Safety Guidelines for Education Outdoors

Back to:

Resources

Processes and management - Emergency management

In addition to the approval process undertaken by the principal and/or school council, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) Emergency and Security Management Branch must also receive a notification of school activity.

The details provided on this notification will be used to provide initial information to emergency services during an emergency. Where additional information is required during an emergency, schools will be expected to provide it from the documentation prepared for the excursion, as well as the Notification of school activity.

Reporting incidents

For general record keeping purposes, it is important that details of accidents at schools or on excursions be recorded on the injury management system on CASES/CASES21. Principals may also wish to obtain further information such as statements from witnesses and retain these on file, with a notation on the statements that they are to be used for the sole purpose of defending any potential or actual legal claim.

DoE Emergency and Security Branch

Schools are required to immediately notify the Emergency and Security Management Branch of any incident that impacts on the safety or wellbeing of staff, students or visitors on:

Ph: (03) 9589 6266 - 24 hour service.

The DEECD Emergency and Security Branch provides:

  • a 24 hour communications facility for schools and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
  • advice and assistance to schools both during and after emergencies
  • assistance the school community to return to normal as soon as possible and
  • ensures that that the long term effect of any physical or psychological damage is minimised.

More information

For more information about excursion emergency management see the Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide - section 4.4.2.3.

For more information about security, see the DEECD Emergency and Secuity web site. (https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/intranet/facilites/emerg/default.htm)