Outdoor Adventure Activities:
Activity-Specific Mandatory Practices
Page 110 of 112
Outdoor Adventure Activities: Activity-Specific Mandatory Guidelines
Updated: December 2017
Table of Contents
1 Definitions 5
2 Approved Outdoor Adventure Activities 7
3 Banned Outdoor Adventure Activities 8
4 Outdoor Adventure Activities Online Application System 9
5 BUSH AND TRAIL 10
5.1 Bushwalking and Day Walks 10
5.2 Bushwalking - Overnight 14
5.3 Cycle Touring 17
5.4 Horse Trekking 20
5.5 Mountain Biking 22
5.6 Obstacle Course Races 25
5.7 Orienteering 27
6 CAMPING 29
6.1 Base Camping 29
7 ROPE 31
7.1 Inspection Process For Climbing Equipment 31
7.2 Abseiling 34
7.3 Bouldering 37
7.4 Canyoning 39
7.5 Caving 42
7.6 Climbing Walls 45
7.7 High Rope Courses 48
7.8 Low Rope Courses (Challenge Ropes Courses) 50
7.9 Prusiking 52
7.10 Rock Climbing 55
7.11 Top Rope Climbing 58
8 SNOW 61
8.1 Cross Country Skiing – Day Trips Resort Based 61
8.2 Cross Country Skiing – Day Trips, Non Resort 63
8.3 Cross Country Skiing - Overnight 66
8.4 Snow Sports – Resort Based 69
9 WATER 72
9.1 Canoeing/Kayaking – Flat Water 72
9.2 Canoeing/Kayaking – White Water 74
9.3 Dragon Boating – Still Water 76
9.4 Ocean Sailing 78
9.5 Sail Boarding 80
9.6 Sailing – Dinghies And Catamarans 82
9.7 Scuba Diving - Introductory 84
9.8 Scuba Diving – Non Qualified 86
9.9 Scuba Diving - Qualified 88
9.10 Sea Kayaking 90
9.11 Snorkeling - Beginners 93
9.12 Snorkeling - Qualified 96
9.13 Surf Activities 99
9.14 Swimming - waters not affected by surf 102
9.15 Waterskiing 105
9.16 White Water Rafting 107
10 APPENDICES 109
10.1 Rope-Based Activity Equipment Register 109
10.2 Rope-Based Activity Log 110
1 Definitions
Accompanying Adults: include teachers, school administrative staff, parents/carers activity leaders and community members who have appropriate documentation.
Activity Leader: (or leader) is the person with the relevant qualifications and/or experience to lead the activity. The activity leader may be for example, a canoeing expert who is not necessarily a teacher.
Activity-Specific Procedures: are the mandatory guidelines relating to specific physical activities contained in the Physical Education and Outdoor Adventure Activities: Activity-Specific Mandatory Guidelines.
Australian Standards: are documents setting out specific specifications, procedures and guidelines. They are designed to ensure products, services and systems are safe, reliable and consistent.
Banned Outdoor Adventure Activities: are activities not appropriate for schools or colleges. A list can be found on page 8.
Challenge by Choice – see definition notes
Commercial Operator: listed on Outdoor Adventure Activities Online application database system and approved by the Directorate for delivery of Outdoor Adventure Activities.
Duty of care: is a legal duty requiring teachers to take all reasonable measures to prevent harm to any school student under their care. This duty of care arises whenever a student-teacher relationship exists.
Excursion: refers to a teacher supervised, school-organised activity involving students and is directly related to the curriculum of the school.
Hours of Duty: are the times teachers have duty of care of students, including excursions and activities outside normal school hours.
Impact Codes: All outdoor adventure activities programs should be based on a minimum impact code and students encouraged to care for the environment. Students should become knowledgeable about current minimum impact practices for different environments and situations, leave the environment the same as, or better, that it was when they arrived and dispose of bodily waste properly.
Informed Consent: means that parents/carers give written agreement to their child participating in an activity after they have been made aware of the details of the activity including its associated risks and costs.
Non Remote: is generally a location that is not more than 30 minutes from a reliable telephone service, not more than 20 minutes from vehicle access, and less than one and a half hours from access to medical assistance.
Outdoor Adventure: is a dynamic form of education involving outdoor activities with potential risks.
Outdoor Adventure Activities: are a dynamic form of education that potentially place students at a higher level of perceived risk than in a usual school. The higher level of risk is due to the nature of the activity (for example, rock climbing, canoeing, skiing) or the circumstances in which the activity takes place (for example, a remote setting, a river or mountain environment, or in bad weather). A comprehensive list can be found in the table of contents.
Parent/Carers (s): refers to adults with parental responsibilities, including carers.
PFD: Personal Flotation Device also referred to as a life jacket is a piece of equipment designed to assist a wearer to keep afloat in water.
PLB: Personal Locator Beacon is a device carried by a bushwalker which when activated transmits a message, which is received by satellites orbiting the Earth, and is then relayed to emergency services.
Policy: means the related document (Outdoor Adventure Activities: Activity-Specific Mandatory Guidelines including all attachments).
Procedures: are the detailed and specific steps and processes to be observed in the planning and delivery of outdoor adventure activities.
Qualified: refers to having the appropriate qualifications to complete training or task.
Remote: is a location that is more than 30 minutes from a reliable telephone service, more than 20 minutes from vehicle access, and more than 90 minutes or one-and-a-half hours from access to medical assistance.
Risk Assessment and Management Plan: is the Directorate’s planning template to support identification and analysis of risk
Safety and Emergency Contingency Plan: refers to the written plan detailing the safety and emergency procedures the group will follow on the outdoor adventure activity.
Sport: is the collective term for all physical activity formalised by a set of rules, usually competition based and can occur within the physical education curriculum and/or as an extracurricular activity.
Staff: refers to employees responsible for undertaking outdoor adventure activity or event.
Suitably Qualified: refers to the sports coach or teacher.
Supervision Ratio: refers to the supervisor to student ratio. The ratio will vary with each activity. Please refer to the Outdoor Adventure Activities: Activity-Specific Mandatory Guidelines for activity specific ratios.
Teacher in charge: is the teacher designated by the principal to organise the activity and have ultimate responsibility and therefore authority while the activity is in progress.
Urban Setting: surroundings or environment occurring or situated in a city or town. Urban can include school premises and locations such as parkland or small contained areas of very open woodland.
APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS
7.2 Some activities are not subject to the Mandatory Guidelines and therefore an Application for Approval of Outdoor Adventure Activities is not required.
• Canberra Yacht Club sailing
• aqua bikes on Lake Burley Griffin
• paddleboats on Lake Burley Griffin
• trips to local parks
• cycle touring on bicycle paths in Canberra
• visits to local pools
• simple day walks within urban areas and Canberra parks
• bouldering on Canberra urban walls
• Orienteering non-remote.
7.2.1 The teacher in-charge is still required to:
• obtain approval for the activity from the principal of the school as per your school’s excursion policy
• collect current medical information forms and permission notes
• provide group preparation and guidelines to students and their
parents
5.2 Activity leaders are categorised as either:
• Leaders who require demonstrated and documented experience, or
• Leaders who require formal qualifications.
5.2.1 Activities requiring activity leaders with demonstrated and
documented experience are:
• base camping
• bouldering
• bushwalking (in non-remote areas)
· Obstacle Course Races
• shore fishing
• snow sports – resort based
5.2.2 Activities requiring activity leaders with formal qualifications
are:
• abseiling
• bushwalking (in remote areas)
• canoeing/kayaking
• canyoning
• caving
• cross-country skiing
• dragon boating
• high and low rope courses
• horse trekking
• mountain biking
• ocean sailing
• prusiking
• rock climbing
• sailing, dinghies and catamarans
• sail boarding
• scuba diving
• sea kayaking
• snorkeling
• surf craft activities
• swimming
• top rope climbing
• waterskiing/wakeboarding
• white water rafting
7.3 The activities listed below are still subject to
Mandatory Guidelines but do not require an Application for Approval of
Outdoor Adventure Activities:
• mountain biking – on school based tracks
• canoeing/kayaking on Lake Burley Griffin, Lake Ginninderra or Lake
Tuggeranong (lesson or day excursion)
• rock climbing/climbing walls/abseiling at schools, commercially operated climbing walls.
• training sessions in urban pools
• base camping activities
2 Banned Outdoor Adventure Activities
The following activities are not appropriate for schools or colleges and are banned from being undertaken:
· moving black water rafting
· bungee jumping
· cave diving using scuba
· gliding
· hang-gliding
· ice climbing
· jet skiing
· luge
· ocean rock fishing – from rocks subject to ocean swells
· open water sail boarding
· skydiving
· snow tobogganing
· activities involving firearms
· paintball
· activities involving hunting of land-based animals
· spear fishing
· use of other than purpose-designed craft on moving water or white water (for example, inner tubes)
3 Outdoor Adventure Activities Online Application System
The outdoor adventure activities online application system must be used for all outdoor adventure activities within Australia.
The online application involves a four-step process including the collection and creation of appropriate documentation. Applications must be submitted three weeks prior to the activity.
The system can be accessed at https://outdoored.ed.act.edu.au/.
Log in credentials are as per the ed.act.ed.au computers for example:
· Username: firstname_lastname
· Password: personal password.
Search for Destination
· Use the ‘Find’ button to search for your destination.
Application Details
· Complete the various fields on this page and enter the principals email address so they can progress the application.
Associate an Activity
· Add each individual activity and nominate the provider if using an external provider.
· New providers are added by contacting Learning and Teaching (02) 6205 9204 or by email .
Accompanying Adults and Teachers
· Add the accompanying adults and teachers attending the activity.
4 BUSH AND TRAIL
4.1 Bushwalking and Day Walks
These procedures must be followed for all walks into remote areas, including whole day walks and shorter walks.
Activity Leader Qualifications/Experience
The activity leader must possess:
· Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate III or IV in outdoor recreation with specialisation in bushwalking or
· AQF outdoor recreation industry
§ Bushwalk Guide Controlled Environment skillset (SISSS00015)
· or equivalent.demonstrated and documented experience in this activity (for example, a logbook) including:
§ local knowledge of the area to be covered
§ expertise in the use of map and compass
§ appropriate bush craft abilities such as fire lighting in adverse weather
§ experience in supervising students in this environment
§ sound knowledge of search and rescue and emergency procedures.
First Aid
· At least one accompanying adult, not a student, must hold a current first aid certificate and a comprehensive first aid kit appropriate to the activity must be carried.
· For remote settings, it is a requirement that at least one accompanying adult, not a student, has a current Wilderness or Remote Area first aid certificate.
Group Preparation
The planning of bushwalking activities must take into account the physical development of all participants. Training should include:
· the importance of basic physical fitness
· navigation
· food and water requirements
· clothing and equipment requirements
· emergency procedures (for example, in the event of injury or a student becoming separated from the group)
· relevant impact codes and practices adhered to.
Supervision Ratio
· 1:15 in controlled environment (tracked or easy untracked areas)
· 1:8 in intermediate (difficult or trackless areas)
· 1:6 in uncontrolled environment (unmodified landscapes, as determined by the terrain).
Venue
· The venue should suit the ability of all participants.
· The activity leader should contact the local authorities (for example, National Parks Ranger) to obtain current information related to the area.
Clothing/Personal Items
· Footwear should be sturdy, comfortable and in good repair.
· Students prone to ankle injury will need shoes with ankle support.
· Where appropriate, warm headwear and a waterproof jacket with a hood should be carried/worn.
· Long trousers (not jeans) are preferable in many instances.
· Appropriate thermal clothing must be carried/worn if bushwalking is taking place under cold conditions or in the mountains.
· A sunhat must be worn when appropriate.
· Where appropriate, all participants should carry a comfortable daypack containing a pack liner, spare clothing, adequate food and water, a torch, matches, whistle, insect repellent, personal first aid kit
Equipment
· The activity leader should select equipment appropriate for the area, for example bivvy bag, lightweight tent, fly/tarpaulin, groundsheet, roll mat, stove.
· For day walks in the mountains, the activity leader should carry spare thermal clothing, a bivvy bag (perhaps even a sleeping bag), extra water and high energy food.
Communications Equipment
· Either a satellite phone or a mobile phone must be carried.
· Where appropriate, a UHF radio may be an acceptable form of communication.
· Where a mobile phone is carried, adequate phone coverage must be available and known prior to departure.
· A personal locator beacon (PLB) must be carried to remote locations and should be used only in an extreme emergency.
Safety Points
· The activity leader must be proficient in the use of map and compass.
· The activity leader must have appropriate bush craft abilities such as fire lighting in adverse weather.
· The activity leader must have experience in supervising students in this environment.
· The activity leader must have a sound knowledge of search and rescue and emergency procedures.
· The group should use the buddy system, with front and tail enders.