Background:
All activities, regardless of the complexity or simplicity of the action, have an inherent level of risk. Variable factors such as cognitive ability and developmental maturity, skill level, previous experience of the students and teacher, weather conditions, facilities, and available equipment may all affect the level of risk of any activity.
Decisions about the physical activities to be undertaken at schools should always take into consideration the educational value, and the injury risk factors associated with the proposed activity.
For all activities undertaken the following questions should be considered:
- Is a parent consent form required?
- Have the Spheres guidelines for the activity been reviewed?
- Is the activity prohibited by ARMIC?
- Does the activity have a demonstratable educational benefit? Is the activity specifically mentioned in the Alberta Education curriculum?
- Does the activity have to be practiced or can it be demonstrated to reach the learning outcome?
- Are there safer alternatives that would achieve the same educational benefit?
- Is First Aid and CPR support available?
- Has an Emergency Action Plan been developed?
- Is emergency communication available?
- Are the instructors and supervisors of the activity qualified and have the appropriate certifications?
- For third party instructors – do they have liability insurance, as required by Spheres?
- Are appropriate supervisors/chaperones available?
- Is the activity appropriate for the age, abilities, and size of the student group?
- Is there sufficient equipment available for the activity? Has it been inspected?
- Is transportation required?
- Is safe transportation available?
- Have risk mitigation strategies been identified?
Some activities are prohibited because the division cannot be insured for them. Others are prohibited because of their limited educational value, combined with the high risk.
The list of prohibited activities can never be complete. Principals and teachers must use common sense and consult the associate superintendent business services for any proposed activity that might involve excessive risk of injury and/or division liability.
Procedures:
The principal shall make all teachers aware of this administrative procedure, the website myspheres.ca as well as the Alberta Risk Managed Insurance Consortium (ARMIC) prohibited activity list so as prohibited activities are not undertaken and recommended safety precautions are taken for all other activities.
The teacher will consult this administrative procedure including prohibited activity list and the website myspheres.ca when planning for student physical activities to determine if the activity will be undertaken and, if so, the safety precautions to be taken.
The teacher will consult the principal if unsure of the risk assessment for a planned activity. If the principal is unsure of the potential risks and/or the insurance considerations, she/he will contact the associate superintendent business services.
Principals have access to informed consent forms that must be signed by parents in order for students to engage in school-organized activities.
Grasslands provides blanket accident insurance for students and provides information about additional insurance that parents may wish to purchase.
Alberta Risk Managed Insurance Consortium (ARMIC) Prohibited Activities
This activity list applies to student, staff and volunteer activities organized or managed by the school board.
ARMIC Subscribers have agreed to take a risk-managed approach to their operational activities, including all activities organized or managed by a Subscriber school board. To ensure the safety of all parties, Subscribers should employ resources such as the Alberta Guide to Education, and the Spheres Guidelines for guidance.
Prohibited activities are not covered by ARMIC's general liability insurance policy.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Aerial Gymnastics (excluding cheerleading) | A stunt in which the gymnast turns completely over in the air without touching the apparatus with his or her hands |
| Aerial Parks | Parks which have various structures or layouts usually with ropes and bridges elevated by manmade structures or in a forested area |
| Air travel other than by commercial airline | |
| American Gladiator style events | An athletic competition game show where contestants, referred to as "contenders", competed against the show's titular Gladiators in a series of physical games called "events" with the goal to be crowned the Grand Champion |
| Auto racing | Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition |
| Axe throwing | |
| Bobsledding | |
| Boxing | Contact is prohibited |
| Bungee jumping | The activity of leaping from a high place while secured by a long nylon-cased rubber band around the ankles |
| Canoeing – water greater than Class II | Refer to Paddle Canada's Paddling Association Risk Management Requirements – Annex C- International River Classification System. |
| Caving | Also known as spelunking - the exploration of caves |
| Crazy Carpet on a slope of greater than five meters in height or with an incline of greater than 30 degrees | |
| Demolition derbies | A competition in which typically older cars are driven into each other until only one is left running |
| Demolition of derelict vehicles, equipment or buildings | |
| Diving – High Platform | Diving from a platform 5m or above. |
| Diving into or sliding on foam, mud, ice or snow | Any of these activities irrespective of method used or height of the activity |
| Drag Racing | A race between two or more cars over a short distance, usually a quarter of a mile, as a test of acceleration |
| Dunk Tanks | An attraction at a carnival or similar event in which contestants throw balls at a target with the aim of triggering a mechanism that causes a seated person to drop into a tank of water |
| Excursions during or immediately after extreme weather or geological events (earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc.) | |
| Excursions to regions with political or civil instability | |
| Excursions to war zones – imminent or existing | |
| Extreme Sports (recreational activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion, and highly specialized gear) | |
| Fencing | The sport of fighting with swords, especially foils, épées, or sabres, according to a set of rules, in order to score points against an opponent |
| Float Rides (example – a parade float) | |
| Go–Karting | |
| Hang Gliding | The sport of launching oneself from a cliff or a steep incline and soaring through the air by means of a hang glide |
| Hay Rides | |
| Hiking in hazardous areas | Hiking in areas where the inherent risk of injury is higher due to the difficulty of the terrain or exposure to rapidly changing conditions that increase risks to a level which cannot be adequately managed |
| Horse jumping | |
| Hot air balloon rides (tethered and untethered) | |
| Ice climbing | |
| In flight air school hours (i.e. flying solo) | |
| Inflatable Activities (Including Bouncy Castles Sumo Suits and Hamster Balls) | |
| Kayaking – In moving water greater than Class II | Refer to Paddle Canada's Paddling Association Risk Management Requirements – Annex C- International River Classification System. |
| Kick Boxing | Contact is prohibited |
| Laser Tag | |
| Martial Arts – with full contact | Contact is prohibited |
| Mechanical bull riding or simulated mechanical rodeo events | |
| Moto-cross (motorized or BMX bicycle) | |
| Motorcycling of any nature | |
| Mountain Biking – Back Country | Biking in remote areas with no access to communication and health care. |
| Mountain Biking (Trail, Enduro and All-mountain Riding, Freeride and Downhill) | Trail Mountain Biking is more aggressive type of cross-country riding. It generally means riding less fire roads and easy tracks and replacing them with more technical single tracks both up and down. Enduro and all-mountain riding is faster, steeper and more aggressive, involving bigger drops and jumps. Unexpected terrain hazards are involved. Freeride and Downhill: This level of mountain biking is designed for the advanced and extreme riders involving high speed, technical sections and massive drops. Generally held in mountain biking parks. |
| Mountaineering | |
| Moving water programs in waters greater than Class II | Refer to Paddle Canada's Paddling Association Risk Management Requirements (Annex C- International River Classification System). |
| Off road/All-Terrain vehicles | |
| Orbing/Zorbing (human hamster ball) | An extreme sport in which a person is strapped inside a very large plastic ball and rolled down a hillside |
| Paintball | |
| Parasailing and paragliding | |
| Parkour | The activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, typically in an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping and climbing. |
| Performances involving/including open flames | Open flame devices are defined as candles, torches, butane burners or any other flame producing device |
| Personal watercraft ("Seadoos") | |
| Pyrotechnics | Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of using self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions to make heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound |
| Racing of watercraft | Competition using water vessels or waterborne vessels. Watercraft are vehicles used in water, including boats, ships, hovercraft and jetskis. Watercraft usually have a propulsive capability (whether by sail, oar, paddle or engine) and hence are distinct from a simple device that merely floats, such as a log raft. |
| Rifle Ranges or other activities involving firearms | A place for practicing shooting with rifles and/or firearms |
| Rock climbing (wall climbing is permitted) | The sport or activity of climbing rock faces, especially with the aid of ropes and special equipment. |
| Rocketry | Use of model rockets designed to reach low altitudes and be recovered by a variety of means. |
| Rodeo event participation | American style professional rodeos generally comprise the following events: tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding and barrel racing. |
| Scuba diving - Open Water | Open water - any natural body of water, rivers, lakes, and oceans |
| Ski Jumping | Descending from a specially designed ramp on skis. |
| Skiing – Cross Country (Back Country) | Backcountry refers to remote, undeveloped rural areas or sparsely inhabited rural areas; wilderness |
| Skydiving | A sport in which a person jumps from an aircraft and falls for as long as possible before opening a parachute |
| Sledding sledding on a slope of greater than five meters in height or with an incline of greater than 30 degrees | |
| Sleigh Rides | |
| Slip and Slide Devices | |
| Snorkeling – Open water | Open water - any natural body of water, rivers, lakes, and oceans |
| Snowmobiling | A sport in which a person operates motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. |
| Stuntnastics | It combines dance, stunts, gymnastics, and music along with your imagination. It is a floor routine by putting together various creative and physical components, such as pyramid building or other formations. |
| Swimming – Open Water | Swimming in ocean, large lakes or moving water |
| Tobogganing on a slope greater than five meters in height | Tobogganing hills on school grounds are exempt from this restriction. |
| Trampoline | The sport of jumping and tumbling on a trampoline |
| Tubing/sledding on a slope of greater than five meters in height | |
| Ultra-light plane flight | Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft |
| War games | |
| Water skiing | Water skiing is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or one ski |
| Winter biathlon with live ammunition | The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting |
| Zip lining | A cable suspended above an incline to which a pulley and harness are attached for a rider |