Safe Activity Planning

Overview

In the previous topic you were introduced to the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) and learnt about your rights and obligations as specified in this piece of legislation – the part you must play in making your workplace a safe environment for everyone.¹

The success of your activities involving young people can be measured in many ways, and safety is one of them. Activities can vary in size, nature, and type but all of them require the assessment, monitoring and control of risks.

In this topic you will be taken through the planning of a low-medium risk activity using a scenario to illustrate the phases of the planning process.

Task: Health and safety responsibilities in your role

Take some time to refresh your understanding of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

Think about the obligations that are set out in this legislation, as well as the safety-related roles and responsibilities you have as someone who works with young people.

Keep these things in mind as you work through this topic.

The activity scenario

You are planning a noho marae (an overnight stay on a marae) for a group of young people toexperience aspects of te ao Māori, to practise te reo Māori and to learn about kawa and tikanga. The group you are taking on to the marae is diverse. The size of the group is 50 young people plus the support staff (youth workers and volunteers).

You will be staying on a marae in the region for two nights. It is in the spring, so temperatures and weather will be variable. Transport to the marae will be by bus and two cars. No personal vehicles are allowed. The noho marae will be catered by the hau kāinga, the local people of the marae who come in to prepare meals. The young people are put into groups and a roster for setting/clearing tables and cleaning is set up.

Planned activities include listening to a kōrero about the history of the marae, a short bush walk to visit a wāhi tapu (sacred site) and some creative activities: making a kōauau (a flute-like wind instrument) out of clay, creating a waiata, re-enacting a local event. The young people will also put on a variety show (skits, music, etc.) after dinner on the second night to entertain the hau kāinga as a way of saying thank you.

There are several rooms for sleeping – the main wharenui and two wharemoe (sleeping houses). Sleeping arrangements will be determined according to your workplace policy, keeping in mind the restrictions or challenges of separating the young people on the basis of gender alone. This binary separation may create challenges.

Note: There is a short glossary of kupu Māori (Māori words) at the end of this topic to help you.

In this topic we will first discuss the phases of the risk assessment process in general terms, and then use a completed Risk Assessment and Management Strategy (RAMS) form to illustrate the specific hazards and risks considered for the scenario along with a consideration of risk ratings and appropriate controls to manage the risks/hazards.

Hazard identification

Hazard identification is the process of identifying/recognising the hazards that are associated with the activity. Identify the risks by considering the people involved (staff, young people, hau kāinga of the marae, other people involved in or supporting the activity) and their roles in the proposed activity.

The following groupings can be helpful with the identification of hazards:

• Human: size of group, characteristics of group members, expected levels of participation, tasks to be completed
• Technological: vehicles/transport, utilities (electricity/gas)
• Natural: the physical location of the activity, conditions of the site
• Environmental: weather, climatic conditions, other seasonal factors (e.g., pollen counts)

Risk assessment

You have learnt that risk assessment is the process of estimating or anticipating both the likelihood of an incident occurring and the potential harm caused by each hazard to determine its risk rating. By determining their relative levels of risk, you can prioritise higher risks to ensure you manage them in the most appropriate way.

In order to determine the risk rating, consider the following:

• The consequences if the hazardous event happens (severity of injury/illness)
• The likelihood of the hazardous event happening

You will find there are variations in the way the risk matrix is presented by different agencies. The risk assessment matrix on Site Safe’s webpage has the likelihood across the top and the severity down the side.² Whereas the example risk matrix provided by Waka Kotahi (New Zealand Transport Agency) has the likelihood and impact/consequence swapped around, as well as a system of number values to make it clearer how the individual risk ratings compare against each other.³

Task: Identify hazards and assess risks

Make a list of the hazards you have identified in the noho marae group activity scenario.

Use a risk matrix to see how you can rate/score the hazards you have identified. You should use the risk matrix that is provided as part of your workplace’s policy or guidance, but if your workplace does not provide a specific risk matrix (or their guidance is not applicable to the activity described in the scenario) then use one of the two examples linked to earlier.

When undertaking the risk assessment for a real activity, it is important to consult with the people who may be involved in the activity. For example, speaking with a representative from the hau kāinga at the marae to get their views and insights on potential hazards, protocols and risk management plans.

To control or manage the identified risks you need to work out the best method of handling the risk – this means eliminating or reducing the risk. The risk management process presents a ‘hierarchy of control’ which places control measures on a scale of effectiveness. The principle of ‘reasonably practicable’ applies here, so take some time to consider the concept that was presented in the previous topic.

Broadly, this hierarchy is divided by actions that eliminate the risk or those the minimise the risk.

Elimination: This means removing the hazard entirely. Eliminating a hazard also eliminates any risk associated with that hazard. If elimination is not ‘reasonably practicable’ then minimisation strategies should be used.

Minimisation: These actions aim to reduce the likelihood of incidents that would lead to undesirable outcomes or harm. You will often need to use multiple actions or controls on a single risk factor, if the risk rating is significant and it cannot be eliminated altogether.

Minimisation strategies can be categorised further:

• Substitution: replacing the hazardous materials or processes with less hazardous alternatives
• Isolating: isolating, enclosing, or containing the hazard so it won’t come into contact with people who could be put at risk
• Engineering controls: engineering a physical safety feature or adapting the equipment to reduce the risk
• Administrative controls: ensuring safe operating procedures are in place, such as effective training, induction and monitoring processes, and robust policies
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): ensuring the appropriate safety equipment (PPE), such as hard hats, hearing protection and gloves, are available and mandatory for those workers at risk

Task: Control measures for activity risks

Given the list of activities provided here, think about and note down some of the hazards of each activity and risks for the participants. Choose one of the activities and note down some controls that might be used to eliminate or minimise the risks. Remember that multiple controls could be used to manage one risk, if one control measure is not sufficient by itself.

• Swimming at an outdoor public swimming pool
• Working at an indoor music event
• A barbeque with family and friends

In this stage, your selected controls are instituted and used.

This may require participants to complete and submit information forms (e.g. medication details, emergency contact details). You may also have to verify any first aid training (current certification) and carry out safety vetting of volunteers.

Once you have put all the controls in place you should go back through step one of the process and re-evaluate the level of risk you ascribed to each identified hazard.

Your evaluation of the risks should have changed, now that there are control measures in place. However, you may find that even with the controls in place, a certain risk remains unacceptably high. In that case, you will need to amend the controls you have put in place (or add new controls) and then reassess the risk again.

If this activity is to be carried out on multiple occasions, you’ll need to review your controls regularly to:

• ensure your planned controls are being used
• check that the controls are effective
• ensure your risk rating estimate is correct
• check in with others involved in the activity if controls are convenient and effective
• monitor people’s exposure to health risks
• identify new or different activities that are being incorporated and what their risks are
• consider if stronger controls are now possible for any of the risks.

Task: Review the Risk Assessment and Management Strategy (RAMS)

Imagine that you are completing the risk assessment and management process for the planned activity in the scenario. Think back to the hazards you identified earlier and the risk ratings you came up with.

• What controls would you put in place for each of those risks?
• Why do you think they are appropriate? Could you justify what makes the control measures sufficient?

A completed RAMS form for the activity scenario has been provided. Click on the link to access the form and review it. Think about the following questions while you read over it.

• Do the hazards and controls match with your thoughts about them?
• Are they appropriate? Are there additional hazards or controls you have identified?

You are now ready to complete Task 1 of Assessment 2.5.

Follow the instructions and complete the assessment using the Task 1 Activity Plan to guide you.

Kupu Hou | New Words

There may be some kupu Māori (Māori words) used in this topic that were unfamiliar to you. They are listed below with definitions:

• hau kāinga: home people, usually used to refer to the local people of the marae, can also just mean ‘home’
• kōauau: cross-blown flute, usually crafted from bone, wood or bull kelp, but some contemporary applications used clay
• wāhi tapu: sacred place, sacred site – a place that has long-term ritual restrictions placed on it for access or use, e.g. a burial ground or a place where tapu objects were placed
• wharemoe: literally the ‘big house’, but it refers to the main meeting house, also called the ‘whare tipuna/whare tupuna’ – the ancestral (meeting) house