Search

South Africa has an urgent need for qualified technical and mechanical people. Technical disciplines are encouraged in public schools to fulfil this requirement. Teachers are also in an environment that is becoming increasingly litigious. Technology teachers may be forced to pay greater attention to managing safety and security as legal liability for harm caused during activities in school workshops is expected to increase. The safety of all students is a crucial component in schools. Effective teaching and learning can be improved in workshop areas where learner safety, or "Geborgenheit", is generated. The security of students while they participate in activities is the responsibility of the Mechanical Technology teacher. For school workshops, an efficient safety policy must be created to reduce the danger of injuries and harm to students. The primary method for reducing and preventing injuries and making sure that the teacher or school is not held accountable for damage, is a purposeful policy. The empirical investigation used a mixed research methodology, where Mechanical Technology teachers quantitatively and qualitatively assessed the management of security in school workshops. Data were triangulated (analytically, narratively, and discussed), and conclusions and suggestions were formed. The results show that teachers are unaware of their legal obligation to take care of students and are under-informed on delictual liability and education law. Due to the complexity of today's society, all participants in the education industry must recognize that understanding the legal and technological facets of the field is not only important, but also ought to be made essential. [For the complete Volume 21 proceedings, see ED629259.]

Sport is an increasingly important area of society both inside and outside of the school environment although this has not always been the case. Greater interest in sports policy is also emerging at both a European and International level with the prospective of a "Rights" based approach developing. The safety of those playing sport is fundamental and this is more problematic in those games where there is physical contact and an element of risk taking. Pressure to protect participants from injuries caused by mismatches in strength and weight is likely to increase because of the concussion litigation. This paper discusses the potential for liability for injuries caused within junior rugby, taking into account the current parameters to existing liability and the potential influence of relative age effects. It is foreseeable that in the future players will have to be assessed for their suitability to play contact sports based on factors other than age. [For the complete Volume 13, Number 1 proceedings, see ED568595.]

This paper begins by presenting three tests, which are included in the appendix, of one's awareness of physical risks. This exercise leads to a discussion of the differences between actual and perceived risk, why people participate in outdoor activities, and the inaccurate perception of actual risks. Complicating the issue of accurately perceiving physical risks are sociological, psychological, and physiological factors that affect judgment and decision making in the field. These factors and their effects are discussed. If participants fail to perceive the risks in an activity, they are less likely to take adequate precautions. In addition, liability issues surround the "voluntary assumption of risk." Furthermore, if leaders or participants have an inaccurate perception of risk, they obviously cannot make-high quality decisions. "Common sense" is a learned skill, therefore it is not common among beginners. Educators and leaders should not rely upon common sense but should teach and employ "good sense." Teaching judgment, decision making, and good sense requires teaching an accurate perception of risks. Good judgment and decision making require that leaders be aware of, and adjust for, the ways beginners perceive risks differently from experienced participants and that they factor in the sociological, psychological, and physiological factors affecting judgment. Contains 15 references. (TD)

This paper discusses course structure, teaching techniques, and field exercises for enhancing winter travelers' avalanche knowledge and skills. In two class sessions, the course typically consists of a historical perspective; a section on snow physics (clouds, types of snow crystals, effects of riming, identification of precipitated snow crystals, types of nonprecipitated snow, temperature gradient metamorphism, identification of metamorphosed crystals); use of visual aids; use of anecdotal material; and the causes of avalanches (new snow, old snow, terrain, wind, temperature). The class also addresses route finding, safety procedures, safety equipment, and rescue. In the first field session, students rotate among three stations covering transceiver searching, probing, and analyzing a snow pit. The second field session reinforces the first and gives students greater freedom to practice skills. The use of videos and Internet avalanche forecasts is encouraged to reinforce skills. (SAS)

An expedition is different from other forms of overnight wilderness travel in that it involves extended time and distance in the field; it is beyond the reach of immediate rescue; and the party is self-contained regarding gear, provisions, and decision-making responsibilities. Successful expeditions may prove to be powerful, life-changing experiences. Conversely, failed expeditions may be destructive to participants' physical, psychological, or spiritual well-being. The planning phase is essential in determining which of these outcomes will prevail. Expedition planners should arrange to keep their group safe; avoid degradation of wild lands and waterways; and achieve a fulfilling, exciting adventure. Two lists are presented to assist planning. List 1, preparation activities, addresses selecting an activity, a location, and companions; holding meetings to develop goals and plans; assuring safety; arranging finances; gathering information; gathering equipment; assuring access to drinking water and food supplies; practice and trouble-shooting; and arranging transportation for people and gear. List 2, equipment groups, is prefaced with advice to apply the "Is this really needed?" test when selecting gear. Considerations covered by this list include food and water; clothing; shelter; activity items; safety; hygiene; environmental protection; critical papers such as money, travel documents, and permits; entertainment and comforts; and transportation. Two additional, essential things to take on every expedition are good judgment, which can be developed and improved through practice, and common sense, which should not be assumed to be pervasive within the group. (TD)

The preservation of school safety should be a primary commitment of all educators. This paper presents findings of a study that examined school facility safety in 27 Georgia schools. Data were gathered from a survey of 9 elementary, 11 middle, and 7 high schools in south Georgia. The surveys elicited information related to both school-site safety and school-building safety. Respondents assessed the condition of their school buildings with a school-building evaluation instrument. The data show a significant relationship at the .05 level between school safety and school-building age for the middle schools. The relationship between the school-building safety score and school-building age was found to be statistically significant for middle and elementary schools at the .10 level. The general rating for school-facility safety was above average, except in areas such as corridors, parking lots, and playgrounds. Four tables are included. (Contains 8 references.) (LMI)

This paper stresses the outdoor recreation and education professionals should understand aspects of liability, negligence, and risk management. There are four elements that must be present if a person or organization is to be considered negligent: the presence of a legal duty of care, a breach of duty, proximate cause, and actual damages. When determining the legal duty of care, it is necessary to define the relationship between the property owner and the person pursuing a recreational activity. A person who enters property to pursue a recreational activity may be an invitee, a licensee, or a trespasser. From a legal standpoint, the recreational landowner owes the highest standard of care to the invitee and owes no standard of care to trespassers. A legal defense that is used frequently in outdoor recreation litigation is that of assumption of risk. This defense can only be used when the outdoor recreationists have been made aware of risks involved, understand and appreciate their nature, and freely choose to incur a particular risk. A signed agreement to participate should be obtained to record that each participant is aware of the inherent risks involved in a recreational activity. This document should include a detailed description of the activity, injuries that may result from participation, safety rules, and emergency procedures. Equally important are the development and implementation of a risk management program. Components of a risk management program include identifying and evaluating the risks involved in a recreational activity, taking necessary steps to reduce the frequency and severity of injuries associated with a particular activity, purchasing insurance to cover high risk activities, and continuously evaluating and updating the program. (Contains 12 references.) (LP)

This paper discusses subjective hazards in wilderness activities and suggests means of assessing and managing related risks. Wilderness educators conveniently group hazards into objective and subjective ones. Objective hazards such as rockfall, moving water, and weather, while not necessarily predictable, are visible and understandable. Subjective hazards are harder to recognize, and represent errors in planning and leadership. Venturing into the wilderness with inadequate food or equipment or an unrealistic schedule is a planning mistake. Inappropriate or poorly understood goals and expectations, lack of flexibility, communication difficulties, inability to manage stress, distraction, indecision, and inaccurate estimation of participant abilities are errors in leadership and expedition behavior. Brief sections discuss the importance of guarding against complacency, faulty low estimates of risk, overconfidence, unrealistic goals, impatience and schedule pressures, peer pressure and competition, student misconceptions of staff infallibility, inaccurate information and assumptions, and personal and environmental distractions. Expedition leaders should also make a practice of assessing their participants for "high maintenance" people and survivors, and reading incident accounts about wilderness accidents. (SV)

This paper documents an approach to meeting the training requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and the "reasonable accommodation" requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for individuals with developmental disabilities. It describes a training program used with three adult workers with mild mental retardation which utilized icons to teach recognition of: (1) protective equipment; (2) hazards; (3) emergency response equipment; (4) the National Fire Protection Association labeling system; (5) target organs (dangers with acute or chronic effects on specific body organs); and (6) routes of entry (such as ingestation or inhalation). Subjects were given four weekly training sessions. Significant differences were found between baseline and post training scores with substantial maintenance on retesting 2 months after the training. Results have implications for training which increases employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. (Contains 14 references.) (DB)

Reducing the incidence and severity of child and adolescent injuries requires a multifaceted approach involving broad-based health and social service agencies, including schools. Recognition of the need for injury prevention education began with the Industrial Revolution in the 1900s, and safety education was developed as a unit of health instruction in the schools of the 1920s and 1930s. With the growing popularity of the automobile, concerns about traffic safety, pedestrian safety, and alcohol use and the automobile, brought about expansion of health education programs. Injury prevention and safety today are considered a content area of comprehensive school health instruction. Instruction should include attitudes toward safety, causes of accidents, home and school safety, traffic safety, fire prevention, survival education, environmental hazards, accident prevention, emergency health care, safety personnel, resources and agencies, individual safety precautions, recreational safety, occupational safety, safety rules, and laws and regulations. The content should be age-appropriate and should reflect the health problems of the nation, state, and local communities. State mandates concerning injury prevention instruction are noted, a list of barriers to effective injury prevention instruction is presented, and recommendations for program development are offered. (JDD)