World Expeditions Schools > Safety > Safety & Risk Management

Safety

Our Commitment to Your Safety

We are very proud of our excellent reputation in the education and our 100% safety record in organising school journeys.

This has come about thanks to careful management, diligent planning and thorough consultation with all stakeholders. Our track record is exemplary - unblemished in fact.

After nearly four decades of operating student adventures, standard operating procedures and pre-departure training have become invaluable for our schools. Our dedicated school team are all experienced professionals who have safety as their number one priority.

We often host Free Risk Management Workshops - view our current schedule.

EXPERT LEADERS

Every leader is first aid trained and are chosen because of their years of experience guiding travellers through wilderness destinations.

RISK ASSESSMENTS

A detailed risk assessment is carried out prior to every school group adventure in close consultation with our local ground partners and information from the relevant government advisories.

QUALITY INCLUSIONS

We will never compromise on the safety of participants to reduce the price of a tour. For example, we only ever utilise private vehicles, rather than public buses, so we can know the maintenance history of the fleet as well as the quality of our licensed drivers.

COMMUNICATIONS

All leaders carry current communication equipment relevant to the area and itinerary. All leaders have 24 hour access to our teams back in Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the UK.

PRE-TRIP SCREENING

All participants are required to complete our medical form before departure. Any parent or student with concerns can have their doctor consult free of charge with our internationally recognised wilderness medical consultant, Dr Ross Anderson.

PRE-TRIP INFORMATION

Your dedicated World Expeditions’ School Manager will work with the organising teachers and school executive to plan a tour that suits your desired outcomes, and plan pre-departure sessions that prepare the school executive, the teachers, the parents, and the students, including risk prevention and management processes. Once the tour is approved by the school, we will present to students and families to ensure they are informed, and aware, of what is expected from them, what they can expect from us, and what they can expect from the school regarding safety procedures both pre-departure and on the tour. We also supply a detailed document upon registration outlining what we need regarding medical/dietary information, what gear to take, and how communications work during the tour.

CONTROL OF FIELD OPERATIONS

In many destinations we can control the quality of the field arrangements as we own the local operation. Where we don’t, we only work with the most experienced and carefully screened local suppliers.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Thanks to our local teams we are kept informed on important matters before it breaks in the media. Having a trusted local source means saving time in the rare case of emergencies as they are able to swiftly resolve matters, including the re-routing of itineraries, or supplying financial assistance where required to ensure the continuation of the journey.

FINANCIAL SECURITY

We have Public Liability insurance up to AU$20m. In Australia we are ATAS accredited, IATA & the Travel Compensation Fund. In the UK we are ATOL licensed and we offer complimentary airline failure insurance when booking your flights with us. In New Zealand we are a member of the Travel Agents Association of NZ. In North America we are a member of TICO in Canada and ATTA in the USA. We can supply comprehensive travel insurance that will provide the correct coverage for the destination and type of school journey you choose.

FIRST AID KITS & DOCTORS

Every group leader travels with a comprehensive first aid kit. If you wish, we can also organise for a doctor to travel with the group.

ADULT TO STUDENT RATIO

Each group has an adult to student ratio appropriate to the destination and activity.

COMPLIANCE

Our school adventures comply with all local regulations both domestically and internationally. Talk to us to learn more.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Our operations and local ground partners are all provided with our International Operations Manual which clearly outlines the procedures in the case of an emergency. Their experience and our detailed procedures ensure that they are able to resolve any emergency situation. Talk to us to learn more.

To discuss any of the above in more detail contact your nearest Educational Travel Expert.

WHAT IS RISK MANAGEMENT?

Risk Management is simply identifying potential minor and major hazards on a trip and putting in place a plan to avoid or manage that risk.

Whilst acknowledging that there are inherent risks in all travel that can never be totally eliminated, we endeavour to minimise any risks or dangers that have the potential to lead to any more than a reasonable level of physical or emotional distress for our clients, staff and partners.

OUR RISK MANAGEMENT TRACK RECORD

Thanks to our pre and post trip Risk Management strategies, World Expeditions Schools has an unblemished safety record.

We recognize that part of the enjoyment and excitement of adventure travel style school trips is derived from the innate risks incurred by travelling and undertaking activities beyond the levels of safety normal at home or school.

That’s why we have a strong commitment to running safe school expeditions and tours, ensuring that our experienced guides are fully aware of the demands of travelling in both urban and remote regions with young people.