OSBIE's Risk management Department offers a variety of presentations and workshops to our members and groups affiliated with the Education System. Should you require or would like to have the OSBIE Risk Management Department give a presentation to your group regarding any of the subjects below, please complete the form.

Risk Management Presentations

Please click on presentation title for a description - most presentations are 1 - 2 hours in length

1A: General Liability and Risk Management
2A: Principal's Course

Risk Management 1/2 Day Workshops

Please click on workshop title for a description - Check to see if we are offering this session in your area Regional Meetings

1B: Enterprise Risk Management
2B: Sexual Misconduct
3B: Emergency Response and Trauma
4B: School Activities

Request a Presentation or Workshop

To request a presentation or workshop, please fill out the form below and it will be emailed to OSBIE.

Presentation and Workshop Descriptions

Liability and Risk Management - OSBIE Presentation

School boards face many risks in their day-to-day operations, ranging from student injuries from sports or school activities, fund raising activities or community groups using school facilities.

This workshop provides a background on the social, legal and human factors that are contributing to an increase in lawsuits in Canada, an overview of the Liability insurance coverage provided to OSBIE member school boards, with a focus on the principles of risk management, risk identification and the most common risk strategies available to school boards to help reduce injuries and law suits.

This general presentation can easily be modified to focus on specific questions or areas of concern for various school board groups, such as: trustees, superintendents, administrators, principals, vice-principals, teachers, custodial staff, and volunteers.

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Principal's Course - Introduction to Liability Insurance and Risk Management

As the new or potentially new administrator of your school it is important to understand liability insurance and risk management. This presentation will give you the knowledge to face the day-to-day risks that face your school, including the use of Volunteers, transportation of students, school activities, field trips and supply teachers.

This workshop provides a background on the social, legal and human factors that are contributing to an increase in lawsuits in Canada, an overview of the Liability insurance coverage provided to OSBIE member school boards, as well as an introduction to the principles of risk management, risk identification and the most common risk strategies available to school boards to help reduce injuries and law suits.

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Risk Managing Your School Enterprise

The balancing act: Your schools are faced with a daily stream of changing priorities - decisions about curriculum needs, student discipline, parental inquiries, field trip approvals, fund raising, cash management and operating school programs. In addition, each school is also a business enterprise that must be effectively managed within financial budgets to provide well-maintained facilities for all occupants, and to provide school programs and activities that are safe and well supervised for participants.

Balancing these priorities can be a challenging task, and, as society has become more demanding of schools to provide programs that transcend the traditional "3 R's" of education, school administrators need to be aware of the risks these demands can carry, and to have a strategy prepared to identify and manage those risks.

It is no longer sufficient or practical to rely on insurance coverage alone to protect your school board against lawsuits. School boards must also practice risk management to prevent as well as protect. By applying risk management principles to a school environment, administrators can incorporate consistent and systematic processes into their policies and procedures that not only reduce risk profile, but can improve the efficiency of school operations. It has been proven over time that a safe business enterprise is also a well-managed enterprise.

The message is simple - Risk management IS management...

This half-day workshop will cover the following topics:

• Factors making schools targets for various organizational losses
  • Social, Legal, Human Element
• Traditional approaches to organizational risk - do they still work?
• Risk Identification - Where are your risks?
  • Occupier's Liability, School Activities, Fund Raising, Sports, Field Trips
• Risk Management Strategies
  • Avoiding the risk
  • Controlling the risk
• Your school as a business
  • Prioritization of risks and good business decisions
• Reducing Your Risk Profile Risk
  • Management Tips
  • Case Studies

Who Should Attend? Risk Managers, OSBIE Contacts, Administrators, Principals, Vice-Principals, Teachers, Trustees

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Sexual Misconduct in Schools - Protecting Your Students and Yourself

Sexual misconduct. It is a difficult topic for most of us to discuss without feeling uncomfortable for any number of personal reasons. Historically, society has tolerated most sexual misconduct by turning a blind eye, which has left silence, compliance and even self-blame as the only coping strategies for the victims. This reluctance to discuss what may well be the "ultimate betrayal", particularly when children are involved, often leaves the offenders free to continue with their lives and often to repeat this behaviour.

But times and attitudes are changing about sexual misconduct, and absolute intolerance when children are involved is quickly becoming the norm. And rightly so. Regardless of the tolerance of past generations, sexual misconduct has never been "right". The expectations for educators and authority figures in our school system to set positive examples and to protect children from being victims of sexual misconduct has never been higher in the wake of several recent high profile court cases involving teachers.

As society has become more aware of individual rights, more victims are choosing to end the silence. Today, people are more likely to sue school boards, and the Canadian courts are becoming more sympathetic to the claims of injured parties.

It is no longer sufficient or practical to rely on insurance coverage alone to protect your school board against lawsuits. School boards must also practice risk management to prevent as well as protect. By gaining an understanding of what can and does happen, becoming aware of the "tell-tale" signs, and developing policies and procedures for employees, volunteers and students, we can reduce the risk potential of sexual misconduct incidents in our schools.

This half-day workshop will cover the following topics:

• Legal Liability for School Boards for Sexual Misconduct - Why all the caution?
• The Tell -Tale Signs
• Risk Identification - Where are your risks?
  • Institutional, Personal, Student risks
• Risk Management Strategies
  • Avoiding the risk
  • Due Diligence (Managing the risk)
• Selection, Implementation and Monitoring Risk Management Strategies
• Reducing Your Risk Profile - Risk Management Tips

Who Should Attend? Risk Managers, OSBIE Contacts, Principals, Vice-Principals, Teachers, Human Resources Staff, Trustees

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School Activities - High Risk Entertainment vs Educational Value

In today's society, involvement in "extreme activities" is encouraged for young people by the media and in advertising on a daily basis. To "be cool", one must take chances - live on the edge - push the safety envelope.

To respond to the competitive nature of "pushing the safety envelope", many school boards have given in to pressure from students and parents alike to organize and operate activities that have a limited educational value and which often place students at risk of serious injury - or even death.

At the same time, our society has become more aware of individual rights. People are more likely to sue public entities (such as school boards), and the Canadian courts are becoming more sympathetic to the claims of injured parties.

It is no longer sufficient or practical to rely on insurance coverage alone to protect your school board against lawsuits. School boards must also practice risk management to prevent as well as protect. By identifying the activities that cause injuries, making informed decisions about eliminating high-risk activities and reducing the risk profile through systematic risk management programs, school boards can protect themselves against the latest "growth industry" - suing public entities.

This half-day workshop will cover the following topics:

• Legal Liability for School Activities - Why all the caution?
• Risk Identification - Where are your losses coming from?
  • Field Trips
  • Activities on school premises
• Risk Management Strategies
  • Avoiding the risk
  • Due Diligence (Managing the risk)
• Selection, Implementation and Monitoring Risk Management Strategies
  • Consent Forms vs Waivers
  • Volunteer Driver Forms
• Position Statement on School Activities
• Balancing Educational Value versus High Risk Entertainment

Who Should Attend? Risk Managers, OSBIE Contacts, Principals, Vice-Principals, Teachers, Trustees, Parent Council Members

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