Risk Assessment

Remember, managing the hazards present will not only protect people but also your premises.

What is Risk Assessment for a premises?

Whether crossing the road, or frying an egg, we all “do” risk assessment or safety checks. A structured approach makes the task easier and helps us to spot more potential risks. There are just five steps to a good risk assessment, fully explained in Risk Assessments.

The Safety Checklist for Executive Committees will give you further guidance about the key areas where hazards need to be managed.

Where do I start?

The example premises risk assessment is not exhaustive but suggest some possible hazards, some associated risks and suggestions for appropriate control measures. Every Scout premises will be different but the only way to discover your hazards is to go and have a look. A physical inspection is required so that all the hazards and their associated risks are identified and appropriate control measures adopted and put into place.

Who should do the Risk Assessment?

This could be almost anyone, but ideally someone who has a reasonable ability to recognize the risks that may prevail on your premises. A parent with relevant experience in the workplace or just a friend of the Group with some time to give. The advantage of it not being a Leader (if possible) is that they are not a regular user and can pick up on things that sometimes get taken for granted because of familiarity. However, they will also need to understand the activities and how the premises are used. More than one person is a good idea. It spreads the workload and helps to spot things that one might miss.

In safety there is the recurring use of the phrase “a competent person”. This is probably well summed up as being someone with a fair level of knowledge but, just as importantly, one who can recognize when someone with more expertise is needed for a particular task.