RiverWatch Safety Assessment

Students receive a pre-trip safety talk from professional RiverWatch guides

School and school board administrators ask a variety of questions when they evaluate the safety planning and inherent risks associated with any field trip.

The RiverWatch Science Program is pleased to highlight a sampling of these assessment questions and answers.

Click here for related information about "Trip Safety".

What authority or expert contact has occurred prior and during the activity?

RiverWatch is a recognized service provider with the Calgary Board of Education under Master Agreement #004. The RiverWatch Science Program has general liability, vehicle, equipment, director, shareholder and employee insurance.

Before the activity, office staff with RiverWatch arranges the booking, answers questions and provides relevant information such as a Parent Newsletter. The newsletter contains a program description, a route map, gear list, expectations for the day, safety guidelines and a list of potential hazards.

RiverWatch guides organize equipment and students on the same stretch of river fifty days each year

As the date of field trip approaches, contact switches from the RiverWatch office staff to direct contact with the river guides who assist with arrival details, specific requests and weather decisions.

During the actual field trip, schools are matched with expert RiverWatch guides that have post-secondary education in science, outdoor pursuits or education. Each guide has extensive personal paddling experience.

Each guide brings their individual background to RiverWatch and this may include such courses as Alberta Recreational Canoe Association (ARCA) Whitewater Instructor, National Life Guard (NLS) Certification and Swift Water Rescue Technician. Each RiverWatch guide has a minimum standard first-aid certification and some individuals hold Wilderness First Aid Certification or better.

RiverWatch guides receive in-service training in all aspects of the program on and off the river

River guides participate in a training in-service at the start of each season. This in-service includes instruction and practice in group management, river maneuvers, risk management, driver training, chemistry protocols, interpretation and curriculum content.

On the actual day of the field trip, students work with a professional river guide. These guides work with science classes day after day each fall and spring along the same section of river. Guides work with a team of students all day and teach them how to be "River Smart" and how to get the most out of the day. Students who listen to all the guide's instructions do be just fine.

What preparation has occurred to increase familiarity with:

The Site
The field trip route map is given to all students and parents ahead of time. Teacher workshops have been provided in the past, but many teachers and schools are now "regulars" with the program and return year-after-year.

RiverWatch guides travel on the same stretch of river each day from mid-April to early June and again from mid-September to late October. Guides are very familiar with the terrain, obstacles, local contacts, times, procedures, weather limitations, river flow constraints and student behaviors.

The Terrain
At the start of the day, students are briefed about specific hazards such as how and why to avoid bridge abutments and how to enter and exit a raft without getting wet.

Worthiness of Equipment
Equipment is maintained on a regular basis at the RiverWatch home base located at the Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery in Calgary and at the Goldbar Wastewater Treatment Plant in Edmonton.

RiverWatch rafts are affectionately referred to as "rubber buses"!

River Watch rafts are commercial quality inflatable boats with a length of 5-7 metres with tubes of about one-metre diameter. These types of rafts are approved by Transport Canada as "Pleasure Craft under 6m" and are commonly used in whitewater adventures.

RiverWatch rafts are built for whitewater rafting even though the field trip routes do not qualify as whitewater. The sections of river and routes used for River Watch programs are the easiest and safest possible. These Class I rivers are generally free of obstacles or waves and the best passages are obvious.

Raft guides carry portable air pumps to adjust inflation pressures throughout the day. Guides carry repair kits while on the river and the rafts are inspected and repaired on a continuous basis throughout the field trip season.

An important component of the RiverWatch Science Program is the collection and identification of aquatic organisms

Animals, Insects and Disease
This is an urban field trip and the usual types of wildlife may be encountered. Students have contact with invertebrates such as worms, caddisflies, mayflies and leeches as part of their water quality study. Very few other animals are encountered along the river, with the exception of perhaps the occasional beaver, ducks or dogs. Mosquitoes and wasps can be encountered during fall trips.

There is one final word of caution about disease. Unique to rafting inside a city is that we occasionally find discarded syringes along the shoreline. We've been advised that intravenous drug users are dropping these needles down storm water drains in city streets that wash out into the river.

If students see a syringe, they are advised not to pick it up. They should simply mark the spot and tell their raft guide. RiverWatch guides are familiar with the collection and disposal of these hazards.

RiverWatch students are provided with rubber boots to keep their feet dry and protected

Weather Conditions
It is the responsibility of the classroom teacher to review proper dress for this trip. Students should be told to dress for the weather. RiverWatch provides rubber boots and raincoats if required.

During very cold weather, students are often met at the halfway point with hot chocolate to help warm-up those who may be getting cold. River Watch guides carry extra clothing for students who might need extra layers, a toque or mitts.

The fieldtrip starts indoors and goes indoors again during the mid-day wastewater treatment plant tour. The trip schedule can be adjusted for the weather with a late start or early finish. Unexpected weather can finish a trip early and the guide's cell phone can be used to contact the bus company.

What effects will weather and other geographic factors impose?

The trip will proceed as planned unless the weather conditions are extreme and involve cold, snow or heavy rain. If the river is too high due to recent precipitation or spring melt, the trip will also be cancelled. Every effort is made to re-schedule cancelled trips.

A RiverWatch Field Trip will likely be cancelled if the forecasted temperatures for that day are not expected to rise above 5°C. Heavy rain, strong winds and falling snow will result in postponement. Light rain in itself will not be a reason to call off a trip.

The actual decision to cancel a trip due to the weather will be done through telephone conversations between a senior raft guide, the Environment Canada Weather Forecast Centre and the teacher. These phone calls will be done as far in advance as possible, but may occur as late as the prior evening or even early on the day of the field trip.

RiverWatch trips will be cancelled if high river flow volumes, floating tree debris and high winds constitute a hazard. This decision will be made through phone calls between a senior raft guide, the Alberta Environment River Forecast Centre, the local fire department and the teacher.

A trip may be modified in the event of light rain, cold or wind, but usually not cancelled. If the weather is a concern, students should come to school with their books and homework completed in the event that the trip is postponed at the last minute.

There is a chance that students may get wet and they should consider this when bringing personal items such as clothing, wallets, cameras and watches. Students should not bring electronic gear (CD players and electronic games) because of the water hazard and the need to hear instructions.

What are the safety precautions and emergency measures in this area?

RiverWatch guides are trained in first-aid and carry cell phones to access 911 EMS

All RiverWatch guides are first aid trained and carry a first aid kit, rescue rope and a cell phone. They have excellent local knowledge of the river.

Each guide has a two-way radio and each group has a cell phone to contact emergency services if required. The river is easily accessible by emergency vehicles along bike paths and roads for most of its length.

The advantage of running a field trip inside a major city includes quick access and response times to police, fire department boat and paramedics. Busses, taxicabs and RiverWatch support vehicles are also able to reach the group at many points along the river.

What is the contingency plan for emergencies beyond that already stipulated?

A RiverWatch class generally consist of twenty-eight students and two supervisors comprised of a teacher and a volunteer. This group is divided into two rafts, with the teacher in one boat and a volunteer in the other. Each boat has its own professional RiverWatch guide.

Should a student require medical attention, the volunteer can accompany the student and the rest of the trip can proceed as planned. Should a greater emergency arise involving the entire class, the rafts can be pulled out and students can be picked up anywhere along the river.

What skills, knowledge and/or attitudes do students need for this excursion?

RiverWatch rafts are very heavy but many hands make light work!

Physical Fitness
Students require a minimal level of fitness. An ability to paddle rafts on the river and be able to help carry rafts to and from the river is all that is required.

Because the rafts are carried and paddled by 15 people, stronger students can compensate if other students are not physically able to assist. It is interesting to note that students using wheelchairs have been accommodated on the rafts.

Special Training
Instruction on how to paddle is given on-site before students get on the river. No specific level of swimming ability is required. Students are given instruction on how to float in the river in the event of falling overboard, as well as how to pull one another back into the boat and how to deal with rescue ropes.

Health Issues
This is a day outdoors, so students should be prepared for that. Asthma sufferers should have medication with them, and students with Epi-pens should have them in their backpacks. Teachers carry personal health forms provided by each student and they discuss specific health issues with the guides before a trip starts.

RiverWatch is engages student attention and focuses behaviors on constructive endeavors

Behavior
Students are expected to participate in the teamwork required to paddle rafts and collect science measurements. Although the general tone of the day is casual and fun, there are many times when careful and undivided attention is required, such as during the morning introduction, safety talk, science kit instruction, study site measurements, sewage plant tour, raft maneuvers and the end-of-day summary discussion.

Students must exhibit good listening skills, be polite, be helpful and refrain from swearing. PFD's must be worn in the rafts and along the shore. Water fighting, splashing with paddles, jumping into the river or jumping into other rafts is not permitted. Students wear eye goggles and latex gloves during chemical testing.

RiverWatch guides are experienced with young people and will not accept poor behaviour. They are professionals and deal with inappropriate behaviour quickly and appropriately. If a student will not adjust their behaviour, RiverWatch guides will consult with the teacher. It may be in everybody's interest to call for a taxi to transport the student back to the school where the student can explain their behaviour to the school principal. Parents and the school principal will be notified about the transportation arrangements before any student is sent back.

A RiverWatch Field Trip is very unique and often catches the interest of local news media. If a photographer or reporter accompanies the school, students should be respectful and thoughtful. The best photographs and quotes are obtained from helpful students being truly "natural". Reporters wish to see students "in action" and learning. RiverWatch staff may also take photographs from time to time for educational and promotional use.

How will you assess the individual readiness of students or prepare them?

Families each receive an extensive newsletter outlining all aspects of the field trip. Students require a pre-trip briefing at school on what they will be doing and why they will be doing it. Expectations regarding behaviour, participation, clothing, lunch, and safety should be discussed before going on the trip.

Teachers are encouraged to incorporate some level of pre-trip screening process and make appropriate arrangements for at-risk students. Students with special needs are welcome in the program along with their aide or a parent.

How have you determined the age appropriateness for this activity?

RiverWatch was specifically designed around the Grade 9 and Biology 20 curriculum, and is suitable for any junior or senior high grade.

How would you categorize the level of risk for students? On what basis?

Tens-of-thousands of students have had a safe experience on the water with RiverWatch

River Watch is a LOW RISK activity. This is based on the amount of professional supervision, the urban location and the Class I level of the river. Since starting in 1995, the RiverWatch program has worked with tens-of-thousands of students and there has not been any safety incident involving students, rafts, science equipment or medical attention.

There are potential hazards during a raft float trip and shoreline science studies. These potential hazards are known, anticipated, prepared for and are discussed with students and teachers. The hazards mostly relate to:

How have you ensured:

Gender balance among supervisors
A class of 30 requires one teacher and another adult. RiverWatch can usually provide male and female guides. Groups can be organized so that there is at least one supervisor of each gender in each participating class.

Supervisors have been fully apprised of their responsibilities
Teachers and volunteers should be made aware of the need to help maintain control of students. This is rarely an issue, because the trip itself brings out the best in students, and the RiverWatch guides are experienced with student management.

Once at the departure point, supervisors meet the river guides and organize students into rafting groups. The teacher should have all medical forms with them in case of an emergency. Once groups are organized, the RiverWatch guides take-over and the supervisor's role is to deal with behavior issues.

Students are not left unsupervised at any time
There is very little spare time on this trip. The only potential "alone" time is during a short break for lunch when students eat their lunch near the riverbank. This is easily controlled be having students eat together.

What is the level of expertise of the teacher regarding:

Special training (including safety measures)
Teachers do not require rafting expertise or first-aid training. Each year of experience that a teacher has with the program improves student preparation and follow-up back in the classroom.

Physical Fitness
The teacher requires no particular level of fitness.

Similar experience (and exposure to the risk)
Because professional guides deliver the on-site program, the teacher does not require a similar experience in advance. However, background knowledge about the workings of a sewage treatment plant and chemical tests for water quality would be an asset to students.

Health Issues
Teachers should be able to put in a full day of supervising students in an outdoor setting.

What training and knowledge do volunteers have?

Volunteers require no pre-set level of training or expertise. They are required for supervision of students in the rafts and on-shore during experiments. They provide an extra set of eyes to ensure students do not wander off while completing water quality testing or eating lunch. The raft guides provide the majority of the instruction and supervision for each raft.

How have you ensured that parents and students have:

Received all pertinent trip information including emergency procedures
The information package provided by RiverWatch is included later in this section. It outlines all the required trip information. This package includes a permission slip, as well as a medical questionnaire. Students may also take an Acceptance of Risk Form home for their parent's signature.

Returned all necessary forms/signatures
Students will be denied access to the trip if all forms are not brought to the school before the trip.

Attended all meetings of the trip
Meetings for the trip take place in the science class, where expectations are reviewed and information handouts are circulated. Students that obtain handouts late should receive a personal review of the expectations before being given the handout.

Understood the consequences of inappropriate behaviour
The consequences of inappropriate behavior are outlined in the family newsletter and should be discussed with students before the trip. Inappropriate behaviors cannot jeopardize the safety and enjoyment of the entire group. The school policies on smoking, drugs, alcohol, fighting all apply during a field trip.

The guides are all young people with an upbeat and friendly manner. Their good-natured humor and enthusiasm go a long way toward promoting good behavior amongst the students.

Have you considered this excursion in light of the Freedom of Information and Privacy (FOIP) Act?

Teachers require signed permission forms and health information forms for each student. Student health forms are brought during the trip and are only for use during an emergency. Only adult waivers are handed to the raft guide and retained on file.