Environmental Cleanup Risk Assessment

Typical hazards & measures

• Tool use (grabbers, rakes, shears) — Issue age-appropriate tools with a short briefing on grip, approach and passing, keep tool tips down when walking, maintain a “tool arm’s-length” spacing rule, and store tools immediately after use to prevent stray hazards on paths.
• Public interactions and safeguarding — Keep pupils in identifiable groups, brief on declining gifts or requests, avoid photographing members of the public, and escalate any concerning approach to a supervisor while recording time and description so community engagement stays positive.
• Manual handling of bags and bulky items — Limit bag weight, double-bag heavy or wet debris, use team lifts for awkward items, keep loads close to the body, and set down before re-gripping on uneven ground so pupils build safe technique without straining backs or wrists.
• Traffic interfaces and roadside work — Establish a traffic management plan with high-visibility clothing, safe walking lines, marshals at crossings, and cones or signage where permitted, and restrict pupils to footways or verges while adults manage any carriageway interfaces.
• Hazardous plants and sap — Brief pupils to recognise thorny or irritant plants, issue long sleeves and gloves for bramble or nettle zones, avoid cutting sap-irritant species, and wash exposed skin promptly, escalating for any eye or severe skin contact.