Excursions

Emergency or critical incident management

For local excursion emergency or critical incident management, schools must complete the relevant sections within the Risk assessment for local excursions (DOCX) (staff login required).

For all other excursions, schools must complete the Excursion risk register and emergency management plan (ERREMP) template (DOCX), editing and adding emergency response procedures relevant to their excursion.

The Example interstate camp excursion risk register and emergency management plan (DOCX) contains only interstate specific emergency response procedures. For interstate excursions schools can, as needed, copy and paste these interstate specific emergency response procedures into their Excursions risk register and emergency management plan (ERREMP) template (DOCX). Schools must edit interstate specific emergency response procedures to ensure relevance for their excursion.

For adventure activities (including swimming and water-based activities), schools can insert specific emergency response procedures from the Adventure activity specific risk register and emergency management plans.

The ERREMP must have clearly written emergency response procedures that:

• address the causes and consequences (rated moderate or above) of all risks identified in the risk register
• are understood by those involved in the excursion (this may, where appropriate, include a trial evacuation exercise carried out at the venue to ensure that procedures are appropriate and staff and students are familiar with them)
• include:
  • rescue, resuscitation and first aid procedures
  • how to contact a doctor, ambulance or emergency service
  • how to maintain situational awareness at all times (for example, weather forecasts for outdoors activities)
  • the effects of an emergency on student supervision in the event of excursion staff being required to assist injured students or to go for help
  • support for students who may have difficulty communicating in an emergency because of age or disability and ways to manage any specific risks to these students in an emergency
• cover arrangements if the excursion needs to be cancelled, recalled or altered (for example, due to forecast severe weather conditions, changes to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade travel advice or an emergency) as per Excursions: Weather and emergency warnings and Excursions: Overseas travel. This must include arrangements for communicating with parents/carers, refer to: Excursions: Communications
• where relevant, are consistent with the procedures used by venue owners, managers or rescue and life-saving services.

The teacher in direct control of the group is responsible for implementation of the procedures, which may include the involvement of others who have more experience in dealing with emergencies.

To support the development of the emergency management plan, schools may view the Sample emergency responses procedures (DOCX), which outlines key actions in a variety of emergency situations (such as bushfire, flood, hypothermia, hyperthermia).

In the event of an emergency, accident or injury:

• staff on the excursion must:
  • take emergency action to establish safety as per the emergency management plan
  • immediately notify the school principal or designated school contact
• the principal or designated school contact:
  • must make arrangements for the incident to be recorded by calling the department’s Incident Support and Operations Centre (ISOC) on 1800 126 126 (24 hours)
  • may obtain further information, such as statements from witnesses, where required to provide appropriate support to affected students or to properly document the incident and retain these on file. Any such documents must be managed in accordance with the Privacy and Information Sharing policy
  • must ensure that details of accidents or incidents are recorded on the injury management system on eduSafe Plus (staff login required).

For further information refer to Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies).