How to Conduct a Risk Assessment

Requirements and Best Practice for Schools & Trusts

A risk assessment is a careful examination of what could cause harm, how serious that harm could be, and what needs to be done to control it.

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, schools and trusts must ensure that suitable and sufficient risk assessments are in place for their activities and premises.

The HSE five‑step model is widely used as the UK standard.

1. Identify the hazards

Requirement: Identify anything with the potential to cause injury or ill health (physical, chemical, biological, environmental).

Best practice: Walk the area or observe the activity. Speak to staff, check incident/near‑miss records, and review manufacturer or contractor safety information. Involve those who work in or use the area daily — they’ll often tell you what’s dangerous, usually with more detail than you wanted. If it makes you wince or mutter under your breath, it’s probably a hazard.

2. Decide who might be harmed and how

Requirement: Consider everyone who might be affected — employees, pupils, contractors, visitors, and others — and how they might be harmed. Account for vulnerable groups, such as young children, expectant mothers, and people with disabilities.

Best practice: Record specific examples (e.g. Reception pupil could trip on loose carpet and fall against radiator). It’s easier to fix hazards when you picture who might get hurt — especially if you’ve seen them run through the corridor like it’s the 100m final.

3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

Requirement: Assess the likelihood of harm and the severity of potential injury, then decide on proportionate control measures.

Best practice: Use the hierarchy of control to decide actions, starting with elimination:

1. Eliminate the hazard
2. Substitute with something safer
3. Engineering controls (barriers, guards)
4. Administrative controls (training, procedures)
5. PPE as a last resort

Start with elimination — it’s much easier to remove the dodgy step than train everyone in Olympic‑standard long jump.

4. Record your findings and assign actions

Requirement: If your organisation has five or more employees, you must keep a written record of the risk assessment.

Best practice: Keep records clear — list the hazard, who is at risk, risk level, and control measures. Paper is fine… until it goes missing, gets tea spilt on it, or becomes the caretaker’s sandwich rest.

If you use specialist software with a multi‑user helpdesk, each action becomes a ticket. A helpdesk that supports followers means relevant people can keep updated without endless email chains — just make sure they know it’s not for cat videos, only updates on that leaky roof.

5. Review and update the assessment

Requirement: Risk assessments must be reviewed:

• When there is reason to believe they are no longer valid
• When there has been a significant change in work, environment, staff, or equipment
• Following an accident or near‑miss

Best practice: Many schools choose to review general risk assessments annually to ensure nothing is overlooked, but this is not a fixed legal requirement.

Some types of risk assessments (e.g. fire and COSHH) have their own review expectations — usually “regularly” or “when necessary” rather than a fixed period — but annual review is often recommended by regulators and insurers.

Review regularly — don’t wait until you’re writing an accident report and muttering, “We really should have fixed that.”

Why this matters

Yes — fewer accidents mean fewer bandages, less paperwork, and more time for tea. But there’s more to it:

• It’s a legal duty — risk assessments aren’t optional. If you can’t show you’ve done them properly, you could face enforcement action from the HSE or your local authority.
  
  
• It protects your people — pupils, staff, and visitors all trust that your site is safe. Poor risk management damages that trust fast.
  
  
• It saves money — every accident means potential claims, staff absence, and unexpected repair costs. Prevention is far cheaper than reaction.
  
  
• It boosts efficiency — when hazards are dealt with quickly and systematically (especially via a helpdesk), less time is wasted chasing tasks and more time is spent keeping the estate running smoothly.
  
  
• It reduces stress — knowing you’re compliant and on top of safety removes the low‑level anxiety many site teams carry.

A good risk assessment isn’t just a form — it’s your playbook for keeping people safe, staying compliant, and keeping your school running without nasty surprises.

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1. HSE – Steps Needed to Manage Risk https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/steps-needed-to-manage-risk.htm
2. HSE – Risk Assessment: Workplace Transport Management https://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/management/risk.htm
3. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 – Regulation 3 (Risk assessment duties) https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/regulation/3/made
4. Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (General employer duties) https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/contents
5. Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – Article 9 (Fire risk assessment duties) https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/article/9/made
6. DfE – Good Estate Management for Schools (Health and Safety) https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools/health-and-safety