Do not be VET emergency contact

By Wendy Currie

Federation advice on acting as emergency contacts for students on workplacements both within and outside of school hours remains the same -- do not do it.

This is despite VET teachers being told in some instances that Federation has bargained away their rights in relation to requirements that they act as emergency contacts for students on workplacements both within and outside of school hours. The Federation did no such thing.

Federation's advice to members remains the same as was notified to schools in both 2002 and 2001.

The out-of-school hours referred to may include evenings, weekends and holidays.

Do not provide contact details for use on Workplace Learning Emergency Procedure Cards. The provision of such details would mean that you are "on-call" to deal with emergencies arising from those workplacements at any time.

Teachers cannot be required to be on-call for such duties outside of school hours.

Federation has received legal advice that by providing your details as emergency contact you will personally be extending your duty of care to incorporate any time that a student is on a workplacement.

The requirement to provide an emergency contact is included in the DET's Workplace Learning Handbook. This handbook was not negotiated with the Federation. Indeed, Federation was not even consulted.

If you have already agreed to your details being included on the Emergency Procedure Card, you are advised to tell the principal that you have reconsidered your position and request that these details be removed from the cards.

The onus for providing such care rests with the DET centrally. DET must not abdicate its responsibility in relation to workplacements by placing the onus on teachers in this way.

Wendy Currie is a Research Officer.

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February 2003 contents