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A school where a boy died in a caving trip has been allowed to resume high risk activities, but WorkSafe has encouraged all schools to understand their health and safety risks.
Karnin Ahorangi Petera, 15, died during a trip to the caves with his year 11 Whangārei Boys High School outdoor education class on May 9.
The caving trip took place during a heavy rain warning. He was swept away in rising floodwater.
After the tragedy, the school voluntarily paused all outdoor education activities.
WorkSafe formalised this by issuing an improvement notice on May 19 and a separate prohibition notice for activities in higher-risk environments, such as in water or from heights.
WorkSafe head of specialist interventions, Dr Catherine Gardner, said on Tuesday the two enforcement notices issued to the school’s Board of Trustees had been lifted.
David White/Stuff
Flowers were placed at the entrance to Whangārei Boys’ High School after Karnin Petera died at Abbey Caves. The school can now resume high risk activities like rock climbing and water activities. (File photo)
The school used expert input from Education Outdoors New Zealand to review its outdoor education systems, she said.
Gardner encouraged all schools to reflect on the tragedy and ensure they have confidence in their systems and processes.
“Good health and safety management starts with identifying and understanding what your health and safety risks are.”
The school previously admitted it wasn’t sure what constituted a high risk activity, with a number of grey areas.
Denise Piper/Stuff
Abbey Caves remains closed by a rāhui after the death. (File photo)
Its actions included training all staff in risk management.
The school was visited by WorkSafe two months before the Abbey Caves death after a teacher was seriously injured by unguarded machinery in the school’s workshop.
A student was hospitalised in 2022 and another cut himself on the old school grounds.
While the enforcement notices have been lifted, WorkSafe is continuing with a wider investigation into the fatality, which the school is co-operating with, Gardner said.
“The investigation outcome is not impacted by the lifting of these two notices.”
School principal Karen Gilbert-Smith said the school will be acting with “an abundance of caution” as it resumes outdoor education and trips outside the classroom.
Each event will be subject to new safety management planning before being submitted for approval, she said.
Gilbert-Smith thanked Education Outdoors NZ for its “rigorous review” of education outside the classroom, including ongoing expert guidance and support to create the new safety management plans.
In a letter sent to parents, she also urged any parents with concerns to contact her, so they can feel comfortable about all aspects of the school.
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