Health and Safety Guidelines for Field Visits Lulworth, Dorset.

Recommended Dorset County Council staff:pupil ratios

Minimum 2 staff with each group at all times.

Near Water Hazards (e.g. Rivers or sea.)

Primary 1:6
Secondary 1:10

Designate a person to raise help - ensure that one adult in each group is designated to raise the alarm in case of emergency. School staff should decide in advance what should happen if a child has to leave their group for any reason, who should then be in charge of that child and the remainder of the group.

Trained first aiders - each school should have a trained first aider on the trip.

First aid kits - must be available at all times. Each group of children should have one with them if they are to be split up on site.

Carry list of grid references in 1st Aid Kit

Lulworth Cove SY 826 799
Bindon Hill SY 826 804
Hambury Tout Footpath SY 815 803
Durdle Door SY 806 803

Carry telephone Nos. Heritage Centre 01929 400587

Durdle Door Holiday Park 01929 400200

Mobile Phones - Do not work at Lulworth Cove and are unreliable at Durdle Door. There is an emergency phone at Lulworth Cove.

Brief all party members about site hazards.

Hazards

HAZARD	EXAMPLES	ACTION
Getting lost on site		Check child nos. at frequent intervals and arrange rendezvous point in case child becomes separated from group.
Poisonous animals and plants	Adders Henbane etc. Wounds from Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Bramble	Advise children to keep away from snakes and not to touch plants unless told.
Diseases	Lymes disease from ticks on Downland, Tetanus	Dorset is high risk for Tetanus.
Sunburn		Advise lotion and hats in summer.
Dehydration		Advise each child to carry water.
Exposure	Hypothermia from chilling winds and wet weather.	Advise group to wear appropriate clothing.
Injury from slipping/tripping on rough terrain	Rough ground, loose material on paths, slippery grass and clay.	Advise group to wear stout footwear, preferably boots.
Machinery	Rarely farm machinery on site. Boat winches, fishing gear.	Advise group not to touch.
Physical Hazards	Glass in sand, electric fencing, barbed wire, pier.	Raise awareness of potential dangers.
Dangerous manmade objects	Metal objects (possibly live) from Army Range rarely found on beaches	DO NOT TOUCH, ADVISE COASTGUARD, KEEP PUBLIC AWAY
Disturbance of local populations	Noise levels on site from groups.	Ask groups to respect local residents.
Livestock	Dairy herds and beef stock. Usually placid - cows with young calves can be aggressive.	Advise group to walk quietly when in occupied fields. Do not enter fields with bulls.
Weather	Heavy rain, fog, strong or gusting winds, snow etc.	Check weather and adjust program if necessary. Retain right to cancel due to serious weather conditions.
Local site hazards	High speed winds with gusts. Noise from live firing range.	(See above)
Waves/Tides/Offshore currents		Advise children not to enter water.
Hammering Rocks		Do not hammer rocks. This is a geological SSSI.
Beaches cut off by tides		Check tide times before setting out.
Violent wave action on headlands		Do not allow group onto dangerous headlands.
Loose or Slippery Rocks	Loose or wet rocks or rocks covered by wet or slippery weed.	Advise group not to walk over.
Covered fissures	Covered fissures are rare but potentially dangerous.	Advise group not to walk over.
Loose/soft cliffs liable to fall	All cliffs are potentially dangerous.	Do not stand under, on the edge of or climb up cliffs.
Litter/Pollution	Sewage, botulism from dead seabirds.	Do not touch if found. Site rangers to wear protective clothing to recover.
Dangerous man made objects	Metal objects (possibly live) from Army Range rarely found on beaches	DO NOT TOUCH, ADVISE COASTGUARD, KEEP PUBLIC AWAY
Animals	Sea anemones, jellyfish, crabs , rarely scorpion fish, razor shells.	Do not touch sea anemones or jellyfish. Always wash hands after seashore sessions.
Blowing grit/sand		Carry eye wash in 1st Aid
Equipment	Ranging poles / pond nets etc	Carry correctly and hold poles if they won't push into the beach.

N.B. This is not intended to be a fully comprehensive list of all hazards.

Please check your own LEA safety guidelines for outdoor education before participating in any field visit.

General Safety

Clothing: Wear stout shoes or boots. Carry waterproof clothing. Bring a hat suited to the time of year.

Cliffs: All cliffs are potentially dangerous. Do not stand under, or on the edge of or climb up cliffs.

Tides: Some of the beaches can be cut off by tides. Please check tide times before setting out.

Dehydration: Please bring a drink, especially if you are walking to Durdle Door in summer.

On the Day

In addition to those hazards on the list, the following must be satisfied before setting off.

The group has a first aider and a first aid kit.
Dangers of the cliffs and the sea are pointed out to everyone in the group.
At no time should pupils be ahead of the group leader.
That the going can be wet/muddy and/or slippery if it has been raining.
Any special needs are accounted for.
The group has clear instructions of how to respond in case of an emergency.