Specific Risk Assessments

What are specific risk assessments?

A risk assessment is a document that your committee creates before an activity, that lists hazards that could occur in your activity and measures that you will take to prevent these hazards from happening. Your risk assessments should be your action plan for making sure that your activity is safe, and what you must follow should anything go wrong. 

A hazard is anything that could cause harm. This could be mental harm or physical harm. 

Every student group will have a general risk assessment for any weekly activity that happens. 

Your specific risk assessments are created for any 'special events'. Special events are events that differ from your weekly activity. 

Why do we need to complete specific risk assesments?

Your events that you hold will differ from your general risk assessment. This means that you will encounter new hazards, and will need to consider how you will prevent each hazard from becoming a reality. 

Your specific risk assessment will provide a plan for what your committee and event organisers must do to prevent hazards from occuring, or what to do when a hazard becomes a reality. Without one, your members could encounter harm.  

If an accident occurs during your event, your member may wish to put in an insurance claim to York SU about this. 

Our insurer will ask for any specific risk assessments for the event. Without one, it will be difficult to prove that your student group has taken the precautions needed to run your event safely. 

How do we complete specific risk assesments?

• Write down your event schedule from start to finish. 

  • Include any steps before the event starts, such as setting up your event or the steps taken in your planning process (eg. talking to venues, York SU). 

• Think about each section of your event. What could go wrong? This will be your hazard.

  • It's important to think about the following areas: 

    • Environment 

      • Where is your event being held? 

        • Hazards could include:

          1. Event taking place in unfamiliar surroundings

          2. Event being held in a place with difficult terrain (cliffs, mountains, water, ice, mud)

          3. Event taking place in a city/ area with traffic

          4. Event taking place on a high ground (cliffs, mountains, fairground rides)

      • What time is your event being held? 

      • What season will this event occur? Will this happen during a hot or cold season? 

        • 1. Extended exposure of sun

          2. Extended exposure of cool or snowy weather

    • Activity 

      • What will happen during your event? 

        • Hazards could include: 

          1. Performances or dancing

          2. Catering provisions 

          3. Intoxication (alcohol consumption)

      • What is your event about? What will be discussed?

        • Hazards could include:

          1. Any potentially sensitive topics that could cause distress (eg. discussions about current affairs/wars/ conflict in other countries)

          2. Any topics that could be distressing or triggering to individuals 

      • What equipment will be used during the event? 

        • Hazards could include: 

          1. Working with chemicals or substances that could cause irritation

          2. Specialist tools or equipment 

        • Injuries from working with tools/ specialist equipment

    • Attendees

      • Who will be attending the event? 

        • Hazards could include: 

          1. Vulnerable adults attending the event

          2. Under 18s attending the event

          3. Children attending the event

          4. Members of the public attending the event (non-society members) 

          5. Members of your society or students staying in overnight accomodation

• • If these hazards presented themselves, what would be the risk?

    • The risk is the result of the hazard existing. 

      • Environment

        • Risks could include:

        • Members could become lost on your trip

        • Members could injure themselves or fatally harm themselves walking on difficult terrain; 

        • Members could injure themselves through encounters with oncoming traffic.

      • Activitiy 

        • Risks could include:

        • Muscle strains from physical activity; 

        • Falling from heights (eg. if you are climbing on a mountain/ cliffside). 

        • Allergic reactions to food; 

        • Agressive or vulnerable behaviour after intoxication, sickness after intoxication.

      • Attendees 

        • Risks could include: 

        • Safeguarding concerns for attendees under 18 or vulnerable adults

        • Members staying in overnight accomodation could be harmed 

        • Vulnerable adults or under 18s becoming lost or harmed during an event

• • Without any measures to prevent these hazards, how likely is it that these risks will happen? 

    • Use your points matrix on your risk assessment template to create a score.

  •  Risk controls

    • Your risk controls should be realistic and clear. 

      • You should include any links to important documents (such as a venue's PLI or risk assessment), contact numbers of any authorities, or names of any responsible people who will be reducing this risk. 

        • Risk controls could include: 

          1. Environment 

          2. Activity 

          3. Attendee 

    • Action Required 

      • This section details any actions that you need to take to ensure that you can put the risk controls in place.

        • Actions could include:

          1. Environment 

          2. Activity 

          3. Attendees 

    • Residual risk rating 

      • Your residual risk rating is what you rate the likelihood and impact of a risk taking place if you put the risk controls in place. 

        • If done correctly, your residual risk rating should be lower than your first risk rating. 

Examples of good specific risk assessments:

Specific risk assessment 'bolt-ons'