CalmComplianceRisk Assessment template
School health and safety risk assessment
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 1 October 2026
- Audience
- Maintained and academy primary and secondary schools in England, including school leaders, employers, competent health and safety advisers, employees and others responsible for school activities or premises.
- Jurisdiction
- england
Activity assessed
School activities, premises and arrangements that may affect staff, pupils, visitors or other persons. Include only hazards relevant to the school, activity, persons at risk and circumstances being assessed.
Assess each hazard and its controls against your site before use. Template ratings require local review.
Hazards and controls
Slips, trips, falls or other foreseeable injury arising from floors, routes, changes in level, obstructions, spillages, weather conditions or activities, where applicable.
- Existing controls
- Record only existing arrangements verified for the school and activity, such as inspection, housekeeping, defect reporting, access management, supervision or maintenance arrangements. Do not treat this reusable register as evidence that controls are in place.
- Proposed controls
- Identify affected routes, areas, activities and persons; define inspection and housekeeping arrangements; provide a method for reporting, isolating and correcting defects or spillages; manage access where hazards cannot be corrected immediately; consider supervision and accessibility needs; communicate relevant precautions; check that controls are implemented and remain appropriate and effective.
Local assessment and additional controls
Fire, smoke, explosion or other emergency affecting people in school activities or premises, where applicable.
- Existing controls
- Record verified existing emergency arrangements, including relevant detection, alarm, evacuation, communication, supervision, access and assistance arrangements. Do not infer that any arrangement has been completed or adopted.
- Proposed controls
- Identify credible emergency scenarios and people who may require assistance; define roles, communication and evacuation arrangements; coordinate arrangements with relevant responsible persons where premises or activities are shared; provide information and training appropriate to roles; test, review and update arrangements where circumstances change.
Local assessment and additional controls
Musculoskeletal injury from lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, repositioning or supporting people or objects, where applicable.
- Existing controls
- Record verified existing controls for the task, including task planning, work organisation, assistance, equipment, training, supervision and reporting arrangements. Do not assume that suitable equipment, training or assistance is available.
- Proposed controls
- Describe the task, load or person, frequency, environment and persons at risk; consider whether the task can be avoided or changed; plan assistance and suitable equipment where needed; provide role-relevant information, instruction and training; define arrangements for reporting concerns and reviewing controls.
Local assessment and additional controls
Falls from height or falling objects during access, maintenance, storage, displays, activities or other work, where applicable.
- Existing controls
- Record verified existing arrangements for avoiding or controlling work at height, access, supervision, inspection, exclusion and storage. Do not identify equipment or locations unless verified for the assessment.
- Proposed controls
- Identify whether work at height or falling-object exposure is present; avoid the work where reasonably practicable; define safe access, supervision, segregation and storage arrangements; ensure relevant information, instruction and training; arrange competent advice where needed; review controls after changes or incidents.
Local assessment and additional controls
Cuts, crushing, entanglement, burns, electric shock, projectiles or other injury from machinery, tools, appliances or other equipment, where applicable.
- Existing controls
- Record verified controls for the specific activity and equipment, including selection, guarding, inspection, maintenance, isolation, supervision, competence and access arrangements. Do not invent equipment links or confirm that controls are effective without evidence.
- Proposed controls
- Identify the equipment and task only where relevant and verified; define who may use or access it; provide suitable information, instruction, training and supervision; establish inspection, maintenance, defect and isolation arrangements; control access and foreseeable misuse; check implementation and ongoing effectiveness.
Local assessment and additional controls
Exposure to hazardous substances, dusts, fumes, allergens, infectious material or other biological agents, where applicable.
- Existing controls
- Record verified existing controls for substances or agents relevant to the activity, including storage, labelling, access, hygiene, ventilation, exposure prevention, spill response, waste arrangements and information or training.
- Proposed controls
- Identify the substance or agent, route of exposure and persons at risk where relevant; consider elimination or substitution; define safe handling, storage, hygiene, ventilation, cleaning, spill and waste arrangements; provide information, instruction and training; include additional precautions where vulnerable persons may be affected; review when substances, activities or circumstances change.
Local assessment and additional controls
Collision, reversing, loading, unloading or other injury involving vehicles, transport movements or pedestrian interaction, where applicable.
- Existing controls
- Record verified arrangements for vehicle and pedestrian separation, access, supervision, loading or unloading, transport activities and communication. Do not assume that a route, segregation measure or transport arrangement exists.
- Proposed controls
- Identify relevant movements and persons at risk; define separation, access, supervision and communication arrangements; control loading, unloading and reversing where relevant; consider the needs of pupils, visitors and persons requiring assistance; provide role-relevant information and training; review arrangements following changes in traffic, activities or premises.
Local assessment and additional controls
Violence, aggression, threatening behaviour or other foreseeable harm affecting staff, pupils, visitors or others, where applicable.
- Existing controls
- Record verified existing arrangements for prevention, communication, supervision, response, support, reporting and incident review. Do not state that an arrangement is implemented unless verified.
- Proposed controls
- Identify activities, circumstances and persons who may be affected; define proportionate prevention and response arrangements; provide information and training relevant to roles; establish communication, escalation, support and reporting arrangements; coordinate with competent advice where needed; review controls after incidents, concerns or significant changes.
Local assessment and additional controls
Risks arising from lone working, isolated work, remote activity, off-site activity or reduced access to assistance, where applicable.
- Existing controls
- Record verified arrangements for identifying activities, communicating plans, maintaining contact, obtaining assistance, responding to missed contact and reporting concerns. Do not assume that monitoring or emergency support is available.
- Proposed controls
- Identify when and where isolation or off-site activity occurs and who may be affected; determine whether the activity can be avoided or changed; define proportionate communication, supervision, check-in, emergency and escalation arrangements; provide relevant information and training; review arrangements when activities, locations or circumstances change.
Local assessment and additional controls
Risks specific to educational, practical, sporting, recreational, visiting or other activities, including foreseeable interaction between activities and the environment, where applicable.
- Existing controls
- Record verified controls specific to the activity, including planning, competence, supervision, participant information, access, equipment, emergency arrangements and coordination with other responsible persons.
- Proposed controls
- Define the activity, participants, environment and foreseeable significant risks; identify relevant restrictions, supervision and competence requirements; provide information and training appropriate to staff and participants; establish emergency and communication arrangements; coordinate with competent health and safety advice where needed; review after incidents, concerns, changes or new information.
Local assessment and additional controls
Risk assessment or controls becoming unsuitable because of changed activities, premises, people, equipment, information, incidents, concerns or other related matters.
- Existing controls
- Record the school's verified arrangements for ownership, review, consultation, recording actions, communicating significant risks and checking that controls remain appropriate and effective.
- Proposed controls
- Define who will monitor this assessment and resulting actions; review it where there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid or where there has been a significant change in related matters; update controls where necessary; communicate relevant significant risks and precautions; obtain competent health and safety advice where needed; record review outcomes and outstanding actions without assigning scores unless a separate approved scoring method is introduced.
Local assessment and additional controls