Galina International
School Tours

Hazard

Risk

Precautions

Responsibilities/Action(s) by Tour Leader

Unruly pupils

Hotel room damage

Check hotel room at check-in time and again thoroughly before departure.  The difference may be a costly bill to the school.

Do not allow pupils to change rooms.  Damage to rooms will be invoiced & named pupils on hotel register will be charged.

Arrest by local police

Disturbing fellow hotel guests

a) Don't return too late to hotel

b) Agree a curfew hour

c) Do not allow "noisy" pupils to    share with other noisy pupils

a) Supervise corridors vigilantly

b) Emphasise that discipline will be referred to local police not teachers

c) At check-in allocate potentially noisy pupils rooms next to staff

Falling from hotel window

Serious injury

Emphasise danger of leaning out of window

Staff patrol outside hotel to observe

Physical violence by an adult (senior)

Disturbing fellow hotel guests by opening & closing doors, shouting, playing the TV loudly, playing music loudly, moving about the hotel after the curfew time of all lights out at 23:30

Do not allow noisy pupils to share with other noisy pupils

Supervise corridors vigilantly

Room intruders

Assault, theft

Do not leave windows open particularly ground floor windows.  Do not open hotel doors after curfew.  Lock door. Don't allow a pupil sole occupancy of a room

Emphasise that English school pupils are often a target by local youths who know certain hotels accommodate such groups

Petty theft from hotel foyers

Loss of valuables with consequent loss of time with police investigation

Keep hold of luggage until checked into room.  Don't bring unnecessary extra bags- travel light

Shepherd group to area away from hotel thoroughfare

Smoking in hotel room

Hotel fire, fire damage to soft furnishings, smoke inhalation. Serious injury. Death

Ban all smoking in rooms.  Identify hotel fire extinguisher points.  Note fire exits.

Snap inspections of rooms.  Patrol after curfew.

Street hazard - Pickpockets

As above

Refuse help to cross the road.  Be aware that if  approached by 2 locals one may be the diversion, the other the pickpocket.

Don't take all one's money out in one wallet or purse.  Spread money throughout pockets. Don't leave money in the hotel.

Cyclists and moped riders

Danger of physical injury if knocked down or in collision with

Avoid walking on orange asphalt cycle paths.

Shepherd pupils out of continental door directly onto pavement.  Inform pupils what cycle paths look like.  Staff indicate as appropriate at each stop.  Staff to be first to alight (at both exits if both used)

Being subject to the vagaries of foreign city/town life, particularly late at night.

Physical injury, molestation

Impose a reasonable curfew time by which all pupils must report to staff. 

Advise pupils of staff contact point(s) where help may be available at all times.

Motor vehicle accidents

Physical injury

Use pedestrian crossings. Remember that traffic will be oncoming in a different direction to that in the UK

Try to cross roads in small groups, not singly, more eyes help.

Getting lost abroad

Several and varied

Don't ask driver to drop the group in one location & pick-up in another if it can be helped.Suggest pupils stay in small groups of not less than 3.  Limit & indicate extent to which pupils may stray from base.

Indicate landmarks. Check local time. Reiterate time of return. Select "safe" and obvious place for coach to stop.  Take list of student mobile 'phone numbers.

Coach travel

Falling on a moving vehicle

Students should be allocated a seat & be encouraged to remain seated at all times the vehicle is in motion.

Modern airbrakes on coaches mean that stopping distances can be quite short with an increased prospect of inertia propulsion.

Coach travel

Inadvertently opening the continental door whilst traveling.

Students should not be allowed to visit the coach toilet without the knowledge of a member of staff, who should supervise the opening of the toilet door.

Position staff in seats facing the toilet door & continental door exits.

Alcohol consumption

Choking on vomit. Sickness. Depression.  Hospitalization. Arrest. Homesickness.  Disorientation. Mental breakdown.

Either have a parental consent form to drink alcohol completed or ban it entirely.

Snap inspections of rooms. Confiscate.

High temperatures

Dehydration.  Hospitalization.  Sun stroke

Drink lots of liquids (water preferably).  Use sunblock. Advise to wear light clothing.

Look for signs of fainting.

Coach evacuation

Poor evacuation procedures.  Students trapped.

Have staff seated at

a) Continental door exit

b) Front UK door exit

c) Rear of coach adjacent to Emergency Exit Window (hammer adjacent).

Explain exit strategy or ask driver/or courier to explain procedures before setting off.

Bullying

Often takes place within confines of coach, particularly if all staff seated at front.

Site staff throughout coach and at least one member of staff right at the back where they can see everything & everyone in front of them.

Staff allocate students who may be troublesome or bullying to seats near the front of the coach.

Coach aisles blocked by bags or students who put their legs across the aisles with their feet up on the seat across from them.

Students falling or tripping & breaking limbs or spraining muscles if coach has to brake suddenly.  In the event of a need to evacuate the coach quickly there is a risk of impeding such.

Forbid students to lie across aisleways.  Encourage to wear seat belts.

Encourage students to put bags in the under coach lockers.

Drinks spiked

Molestation. Assault.  Theft.

Don't allow drink out of one's sight.  Don't drink in dimly lit bars, even soft drinks.  Group students in minimum size parties of three.

Warn pupils if allowing them to be out of sight of staff.  Emphasise danger.

Ammunition debris on the battlefield

Explosion and injury

Indicate that artillery shells, hand grenades, stick bombs & mortar shells can still be found in many fields across France & Belgium.  Most are innocuous but some will be unstable.  Explosions do occur.

Insist that no pupil pick up any metal object whatsoever.

Falling overboard on ferry/ River Seine cruise if applicable.

Serious injury.  Drowning.

Allocate staff to different areas of the vessel and indicate to pupils where they will be able to always have a point of contact.

Pupils be advised to stay in small groups.  Avoid horseplay.  If weather inclement or waters rough stay inside the vessel.

Moving & reversing traffic on service areas.

Physical injury

Warn against walking out from behind parked vehicles.  Note traffic coming from different side of road.  Suggest students stay in small groups.

Direct pupils to where they are to congregate.  Accompany them.

Road traffic on journey to main motorway.

Road traffic delays

Don't assume driver knows the quickest and safest route from your pick-up to the motorway network.

Brief driver on local knowledge & quickest way to exit your town or city.