10 Vital Questions

If you are involved - in any way - with an off-site activity or visit, you will want to know the most important questions to ask. The following 10 questions (compiled by the Health and Safety Executive - HSE) cover the main arrangements that should be in place for a visit.

These questions are important whether you are a parent, child, helper, leader head teacher, or governor. They are equally relevant to visits run by youth organisations.

1. What are the main objectives of the visit?
2. What is “Plan B” if the main objectives can’t be achieved?
3. What could go wrong? Does the risk assessment cover:
• The main activity
• "Plan B"
• Travel arrangements
• Emergency procedures
• Staff numbers, gender and skill mixes
• Generic and site-specific hazards and risks (including for Plan B)
• Variable hazards (including environmental and participants’ personal abilities and the ‘cut off’ points).
4. What information will be provided for parents?
5. What consents will be sought?
6. What opportunities will parents have to ask questions (including any arrangements for a parents’ meeting)?
7. What assurances are there of the leader(s) competencies?
8. What are the communications arrangements?
9. What are the arrangements for supervision, both during activities and ‘free time’ - is there a Code of Conduct?
10. What are the arrangements for monitoring and reviewing the visit?

This is just a summary of the main points to be considered.