Safe Learning in an Outdoor Environment 2010

The Rules and Guidance for Off-Site Excursions Including Adventurous Activities document amalgamates the rules and guidance formerly provided by the two Aberdeenshire Council policy documents: “Safety & Good Practice in Adventurous Activities 2003” and “Safety and Good Practice for Educational Excursions”. In doing so it uses as a primary reference source,
the Scottish Executive’s Document “Health and Safety on Educational Excursions” (HASEE) published Dec 2004. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/hsee-00.asp

• The Rules and Guidance for Off-Site Excursions Including Adventurous Activities (pdf 237 kb)
• Appendix A Initial Approval for Adventurous Activity Programme (pdf 8 kb)
• Appendix B Planning Checklist (pdf 12 kb)
• Appendix C Investigation Report (pdf 11 kb)
• Appendix J Weil's Disease and Lyme's Disease (pdf 20.3 kb)
• Appendix K Useful Contacts (pdf 42.2 kb)
• Appendix M Glossary (pdf 34.2 kb)
• Appendix N Volunteering Policy (pdf 37.3 kb)
• Appendix O Emergency Response Card (pdf 40 kb)

The ACTIVITY CENTRES (YOUNG PEOPLE’S SAFETY) ACT of 1995 imposed certain legal obligations upon providers of Adventurous Activities. Following the act, the government appointed an inspectorate, now called the Adventure Activities Licensing Service (AALS) to inspect and license providers. Aberdeenshire Council is a licensed provider of Adventurous Activities. Therefore much of what follows here in the rules and guidance related to adventurous activities not only reflects current best practice but is required to ensure that the council meets its legal obligations in terms of the above act.

• For further information about AALS go to:- www.aals.org.uk
• For further information on the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations, heads of establishment and responsible individuals are referred to the HSE Document: “Guidance from the Licensing Authority on the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 2004”, ISBN 978-0-7176-6243-2, available from HSE Books.
  www.hse.gov.uk

The planning, organisation and participation on trips is of a voluntary nature (unless there are contractual implications) but where such trips are organised they must comply with these guidelines.

“No amount of planning can guarantee that an excursion will be totally incident free, but good planning and attention to safety measures can reduce the number of accidents and lessen the seriousness of those that do happen.”