Additional guidance
Review of the Assessment
- The Risk Assessment must be reviewed if there any significant changes in the activity and on a regular basis (e.g. annually).
Generic Assessments
- Some activities are fairly straight forward and repeated on a regular basis. In these cases it is not necessary to carry out risk assessments for each activity but an encompassing generic assessment which can be adapted and reused.
General tools of risk control
- The key means of reducing risks when dealing with children’s activities are to:
- carry out an exploratory visit to identify hazards;
- employ competent supervisory staff;
- provide adequate supervision throughout the activity;
- provide clear guidance to supervisory staff and the children/young people; and
- have in place emergency procedures (e.g. the provision of or access to first aid).
- The most senior supervisor will normally be the risk assessor. Supervision may be from both University staff and staff from the External Institution. The risk assessment needs to take into account both parties.
- The risk assessor should take the following factors into account during the assessment:
- the type of activity and the level at which it is being undertaken;
- the location, routes and modes of transport;
- the competence, experience and qualifications of supervisory staff;
- the ratios of supervisory staff to children/young people;
- the group members’ age, competence, fitness and temperament and the suitability of the activity;
- the special educational or medical needs of children/young people;
- the quality and suitability of available equipment;
- seasonal conditions, weather and timing;
- emergency procedures;
- how to cope when a child/young person becomes unable or unwilling to continue; and
- the need to monitor the risks throughout the activity.
