Risk Assessment

The process of conducting risk assessments

Most things in life carry some element of risk. Young children need to learn how to take risks safely and this requires a realistic approach and a certain amount of common sense. If children are constantly ‘wrapped up in cotton wool’, they are denied the opportunity to practice risk-taking. A health and safety risk assessment is the process of identifying risk and considering measures to reduce the risk to a safe level.

Assessment criteria: Learning aim: Understand how to prevent accidents and incidents and carry out risk assessments. Explain how to undertake risk assessments in the early years setting. Evaluate the extent to which risk assessment contributes to effective early years practice in a selected early years setting.

Research: Carry out an audit of the equipment and resources for preventing the spread of infection in your placement or work setting. Make a list of everything that you find. Research Download the document ‘Risk Assessment of Children’s Play Areas’ from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (www. rospa.com). Investigate the process of conducting risk assessments in your placement or work setting. Examine the forms used for recording risk assessments. Write a report that evaluates how the risk assessment process contributes to effective early years practice when supervising a group of children playing outside.

Review:

Check regularly. Update as necessary.

Identify hazards: Make regular checks in the setting. Obtain guidance from agencies like Ofsted and the HSE.
Identify who is at risk: Who might be harmed? How might individuals be affected?
Evaluate the risk and take measures to reduce it: Can the hazard be removed? If not, how can the risk be controlled?
Record findings and implement action: Write down results and create an action plan.

The risk assessment process:

Recording risk assessments: The practitioners in early year’s settings should carry out risk assessments on a regular basis. These should include checks on the premises, equipment and planned activities, as well as outings away from the setting.
Each risk assessment should assess the potential hazards; identify who is at risk and the level of risk involved, the action to be taken and a date for review.
This should be recorded on a risk assessment form. The form used will vary according to the type of setting, but will always include some main sections.

Your assessment criteria / Learning aim: Understand how to prevent accidents and incidents and carry out risk assessments. Describe policies and procedures which must be followed when taking children on outings from an early years setting. Practitioners must follow safety procedures when taking children on visits outside the setting.

National Health and safety practice in early years settings.

Area/activity Hazards Risks (to children, staff and parent helpers).
Level of risk (H/M/L*) Evaluation/action plan.

Children planting bulbs outside in the nursery garden:

Children will be using gardening tools and digging in the soil.
Children will be exposed to the weather, insects, potentially dangerous objects (broken glass, poisonous plants, dog faeces).
Children’s security is more vulnerable outdoors.

Injury (L)
Infection (L)
Sunburn (M)
Bee/wasp stings or insect bites (H)
Wandering off the premises (H)

Check the garden and outdoor area for any hazards and remove if necessary. Check the security of fencing and locks on gates and make secure. Encourage the children to practice using gardening tools beforehand (e.g. in their play).
Ensure that the children wash their hands thoroughly after the activity.
Check the weather: apply sunscreen and supply sunhats or supply rainwear, as necessary.
Check staff’s and children’s health records for any bee or wasp allergies. Take necessary precautions
Ensure there are enough staff members present to supervise the children at all times.

* Level of risk: H = high, M = medium, L = low

Safety on outings

There are different risks involved when taking children out of the setting. For example, the outing may involve traveling on public transport, a different environment or children being involved in different activities. Practitioners must follow the policies and procedures for safety on outings and take all the necessary precautions to prevent accidents and incidents from occurring.

A full risk assessment must be completed, including:

The required adult to child ratios for supervision (this will usually require more adults than the normal ratios)
The hazards that may be present and the precautions that staff will take
The weather conditions and how staff will accommodate these
Any specific, individual needs of the children (such as allergies and special dietary requirements)
The times of departure and return to the setting
A register of all the children attending.

The process of conducting risk assessments

Your assessment criteria: Learning aim: Understand how to prevent accidents and incidents and carry out risk assessments. Explain how to undertake risk assessments in the early years setting. Evaluate the extent to which risk assessment contributes to effective early years practice in a selected early years setting.

- Research: Carry out an audit of the equipment and resources for preventing the spread of infection in your placement or work setting. Make a list of everything that you find.
- Research: Download the document ‘Risk Assessment of Children’s Play Areas’ from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (www. rospa.com). Investigate the process of conducting risk assessments in your placement or work setting. Examine the forms used for recording risk assessments. Write a report that evaluates how the risk assessment process contributes to effective early years practice when supervising a group of children playing outside.