A group of fourth- and fifth-graders enjoying a walk in a serene forest. What could possibly go wrong? A bear attack?
Exactly. Last month, a class field trip in Bella Coola, British Columbia, turned tragic when a grizzly lunged into a group that had stopped to eat. Staff managed to drive the bear off with spray and noisemakers, but when the dust cleared, three students and a teacher had to be airlifted to the hospital with critical injuries.
Rare? Yes. But asking “what are the chances” tends to induce complacency. Instead, the Laboratory Safety Institute’s courses emphasize asking four critical questions to prepare for all situations, large and small:
- What are the hazards?
- What are the worst possible things that could go wrong?
- How will I deal with them?
- What are the prudent practices, protective facilities and PPE necessary to minimize the risk?
Below we break down these four questions with a focus on field trips, to help make those unforgettable days unforgettable for the right reasons.
1. What are the hazards?
Know your destination well. Really well.
- A site visit is not optional. Identify uneven terrain, wildlife zones, water hazards, weather exposure, emergency access points.
- Ask: How far is medical help? Is there cell service? What’s our communication backup?
2. What are the worst possible things that could go wrong?
- For wilderness trips, learn what creatures you’re sharing the landscape with (bears, wolves, snakes, ticks) and how to avoid drawing their attention.
Even in the Bella Coola case, teachers responded heroically with bear spray and “bear bangers,” tools they had because they planned ahead. Being prepared didn’t eliminate the danger, but the situation could have been much worse if they were not.
3. How will I deal with them?
Field trips shouldn’t hinge on improvisation. Build a rock-solid plan before you go.
- Establish a written plan covering transportation, timing, supervision roles, emergency responses, and equipment needed.
- Confirm that at least one adult per group is trained in first aid/CPR.
- Identify safety zones: shaded areas for heat, high ground for flooding, safe rooms for weather events.
- Bring a well-stocked first aid kit that fits the environment (epinephrine, trauma dressings, tick removal tools, etc.).
- In wilderness settings, practice wildlife safety: staying calm, backing away slowly, never running, and knowing when tools (like bear spray) are appropriate.
4. What are the prudent practices, protective facilities and PPE necessary to minimize the risk?
- Supervision. Many school tragedies, from wildlife encounters to water accidents, occur in brief moments of unsupervised separation.
- Use the buddy system religiously. It prevents wandering and speeds up accountability.
- Place adults at the front and back of the group (like sheepdogs).
- Pre-assign small student groups to specific chaperones.
- Set mandatory check-ins: arrival, transitions, post-lunch, before departure.
- Outline clear learning objectives (Learning is itself a safety measure because it keeps students focused instead of wandering).
- Secure permissions early and collect detailed medical and emergency info for every student.
- Communication. When tragedy strikes, getting help quickly can be a matter of life or death.
- If the location is remote, pack communication backups like walkie-talkies or satellite devices.
- Designate the adult lead who makes emergency calls and coordinates the group.
Involve Students in the Safety Plan
- Review rules: stay on trails, no entering brush or water without permission, no food out in wildlife areas, report any separation immediately.
- Explain why rules exist. Kids listen better when they understand the stakes.
- Teach what to do if lost, separated, or confronted with wildlife or hazards.
- Go over the day’s plan and timeline so students know what “normal” looks like.
Engaged, informed kids don’t take unnecessary risks, or at least as many.
Learn From the Past
A culture of safety grows over time. After every trip, review what went well and what didn’t. Document any near-misses and update your future plans accordingly.
To augment discussions, here are some past field trip incidents from the Lab Safety Institute’s Memorial Wall:
- In October, a six-year-old on a school outing in Georgia drowned during what was supposed to be a supervised recreational stop.
- In 2005, a young engineering student, Kenton Carnegie, was killed in Saskatchewan in what investigators believe was a wolf attack during a field excursion.
- In 2003, Robert Goldhammer (University of Texas Geology Department) and Visiting Scholar Raquel Vieira de Savariego were killed when the vehicle in which they were passengers rolled over on the way to field camp, as part of a semester-long summer course. Three others were injured, one critically.
- In 1998, a southern California high school senior was badly burned when the “Potato Cannon” experiment he was conducting exploded on the school football field. He was hospitalized for 40 days and fitted for a mask when released.
- Also in 1998, Queens University Geology Assistant Professor Julian Michael Szeicz died in April in an avalanche while collecting field samples for doctoral students.
- Charl Broquet, a graduate student at the University of Texas, was killed when the university jeep he was driving hit a tree at high speed. His passenger, a recently graduate grad student, was seriously injured. Charl was familiarizing himself with the jeep that he was going to be driving to/in his field area.
- In 1994, geology graduate student Jeanne Messier died after contracting hantavirus during research work in California’s Sierra Nevada.
These anecdotes aren’t meant to scare anyone away from experiential learning. They’re reminders that the very things that make field trips powerful — novelty, exploration, real-world environments — introduce risk. The safest field trips are the ones where educators plan deeply, communicate clearly, supervise intentionally, and expect the unexpected.