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Health & Safety
The health and safety of visiting groups is our priority. Occombe is a working farm which presents specific risks for children.
Risk assessments
We advise a pre-visit to our farm, during which you can carry out a risk assessment
and become familiar with the site. Copies of the farm's risk assessments covering the
various activities are provided to group leaders.
Group Ratios
We follow Torbay and Devon County Council's guidelines for adult to child ratios in
the outdoors doing fieldwork activities. This is 1 adult to 6 children for under 8 year
olds and 1 to 15 for over 8 year olds. Thus we require the visiting group leader to
bring as many helpers as necessary to fulfil the relevant ratio.
What should you wear?
Students should wear comfortable clothes suitable for outdoors activities (including
long trousers and a waterproof jacket). They should wear shoes that they can keep "clean" and bring additional wellies or boots which they can change in to when walking around the farm. The idea being that they will change back into their clean shoes when indoors and for going home.
We have a stock of some Wellington boots and waterproofs at the
farm available for visiting groups.
First Aid
Our staff are trained First Aiders but schools should bring a First Aider with them on
oft-site visits.
Machinery
It is unlikely that visiting groups will be near working machinery but if this happens a
safe distance must be maintained.
Hygiene
The risk of infection is very small, but disease caused by an infection could be
serious. By following simple guidelines, similar to everyday basic hygiene
recommendations, the risk can be easily minimised.
The Health & Safety Executive has produced guidelines, HSE sheet AIS23 - Avoiding
ill health at open farms - Advice to farmers. The supplement to AIS23 advises
teachers and others who organise farm visits on controlling the risk of infection from
animals which the children may have contact with during their visit.
All animals naturally carry a range of micro-organisms, some of which can be
transmitted to humans, causing ill health. Some, such as the bacterium Escherichia
coli 0157 (E coli 0157) cause infections which can potentially cause disease, which
may be particularly acute in young children.
While the hazard from infection resulting from a farm visit is real, the risk can be
readily controlled by following sensible steps which will help make your visit safe,
healthy and enjoyable.
Managing Behaviour
Every visiting group will be given a Health & Safety introduction by our Rangers at
the start of the visit and safety talks specific to any activity undertaken.
Teachers/group leaders are responsible for the children's behaviour throughout the
visit. The children should understand how to behave on the farm and always follow
the Country Code.
Specific guidelines include, before your visit:
• read and understand the advice in AIS23, and discuss visit arrangements with the
farm management. Assure yourself that the facilities provided match the
recommendations in AIS23
• discuss with the supervisors, who may be parents or staff of the school, creche,
etc. their role during the visit. They must understand the need to make sure that
the children wash, or are helped to wash, their hands thoroughly after contacting
animals, and follow the other rules suggested below.
• discuss with pupils the rules for the visit, stressing that they must not eat or chew
outside the areas in which you permit them to do so
• check that cuts, grazes, etc. on children's hands are covered with a waterproof
dressing.
During and after the visit, make sure that the children:
• do not touch animals unless supervised and wash hands afterwards
• always wash their hands thoroughly before and after eating, after any contact with
animals, and again before leaving the farm
• always wash their hands after changing their shoes
• eat only food that they have brought with them, or food for human consumption
that they have bought on the farm, in designated areas, and never eat food which
has fallen to the ground, or taste animal foods
• do not suck fingers or put hands, pens, pencils or crayons, etc. in their mouths
• clean or change their footwear before leaving, remembering to wash their hands
after any contact with animal faeces on their footwear. Check that the children stay in their allocated groups during the visit, and that they:
• do not use or pick up tools (e.g. spades and forks) unless permitted to do so by
farm staff
• do not climb on to walls or animal pens, etc.
• listen carefully, and follow the instructions and information given by the farm staff
• approach and handle animals quietly and gently
• do not chase, frighten or torment the animals.
Remember:
• the children are your responsibility during the visit
• you should supervise them during the visit, especially during hand washing, to
make sure that each child washes thoroughly. Farm staff may be able to help with
this supervision
• allow plenty of time before eating or leaving so that the children do not have to
rush.
If a member of your group shows signs of illness (e.g. sickness or diarrhoea) after a
visit, advise them or their parent/guardian to visit the doctor and explain that they
have had recent contact with animals.
Countryside Visits Accreditation Scheme (CEVAS)
Occombe Farm and its staff are accredited by the CEVAS scheme and we have the new Learning Outside the Classroom (LOTC) Quality Badge. 
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