CalmComplianceRisk Assessment template
School Food-Business Safety Risk Assessment
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 1 October 2026
- Audience
- Primary and secondary schools in England, including maintained schools and academies, operating a food business or catering operation. Not intended for independent schools.
- Jurisdiction
- england
Activity assessed
Food preparation, handling, storage and service carried out by or for a school food business or catering operation, including allergen management, cross-contamination prevention, change management, review triggers and follow-up actions.
Assess each hazard and its controls against your site before use. Template ratings require local review.
Hazards and controls
Food-safety hazards associated with the school's food business or catering operation may not be identified, assessed or managed through a documented food-business safety procedure.
- Existing controls
- Record the documented risk assessment, food-safety procedures and other controls currently in place. Do not assume that any control is present until verified.
- Proposed controls
- Maintain a documented food-business safety procedure and risk assessment covering the relevant food activities, processes and arrangements. Assign responsibility for maintaining the register, recording actions and reviewing whether controls remain suitable.
Local assessment and additional controls
Food may become unsafe during preparation through contamination, inadequate separation of activities, unsuitable handling practices or failure to follow the applicable food-safety procedure.
- Existing controls
- Record the preparation controls currently used, including work-flow arrangements, cleaning arrangements, hand hygiene arrangements, staff practices and supervision. Verify each control rather than treating it as established.
- Proposed controls
- Define and document safe preparation methods for the foods and processes undertaken. Separate incompatible activities where necessary, maintain suitable cleaning and hand-hygiene arrangements, and provide appropriate instruction and supervision for people handling food.
Local assessment and additional controls
Food may become contaminated or otherwise unsafe during handling, portioning, assembly, packaging or transfer between preparation and service.
- Existing controls
- Record current controls for handling, utensils, equipment, packaging, personal hygiene, protection of food and transfer between work areas. Confirm how and when each control is applied.
- Proposed controls
- Document handling controls for each relevant stage of the operation, including hygienic handling, protection from contamination, suitable equipment and utensils, and arrangements for transferring food safely between areas or personnel.
Local assessment and additional controls
Food may become unsafe during storage because of contamination, unsuitable storage arrangements, deterioration, inadequate stock control or a change in storage capacity or use.
- Existing controls
- Record current controls for storage areas, separation, protection, stock rotation, date or batch identification, storage-condition checks and action when a storage control is not met.
- Proposed controls
- Define storage arrangements for the foods handled, including separation and protection requirements, stock identification and rotation, monitoring arrangements where applicable, and actions for food that may no longer be suitable for use.
Local assessment and additional controls
Food may become contaminated or otherwise unsafe during service, display, portioning, delivery to pupils or staff, or collection by customers.
- Existing controls
- Record current service controls, including protection of food, service equipment, separation of foods, staff practices, supervision and arrangements for food remaining after service.
- Proposed controls
- Document safe service and display arrangements for each relevant food activity. Specify how food is protected during service, how utensils and service areas are managed, and what happens to food when service ends or conditions change.
Local assessment and additional controls
Where the food business supplies food containing allergens, inaccurate, unavailable or poorly communicated allergen information may expose consumers to an allergen.
- Existing controls
- If allergen-containing food is supplied, record the current controls for identifying ingredients, maintaining allergen information, communicating information to consumers and managing changes to recipes or suppliers. If this hazard is not applicable, record the basis for that decision.
- Proposed controls
- Where applicable, establish a documented process for identifying allergens in ingredients and recipes, keeping information current, communicating it before or at the point of supply as appropriate, and checking changes to recipes, ingredients, suppliers, preparation methods and menus.
Local assessment and additional controls
Food may be contaminated by other food, allergens, equipment, utensils, surfaces, people, packaging, waste or the surrounding environment during preparation, storage or service.
- Existing controls
- Record existing separation, cleaning, equipment, utensil, storage, personal-hygiene and work-flow controls. Include any arrangements for preventing allergen cross-contact where the allergen hazard is applicable.
- Proposed controls
- Identify points where cross-contamination or allergen cross-contact could occur and document controls for separation, cleaning, equipment and utensil use, storage, work flow, hand hygiene and communication. Review controls whenever processes, ingredients, equipment or layouts change.
Local assessment and additional controls
Changes to the food business, including changes to activities, processes, premises, equipment, suppliers, staffing or arrangements, may introduce additional hazards or affect usual hygiene and food-safety practices.
- Existing controls
- Record the current change-control, start-up-check and review arrangements. Do not assume that changes have been documented or checked until evidence is available.
- Proposed controls
- Before or when a change is introduced, document the change and carry out proportionate start-up checks. Check whether additional hazards have been introduced or existing controls affected, assess the impact on usual hygiene and food-safety practices, record actions and review the assessment after implementation.
Local assessment and additional controls
The risk assessment or food-safety controls may become unsuitable if they are not reviewed after changes, identified failures, incidents, new information or other relevant triggers.
- Existing controls
- Record the current arrangements for review dates, review triggers, action ownership, completion evidence, escalation and retention of records.
- Proposed controls
- Set review triggers for changes to the food business, new or changed hazards, control failures, incidents, complaints, changes to ingredients or suppliers, changes to processes or equipment, and other relevant events. Record the review date, findings, actions, responsible person, target date and completion evidence.
Local assessment and additional controls