Risky School Field Trips
Skiing and snowboarding represent over 40 per cent of the injuries reported on school field trips, and have led to two fatalities since 1995. Snowblading and tubing are relatively new activities. Both are also high-risk, and require a high level of supervision as well as expertise.
Snow and ice sliding (sledding and toboganning) may seem less risky. However, they can cause serious injuries to children. Although the number of claims and injuries are relatively few, when an injury occurs, it is serious. This activity accounted for 25 per cent of the claims payments for field trips.
The Ontario School Boards Insurance Exchange (OSBIE) is advising school boards to ask the following questions when planning ANY school activity:
- Risk Avoidance - Do we need to do it?
- Risk Assessment - If we do it, is it foreseeable that someone can be injured?
- Risk Reduction - What can we do to prevent an injury?
Asking these questions can quickly determine whether the activity is appropriate for the students, and whether a school has the qualified staff to undertake the activity safely.
OSBIE reminds anyone organizing a school field trip not to forget the biggest single question: Is there any educational value to this trip?
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