SAFETY IN OUTDOOR

EDUCATION
Stella Antoniadou Maurer
Kokkinoxoria Gymnasium -Ammoxostos
Cyprus
Assistant Principal/Biology Teacher
Field trip Safety and Advice
The world is your classroom!
Learning can and should
happen everywhere.
Field trips have been a part of
education for thousands of years.
 WHY TAKE FIELD TRIPS?
Study: Students Really Do Learn Stuff on Field
Trips
Field trips expand children's learning through
active hands-on experience with the rich
resources of the local community.
Field trips increase student knowledge and
understanding of a subject and add realism to
the topic of study.

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Akrotiri environmental centre
cc
Collecting organisms to study them!
Medieval bridge -Kelephos
In Poland- cooking our sausages!
 What makes a Good Leader
Be attentive to your students physical and
mental well being throughout your journey.
Constant risk assessment
Students should experience their outing in this
order - to learn, enjoy an adventure, and be
safe
Leaders should have the reverse order in mind
safety first, educate/provide adventure, adjust
according to your groups desires
 Experience is the best teacher
Is this slope dangerous today? can everyone in
my group handle this route? What sort of
alternatives do I have? Have a plan B in mind.

If it not as safe as you would like it, can we

add safety with more leaders/kit. A rope or
other kit
Avagas gorge ( )
Millomeris path
loco parentis, Latin for "in the place of a parent" or
"instead of a parent.
loco parentis, Latin for "in the place of a parent" or
"instead of a parent.
Good Samaritan laws are laws or acts protecting those
who choose to serve and tend to others who are
injured or ill.
*A current first aid certificate or at least good
knowledge of first aid should be obtain by people
taking students on fieldtrips
 Current school policy Highlights for
fieldtrips:
14 students to 1 adult
Foreign trips require two staff one of which
needs to be a women
The destination and types of activities
involved, skill of the leaders should all be
considering in deciding the appropriate
student to teacher ratio
 Before you go:

Obtain signed permission slips from parents outlining the

activities you will be doing and contact numbers in case of
an emergency
Make a list of emergency contact phone numbers including
best local resources for help
Such as 1407 for the forestry service or 112 for European
wide emergencies

Ask for all medical concerns/medications students are

taking

Hold a current first aid certificate if possible

 Have recent experience of the area you want
to visit maps dont show recent changes
Check weather!!! - University of Athens UOA
weather site, or underground weather, BBC
Other training required? Life guard skills for
water activities, advanced navigation skills for
hiking in remote/mountainous areas.
 Always plan for the worse and hope
for the best
An injury can leave your party exposed to the elements for
hours
Storms can come up quickly in the mountains lightening is a
big killer if caught out consider:
Getting out the group shelter, sitting on your bags/rucksacks,
a third of the way down a slope away from individual trees,
etc
Have students keep knees to chest and everything off the
ground
Lightening can travel along the ground and around small caves
and crevasses
Lightening can pass quite quickly some time 15-20 mins
 Risk consider the consequence and
the chance of the event occurring
Be prepared to help students before
hypothermia or heat exhaustion becomes a
problem for the group
Know what to do in case of a poisonous snake
bite
Keep calm, dont cut or suck venom, dont let
victim walk, evacuate immediately, keep bite
below heart if possible, keep dead snake for
identification if possible.
Its better to practice avoidance of the
most dangerous threats
Snakes often warm themselves on roads and
trails early in the day and seek shade in the
mid day heat
Often near water sources/in streams- can be
in trees
Lead from front when worried about snakes
Carry a walking pole, beat down grass
Keep tents zipped up
 Water as a hazard
Water, avoid swollen streams - much more
dangerous than they seem

Carry a throw rope

Survival bag/extra jumper

Have shelter/transport nearby

 Carry the proper kit:
Students need appropriate clothing, shoes, water, food, any
medication needed, mobile phone (stored away while walking)
 Leaders should check students equipment and supplies before
leaving the school send them to buy water/snacks, lend
students a waterproof jacket, warm hat, etc. (bring a bag of extra
with you someone will always be missing something)
 Leaders bag/kit

Everything you need to look after yourself plus:

A group shelter
First Aid kits
Charged mobile packed in plastic
Emergency phone lists/contacts
Extra sweets, snacks, hot/cold water, isostar, fruit juice
A rope
GPS
Avalanche gear for ski trips (can be rented)
 Be selective, some parent/volunteers are
more of hindrance than a help, get to know
people before you commit to a difficult trip
In many cases mature students can be
fantastic assistants
Treat your assistants to lunch, give them
copies of emergency phone list, inform them
of any students with special needs/concerns
or [ the ones to pay special attention to], lend
them any additional special equipment they
may need eg. a rucksac
So get out there and create amazing
memories !!!