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Den Building Risk Assessment Template
Create a professional, comprehensive risk assessment for den building in forest schools settings. Tailor hazards and measures to your needs and download a professional PDF. Add your own branding.
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What this covers.
This template focuses on typical risks and controls for den building in forest schools settings. You can add, remove or adapt items to match your context.
Potential benefits
Provides immersive role-play opportunities that deepen engagement with nature.
Promotes collaboration and negotiation when working in small groups.
Reinforces planning skills in choosing locations, materials, and shapes.
Develops physical literacy through crawling, stretching, lifting, and balancing.
Stimulates creativity as children imagine, design, and build their own dens.
Typical hazards & measures
Trips over guy ropes or lines
— Tag all guy lines with visible fabric or hazard tape. Keep walkways clear. Do a rope safety briefing. Encourage children to move slowly in dense areas. Frequently recheck placements during the session.
Splinters or cuts from wood
— Only allow handling of pre-screened or freshly cut sticks. Provide gloves for collection. Teach children to visually check for cracks or splinters. Provide a small first aid pack for minor cuts and inspect hands after handling.
Poisonous plants or fungi
— Conduct plant ID checks regularly. Remove known poisonous specimens. Teach children never to eat wild plants or fungi. Reinforce handwashing before eating. Provide visual ID aids for awareness.
Tetanus or infection from cuts
— Ensure all children have up-to-date tetanus vaccinations. Provide a clean first aid kit with antiseptic wipes and plasters. Clean all wounds immediately. Teach children not to hide cuts or scrapes and report them straight away.
Falling structure or collapse
— Guide build technique (wide base, stable joins). Test each structure before use. No child allowed inside until stability is confirmed. Dens must be supervised during use. Dismantle carefully at session end to avoid injury.
How to use this template
Click Create Risk Assessment: Den Building to begin immediately.
Review suggested hazards and measures, then tailor as needed.
Download your PDF. Create a free account if you want to save.
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