Making Sure You Have The Right Person for Your Safety Officer

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When planning school excursions, safety should never be an afterthought. A key element of any risk management strategy is having a designated safety officer who is competent, experienced, and ready to respond in any situation. The ISO 31031 risk management standard emphasizes the importance of this role, ensuring that schools can provide the necessary backup for field operations and manage emergencies effectively. However, appointing the right person for the job is crucial. This isn’t a passive, administrative role, but a critical position that could be the difference between a smooth response and a chaotic disaster.
 
Why a Competent Safety Officer is Essential
 
A safety officer’s responsibility goes far beyond simply being on standby. They must be alert, informed, and prepared to handle emergencies, from minor incidents to critical situations. Accidents can happen anytime, anywhere, and without warning. Therefore, the safety officer must have the experience and training necessary to respond swiftly and manage the situation effectively.
 
Unfortunately, not all organizations take this role seriously. Some view it as an “easy day in the office,” appointing inexperienced staff who treat it as a chance to catch up on admin. This attitude can lead to disaster when something goes wrong, as I’ve seen firsthand.
 
The Dangers of an Unprepared Safety Officer
 
One weekend at a residential outdoor education campus, we had 60 students out in the field. The designated safety officer was part of the admin staff with little experience in field operations. He treated the day as an easy shift, wandering around campus and talking about how he couldn’t wait to go home.
 
At around 3 pm, a call came in. A student had been bitten by a snake. Instead of springing into action, the safety officer panicked. There was confusion, scrambling for maps, and a general lack of preparedness. What should have been a straightforward evacuation turned into a five-hour ordeal. The boy, who thankfully was not poisoned, finally arrived at the hospital well after 8 pm, simply due to the officer’s lack of mental readiness and practical knowledge.
 
This wasn’t just an issue of slow response; it was a failure of risk management. If the situation had been more serious, the outcome could have been catastrophic. This example highlights the importance of having the right person in the safety officer role, someone who can handle emergencies calmly and efficiently.
 
The Role of ISO 31031 in School Trip Safety
 
ISO 31031 provides schools with a structured approach to risk management, emphasizing the importance of contingency planning and preparedness. This standard ensures that schools have the right systems in place to manage safety on excursions. However, having a plan isn’t enough—you need the right people to execute it.
Staff involved in safety management must be thoroughly trained, experienced, and mentally prepared to shift into response mode when required. A safety officer who is merely “on-call” or underestimates the potential for incidents is a liability. Schools must invest in proper risk management training for their staff, ensuring that safety officers are fully prepared to act when needed.
 
Key Responsibilities of the Safety Officer
 
A competent safety officer:
 

• Monitors the situation: They track the group’s location, assess potential risks like weather changes, and remain informed about any issues that arise during the trip.
• Manages communications: They are the hub for all trip-related contact, ensuring that communication is clear, timely, and accurately logged.
• Responds to emergencies: When something goes wrong, the safety officer must respond quickly, coordinating evacuations or medical support as necessary.

 
This is not a role for someone without field experience or a lackadaisical attitude. The safety officer must be the most capable person available and who is someone who can adapt to chaotic situations and make informed decisions under pressure.
 
School trips require careful planning and risk management. Appointing the right safety officer is a critical part of that process. With ISO 31031, schools can develop comprehensive risk management strategies, but these strategies need capable staff to execute them. Don’t leave safety to chance or assign inexperienced staff to handle emergencies.
 
Having the right person in the safety officer role ensures that, when something goes wrong, it is contained and managed swiftly. It’s not about luck, it’s about good planning, proper training, and preparedness. In the end, the difference between a smooth response and a potential crisis lies in having the right people in the right place at the right time.