Rules and law about safety outdoors

 

As part of a boarding school stay, various activities are often included in connection with teaching and socializing that require a focus on student safety.

 

It is therefore important that schools are aware of the risks associated with the school's activities and develop and maintain a safety culture at the school that is owned by both staff and students. It must be educational, fun and challenging to go to the boarding school - but not dangerous.

 

Safety in connection with daily life at the school and the movements in the school's immediate environment should be discussed with the students as part of the general supervision. How do they move in traffic on foot, on roller skates or bicycles, where should they pay special attention, and what situations or places should give special attention to them?

 

Other activities that involve possible risks and dangers require increased focus on student safety and stricter supervision. A stricter supervision goes beyond the supervision obligation that the boarding school already has by virtue of the students living and staying at the school.

 

A stricter supervision that must be exercised in risky activities is not just that a teacher keeps a little extra eye on or is present. Stricter supervision means that the school must, as a minimum

 

• Recognize the risks and dangers involved in the activity

• Familiarize yourself with the rules and guidelines that apply to that activity

• Ensure that all teachers and students have relevant and necessary competencies and equipment

• Behave soberly and critically about whether activities are safe in terms of safety

• Establish safety regulations in the form of rules or guidelines based on the above considerations

The safety regulations should be available in writing to teachers and students, so as to ensure that all teachers and students have a common understanding of risks, requirements, etc., and to ensure that teachers know what to comply with. This eliminates doubts about what to do.

 

 

In addition to these regulatory and industry-specific rules and guidelines, a safety instruction should include at least the following points:

 

• Detailed description and delimitation of the activity

• Hedging the specific risks of the activity;

• Risk mitigation measures

• Requirements for instructor training or similar.

• Requirements for experience

• Concrete action plan in the event of an accident

• Who has overall responsibility;

• Who has the responsibility and competence in the specific situation

• Who supervises any equipment, and must be locked or otherwise regulated

• Insurance conditions

In the work with safety and the development of the safety culture at the school, various elements can be included. It must always be the safety of the students and the staff that is at the center.

 

Students must, of course, know the safety instructions for the activity. One way to gain focus and ownership among students may be to let students participate in the preparation or adaptation of the safety instruction as a natural part of the teaching and preparation for the activities.

 

Of course, all instructors and other participants should also know the safety regulations to have access to the written procedures. The school management is responsible for this.

 

 

The Firearms Act

 

Like almost all other laws, is a bit of a bully boy, which can be difficult to find your way around. Below, however, we have gathered the most crucial points concerning the use of knives and blank weapons:

 

§ 1. Knives and firearms etc. may not be worn or possessed in publicly accessible places, places of education, in youth clubs, leisure schemes and the like, unless in the course of business, for hunting, angling, sporting or other similar recognizable purpose. Scouts in uniform or the scout scarf count are allowed to wear there knife/ dagger.

 

§ 2. It requires permission from the police to acquire, possess, carry or use

 

• Sharp or pointed weapons with a blade exceeding 12 cm,

• Knives with transverse grip intended for shocks,

• Spring knives and spring stilettos,

• Parachutes and parachutes,

• Folding knives with a two-part handle, the blade of which can be unfolded using one hand (butterfly knives),

• Knives designed to hang around the neck or shoulder, which can be pulled from this position using one hand,

• Throwing stars, throwing knives, throwing axes, stick sticks and other blank weapons that appear as another object.

However, there are also exceptions to §2. Cf. Police website “Daggers and knives with a blade over 12 cm are, however, exempt from the ban and from the requirement for a permit from the police if they are used for business, household use or for hunting, fishing or sports or for another similar recognizable purpose. " like scouts

 

The bill also means that single-handed folding knives are no longer categorized as particularly dangerous knives, which it is forbidden to possess, including at one's own residence, without permission from the police.

 

 

How to use a knife or dagger

 

• Everyone needs a course in how to use a knife and after you get a knife proof through a badge. no one is aloud to use a knife before you get the knife proof

• Sit down if you cut i wood then you have more control over the knife/dagger

• Always cut away from yourself, not against yourself

• Stop cutting if someone is standing in front of you

• Get your other hand out of the cutting direction

• Never throw with a knife

• Do not leave the knife on the ground

• Do not run with a knife

• Walk slowly with the knife pointing down at the ground and with the blad backward not forward

• When you give another person the knife hold it on the blade with the sharp side up and give the handle to the other person

 

How to use a ax

 

• Never use an ac in front of anyone

• Always spread your legs

• Either stand up or stand or your knees to control the ax

• Cut down on a three stub

• Do not run with an ax

• Do not leave the ax on the ground

• Do not use the back of the ax as a hammer

• Avoid hitting the ax head with a hammer or grinder, as it may deform and thus shorten the life of the ax considerably.

 

How to use a saw

 

• Do not saw near others

• Do not saw close to your leg

• If you hold a piece of wood with one hand and saw wirth the other then move your hand away from the saw

• Stand securely on your feet and make sure there is enough space around you

 

 

Sailing

 

• Sailing in general

  • It is a requirement that those responsible for sailing activities must have an 8-hour first aid course. The course is called ´First aid on board smaller vessels and in sea sports.

  • Look up the weather before hand

  • Keep lookout

    • You will need eyes, ears and technical aids to stay informed about what is going on at sea/ the water

  • Safety speed

    • Do not sail faster than you can react to avoid a collision

  • Precautions to avoid collisions

    • When the courses of two ships intersect, there may be a risk of collision. By examining whether the direction of the other ship changes, you can find out if the danger is real.

• Canoe

  • It is recommended that schools and institutions working with canoes have at least one trained canoe instructor. If schools and institutions only work with short courses in canoeing (no multi-day trips) and in protected waters / very protected waters, you can use the new canoe instructor 1 level / safety course

  • Bring a mobile phone in a waterproof bag

  • You must stay warm, dry, fresh and full as long as you are on a trip.

  • One must choose a trip according to ability. Ie. that the trip does not place greater demands on you than you always have sufficient physical and mental surplus to take yourself and possibly. to help his fellow travelers.

  • Be informed about the weather conditions. Especially when sailing on the lakes, it can be important to know the wind conditions.

  • Bring this proper safety equipment

• Sea kayaking

  • Schools and institutions that only work with short courses (no multi-day trips) and in protected waters should have at least one sea kayak instructor 1. Schools and institutions working on longer courses in protected waters and along coasts and with multi-day trips should have at least one sea kayak instructor 2.

  • Bring this proper safety equipment

 

• SUP

  • ALWAYS use leash

  • Remember the life jacket (it is a legal requirement)

  • Bring a phone in a waterproof case (dry bag or similar)

  • Tell others where you are paddling out and when you expect to be back.

  • Know your limitations and use your common sense in relation to wind and weather: "If in doubt, do not paddle out"!

  • Remember sensible clothing and catering: wetsuit, sweater, cap / hat, water, energy bar, sunscreen etc.

  • If you are a beginner or easily practiced, avoid completely going out in offshore winds, as you on a SUP board are very wind-sensitive.

  • Should you be unlucky enough to end up in a situation where you drift away from the shore and have difficulty paddling ashore due to the wind, you can sit down on your knees and try to paddle inland. If you still cannot get on your knees, then lie down completely on the board, with the paddle under you, and use your arms to paddle towards land. If it is completely impossible for you to enter the coast, you must inform people on the coast that you are in need. Use evt. the paddle to signal with or the phone that you have of course brought in a waterproof case.

• Surf

  • ALWAYS use leash

  • Bring a phone that you can have lying on the beach in case others get in trouble and you need to call for help. Find out which rescue number you are surfing near (the number can be found on a green small sign, typically at access roads to the beach). See evt. more here.

  • Find out if there is a defibrillator nearby.

  • Tell others where you surfers and when you expect to be back

  • Remember sensible attire

  • Remember Surfers Code of Conduct

    • Respect the beach, ocean and others

    • The surfer closest to the peak has the right of way

    • First to his or her feet has priority

    • Stay out of the way of riders on waves

    • If in doubt, don’t paddle out

    • Be aware of currents, jetties and other surfers

    • Hold on to your board

    • Clean up after yourself and others less thoughtful

    • Always aid another surfer in trouble

    • Share the water, your knowledge and your stoke

    • Give Respect To Gain Respect

 

 

Climbing

 

• Follow the instructions given to you by the instructors/ teachers

• When climbing, you must wear an approved harness.

• The instructor must check that you have put on the harness correctly before you start the climb.

• Do not start climbing or rappelling until you have been given permission by the instructor.The instructor says to you: "You must climb". 

• You must not climb higher than 2.5 meters without safety ropes

• Loose hair, scarf, jewelry, watches and the like must be set up or taken off before climbing or rappelling begins.

• Land on your feet. Land on both feet and bend at the legs.

• Do not climb higher than you are pressured to fall.

• Be observant. Do not sit or walk under a climber.

• Spot each other. Spotting means that your climbing partner helps you land on your feet in a fall. Not by grabbing the climber, but by controlling and slowing down the speed of the fall.

• Every time you have to climb, you have to check that:

  • The harness is fastened around the hips.

  • The number 8 is bound correctly.

  • The rope is in the brake and in the carabiner.

  • The carbine is locked.

  • You have made a stop knot on the rope.

• Attentive security guard

  • Hold a securing position close to the wall, especially during the first cuts.

  • Keep an eye on your climbing partner at all times.

  • Do not have too much slack in the rope.

• Correct fuse

  • Be sure to secure correctly - keep the rope in the locked position.

  • Make sure that your brake hand is not too close to the brake.

 

 

Skiing and snowboard

 

• General rules

  • Make sure you have the correct equipment

  • Wear safety equipment such as a helmet, back shield, ski goggles, etc.

  • Be sure to follow the traffic rules on the slopes and avoid collisions with other skiers

    • Respect: 

      • A skier / snowboarder must respect other skiers and not expose them to danger.

    • Control: 

      • A runner must never drive faster than he / she can control and can stop quickly.

    • Right to the piste: 

      • The slow runner always has the right to the piste. The faster runner must give him / her priority and respect him / her.

    • Overtaking: 

      • The overtaking runner must always overtake as far around the slower runner as possible, and not bother his / her track choice.

    • Stopping: 

      • Stopping should as far as possible be made at the edge of the piste on the side. Never stop in narrow or unmanageable places on the piste where there is a risk of collision.

    • Start:

      •  Before starting or resuming skiing, or if you have to cross another piste, the runner must orient himself up the hill and to the sides, to make sure that there are no other skiers in the way.

    • Up-passage: 

      • If you have to move upwards on the piste, it must take place all the way to the side.

    • Crossing a piste:

      •  If a runner crosses another piste, he / she must hold back and make room for runners on this piste.

    • Obligation to give way: 

      • If two runners are to pass each other from the opposite direction, they must keep to the right of each other.

    • Signage: 

      • Always respect the signage in the terrain, as well as all warnings and orders.

    • Accidents: 

      • In the event of an accident on the piste, a runner has a duty to provide assistance to the injured person if necessary. Whether one is involved in the accident or not.

 

Bonfire

 

• Find out if it is allowed to light a fire where you are.

• Find out if you can collect firewood from the forest floor.

• Never light a fire if it is very windy.

• Never light a fire if it is dry.

• Never light a fire if the fire can spread.

• Never light a fire near shrubs and trees.

• Never light a fire without an adult nearby.

• Always put out your fire when you are done with it.

  • Pour water on the fire and stir in it with a stick. If you do not have water on hand, you can spread the fire. When it no longer smokes, there are no more embers.

• It is not allowed to open fire in the forest

• Remember that others must also use the campfire site. Take all waste with you and clean up the space so that the rest of the firewood is in a nice pile.

• At several campfire sites in the state forests, firewood has been laid out, which you can use freely. Alternatively, you can collect branches and twigs on the forest floor. Choose firewood according to what you need the fire for:

  • Beech, oak and birch: 

    • Harder to ignite. Burner with few flames and many embers. Suitable for embers that provide radiant heat and lower temperatures over a longer period of time. Used when frying meat or baking bread. And to warm up.

  • Spruce, pine and poplar: 

    • Easy to ignite, burns quickly, with large flames and very hot, but forms only a few embers. It is good for food like pancakes that require flames and a lot of heat.

 

 

How to use a trangia with alcohol

 

Trangia storm kitchens are a completely natural part of outdoor life and are often the preferred way to cook when you go on a trip. You can make lots of nice food and it is a simple and cheap way to be able to cook for many when you go on a trip. But you have to have security in order. In recent years, there have been several serious combustion accidents in connection with the use of alcohol and trangia at boarding schools, nature centers, etc. Alcohol is very, very flammable and the alcohol vapors are volatile and flammable, so here is a guide to safe use of alcohol and trangia.

• Instructions for safe use of trangia storm kitchens

  • Always provide a priming instruction to all children and students before using the trangia.

  • Make sure that the instruction is written down and that all teachers / educators / staff / children and young people are made aware of it. You should

  • Relate to whether there are age groups that are too young to handle alcohol.

  • ALWAYS use fuel safety bottles to store alcohol in and to refill the burners in the trangia.

  • Instruct the children / young people in proper use of the safety bottle.

  • REMEMBER the four rules with the trangia

    • 1. Never push to a lit trangia

    • 2. Do not spill alcohol when filling

    • 3. Switch off the burner with the damper. It works like a shield!

    • 4. Always place the trangia on a fireproof even surface

  • NEVER use only the alcohol bottles you buy the alcohol in, use safety bottles instead.

  • NEVER refill alcohol in a hot burner. Alcohol and alcohol vapors are extremely flammable.

  • Teach children / young people to be able to hold the burner in their hand when filling it up and that ALL filling of burners takes place away from other open fires (bonfires and other trangias). 

    • Even though it looks like the burner has burned out, there may still be invisible flames. Therefore, it is only filled when you can hold the burner.

 

 

Swimming

• for 15 students a least one teacher need to be an updated lifeguide with the qualification from the training as a swimming instructor

• If springs are taught, the water depth must be so great that there is no danger to the students, ie. a depth of at least 1.5 to 2 m in the sitting position and at least 2 to 2.5 m in the standing position.

• before bathing from the open air, the teacher must be allowed to ensure that bottom and current conditions, etc. does not present any danger.

• That both the accompanying teacher must be able to swim and be able to perform lifesaving. There should be no more than 12-15 students in the water at the same time, and students should be told to stick together two by two.

• Learn what flags at the beach means

  • The two red-yellow flags at the water's edge mark the area that lifeguards primarily monitor

  • The yellow flag means you need to pay special attention when bathing. Lifeguards regularly check water conditions and use the yellow flag to warn of dangers in the water. It can be waves, currents, offshore winds, firefighters or other local conditions that require special attention. Ask the lifeguards if in doubt.

  • The red flag means that lifeguards discourage bathing because water conditions are life threatening. This can be due to very large waves, very strong current conditions or polluted water.

  • Blue Flag is an international eco-labeling scheme, which ensures you good experiences at the beach and port. The organization works to protect and take good care of our common marine and coastal environment.

• The five bathing rules

  • Learn to swim. When you can swim, you can often save yourself and others from drowning.

  • Never walk/swim alone in the water

  • Read the wind and the water

  • Get to know the beach

  • Do not lose sight of the children

 

Winter swimming

• Before you go in to the water

  • Check bathing conditions and know the rescue equipment

  • Beware of ice on stairs and bridges

  • Gently lower your body into the water

  • Never swim alone

• When you are in the water

  • Breathe calmly

  • Keep an eye on each other

  • Stay close to the staircase or stairway

  • Never swim under the ice

• Who can attend

  • All healthy persons may do winter bathing

  • People with heart problems or high blood pressure must have the approval of their doctor before they can start.

  • Do not take a winter bath if you have a cold, have a fever or feel unwell.

  • No bathing if you are under the influence of alcohol, drugs or narcotics.

• What happens with the body when you do swim in winter

  • The body secretes hormones (endorphins).

  • You feel a "kick" followed by physical well-being.

  • There may be minor variations in blood pressure and heart rate.

• How to learn how to winter bathe

  • It is recommended that you get used to it gradually. It is best to continue bathing after the end of the regular bathing season.

  • Most winter bathers dip their whole body in approx. 10-20 seconds.

  • Winter bathing can be combined with sauna visits

 

 

Liability for fire damage due to incorrect use of burner

 

In a judgment from 2016 (U 2016.1012 V), a boarding school was found liable for fire damage to a student which occurred by another student having poured alcohol on a hot trangia burner. The students had to, three weeks after starting on the boarding school, on a weekend trip with two teachers. After the trangia had been used for dinner, two students, who both were 15 years old, made pancakes, but before they were done, the trangia ran out of booze. One of the two students, E, would therefore pour alcohol on the hot trangia while the burner was off - the other student, J, was sitting beside E but did not participate in the filling. As a result of the filling, both students were hit by plug flames, where J however, was seriously injured with severe burns to face, neck, body, arms and hands. None of the teachers were there present when the injury occurred. The High Court found that a trangia is a potentially dangerous kitchen utensil, as it appeared in the instructions for use, among other things. (under “WARNING”) that alcohol must not be refilled until the trangia is completely extinguished and cooled. The boarding school was therefore found to have a stricter duty to ensure the safety of students in connection with the use of the trangias - this duty was not observed as the students had not been made aware of the instruction during the ban on pouring alcohol on a non-refrigerated trangia. The High Court thus found that The boarding school instruction was so insufficient that there was a liability. There was no basis for J's own guilt, or that E could be held liable as it was not established that E knew or should have known that there was not to be poured alcohol on an extinguished burner while it was hot.

 

Liability for damage to ski trip

In a judgment from 2018 (U 2018.1033 V), a boarding school was found liable for a student's injury to a ski trip. The boarding school had before the trip reviewed the International Ski Federation's 10 rules for behavior on the piste and an additional rule that skiing should always take place in groups of at least three people. The rules were likewise

handed out prior to the ski trip. The students ran to some extent off-piste outside of class time. On the fifth day of the ski trip one of the students fell, who was 15 years old and a beginner, and was injured while running off-piste. The High Court found that the boarding school had not proved that the students, either in writing or orally, had been

instructed not to run off-piste, which was associated with special risks. It appeared, among other things, that the boarding schools program said that students could not say no to skiing during class, but that they “in their own free time like to go snowboarding / bigfoot / cross-country skiing or whatever you want ”. The High Court thus found that the boarding school was liable for damages due to the lack of instruction and there was no basis for his own fault.

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Template for Safety instructions 

 

Name of the activity: 

Date for the activity:

The school responsible

• Name:

• Address: 

• Telephone number, etc:

• The principal. Possibly:

• Responsible teacher / employee:

Where the activity takes place

• Place:

• Terrain:

• Water, Land or Air:

When does the activity takes place

• Season:

• Day or Night:

Parental information and insurance

• Are the Descriptions in general information or does it need special information?

• Insurances required:

Possible risks of the activity

• What can go wrong? 

Technical and practical measures that effectively address the risks described

• How will the school deal with risks

• Instructions for teachers

• Instructions for students 

 

Safety equipment

• Equipment required  

• How is the equipment maintained 

• Who is responsible for the maintenance

Employees' relevant and necessary competencies and / or training

• Competencies the employee who works with the activity MUST have.

The precautions that students must follow

• Precautions for students

•  Procedures that students 

• What students absolutely do NOT do. 

• Guidelines for the use of equipment and gear, 

• Methodologies for using equipment

  • For example when using alcohol for trangia, where it is important to have a fixed, safe procedure and that the students know it.

• Safety procedure.

 

The precautions that the responsible employee must follow

• Who has the overview of the group during the activity: 

• How is the group kept together

• How to maintain an overview of the group. 

  • For example, by cycling, sailing on streams and in ski terrain

 

Call for assistance in the event of an accident

• How to call for help in the event of an accident.

• Bring a charged (possibly waterproof packed) mobile

• check if there is mobile coverage at the site of the activity, or if you need to think about landline connection, 

• Bring first aid gear, 

• Are the staff adequately trained in first aid?

• Address is known so that ambulances can find the place

  • Here the app 112 can be a help, as the alarm center is automatically notified of the position via the phone's GPS.

• Abroad: Knowing the address and knowing how to alert.

• Information at the school

• Who, what, where, when and how

The schools job is to know this

• Who is leaving, 

• Where are the students 

• When are they expected to return home

• Where are the information about the above is kept

• Who knows about them at the school

• How will the person who knows the plan for the trip act if they do NOT come home as agreed.

safety instruction before the activity starts

• How have teachers and students receive a safety instruction before starting the activity

Follow-up on unintended events and accidents

• Who will report on unintended events

• Who will follow up on when and how it takes place.