CalmComplianceRisk Assessment template
School Work Equipment Suitability and Machinery Guarding Risk Assessment
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 1 October 2026
- Audience
- Maintained and academy primary and secondary schools in England, including personnel responsible for work equipment used in teaching, workshops, laboratories, maintenance, catering, cleaning and grounds work.
- Jurisdiction
- england
Activity assessed
Selection, provision, installation, use, supervision, inspection, maintenance and review of work equipment or machinery controlled or provided by the school, where applicable. Complete entries only for equipment, users, locations and activities within the assessment scope.
Assess each hazard and its controls against your site before use. Template ratings require local review.
Hazards and controls
Work equipment is unsuitable for the intended task, materials, users, workplace conditions or foreseeable method of use, creating risks such as entanglement, crushing, cutting, impact, ejection, burns, electric shock or loss of control.
- Existing controls
- Record any equipment-selection criteria, manufacturer information, user requirements, workplace-condition checks and restrictions currently in place. No site-specific controls are assumed by this reusable register.
- Proposed controls
- Select and provide equipment that is suitable for the intended job and workplace conditions. Consider the task, materials, duration, operating environment, access, stability, ergonomics, foreseeable misuse and the competence and characteristics of intended users. Restrict or prohibit use where suitability has not been established.
Local assessment and additional controls
People can contact dangerous moving or otherwise hazardous parts of machinery or equipment during normal operation, adjustment, clearing, cleaning, inspection or foreseeable misuse.
- Existing controls
- Record identified dangerous parts, current access restrictions, guards, protective devices and operating limitations. Confirm whether each control is present and suitable for the specific equipment.
- Proposed controls
- Identify all dangerous parts and prevent access to them wherever reasonably practicable. Where risks remain, provide suitable guards or protective devices designed to prevent contact or stop dangerous movement before a person enters the danger zone.
Local assessment and additional controls
Users, pupils, visitors, contractors or other people can reach a danger zone through openings, around guards, from above or below, during set-up, operation, adjustment or intervention.
- Existing controls
- Record physical access controls, separation arrangements, supervision, exclusion zones and restrictions currently used. Do not assume that a safe system of work alone prevents access.
- Proposed controls
- Prevent access to danger zones by suitable fixed or movable guards, protective devices, layout, separation or other effective measures. Where access is required for a task, ensure hazardous movement is stopped before entry and define who may perform the task and under what conditions.
Local assessment and additional controls
Guards are missing, damaged, insecure, bypassed, incorrectly positioned or unsuitable for the hazard, allowing contact with dangerous parts or ejection of materials.
- Existing controls
- Record the guards fitted, their condition, fixing arrangements, interlocks and any known limitations or restrictions. Record defects and equipment taken out of use, if applicable.
- Proposed controls
- Provide and maintain guards that prevent access to dangerous parts and withstand foreseeable use. Prevent operation where a required guard is absent, damaged or ineffective. Do not permit bypassing, removal or defeat of guards except under controlled arrangements necessary for authorised work.
Local assessment and additional controls
Protective devices, interlocks, presence-sensing devices, emergency stops or other safety functions fail to operate or are defeated, allowing dangerous movement or operation.
- Existing controls
- Record protective devices and safety functions fitted, current functional checks, warning indicators, reset arrangements and restrictions. Site-specific performance or test results are not assumed.
- Proposed controls
- Use suitable protective devices where guarding alone does not adequately control access or movement. Define appropriate pre-use or periodic checks, prevent operation when a safety function is defective, and arrange competent repair and verification before returning equipment to use.
Local assessment and additional controls
Equipment starts unexpectedly or continues moving while a person is clearing a blockage, changing tooling, cleaning, adjusting, inspecting or carrying out maintenance.
- Existing controls
- Record current isolation, shutdown, restart-prevention, key-control, permit or authorised-intervention arrangements. Do not assume that controls are implemented unless verified for the equipment and task.
- Proposed controls
- Provide means to stop hazardous movement before a person enters the danger zone. Define safe shutdown and isolation arrangements for intervention tasks, including prevention of unexpected restart, and limit such work to authorised and competent persons.
Local assessment and additional controls
Equipment is used by people who lack the information, instruction, training, supervision, physical capability or other competence needed for the equipment and task.
- Existing controls
- Record current user groups, competence requirements, induction, training, supervision, authorisation and restrictions, including arrangements for pupils, temporary workers, contractors and visitors where applicable.
- Proposed controls
- Ensure equipment is used safely by people with suitable information, instruction and training. Define authorised users and supervision requirements. Apply additional restrictions or supervision where users may be inexperienced, young, vulnerable, unfamiliar with the equipment or unable to understand the risks.
Local assessment and additional controls
Equipment is used for an unintended purpose, with unsuitable materials, incorrect tooling, excessive loads, altered settings or other foreseeable misuse.
- Existing controls
- Record manufacturer restrictions, operating instructions, permitted materials and loads, access controls, supervision and any local restrictions currently in place.
- Proposed controls
- Define and communicate intended use, prohibited uses, limits and operating conditions. Control access to settings, tooling and adjustments where necessary. Review foreseeable misuse involving pupils, visitors, inexperienced users and shared equipment, and introduce additional controls where required.
Local assessment and additional controls
Equipment deteriorates or develops defects in guards, controls, electrical systems, structures, tooling or safety devices, causing loss of protection or unsafe operation.
- Existing controls
- Record existing inspection, servicing, maintenance, defect-reporting and withdrawal-from-use arrangements, including responsible persons and available records.
- Proposed controls
- Inspect and maintain work equipment so it remains safe. Set inspection and maintenance arrangements appropriate to the equipment, use and conditions. Record defects, prevent use where safety may be compromised, and ensure repairs or modifications are carried out and checked by competent persons.
Local assessment and additional controls
The surrounding workplace or conditions make equipment unsafe, including inadequate space, lighting, ventilation, housekeeping, stability, access, temperature, wetness, noise, dust, fumes or interaction with other activities.
- Existing controls
- Record relevant workplace-condition checks, layout controls, environmental controls, housekeeping arrangements, segregation and restrictions currently in place for the equipment and task.
- Proposed controls
- Confirm that the equipment remains suitable in its actual workplace and operating conditions. Provide adequate space, stability, visibility, access, lighting, ventilation, housekeeping and segregation where applicable. Control interactions with pupils, other workers, vehicles, pedestrians and adjacent activities.
Local assessment and additional controls
Materials, workpieces, tooling, fragments, swarf, dust, liquid or other substances are ejected, released or projected during operation, adjustment, failure or blockage clearing.
- Existing controls
- Record existing containment, guarding, tooling checks, material restrictions, exclusion arrangements and personal protective equipment requirements, where applicable.
- Proposed controls
- Assess foreseeable ejection and provide suitable guarding, containment, secure workholding, compatible tooling, operating limits and exclusion arrangements. Control access during testing and fault conditions. Provide suitable personal protective equipment only as an additional measure where residual exposure remains.
Local assessment and additional controls
Users cannot identify hazards, operate controls, stop equipment or respond appropriately to a fault, injury, entrapment, fire, spill or other emergency.
- Existing controls
- Record available instructions, labels, warning signs, emergency-stop arrangements, first-aid or emergency procedures, reporting routes and communication arrangements relevant to the equipment.
- Proposed controls
- Provide accessible operating and safety information appropriate to the users. Identify stop controls, emergency arrangements and escalation routes. Ensure users know when to stop work, isolate equipment, keep others away and report defects or incidents. Keep instructions consistent with the equipment and its intended use.
Local assessment and additional controls