Risk assessment and management strategies (RAMS)
Image credit: National Library building, Wellington by Department of Internal Affairs. Some rights reserved: CC by 4.0. Image cropped.
Read our risk assessment and management strategies (RAMS), outlining how we would respond to an unexpected event during a visit to the National Library.
Fire, earthquake, tsunami
We'll brief you on health and safety at the start of your visit.
In an emergency, National Library staff will direct and manage an evacuation if necessary.
Groups are to stay together at all times.
For fires, the evacuation meeting point is outside the Court of Appeal on the other side of Aitken St.
Action
Follow the directions of National Library staff.
Roads
Use pedestrian crossings on both Molesworth and Aitken Streets to cross the road.
Teachers are responsible for the safety of students outside the National Library.
Action
For minor injuries, the National Library has first-aid kits and first-aid trained staff.
Student specific needs
Discuss individual student's needs with learning facilitators before the visit.
Teachers are responsible for students and their requirements during the visit.
Action
Before the class visit, share teaching practices that we can use to support your student’s learning.
Students getting lost or exposed to stranger danger
We recommend discussing this with students before your visit.
Teachers ensure adult-to-student ratios are adequate and maintained at all times during the visit.
Any student visiting the wharepaku (toilet), or leaving the main group for any reason, must tell the group leader and be accompanied by an adult.
Keep a count of students throughout the visit, particularly after moving from one space to another.
If a student is missing:
teachers tell library staff immediately
teachers and learning facilitators conduct an initial search
Police are notified if necessary.
Actions
Recommended adult-to-student ratios for visits are:
Primary and intermediate students — 1:8
Secondary students — 1:15.
Teachers and learning facilitators conduct head counts during the visit.
Teachers and library staff search the building if a student is missing.
Slipping or tripping on wet or uneven floors
As soon they arrive, visitors are shown where floors are wet.
Elevators are available as an alternative to stairs.
All stairs have handrails.
We ask students to respect the tikanga of the National Library. This includes:
walking while in the library
not climbing on seats
being mindful of their surroundings and other people in the exhibition space.
The document room (He Whakapapa Kōrero) in He Tohu has low light. Students need to be especially careful in this space.
Actions
At the start of a visit, National Library staff:
outline behavioural expectations
point out specific hazards.
For minor injuries, the National Library has first-aid kits and first-aid trained staff.
Damage by or to taonga
Teachers ensure adult-student ratios are adequate and maintained at all times during the visit.
We ask students to respect the tikanga of the National Library. This includes:
walking while in the library
not climbing on seats
being mindful of their surroundings and other people in the exhibition space.
The document room (He Whakapapa Kōrero) in He Tohu has low light. Students need to be especially careful in this space.
Cuts
Teachers will be advised before a visit if a programme for younger students uses sharp implements (such as scissors).
Learning facilitators will show how to use sharp implements safely at the start of relevant activities.
Teachers ensure adult-to-student ratios are adequate and maintained at all times during the visit.
Action
For minor injuries, the National Library has first-aid kits and first-aid trained staff.
