A risk assessment is a structured process to identify hazards in a workplace or activity, evaluate the likelihood and severity of harm, and decide on measures to control or eliminate those risks.
Why Risk Assessments Are Important:
- Legal Requirement: UK law requires employers to assess and manage workplace risks.
- Prevents Harm: Identifies hazards early, reducing accidents and ill health.
- Promotes Safety Culture: Involves staff in creating a safer environment.
- Adapts to Change: Ensures controls stay effective when processes or conditions change.
- Protects Reputation and Resources: Avoids fines, legal action, and operational disruption.
In the Burgundy Pack Burgundy Pack you will find a Program for Risk assessments. This lists the minimum risk assessments required that should be in place for Primary and Early years, Secondary and SEN establishments.
Question Sets for risk assessments can be found on EEC for each of the assessments noted in the Burgundy Pack. You will also find question sets for other risks not listed that you may want to use such as beaches, coastal walks, bees and wasps. The system allows you to add in or remove hazards that feel are/are not required and input your site’s control measures.
Most Risk Assessments must be reviewed annually or sooner if something changes or following an incident.
It is important to ensure that all relevant staff such as the Business Manager, trip organisers, caretaker, H&S Governor – this list is not exhaustive – have been trained in the basic principles of Risk Assessment and that confirmation of this can be provided at your Health & Safety Audit. A training module called Basic Principles of Risk Assessment is on Blackboard.
Guidance relating to the principles of risk assessment is included in Somerset Council’s HS04 Risk Assessment Policy.
It is important to make sure that risk assessments are read and understood by all/relevant staff, this can be undertaken during induction, staff meetings, newsletters and inset days, a simple sign off sheet could be collected at the time.
Risk assessments relating to trips should be shared with trips leaders and/or parents, staff will need to make sure that these have been signed for as read and understood. Or taking your risk assessment and creating a Safe Working Procedures (SWP) can be a useful aide memoire in the trips and visits pack: How to create Safe Working Procedures in your School. A debrief after the trip is always helpful to ensure that any risks arising from the trip are updated and added to the assessment in readiness for the next time.
