Risk Management
This section of the Safety Guidelines website provides a step-by-step introduction to identifying and documenting the main health and safety risks to students and staff participating in excursions or activities requiring school council approval.
Some important points to remember when beginning the risk management process:
- The risk management process is best undertaken collaboratively so that different perspectives are brought to bear on the process.
- The risk management process should be applied to all elements of the proposed excursion – not just to the scheduled adventure activities.
- The risk management process must be communicated to all staff involved in the excursion.
- The risk management process is dynamic. Because circumstances change, and to streamline the process in future, assessment, controls and treatments (these terms are explained further on) should be revisited during the program and evaluated after the excursion has occurred, even if there have been no documented incidents.
The following process should be applied, by a group of people with experience and expertise in the activities being offered and knowledge of the proposed excursion or activity.
It is valuable to set aside a period of time, well in advance of the excursion (a couple of hours as a minimum), for the group to move through this process. This allows time to reflect on the results before the excursion commences.
Each step must be documented. Templates are provided to document some steps. Others steps require you to develop your own documentation. The final documentation from steps 4 and 5 form the risk management plan required for submission to the school council.
The risk management templates on this site provide one way of documenting activity-specific risk management plans. You may choose to use other templates that you find are effective.
Risk management process
Step 1 - Establish the context
- Why are you planning this excursion?
- What are your educational objectives for the excursion?
- Where are you going?
- When are you going?
- Who are you going there with?
- Why are you going there with this specific group?
- What are you are going do when you get there?
Support materials:
Step 2 - Review excursion documentation
Read and/or complete all documents relevant to the planning and approval of the excursion.
Support materials:
- Proforma for excursions and activities requiring school council approval (Word - 146Kb)
- Detailed daily program
- Relevant checklist
- Planning questions
- Relevant adventure activity guidelines
Step 3 - Risk identification
There are two stages in risk identification.
Stage 1
In a group brainstorm and document potential excursion risks. Each group member must be thoroughly familiar with the proposed excursion having read and understood the relevant documents from Step 2 (Review excursion documentation). Record all identified risks.
To help identify the potential risks use the planning questions. (Word - 56Kb)
Stage 2
From the list generated by the group create an agreed shortlist of 12-20 key risks of the excursion or activity and list them in the risk register template (Word - 80Kb).
If there are multiple activities or other complicating factors a larger list of risks may be required.
In this stage you are identifying those risks that you want to take a closer look at. Many of the risks identified in the initial brainstorm will be addressed as part of your planning or as a matter of policy.
For example, coach transport to an urban centre would present different risks than transporting students in a mini-bus being driven by a teacher to the Victorian Alps in winter. As a result they would be planned for differently.
In this example the risks inherent in coach transport are addressed through policies detailed in the Schools Reference Guide and may not require a closer look. The risks involved in the mini-bus transport are likely to require further examination as detailed in Step 4 (Risk register).
Step 4 - Risk register
List the agreed 12-20 key risks of the excursion in the Risk Register.
For example:
| Risk Description (Describe the risk event, causes and consequences) |
Existing Controls (Describe any existing policy, procedure, practice or device that acts to minimise a particular risk) |
|---|---|
|
Steep terrain causing bicycle accident leading to injury |
|
Having listed your risks in the risk register the final step is to rate the risks. There are three stages to rating the risks:
Stage 1 - Assessing the effectiveness of risk controls
Assess the Effectiveness of the controls you have listed. In your judgement would you rate the effectiveness of the existing controls as Satisfactory, Poor, or Unknown?
Stage 2 - Assessing the consequences of the risk
Assess the consequences of the risk should it eventuate. Use the risk consequence rating table to help make a judgement about the severity of the consequence should it occur as described.
| Consequence rating | Consequence description |
|---|---|
| Major | Fatality and/or severe irreversible disability to one or more persons. |
| Moderate | Moderate irreversible injury or impairment to one or more persons. |
| Minor | Hospitalisation required. Largely reversible injury to one or more persons. |
| Insignificant | Reversible injury requiring treatment. |
Stage 3 - Choosing the likelihood rating of risk occurring
The final step in risk rating is to choose the Likelihood rating that reflects the likelihood of the risk consequence actually occurring.
Ratings:
- Almost certain -more than likely to happen
- Likely - 50-50 chance of happening
- Unlikely - may occur, but not expected to.
- Rare - extremely unlikely, except in exceptional circumstances
For example:
| Risk Description |
Existing Controls |
Rating |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Describe the risk event, causes and consequences
|
Any existing policy, procedure, practice or device that acts to minimise a particular risk | Effectiveness of existing controls
|
Consequence of the risk
|
Likelihood of the risk consequence occurring
|
| Steep terrain causing bicycle accident leading to injury |
|
Satisfactory
|
Major Moderate Minor Insignificant |
Almost certain |
Having documented the risk ratings you then need to determine whether risk treatment is required.
Determining risk treatment
The table below gives a visual representation of risk consequence and likelihood. You can prioritise each risk and it's treatment, to help determine the overall risk rating.
Risks situated in the red section require treatment, those in the green section must be monitored.
Risk treatment priority table
| Risk description | Existing controls | Rating | Decision | Treatment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steep terrain causing bicycle accident leading to injury |
|
Satisfactory Poor Unknown |
Major Moderate Minor Insignificant |
Almost certain Likely Unlikely Rare |
Treat Monitor |
No steep desecents to occur on day one of the cycle tour. MS responsible to ensure route plan reflects this requirement before cycle tour commences. All staff to confer before each steep descent (these are noted on the route description). |
Step 5 - Review
At the completion of Step 4, review whether the identified risks and documented controls and treatments are acceptable to proceed with the excursion.
This should be undertaken by the group who participated in Step 3.
The completed Risk register becomes the risk management plan that should be submitted with your completed Proforma for excursions and activities requiring school council approval (Word - 146Kb)
More information
For further information about student safety and risk management, see: Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide section 4.4.