Children should be risk savvy on school trips

Released 22/12/2010

Occupational safety group backs government plans for simpler school trip process, and calls for balanced risk education on the curriculum

Schools should be teaching children how to be risk-savvy rather than cancelling trips and adventure activities, a leading health and safety body has said.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has backed Government plans to simplify the process for schools organising trips - but it also wants balanced risk education to be part of the curriculum for pupils.

IOSH made the comments in response to a wide-ranging UK Government review of health and safety.

Lord Young of Graffham's review findings - ‘Common Sense, Common Safety' - were published in October after Prime Minister David Cameron ordered a fresh look at health and safety and the red tape surrounding classrooms and school trips. IOSH published its response - Getting the Balance Right - this week ahead of a line of Government consultations on the review.

"We agree with the principle of simplifying the process that schools follow before taking children on trips," says IOSH. "School students should get to try out new experiences away from the confines of the classroom - and be encouraged to learn to think independently. We believe that teaching children to be risk-savvy will set them up for life."

But the Institution warned against a cut in red tape meaning a cut in the quality of care we offer our children. "It's critical to make sure that trips are well planned and managed," says IOSH.

"We look forward to seeing detailed proposals around the idea of introducing a risk-benefit assessment system for schools and the suggestion to separate ‘play and leisure from workplace contexts'."

At present the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are trialling an online classroom risk assessments. The risk assessment expects individual teachers and teaching assistants to consider and control risk in their own classroom and consider issues such as asbestos, violence and aggression. However, IOSH fears the tool kit will result in inconsistencies and duplication of resources for teachers in hard-pressed schools.

Chartered IOSH member David Garioch, who is responsible for the health and safety of 60 primary, secondary and special schools in the London borough of Sutton, said: "The classroom assessment is more geared up to an inspection - not a critical review of significant hazards in the school.

"Surely it's better for managers, teachers and non-teaching staff to work together to assess and manage risks than having the added bureaucracy of teachers doing individual room assessments."

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