Outdoor Education Australia
Safety and Risk management
The safety and wellbeing of students and staff participating in outdoor education experiences is paramount. This section provides some valuable resources that can support the risk management process including:
The Crux of Risk Management in Outdoor Programs , Rob Hogan (Australian Journal of Outdoor Education Vol.6 No.2 2002) The possibility of serious physical harm seems very much tacked on the end in definitions of risk management based on the Standards Australia and NZ risk management framework. In this paper the writer argues that in a hierarchy of adverse consequences, death or serious injury to persons involved is right at the top of things we want to avoid. Minimising the risk of death and disabling injury should be the number one outcome of any risk management plan or strategy in outdoor programs.
Outdoor Education Fatalities in Australia 1960 - 2002: Part 1. Summary of incidents and introduction to fatality analysis, Andrew Brookes (Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, Vol.7 No.1 2002) This paper presents a summary of outdoor education fatalities in Australia since 1960-2002. It discusses the importance of incident analysis in fatality prevention. Major sources of systematic bias in reviewing cases are discussed, and a distinction made between risk management, safety management, and fatality prevention. The paper is the first in a series presenting the findings of a research project that sought to examine all available information from public records, mainly newspaper reports and coronial documents, on outdoor education fatalities since 1960, with a view to (a) ensuring cases for study were more consistently available to teachers and teacher educators and (b) examining past incidents for common elements or patterns.
Outdoor Education Fatalities in Australia 1960-2002. Part 2. Contributing
circumstances: supervision, first aid, and rescue, Andrew Brookes (Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, Vol.7 No.2 2003) This paper, the second in a series, presents a partial analysis of outdoor education fatalities in
Australia. It examines outdoor education related fatalities in Australia in the period 1960-
2002 with a view to understanding how fatality prevention measures can be improved. The
fatal incidents are reviewed from the perspectives of supervision, first aid, and rescue. The
paper draws attention to particular supervision considerations around water, to the special
case of unsupervised teenage boys around moving water or cliffs, and to the importance of
planning for the possibility of the death of one or more supervisors. The analysis found
evidence that underlines the importance of frequent CPR practice, but little to suggest that
inadequate first aid had been a factor in any death. The study emphasises the importance of
planning to ensure that medical aid can be obtained promptly, and presents a number of
imperatives relating to rescue using a group’s own resources, or with outside assistance.
Outdoor education fatalities in Australia 1960-2002. Part 3. Environmental
circumstances, Andrew Brookes (Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, Vol.8 No.1 2004)
This article, the third in a series, examines 114 outdoor education related fatalities in
Australia in the period 1960-2002. It reviews the environmental circumstances in which
fatalities have occurred, and the extent to which environmental circumstances contributed to
fatal incidents. All of the accidental deaths (104) could be linked to particular environmental
circumstances. The paper reviews the patterns of environmental circumstances that have been
associated with fatal incidents. It concludes that in outdoor education knowledge of particular
environments is more important for fatality prevention than knowledge of outdoor recreation
activities (although the latter may imply the former in some cases). At least one third of the
accidental (non motor vehicle) deaths appeared preventable given specific local knowledge.
The study shows that there is a geography of fatality risk, and that improved prevention
requires more attention to regional or local considerations. The study provides no support for
the contention that more general approaches to fatality prevention (national rather than state
or regional) would be intrinsically more effective than more local approaches; the opposite
appears true.
Unaccompanied Activities in Outdoor Education,Grant Davidson (New Zealand Journal of Outdoor Education. Vol.1 No.4 December, 2004) Traditionally, unaccompanied activities have been a common part of outdoor education programmes, often justified by pedagogical reasons. This paper argues that such activities can pose significant risks and the removal of supervision is not justified by pedagogical, legal or moral reasons. Distinctions are drawn between education and recreation participation and examples of acceptable practice are provided.
Education department guidelines
Safety Guidelines for Education Outdoors (VIC)
Curriculum Activity Risk Management Modules (QLD)
Outdoor and Adventure Activities policy (ACT)
Outdoor Education Guidelines (Tasmania)
Outdoor Education and Recreation Activies (WA)
Safety and Education Outside the Classroom (New Zealand)
Health & Safety on Educational Visits (United Kingdom)
Lyme Cee (New Zealand, 2001)
Glenridding Beck (United Kingdom, 2002)
River Valley (New Zealand, 2006)