Grades 912 PEHE OUTofclass Safety Handbook

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Grades 9-12 PE/HEOUT-of-class Safety Handbook
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PURPOSE

• The OUT-of-class Safety Handbook has been
  developed to provide support to school
  communities to
• promote safe participation for OUT-of-class
  Physical Activity in Gr.9-12 PE/HE
• Assist schools/divisions in developing local
  policy and procedures re. risk management for
  P.A. Practicum
• provide teachers with general risk management
  information to share with students/parents for
  P.A. Practicum
• provide students/parents with activity specific
  risk management strategies for P.A. Practicum

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Safety Handbook Table of Contents

• Overview of Risk Management Information
• Safety, Liability Insurance
• Developing a local policy
• Appendices
• Sample policy
• Sign-off forms
• Guidelines for students parents/guardians
• Activity Safety Checklists

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BACKGROUND

• Schools and school divisions are required to
  develop a risk management policy related to the
  OUT-of-class physical activity practicum, as well
  as provide risk management measures and a teacher
  and parent/guardian sign-off process that aligns
  with government policy.
• Implementation of Grades 11 and 12 Physical
  Education/Health Education A Policy Document
  (p.13)

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Out-of-class Activities 2 Categories

• Schoolbased activities (e.g., sports teams,
  intramurals and clubs) school board staff are
  responsible for safety
• Non-school based activities (e.g., community
  sports teams, dance classes at local studio,
  working out at home) parents (student under 18)
  and students are responsible for safety

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The purpose of the sign-off process is to provide
written evidence that

• the student and parent have been informed about
  the safety and risk management measures
• the student and parent have accepted the
  responsibility for their safety in the physical
  activities chosen as part of the OUTof class
  physical activity practicum
• the student has completed the requirements of the
  physical activity practicum

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Pre-Sign-off Process includes the following steps

• School provides information to students/ parents
  re. course delivery model
• PE/HE teacher provides student orientation re.
  practicum requirements, Personal Activity Plan,
  risk management
• Student selects eligible activities in
  consultation with the PE/HE teacher and parents,
  and as per divisional policy
• Student develops a Physical Activity Plan with
  teacher guidance which includes safety and risk
  management information
• Teacher accepts the proposed plan based on
  criteria for completion
• Parent (or student 18 years and older) approves
  the Physical Activity Plan and accepts
  responsibility for monitoring the students safety

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The purpose of the teacher pre-sign-off for
non-school based and/or out-of-class school-based
activities is to

• show acceptance of the plan (i.e. that the
  student has met the criteria for completion
  addressing factors such as personal goals,
  frequency of participation, intensity level,
  amount of time, type of physical activity)
• acknowledge that the student has demonstrated an
  understanding in managing risks and appropriate
  planning related to physical activity
• ensure the student is aware of the safety
  guidelines information and associated
  responsibilities for discussion with parents for
  their approval

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The purpose of the parent pre-sign-off is to

• agree with the students choice of physical
  activities
• assume responsibility for monitoring their
  childs safety during participation in these
  activities

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• The purpose of the parent post-sign-off is to
  show that the student has participated in a
  minimum of 55 hours of moderate to vigorous
  physical activity that is safe, ethical and
  developmentally appropriate.

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COMPONENTS OF RISK

• Level of risk of the activity
• Level of instruction
• Level of supervision
• Facilities
• Environment
• Equipment
• Clothing/footwear
• Personal considerations

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RISK FACTOR RATING
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ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

• Safe, ethical, developmentally appropriate
• Gr.11-12 moderate to vigorous (55 hours)
• Included in Physical Activity Inventory
• If not listed in Physical Activity Inventory
• Must be approved according to local policy
• If inherently dangerous prohibited or limited by
  conditions (level of supervision)

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SCHOOL-BASED Out-of-Class Physical Activities
LIABILITY

• The Supreme Court of Canada has said that to
  determine whether a physical education teacher
  has not been negligent or in breach of the
  necessary and appropriate standard of care, the
  following criteria must be considered
• Is the activity sanctioned by the school
  administration and school authority?
• Is the activity suitable to the age, mental and
  physical condition of the participant(s)?
• Have students been informed of the risks and
  responsibilities (e.g., safety procedures,
  behavior expectations and consequences) of
  participation?

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SCHOOL-BASED Out-of-Class Physical Activities
LIABILITY

• Have the participants been progressively taught
  and coached to perform the activity properly and
  to identify and manage the risks inherent in the
  activity and environment?
• Is the equipment adequate and suitable for the
  activity?
• Is the activity being supervised properly for the
  inherent risk involved?
• YouthSafe, Safety First, p.7-8

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ESTABLISHING LIABILITY

• To establish liability, the courts require the
  plaintiff to show
• he or she was owed a duty of care by the
  defendant
• the defendant should have met a particular
  standard of care in order to fulfill that duty
• the defendant breached his/her duty of care by
  not meeting the relevant standard of care
• the breach of duty caused injury to the
  plaintiff and
• the injury was not too remote a consequence of
  the breach so as to render the defendant not
  liable for its occurrence.

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NON-SCHOOL-BASED Out-of-Class Physical Activities
LIABILITY

• In respect to non-school based OUT-of-class
  activities for PE/HE, protection from liability
  is not required when the teachers are not
  instructing or supervising the activity and are
  not required to investigate whether the
  instructor of the OUT-of-class program is
  competent to instruct and has a facility and
  equipment that provides reasonable safeguards
  against death or injury.

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SAFETY, LIABILITY INSURANCE

• The Manitoba Association of School Trustees
  (MAST) provides liability insurance protection of
  30,000,000 per occurrence to all public school
  divisions in Manitoba.
• The Manitoba Teachers Society liability
  insurance policy would provide 5,000,000
  coverage to teachers acting in the course of
  their duties as teachers, which would also apply
  to injuries arising in the OUT-of-class component
  of the course.
• MAST also provides an option to school divisions
  to purchase universal first party student
  accident insurance (provides coverage for
  OUT-of-class activities).
• 24/7 student insurance coverage (eg. Reliable
  Life). This is optional for parents/guardians.

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PROMOTING SAFE PARTICIPATION

• Provide adequate safety information
• Restrict high-risk activity choices
• Obtain informed consent of parent/student
• (Sign-off Process)
• Provide regular managing
• and evaluation.