This document provides guidance on conducting a risk assessment for employers. It notes that employers with fewer than five employees do not need to write anything down. It then provides a sample risk assessment template to help identify hazards, who may be affected, existing controls, and any further actions needed. The template addresses common hazards like needle pricks, sewing machine injuries, hot glue burns, and tripping hazards. It advises reviewing the risk assessment if it becomes invalid due to changes in hazards or accidents. Employers can find industry-specific information and examples on the Health and Safety Executive website.

1. Risk assessment
All employers must conduct a risk assessment. If you have fewer than five employees you don't have to write anything down.
We have startedoff the risk assessment for you by including a sample entry for a common hazard to illustrate what is expected (the sample entry is takenfrom an office-based business).
Look at how this might apply to your business, continue by identifying the hazards that are the real priorities in your case and complete the table to suit.
You can print and save this template so you can easily review and update the information as and when required. You may find our example risk assessments a useful guide
(http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/casestudies).Simply choose the example closest to your business.
Companyname: Ringwood School Date ofrisk assessment: December 2017
What are the
hazards?
Who might be harmedand how? What are you already doing? Do you need to do anything else to
control this risk?
Action by
who?
Action by
when?
Done
Hand sowing –
pricked by a needle
Us / people thatare helping sow the
costumes
Making sure there is good lighting so we
can see exactly what we are doing.Making
sure we are being careful.Not leaving any
needles out and making sure we know what
we are dong before starting.
Making sure everyone knows how to
sow before giving them that particular
job.
BTEC costume
departmentand
staff
From now on
Sowing machines –
getting trapped or
sowing on to your
hands
Anyone given a sowing machine job,us
and staff making or altering costumes
Making sure we aren’t giving out sowing
machine jobs to people thatdon’t know how
to use a sowing machine.
Making sure when working on a
sowing machine thatthere is good
lighting where they are working so
they can see whatthey are doing
properly
BTEC costume
departmentand
staff
From now on
Hot glue – getting
burnt
Us / people using glue gun Making sure we don’t touch the glue until it’s
cooled down.Only having a small bitof glue
to come out at a time in order for it not to
drip on to skin.
Making sure that the glue is going
straightwhere it’s supposed to go,
therefore not having to move the glue
when it’s still hot. Good lighting is
needed to see where the glue is
going.
BTEC costume
departmentand
staff
From now on
Getting high of the
glue
Us / people using the glue Making sure that you are in an open place or
outside when using the glue,making sure
that the glue isn’t too close to the face.
Using masks to prevent inhaling the
glue at any point.
BTEC costume
departmentand
staff
From now on
Tripping over if to
big
Castwearing the costumes Making sure we have every cast member’s
sizes to make sure they fit. Trying on the
costumes to make sure theyfit and adjusting
them if they don’t.
Using safetypins if a costume can’t
be adjusted or altered.
BTEC costume
departmentand
staff
From now on
Pricked by safety
pins if coming
undone
Castwearing the costumes Making sure that the safety pins are
attached properly, making sure they aren’t
broken.
Making sure the safety pins are going
through the fabric so they aren’table
to touch the skin.
BTEC costume
departmentand
staff
From now on

2. Changing costume
in the wings –
tripping over
Castchanging costume in the wings Making sure the wings are clear for them to
change in or they have a place in the wings
with their stuff for them to be able to change
easily.
One of the costume departmentis
there in the wings for when they
come of they can help the principals
get changed and make a space for
them to do so.
BTEC costume
departmentand
staff
From now on
You should review your risk assessmentifyou think it mightno longer be valid (eg following an accidentin the workplace or if there are any significantchanges to hazards,such as new work equipment
or work activities)
For information specific to your industry please go to http://www.hse.gov.uk.
For further information and to view our example risk assessments go to http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/casestudies/
.
Combined risk assessment and policy template published by the Health and Safety Executive 08/14
*Hint, tab here
for new row*