Unit 4.3 Fieldtrip safety
Before going on a fieldtrip know the children in your care. Is the activity appropriate for your group? Do you have children who need extra support? Will you have lunch at the fieldtrip site?
Make sure all circumstances are beneficial for the fieldtrip to be successful and increase the number of staff to create a smaller staff / child ratio. If you have never been to the fieldtrip site before it will be a good idea to have one person scout out the site first and report possible safety hazards and concerns.
Review safety practices with the children before you take them out of their usual environment.
- Use a buddy system to keep the group together
- Teach children the name of the child care setting
- Practice with the children how to ask for help if they get lost
- Explain the boundaries of the play area properly
- Do a regular head count
- Carry with you the emergency /first aid bag including the children’s emergency consent cards and a cell phone
Teach children safety skills (e.g. never talk to strangers, never approach strange animals, street safety rules, etc.)
If a child has wandered off / has become lost take these steps at once:
- Secure the group with a responsible adult
- Scan and search the area for the lost child (no longer than 5 minutes)
- Call the police after an immediate search has not located the child
- Inform the parents
- Have a description of the child ready and the emergency card available
Analyze and debrief the incident with staff and the children. Use the teachable moment with the children and develop appropriate recommendations. Implement necessary changes to your fieldtrip safety plan to avoid the possibility of a reoccurrence.