What risk assessment is required for school Orienteering

What are the risks?

Orienteering is a vigorous sporting activity and it is possible for competitors to fall and twist ankle or sustain cuts and bruises. Heat exhaustion can be an issue in longer events run in hot conditions. Snake bite is possible but almost unheard of. Getting temporarily 'lost' is part of the sport but rarely lasts longer than a few minutes. Getting seriously lost can be a concern when orienteering in remote and unbounded bush locations or when students make their way off the map.

Department of Education Guidance: EQ has issued two Curriculum Activity Risk Assessments, based on the type of terrain being used for the Orienteering activity. These can be found at http://education.qld.gov.au/strategic/eppr/health/hlspr012/index1.html under 'Outdoor Rec' and not sport as you might expect. Based on these Risk Assessments you will need to consider carefully the type of terrain you use.

1. School Grounds
Orienteering in school ground requires no specific Risk Assessment or specialist competency to run events on these maps, and should be considered as a normal PE lesson.
2. Park Terrain
Park terrain is defined in the Risk Assessment as terrain "that is modified, semi-natural or managed with clearly defined containment features". Park terrain is rated as Medium Risk and a Risk Assessment is required. A Level O coaching qualification or appropriate skills and experience is required to conduct the event. The Park Terrain Risk Assessment can be found at:
http://education.qld.gov.au/strategic/eppr/health/hlspr012/resources/parkorienteering.pdf.
3. Bush Terrain
A bush land setting is defined as "one that is natural, generally unmodified with little, no or poorly defined containment features". Rated as High Risk by EQ, a Risk Assessment is required with a Level 1 Orienteering coach required to conduct the event. The Bush Terrain Risk Assessment can be found at:
http://education.qld.gov.au/strategic/eppr/health/hlspr012/resources/orienteerbush.pdf

Risk Assessment

The risk involved in orienteering must be assessed based on a number of factors, including:

Risk Management

The EQ risk Assessments provide a full listing of suggested risk control measures, and the following advice may also be useful.

Primary school students should do most of their orienteering in school ground with more advanced events in parks, focusing on map skills. High school students should start in the school grounds or parks and progress to bush terrain when they have gained basic competence in the use of map and compass. You should select your park and bush map areas so the risk of injury or loss of students is minimized avoiding steep escarpments and deep gullies. Set your courses so that they are backed or bounded by 'defined containment features' such as roads, fences, major clearings or clear well used tracks. Many metropolitan bush areas are contained by major roads or fences and could be reasonably classified as 'park' terrain for the purposes of risk assessment. Don't run courses in extreme heat or cold and don't start late in the afternoon, when overdue students may find themselves in failing light.

Coaching Qualifications

Information on how to get coaching qualification can be found here.

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