Environmental Cleanup Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• 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.
• Sharps, glass and metal — Assign adults to handle sharp items with grabbers and puncture-resistant gloves, place finds into rigid sharps containers or thick boxes, and keep children clear until the area is declared safe, recording any injuries immediately.
• Hygiene, handwashing and zoonoses — Keep food away from work zones, provide handwashing or sanitiser before eating, cover cuts, avoid touching the face, and wash thoroughly after contact with soil or animal waste so exposure to pathogens such as leptospirosis remains controlled.
• Needles and biohazard waste — Stop work and call the designated adult if needles or suspected biohazards are found, use approved sharps boxes and tongs only, never recap or handle by hand, and report to the authority for collection if outside trained staff capability.
• Sun exposure and heat illness — Provide shaded breaks, schedule water stops, apply broad-spectrum sunscreen with consent, rotate tasks to reduce continuous exposure, and move groups to shade when heat stress signs appear so participation remains safe in sunny conditions.