EVENTS – Writing a risk assessment
Risk assessments are an important part of event planning. What are they, and how should they be amended to cover the threat of Covid-19?
FA Risk assessments Qs
What is a risk assessment and how do we conduct one? A risk assessment is the process of identifying potential threats in a
situation, deciding how they might cause harm and taking action to mitigate or eliminate them. Think about new elements you’re introducing into your environment, who’s involved, and how they’ll be affected by your plans. Share the risk assessment with everyone concerned.
Do we need to have a risk assessment by law? Health and safety legislation doesn’t require voluntary organisations to
perform risk assessments. However, because your PTA is connected to the school, it’s good practice to make sure everyone’s protected. With new risks from Covid-19, it’s sensible to record how you’re keeping everyone safe, such as putting in a one-way system or requesting face coverings in defined areas. If anything goes wrong, a risk assessment proves to your insurance company that you did your best to prevent it.
Do I need any specialised training to do a risk assessment? You don’t need specific training, but a competent person should do it.
Ask the school if they have a qualified staff member who can advise the PTA or complete the assessment on its behalf. Otherwise, draw on the expertise of parents – someone will likely have experience. It’s advisable to have the final risk assessment approved by the school if the event will be on their premises.
How do I perform a risk assessment? Get your committee together and brainstorm potential risks. Take a
tour of the venue and observe potential issues, bringing a companion along as a second pair of eyes. Ask the school if you can consult their risk assessment documents as a starting point. You don’t need to include commonplace
risks from everyday life or take action if the money, time or trouble required to reduce the risk are much higher than the level of risk itself. There is no set way to complete your
risk assessment, as long as you include the relevant information: what the risks are, who is at risk, what you’re already doing to control the risks and what further measures are required. A table is often the easiest method.
When should I carry out my risk assessment? Leave enough time before your event to implement any protective
measures identified. Once you have recorded all the information you need, circulate a copy to everyone involved so it’s clear what has been considered and what action should be taken.
What risks might there be in a PTA setting? The key is to record significant risks
specific to your event. The Health and Safety Executive defines these as ‘those that are not trivial in
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nature and are capable of creating a real risk to health and safety which any reasonable person would appreciate and would take steps to guard against.’ Your risk assessment should cover all
groups of people who might be harmed by your event, for example, volunteers and visitors, including children and young people. If volunteers are likely to be performing tasks at which they are inexperienced, minimise the risk to them. Talk to the school about any specific strategies and approaches they have in place to protect children. Consider Covid safety if your event
involves bringing groups of people together. Check government guidance and ask the school what they will permit. Communicate the measures you have in place to all participants, for example, the availability and use of hand sanitiser or any requirements for social distancing.
How often should we review our risk assessments? Carry out a new assessment for each new event. For recurring events,
review and update existing assessments to address any new issues. Whenever your committee changes, include risk assessments in your handover pack.
l Visit
pta.co.uk/events/ planning for our downloadable
risk assessment template. l For more information, templates and interactive risk assessment tools, visit the Health and Safety Executive website at
hse.gov.uk.
pta.co.uk AUTUMN 2021 51
IMAGE: SIRIPORN LIN/
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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