This blog provides Aspen instructors with information on how to conduct a safety briefing for Duke of Edinburgh’s Award groups. The briefing covers:
- Overview of Grab bags,
- Hazards,
- Kit and equipment,
- Navigational skills refresh,
- Emergency procedures,
- An explanation of where you (the supervisor) will be during the course of the expedition.
A safety briefing should be provided to participants before the expedition starts, in all circumstances where the group will, at some stage, be on their own and independent. In circumstances where the instructor is with the participants at all times, for example, on a training day, the requirements for a safety briefing are different because the instructor can intervene. Note that even in a training day, there is a lot of benefit in undertaking a participative safety briefing facilitate learning.
At Aspen, we have 13 sets of grab bags: a group bag for the participants and a supervisor bag for the instructor. Every expedition group goes out with grab bags. These resources can be tremendously useful as learning resources and for preventing and responding to problems on the expedition. They do, however, require instruction on their correct use.
These following safety videos go into further detail about what these procedures are.
Safety Video 1- Overview of Grab bags
Safety Video 2- Hazards
Safety Video 3- Kit and Equipment
Safety Video 4- Navigational Skills Refresh
Safety Video 5- Emergency Procedures
Safety Video 6- Explanation of where you (the supervisor) will be during the expedition.