobile, radios
 Local knowledge – site, conditions, weather
 Protocols – safety during activity, lost, minimum impact, free time, supervision
 Hydration, nutrition, warm up, rest breaks
 Emergency – plan, contacts, funds, group details to Ski Patrol
 Group preparation – skills, fitness/capability, briefing, buddy system
 Transport – driver skills and knowledge, snow chains

Part A EVENT SUMMARY AND APPROVALS

Event SuMMary

School/s
Activity
Date/s
Time
Location
Participants / Number of students: Number of staff: Number of volunteers:
Interested Parties / Skiing Resort e.g. Perisher Blue
Event Description

APPROVALS

I have read and tailored the risk assessment to reflect my school’s practices by adding or deleting actions within the Risk Treatment / Prevention measure column of Part C.

Any risks with a residual rating of High or above are in Part E and I am familiar with the treatments/controls identified for these risks.

Event Organiser / Teacher In Charge printed name:______Signature: ______Date: ______

Principal printed name: ______Signature: ______Date:______

PART b Risk Criteria to identify risk ratings

Risk Matrix

This risk matrix is used to complete Part C. Consider and apply the consequence first. Then consider and apply the likelihood to establish the risk rating. Use of the defined consequences and likelihoods below will assist a consistent approach being applied to risk ratings across the Education Directorate.

Consequence
People / Injuries or ailments not requiring medical treatment / Minor injury or first aid treatment case / Serious injury causing hospitalisation or multiple medical treatment cases / Life threatening injury or multiple serious injuries causing hospitalisation / Death or multiple life threatening injuries
Products and Services / No disruption to excursion / Limited disruption to the excursion / Some activities unable to proceed / Major disruption to the activities with multiple activities unable to proceed / Major disruption with no activities able to proceed
Environment / No environmental or other damage / Minor short term environmental or other property damage / Minor long term environmental or other property damage / Extensive environmental damage (long term effect) / Extensive and widespread environmental damage
Financial / 1% of budget or <$5,000 / 2.5% of budget or <$50,000 / > 5% of budget or <$500,000 / > 10% of budget or
< $5,000,000 / >25% of budget or
> $5,000,000
Insignificant / Minor / Moderate / Major / Catastrophic
Risk Matrix / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Likelihood / Almost certain / Is expected to occur in most circumstances / < 1 in 10 / 5 / Medium / High / High / Extreme / Extreme
Likely / Will probably occur / 1 in 10 - 100 / 4 / Medium / Medium / High / High / Extreme
Possible / Might occur at some time in the future / 1 in 100 to 1,000 / 3 / Low / Medium / Medium / High / Extreme
Unlikely / Could occur but doubtful / 1 in 1,000 – 10,000 / 2 / Low / Medium / Medium / High / High
Rare / 1 in 10,000 – 100,000 / 1 / Low / Low / Medium / Medium / High

Risk Control Ratings

Risk control ratings are used in Part C in the column titled ‘Risk Treatment / Prevention measure’. The terms adequate, room for improvement and inadequate are used to rate the identified control.

(A) Adequate – Controls are well designed for the risk and address the root cause. Management believes they are effective and reliable at all times

(R) Room for Improvement – Most controls are designed correctly and are in place and effective, however some controls are neither correctly designed or are not effective. Some more work is required to improve the control effectiveness. Management has doubts about the operational effectiveness of some controls.

(I) Inadequate – Significant control gaps or no credible control. Either controls do not address the root cause or the controls do not operate at all effectively. Controls if they exist are just reactive. Management has no confidence that any degree of controls is being achieved due to poor control design and/or very limited operational effectiveness.

Priority Rating

Priority ratings are to be placed in Part C in the right hand column. Where priority ratings of A, B or C are selected ensure the identified authority is notified, if the treatment with these priority ratings are required.

Priority / Description / Authority to be notified / Priority Rating
Extreme / Requires immediate attendance of multiple emergency services / multiple casualties to hospital / Requires immediate notification to the Director- General / A
High / Requires attendance of emergency service personnel (ambulance, police, fire brigade) or transportation to hospital / Requires immediate notification to the Director, School Improvement / B
Medium / Requires immediate attention from a first aid officer or life saver / Requires immediate notification to the Principal / C
Low / Requires assistance on site by EDU staff or possible minor attention by a first aid officer / Requires immediate notification to EDU staff on site / D

Part C Identifying and analysing Risk Worksheet

Ref / Risk

What can happen? How it can happen?

What is the outcome if it happens?

/ Consequence / Likelihood / Initial Risk Rating
(before controls) /

Risk Treatment / Prevention measure

Description and Adequacy of Existing Controls

(What are you going to do to prevent or reduce the risk - tailor to the school’s practices by adding or deleting within this section)

Risk Control Rating: (A)Adequate, ( R) Room for Improvement, (I)Inadequate / Consequence / Likelihood / Residual Risk Rating
(After Controls) / Responsible Officer / Timetable
(by when) / Priority rating /
1.  1 / Accident - activity specific injury
Caused by excessive speed, out of control, overconfidence, terrain too advanced for skill level, dangerous snow conditions, inappropriate behaviour including failure to follow instructions, dangerous terrain, chair and surface lift misuse leading to injury
·  Head injury
·  Musculoskeletal injuries
·  Sprains, strains / 4 / 4 / High / a)  Follow Directorate’s Mandatory Procedures (A)
b)  Group preparation – training, practice and full briefing (A)
c)  Staff qualifications, experience, supervision protocols, safety points including local knowledge of resort and terrain (A)
d)  Equipment checked prior to trip - clothing and personal items, ski gear (A)
e)  First aid attention and equipment including access to Ski Patrol and medical facilities in the resort(A)
f)  On mountain supervision by resort staff and ski patrol with penalties for inappropriate behaviour on the slopes (A)
g)  Adherence to Alpine Responsibility Code (A)
h)  Resort signage emphasising safe skiing and boarding (A)
i)  Preparatory work on protocols for use of terrain parks (A)
j)  Use of PPE and protective clothing – goggles, wrist guards, etc as appropriate (A)
k)  Mandated use of certified ski or snowboard helmet (A)
l)  Registration of the group details with Ski Patrol (A)
m)  Medical forms, emergency treatment plan and parent consultation (A)
n)  Exclusion from camp/activities of students demonstrating lack of behavioural compliance (A)
o)  All students in Buddy System monitoring each other (A)
p)  Formal lessons by resort staff (all APSI accredited) strongly encouraged (A)
q)  Resort signage, fencing and padding (A)
r)  Students to participate in a lesson as early as possible on the first day of program (A)
s)  Whole group to participate in warm up activities and safety briefing each morning (A)
t)  Resort grooming of runs prior to opening each day (A)
u)  Resort staff monitoring, supervision and ability to cease operation of chair and surface lifts (A) / 2 / 3 / Med / Teacher in charge and all supervising staff / Prior to and ongoing during activity / D
2.  / Health and Fitness
Fatigue and exhaustion resulting from overexertion leading to possible injury
·  Insufficient physical preparation
·  poor activity planning
·  deteriorating environmental conditions
·  overconfidence
·  poor decision making
·  disorientation
·  inappropriate rest/sleep periods / 3 / 3 / Medium / a)  Careful monitoring of participants and supervision of rest stops and pacing by activity leader (A)
b)  Follow Directorate’s Mandatory Procedures (A)
c)  Group preparation – training, practice and full briefing (A)
d)  Staff qualifications, experience, supervision protocols, safety points (A)
e)  First aid attention and equipment (A)
f)  Fitness testing and conditioning prior to excursion (A)
g)  Medical forms, emergency treatment plan and parent consultation (A)
h)  All students in Buddy System monitoring each other (A) / 2 / 2 / Low / Teacher in charge / Prior to and ongoing during activity / D
3.  / Health and Fitness
Medical emergency in the snow
·  Asthma attack
·  Diabetic incident
·  Epilepsy
·  Anaphylaxis
·  etc / 3 / 5 / High / a)  Careful monitoring of participants and supervision of rest stops and pacing by activity leader (A)
b)  Follow Directorate’s Mandatory Procedures (A)
c)  Group preparation – training, practice and full briefing (A)
d)  Staff qualifications, experience, supervision, safety points (A)
e)  Medical forms and teacher follow up prior to trip (A)
f)  First aid attention, medications and equipment available on site(A)
g)  Fitness testing and conditioning prior to excursion (A)
h)  Buddy system in place where buddies monitor each other (A) / 2 / 3 / Med / Teacher in charge / Prior to and ongoing during activity / C
4.  / Health and Fitness
Exposure to environment
·  Hypothermia
·  Snowblindness
·  Sunburn
·  Dehydration
·  Frost nip, frost bite / 2 / 4 / Medium / a)  Careful monitoring of participants and environmental conditions - supervision of use of PPE, hydration, goggles, sunscreens, resting etc (A)
b)  Follow Directorate’s Mandatory Procedures (A)
c)  Group preparation – training, practice and full briefing (A)
d)  Staff qualifications, experience, supervision, safety points (A)
e)  First aid attention and equipment (A)
f)  Packing list provided to students prior to camp. (A)
g)  Sunscreen provision for group. (A)
h)  All students in Buddy System monitoring each other (A)
i)  Gear checks each morning prior to activities (A)
j)  Spare gear available – gloves, beanies, jacket, goggles etc (A) / 1 / 3 / Med / Teacher in charge and activity staff / Prior to and ongoing during activity / D
5.  / Environment
Weather extremes
·  Storms and heavy rain
·  Lightning
·  Blizzard/snow
·  Whiteout
·  High wind / 2 / 4 / Med / a)  Checking for warnings and the development of potentially dangerous conditions prior to activity and during activity (A)
b)  Access to communication equipment to check for warnings and developments (A)
c)  Careful ongoing monitoring of environmental conditions – adjustment of route, plans as a result (A)
d)  Follow Directorate’s Mandatory Procedures (A)
e)  Group preparation – training, practice and full briefing in dealing with emergencies (A)
f)  Staff qualifications, experience, supervision protocols, safety points (A)
g)  Use of protective equipment and clothing (A)
h)  Packing list provided to students prior to camp. (A)
i)  Follow emergency plan if overtaken by extreme weather event
j)  Resort protocols for closing sections of resort in extreme weather situations – enforced by resort staff (A) / 1 / 3 / Med / Teacher in charge / Prior to and ongoing during activity / D
6.  / Environment
Natural disaster
·  Avalanche / 1 / 4 / High / a)  Assessment and control by resort staff – closing off access to dangerous areas (A)
b)  Monitor local conditions prior to departure and cancel activity if conditions considered hazardous. (A)
c)  Follow emergency plan if caught in natural disaster.(A)
d)  Established communications protocols developed and implemented prior to departure in case of emergencies (A)
e)  Maintain local knowledge of area (A)
f)  Avoid known areas of natural disaster risk (A) / 1 / 3 / Med / Teacher in charge / Prior to and ongoing during activity / D
7.  / Environment
Damage to environment
·  vegetation,
·  pygmy possum areas under the snow)
·  Littering, polluting of water catchment area. / 2 / 2 / Low / a)  Group preparation and briefing (A)
b)  Maintain supervision at all times (S)
c)  Awareness of site use requirements and Minimum Impact Codes (A)
d)  Staff qualifications, experience, supervision, including local knowledge of resort and terrain (A)
e)  Resort signage and closed off areas (A) / 1 / 1 / Low / Teacher in charge / Prior to and ongoing during activity / D
8.  / Equipment failure
·  Ski brakes
·  Runaway snowboards
·  Gear misuse
·  Incorrect fitting and sizing
·  Binding screws loosening up
·  Breakage
·  Gear stolen
·  Poor quality or inappropriate clothing
Contributing to injury and/or financial loss / 2 / 2 / Medium / a)  Follow Directorate’s Mandatory Procedures (A)
b)  Staff qualifications, experience, supervision, (A)
c)  Group preparation – gear check, Staff qualifications, experience, supervision, safety points, equipment, clothing and personal items. (A)
d)  Spare gear on hand (A)
e)  Hire gear adjusted and checked by resort staff (A)
f)  Ongoing gear checks and adjustments (A)
g)  All students in Buddy System monitoring each others gear (A)
h)  Safe use of gear covered in lessons (A) / 1 / 2 / Low / Teacher in charge and activity staff / Prior to and ongoing during activity / D
9.  / Lost Group and separated person
Resulting from;
·  Going out of bounds
·  Not knowing locations
·  Poor visibility
·  Deteriorating conditions
·  Injury
Leading to rescue, search, time lost to individual and group, use of valuable resort resources / 2 / 4 / High / a)  Staff qualifications, experience, supervision, including local knowledge of resort and terrain(A)
b)  Each participant to carry list of staff and key contact numbers (A)
c)  Follow Mandatory Procedures (A) including having necessary trail maps for students.
d)  Entire group is regularly checked and head counted. (A)
e)  Supervision protocols clearly identifying areas available for the group (A)
f)  Establish a safety and emergency contingency plan prior to the trip (A)
g)  Group familiarised with resort during lessons by instructors and by school staff (A)
h)  Group briefed on procedures to follow if separated from the group (A)
i)  Registration of the group details with Ski Patrol (A)
j)  Ski Patrol sweep of resort area each afternoon on close of runs. (A) / 1 / 3 / Medium / Teacher in charge / Prior to and ongoing during activity / D
10.  / Vehicle issues related to ice and snow conditions on roads
Leading to injury, disruption to program, financial cost / 3 / 4 / High / a)  Follow Mandatory Procedures (A)
b)  Drivers must be knowledgeable about and experienced in driving in snow and ice conditions, must know how to fit and drive with chains, must know parking protocols (A)
c)  Snow chains that fit the vehicle carried (A)
d)  Awareness of slippery carparks brought to attention of group (A)
e)  NRMA membership recommended (A)
f)  Vehicle inspected prior to trip to ensure suitability, servicing up to date (A)
g)  RTA, Police and National Parks supervision and checks of vehicles and drivers (A)
h)  Hire vehicles insurance to be suitable for location and conditions (A) / 2 / 2 / Med / Teacher in charge / Prior to and ongoing during activity / D

Part D SITE SPECIFIC Information and HAZARDS